West Jordan City Journal | September 2020

September 2020 | Vol. 20 Iss. 09

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‘A BETTER WAY TO SAY GOODBYE’ TO VICTIMS OF PLANE CRASH

by Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com

A

utumn Allen has worked as a nurse’s aide, and she’s currently attending EMT school. But she wasn’t far into her training when she found herself acting as one of the first responders on the scene of a horrific accident.

On the afternoon of July 25, Allen was at her mother Gayle Hughes’ house, holding a yard sale on the front lawn.

She was startled to see a plane pass “4 feet” above her mother’s roof.

Right away, she called 911. Hughes told Allen to go check on her grandmother, who lived in a nearby neighborhood that the plane seemed to be heading toward. Allen immediately climbed into a rental van from Home Depot and sped toward her grandmother’s house, three streets away.

But as she drove, she let the smoke rising in the air guide her toward the scene of the impact, which she soon realized was not near her grandmother’s house but closer to the street she’d left in the first place.

Allen ended up as one of the first responders on the scene, aiding 72-year-old Maria “Mary” Quintana, the owner of the house the plane struck. When Allen arrived on the scene of the accident, she saw passengers from the crashed plane receiving emergency care but heard Quintana “screaming” in her yard across the street. “Everyone was getting help except for Mary,” she said.

Allen immediately jumped the fence into Quintana’s backyard and began asking the injured woman “paramedic questions,” like what her name was. Quintana wasn’t able to answer. Instead she begged, “Don’t let my son or brother find Victims of the July 25 plane crash in West Jordan (from left to right): Milda Shibonis, Mary Quintana, Coral Wyckoff, and Lee Wyckoff. (Photo Continued page 3 courtesy of Autumn Allen)

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Continued from front page out what happened over the phone.”

Along with other neighbors, Allen was able to lift the fence, creating a 2-foot gap that they dragged Mary under. They then carried the woman to the other side of the street, where paramedics were assisting plane passengers. Allen reported that 43-year-old Lee Wyckoff, the plane’s pilot, who later passed away at the scene, sat up but described 9-month-old Coral Wyckoff as already “gray” and “lifeless.”

“I just kept thinking, ‘OK, this is really happening,’” Allen said.

Along with Lee and Coral Wyckoff, 36-year-old Milda Shibonis also died in the accident. Three other passengers, Rebecca Wyckoff, Veda Shepherd and Cody Mitchell, survived. Mary Quintana was briefly hospitalized with severe burns on much of her body, but she too passed away on July 27.

Gayle Hughes is at work on a petition to increase regulation for the West Jordan airport. Allen said current regulations are not being upheld and that planes depart from the flight plan and fly over neighborhoods. “The FAA needs to have answers for that,” she said.

This is the eighth plane crash originating from the South Valley Airport to occur in 10 years. It’s also the first in which someone on the ground was killed. Some say the crashes aren’t due to a flaw in the airport itself but are more likely simply because smaller planes

are riskier and because development has crept toward the once-isolated airport.

On Aug. 8, a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the crash’s victims was held at the soccer field at 7800 South and 4000 West in West Jordan. Allen and King organized the event together. The flier they created for the event, which featured photos of each of the four victims, read, “We are reminded at this time how precious and meaningful life is and to not take one second for granted.”

“It was such an ugly way to say goodbye,” Allen said of the crash. The vigil came out of a need for greater closure.

At the event, friends and family of the victims spoke, along with West Jordan mayor Dirk Burton. Allen and Hughes bought 400 candles for the event, though only 50 people attended. They played music and lit lanterns.

“It was beautiful,” Allen said.

“My mom told me something, and now I really believe it,” she said, then related an experience. The night of the vigil, she watched as four dragonflies hovered near the crowd.

Earlier, Allen had noticed a dragonfly at Mary Quintana’s funeral, near the mariachi band. They made Allen and her mother think of the four people who had lost their lives in the crash. “I just knew they were all there and all watching over us,” she said. l

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September 2020 | Page 3

West Jordan family spotlight: The Britt Family

By Deserae Dorton | d.dorton@mycityjournals.com

Trying to get the baby to smile in their West Jordan home, the Britts are (oldest to youngest): Daniel, Jasmine, Mya, Jordan and Danierys. (Deserae Dorton/City Journals)

S

hortly after graduating from high school in Cedar City, Jasmine met Daniel who was just entering his second year at Southern Utah University. Daniel had noticed Jasmine around town a few times and finally met her at a barbecue at a nearby park hosted by her family.

“I did everything from that point to have her notice me,” Daniel said. “I even threw pillows at her when I got invited over to the house for dinner another day.” They started texting each other before dinner even started.

“I officially ask her out on a date some days later,” continued Daniel. They have been together ever since.

Soon after getting married, they had their first child Mya, who will be 13 in October and a few years later, Jordan, 10. The two attend Ascent Academy. Mya’s favorite part of school is math and playing sports, basketball and track. Jordan likes to follow his curiosity and enjoys science, and is ready to make a friend out of anyone. Their most recent addition, Danierys, is almost a year old.

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Though the West Jordan family is firmly rooted in Utah now, both Daniel and Jasmine are from out of state. While they love living in Utah, they find they have to be on their guard. Jasmine, who is Mexican-American hadn’t experienced racism before moving to Utah from her home in Los Angeles. But soon after starting school in Cedar City, to her surprise, one of her teachers called her a racial slur.

“That was not something I thought I would ever have to experience,” Jasmine said. Now raising children who are Black and Latin-American, she and Daniel are sensitive to what having children of color can mean in America. Pointing to Jordan, Jasmine explained that despite his positive disposition, some people only see that he’s Black. “People automatically assume that he’s probably going to be trouble,” Jasmine said. “Every year since he’s been in school he’s been called to the office.”

Mya’s first experienced teasing about her hair and skin color in preschool. “I know

back home [in L.A.] she would have fit right in,” Jasmine said. “[Jordan] would have been just another kid. But here, they stand out.

They’re different.” Jasmine emphasized that most people they’ve encountered in Utah are nice, but when her kids are treated poorly because of their race, it sticks with you. It means she and Daniel have to have conversations with their kids that many Utahns may have never thought about.

Daniel was a part of magnet program in his Las Vegas high school. It was 20 miles away with mostly white kids. While he appreciated the access to a good education, he never felt like he could relax or make mistakes. “You had to mind your p’s and q’s,” said Daniel, “because, there’s always a target on your back when you’re a person of color.”

Daniel and Jasmine started having conversations with their children at a young age to prepare them for how the world might treat them. “We’re letting them know things that I don’t think you should tell children,” Daniel said, such as preparing for encounters with the police. “Don’t say anything, keep your hands up, don’t react, don’t raise your voice, say, yes, sir, or yes, ma’am.” Beyond that, Daniel instructs his kids how to interact with all authority figures they will encounter. “I don’t want my kids to not come home someday after an altercation. When they’re at school I don’t want them to not get an opportunity, because someone thinks they’re a dud because of their skin color.”

Jasmine added that activities that seem normal for children, like playing with a toy gun can cause her to panic. Instead of feeling safe to let him play as he wishes, she tells him, “Don’t play with the toy gun in the front yard, take it to the backyard. Better yet, just leave it in the house.”

Nodding, Daniel adds, “Those are things that shape your parenting style. I can give

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these guys the best opportunities in life and hopefully they don’t have to endure everything I had to endure growing up.”

Mya is described by her father as a realist. She agonizes over decisions like whether or not to straighten her hair. She wonders what the girls at school will say about her if she wears her hair naturally. Daniel sees Mya’s natural talents, and knows she would excel at many things if she were able to let go of the outside noise.

In response to this, Mya looked at her dad and asked, “Outside noise?”

“Yeah, I feel like you like to not be seen,” Daniel said. “You don’t want to stand out.”

Mya replied, “Why would I want to?”

“Because you’re better than everyone,” said Daniel with a chuckle. “If you’re great, then be great. At the end of the day, don’t worry about anyone else.”

Jasmine has observed that people seem to want to broach the subject of race, but do not know how. “They’re afraid they will say something offensive,” Jasmine said. “I want them to bring it up. I want someone to come to me and say, ‘Hey Jasmine, I want you to educate me on this. I want you tell me what this feels like.’ I’m going to try to come from a place of understanding. Being Black in America, being Mexican in America is not easy and it’s OK for us to talk about that.”

Jasmine often hears the phrase, “I don’t see color.” But she calls it unhelpful. “I want you to see my color,” Jasmine said. “I want you to see my heritage. I want you to see my culture. I want you to see the differences that we have. And I want you to experience those alongside me.” l

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September 2020 | Page 5

Clarisse Lopez Offen on police, racial profiling, and having uncomfortable conversations

by Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com

West Jordan resident Clarisse Lopez Offen says, “It’s really uncomfortable to watch the George Floyd video and watch a man die in front of you. But what our brains do is we need to justify things that make us uncomfortable. And a lot of people have engaged in that.” (Courtesy Clarisse Lopez Offen)

C

larisse Lopez Offen is careful to preface the story she’s about to tell. “I have had a lot of good—well, I haven’t had a lot of experience with police officers.”

Years ago, she was pulled over in Murray for failing to stop at a stop sign. The officer who stopped her had been across the busy street, writing a ticket for another driver, when Offen allegedly rolled through the stop.

“The cop came at me with a lot of aggression,” Offen remembers. “He said things like, ‘Are you insane?’” I thought, ‘That’s a weird opener.’”

He accused her of taking “forever” to pull over. (She had pulled off the busy road where his lights first started flashing and stopped in a parking lot.) “There was no place to pull over,” Offen countered. “I wanted you to be safe.”

He said, “My safety is none of your business.”

When he explained why he’d pulled her over, Offen said she had indeed stopped.

“He said, ‘Do not tell me that you did when you didn’t.’” When she protested that he was across the street and couldn’t have seen clearly, she says, “He lost it on me. He was like, ‘Do you want me to drag you out of the car?’”

Her husband warned her not to engage.

She backed down. She got a ticket.

As a “matter of principle,” she made an appointment to contest the ticket. The moment the prosecutor saw the name of the officer who had written the ticket he said, “Oh, yeah, he has a reputation.” The charge was dropped.

Page 6 | September 2020

“I was shocked and flabbergasted,” Offen said. “I said, ‘If he has a reputation, what is he doing in the streets?’ He didn’t have an answer.”

This is just one of the experiences with law enforcement that stick in Offen’s mind. Each one says something not only about the role of the officer and the suspected violator in such an interaction, but about the role of an observer.

And in a time when the legitimacy of police action is under unprecedented scrutiny, the observer’s role is important—maybe not for the legal system but for observers themselves.

Offen is Latina, the daughter of a Portuguese mother and a Peruvian father. She looks “mostly white” and speaks largely without an accent—something she worked hard to lose after moving to the United States as a young adult. But it’s not a perfect disguise.

On another occasion, Offen was on her way to attend a funeral in Arizona with her husband. All cars entering the town where the funeral would be held had to pass through a border check, where an officer stood holding a stop sign. All the cars were allowed to pass through the checkpoint without stopping— until Offen’s.

She proceeded through the stop as she’d seen other cars do and was startled when she felt a bump on her hood. The cop was whacking the car with his fist, shouting, “Why didn’t you stop? Are you American? Are you illegal?”

The questions stung. “I’m not from here, but I am an American citizen,” Offen said

passionately. “I don’t think a lot of Americans would pay a thousand dollars to become an American citizen. I did.”

Her husband, a “white American guy,” leaned forward and asked what was going on.

“He saw my husband, and he stopped yelling at me,” Offen said. They were allowed to proceed.

Until that moment, Offen’s husband often doubted that poor treatment she claimed to experience as a non-white woman truly was racially motivated. Instead he was inclined to attribute it to the aggressor just having a bad day. But this “left him with no doubt. That changed how he saw things.”

She understands the skepticism.

“When you’re white, and your friends are white, and you’re good, kind people, you don’t behave that way, and you don’t see your friends behave that way, and you don’t have enough friends of color to see when they deal with that kind of stuff,” she said.

“So why would you believe that it’s that bad if you have zero exposure to the problem?”

A recent experience in South Jordan gave Offen some exposure to the problem in a way she’d never seen. She and her husband were on a double date with friends at The District, seeing a movie. She noticed a police officer standing near the ticket taker at the theater but didn’t think much of it. Patrons handed their tickets to the ticket taker with no incident while the officer looked on, until the couple with the Offens—who were Black—approached. After the ticket taker had viewed their tickets and waved them in, the officer stopped them, asking to take another look at the tickets. What happened next left Offen with an “icy feeling.”

“The cop literally had the tickets in his hand, opened his hand, and dropped the tickets,” she said. “And keeping his gaze locked on my friend said, ‘Oh, look at that. You dropped the tickets.

It was the most shocking thing I had ever seen in my life. You don’t think the worst of people. I then recognized that this was not a person with good intentions.”

She didn’t say anything to her friends for a while. They just wanted to see a movie and have a nice evening. Later, they talked with the couple about what happened. Offen apologized for not saying anything to the officer.

“The things that they shared with us opened up a conversation,” she said. “I was appalled. They were like, ‘We weren’t.’” For this couple, incidents like this were so common they weren’t even worth a complaint.

But Offen is hopeful about the conversations taking place now about race and law enforcement. In an unprecedented way, she said, people are willing to hear other people’s stories and trust that they’re telling the truth about their experience rather than seeking attention or sympathy.

She only recently learned of the expe-

rience of her “closest cousin,” a Latino man with a Ph.D. and a nice car, who was brutalized by police and had his car damaged.

He was humiliated. And he had never spoken about it—until now.

“There’s a stigma that if you’re talking about it, you’re victimizing yourself,” Offen said. “In reality, you need to talk about it so that people can know.”

Offen, who works as a recruiter, is heavily involved in church and community service. She works on the communications board for her region in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which gives her opportunities to build bridges. She recently helped connect West Jordan Councilmember Zach Jacob with a local chapter of the NAACP, who gave feedback as he drafted a resolution against racial inequality. At the June council meeting where Jacob presented his resolution, other council members approved it. But Offen was disappointed with the speeches that followed Jacob’s.

Councilmember Kayleen Whitelock said she appreciated the “major changes” from Jacobs’ first proposed resolution to the one ultimately adopted in June. “What I want is positive things for our city,” Whitelock said. “Where we can do that, I’m happy to be supportive.”

Councilmember David Pack added, “I think we all agree on the same fundamental idea that black lives matter and that every life matters.” He wanted to ensure the resolution wasn’t focused just on black people, but on all races, socioeconomic statuses and professions. “We shouldn’t just be speaking of color and race but all differences,” he said.

“They watered it down,” Offen said.

“People are so afraid to talk about these issues,” calling them too negative or too violent.

But that kind of talk “shows their privilege.”

Offen runs the Facebook page of one councilmember, whom she declined to name.

She joked, “I wanted to post a Black Lives Matter video on his page out of spite.” She didn’t.

She speaks with the air of someone who is practiced in explaining sensitive racial issues to those who take offense to words like “racism” and “white privilege”—in fact she counted her own husband and son (who passes for white) among this group. She acknowledges that the words can feel like attacks, and that we need a better way to explain these ideas. But ultimately, we have to stop searching for “comfort zones” in the midst of uncomfortable conversations.

“We need to be able to see two different truths at the same time,” she said about police. “We have to honor the hurtful experiences of others. That doesn’t always mean trying to focus on the positive. There’s room to see both. It’s not about one side or the other. We can [support police] at the same time that we acknowledge suffering.” l

West Jordan City Journal

Concerns arise in City Council about new Jones Ranch development to the west

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com more development to happen on the west side, not just in our city (Olympia Hills).”

He compared the land potential to the recent commercial and high-density buildings in Sandy.

“The west side of Sandy city—30 years ago— that was all fields except for South Towne Mall,” he said. “There was proposal after proposal of development of that land, and Sandy city said no. We’re holding this for commercial and our future downtown.

There are still high-rises proposed as part of that. If we don’t hold the line, we won’t get what we planned for.”

On the other side, Councilmember Chris McConnehey is wary of planning traditional commercial space. What we’ve seen is the traditional commercial hasn’t worked as well. A lot of places have This map is a preliminary plan of what the Jones Ranch development will look like, with areas for commercial and several different neighborhoods with very low to medium density. gone dark; a lot of places are struggling to find tenants. I don’t know what’s nother west-side development is com- gerter highway; a lot of that is funded. U-111 development, city leaders charge the devel- going to work, especially as things are changing.” ing soon. 592 acres between 8600 S and isn’t funded. Mountain view, a lot of that is oper fees incurred by the construction.

“When we were having prior conver9000 S, overlapping Bacchus highway (U- funded. Yes, there are plans to widen 9000 Construction is scheduled to begin on sations, the idea was to have a coordinated 111), is property named Jones Ranch.

Zone 5 tank in 2023.

South, but it isn’t funded.” effort with the developer to put in some des“[It will be] largely residential, some The preliminary traffic study said the Density The density of housing varies across tination retail, something that’s a draw,” Mcopen space in the wash and some commercial main roads surrounding the development acreage,” West Jordan Chief Administrative would have minimal impact. Councilmem- the development with some large lots on the Connehey said.

Green expressed a different concern Officer Korban Lee said. ber Kelvin Green did not believe the study western border, along with one-fourth-acre lots, to small and close but detached homes. over the commercial space.

The mayor’s office held a discussion results.

“What I’m concerned about with the deWhitelock is concerned with any during the city council meeting in August to “When we’re building a city, 600 acres sign is that it’s not walkable; it’s not part of discuss the basics of this development: Trans- with 3,000 units, that’s four times the city of close-proximity homes.

“People don’t want the high density,” the community,” Green said. “There’s got to portation, commercial, water and density.

Fillmore,” Green said. “We’re building a city she said. “And currently, the pandemic has be a draw that people can walk or ride their All council members voiced concerns out there. with each category of the plan from Ivory In today’s terms, yeah. When we start shown that high-dense areas are being im- bikes to it.”

Communications Officer Tauni Barker Homes. adding Woods Ranch, Jones Ranch, Amazon, pacted more. Space is important for many said nothing is happening yet, and planning Transportation Project Megatron, Project Vast and whatever reasons.”

“This is a significant portion of the city,” else we’re trying to throw in on the west side, There are no high-density apartment or will take some months to finalize and begin.

“The city is waiting for the developer to Lee said. “This makes up a big chunk of the U-111 is not going to handle it.” condo buildings zoned on the current plan. remaining land we have in the city. The 9000 Water pressure “[But], because there’s no multi-fami- provide a draft of the Master Development The current water pressure can only pro- ly, there’s no big apartment complexes, I’m Agreement for review,” she said. “Once final South is really the only corridor that goes vide water to 40 more homes on this property. more or less OK with it,” Councilmember revisions to the document are made and then east–west throughout the entire city.” approved, the developer will move to the “For them to move forward, the city Zach Jacob said.

All six present council members (CM next phase of work.”

Jacob arrived later) voiced concerns about needs to build the Zone 5 tank,” Lee said. Commercial space Construction on the project is dependent Thirty-five acres of the total land are the transportation needs for potentially “If tanks are built in zone 6 or 7, the homes on the contractor but is likely to occur in earcan get built. Our water master plan has those currently zoned for commercial space.

10,000 residents.

Jacob was adamant that the space be ly 2021,” Barker said. l Councilmember Kayleen Whitelock tanks on schedule. If Ivory wants to build said the roads surrounding the development those sooner, certainly they can enter into a held for commercial only, and not be zoned have plans in place, but the state nor city have pioneering agreement and speed up the time- for more housing.

“I understand the idea of a study being line.” the funds to improve them yet.

Funding for these tanks can be covered done of ‘existing residential plus this residen“I think 9000 South is going to have issues,” Whitelock said. “Currently, the closest in city impact fees. When a developer asks tial equals this much commercial,’ but that’s to a freeway we have on the west side is Ban- for additional city infrastructure to serve their not where it stops,” Jacob said. “There’s a lot

A

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West Jordan City Journal

Body engraving business can now call West Jordan home

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

Body engraving and tattoo businesses are now legal in West Jordan. (photo/pixabay)

B

efore August 2020, anyone who wanted a tattoo or body art had to leave West Jordan for somewhere these businesses were legal.

In February, Mike Johnson, owner

and artist of Studio Elev8 in South Jordan, approached council with a request to change city code that currently prohibits tattoo businesses from operating in West Jordan. (See more background on this sto-

ry: www.westjordanjournal.com.) Over the following months, staff and council worked on a West Jordan code amendment that would allow tattoo and body engraving in the city. The resolution passed in a 6-1 vote this August to allow them in three zones: SC-3 (Community Shopping Center), Redwood Road Overlay and CC-C (City Center Core).

Councilmember Kayleen Whitelock was the dissenting vote.

“Tonight, I will be voting no though because I have had several people reach out to me and say it’s not what they want,” Whitelock said. “And my job on the council is not to vote what I want but vote on behalf of those I represent. Get a tattoo if you want one; that doesn’t change my opinion of that person. I’m basing my vote on [residents] desire.”

Councilmember Kelvin Green also heard from constituents that were against the resolution, but he voted yes.

“When it comes to what I’ve heard from some people is that ‘we don’t want that kind of business in West Jordan,’ and I’m trying to figure out what is ‘that

kind’ of business?” he said. “What we’re talking about a legal business. Where do you make the differentiation between a business that sells jewelry and one that does tattoos? Legal is legal. It’s regulated business.”

Councilmember Melissa Worthen suggested limiting the number of engraving businesses in the city.

“Is there a limit to how many tattoo shops?” Worthen asked. “I would say that just like any business. You wouldn’t want one McDonald’s on one corner and another McDonald’s on another corner because that’s just not good business.”

City Attorney Rob Wall advised the council that, “Unless you have a business that is creating a nuisance and you have data to that fact, it would not be defensible if you target that single basis. This city and other cities don’t limit the number and type of business; the market does that.”

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September 2020 | Page 13

Adopt, Don’t Shop

By Rachel Heatley, Advocacy Director, The Humane Society of Utah

W

e are experiencing a crisis in the United States - a crisis of companion animal overpopulation. The overpopulation crisis is leading to a staggering number of animal deaths in shelters. According to the ASPCA, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter shelters in the United States each year. Of that 6.5 million, 1.5 million do not make it out alive.

That is roughly 23% or one-quarter of the animals. This means that for every four animals that enter a shelter, one is killed.

The reasons animals are killed in shelters varies, but the number one killer is a lack of space.

At the Humane Society of Utah, we work to reduce the number of animals entering shelters through low-cost spay and neuter services, veterinary medical help for those who can’t afford traditional veterinary care, and behavioral counseling.

Further, because we have excellent adoption rates at our shelter in Murray, Utah, we work to reduce shelter overpopulation by transferring in animals from high-kill shelters in Utah, as well as Texas, Arizona, and other states in our region. We work tirelessly to relieve the pressure at these shelters, but truth be told, the flow of animals never stops.

Companion animal overpopulation is one of the reasons why the Humane Society of Utah opposes companion animal breeding, but it is not the only reason.

Companion animal breeding is largely unregulated in the United States. As a result, companion animals are often overbred, inbred, and dangerously undersocialized.

An undersocialized puppy often grows up to become an unruly (and sometimes aggressive) adult dog. When a family can no longer handle the dog, he or she gets turned into a shelter. Once there, a shelter uses its meager resources to try to help the animal become adoptable. Sometimes, it is successful. Other times, the damage done is too great and a shelter is forced to euthanize the dog for safety reasons. The toll this takes on the individuals in the shelter is immeasurable. More importantly, the loss of life is unforgivable when it can easily be prevented by adopting instead of shopping.

A side note on breed preference: According to Best Friends Animal Society, it is estimated that between 25 and 30 percent of companion animals in shelters are purebred. This means it is incredibly likely that, with a little patience, an individual can find their preferred breed at a shelter or rescue.

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West Jordan City Journal

SLC companies team up to develop face masks

By Libby Allnatt | l.allnatt@mycityjournals.com

T

wo companies in Salt Lake City are teaming up to develop a face mask that packs a punch in the fight against COVID-19 and other viruses.

Dr. Sonny Bal, the president and CEO of SINTX Technologies (www. sintx.com), said the partnership with O2TODAY (www.o2today.com) will help create masks that people are happy to wear and that are effective at controlling the spread of infectious disease.

The key is a material called silicon nitride.

Bal said that SINTX began antiviral testing of the material about a year and a half ago out of scientific curiosity. They found that silicon nitride was effective at inactivating several viruses, leading them to believe it would be a good material for masks during the flu season.

When COVID-19 came along, they started looking for mask companies and manufacturers, particularly in the Salt Lake City area, which is how Bal discovered O2TODAY. “Specific to COVID-19, our hope is to inactivate the virus on synthetic surfaces,” Bal said. “For example, your masks, but more importantly, on tabletops, commonly touched surfaces, cell phone covers, screens. We know the COVID-19 virus can persist for days…

If we create surfaces that don’t have to be wiped down with cleaning agents and bleach all the time, I think we can contribute to discouraging the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, particularly among the populations that are most vulnerable to it.”

Bal said the companies bring different strengths to the partnership.

“Silicon nitride is our main and only product for SINTX and we believe we are the world’s leaders on this, having published on it and studied it, particularly its remarkable properties in terms of inactivating pathogens that have since been reproduced by other medical centers,” he said. “O2TODAY brings a phenomenal amount of knowledge about masks, their social positioning, the customer base, the retail sales, how to sell them, how to make them.”

Bal said silicon nitride works in a similar way that commercial cleaners do, essentially making its own ammonia.

WestJordanJournal .com

Two companies in Salt Lake City, O2TODAY and SINTX, are working to develop a face mask that inactivates viruses and bacteria. (Courtesy of Amanda Barry/O2 Design)

“The surface chemistry has nitrogen in it which reacts with moisture, so if you touch a surface or you rub it with a moist rag, there’s a hydrolytic reaction with the water that produces a microscopic amount of ammonia on the surface,” he said. “It’s harmless to the human touch and it doesn’t smell, but when a microbe touches it, like bacteria or the virus, it’s inactivated, just like a commercial cleaner would.”

Think of masks as passive versus active. A regular cloth mask might trap the virus, but not kill it.

“Some studies have shown that the COVID-19 virus can stay active and infectious on a mask for up to seven days after you throw it out,” Bal said.

A more active mask would inactivate the virus.

“With silicon nitride, it’s a twoprong effect,” he said. “The material is harmless to human cells but will inactivate the virus. The speed of inactivation is very impressive. I’ve seen the effect within a minute so it’s not a matter of hours or days. Our strategy is to develop a mask that actively degrades and inactivates infectious agents like viruses and bacteria.”

Bal said they hope to have a commercially available consumer mask by

the end of the year.

“The research we’re doing right now is integrating the silicon nitride particles or soluble products into the mask fabric in such a way that you’re not breathing the particles in. They’re all in the mask itself, and you can breathe easy…That work, which has begun, and started even before the agreement, gives us a timeline before the end of the year before we have a commercially available consumer mask.”

They also hope to eventually create masks that would be available on a medical level.

“Medical facilities would be a very important market because contamination is big in hospitals,” he said. “Medical personnel need masks. They’ve been wearing them before COVID-19. For them to have an active mask that kills pathogens would be very exciting.”

However, the process for such an endeavor would take a bit longer than that of the consumer product due to regulatory factors and additional data and testing that would need to be submitted to the FDA. “It will take longer, but certainly the medical market is a key target for us,” Bal said. l

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September 2020 | Page 15

Dee Garden Thai Kitchen and Nepali Chulo: Two restaurants approaching their one-year anniversaries in a strange climate

By Mariden Williams | m.williams@mycityjournals.com

In May, Dee Garden Thai Kitchen donated 100 meals to Salt Lake County Department of Infectious Disease workers. (Dee Garden Thai Kitchen)

S

tarting a new restaurant is never an easy feat, but it becomes even harder when just a few months after first opening your doors, you are asked to close them for the sake of public health.

Dee Garden Thai Kitchen, located at 7098 South Redwood Road, opened on Dec. 20, 2019, meaning they were only open for around three months before lockdown orders took effect. So, unlike a lot of other local restaurants, they haven’t experienced a decline in revenue so much as a slower increase in customer base than new restaurants can generally expect.

“We were still building our customer pool when the pandemic hit us, since the restaurant was opened pretty recently at that time,” said Manager Kanlayanee Phothiworn, who is the daughter of the chefs. “But our customers were still very nice in supporting the small businesses in the community.”

Though their own business was struggling during this time, the Phothiworn family still found a way to give back to the community: on May 6–7, they held a fundraiser where 50% of their proceeds went toward feeding front-line healthcare workers. They

Page 16 | September 2020

raised enough money that they were able to donate 100 meals.

“We really wanted to contribute and give back, since we also knew friends and families who were working in the healthcare system,” said Kanlayanee. “I think it was a successful event. Many customers saw the news and came on those two days especially to support the cause.”

During the lockdown, most customers ordered exclusively through online delivery services, but they are gradually seeing an increase in in-person dining, which makes them happy. The interior of the restaurant is bright and cheery, and every other table is marked off with blue masking tape to encourage social distancing.

“We love seeing customers eating at the restaurant so that we can see how much they enjoy the food and can get instant feedback to know how we can improve,” said Kanlayanee.

Though Dee Garden Thai Kitchen only opened last December, the Phothiworn family has a lot of experience in the food industry.

Originally from Nong Khai, a province on the northeast side of Thailand, they ran a food

and grocery business that served their entire village for more than 10 years. The vegetables they used were homegrown in their own garden—a tradition they have continued now that they’re in Utah.

They specialize in Isan cuisine: the cooking style native to their part of Thailand, known for its use of sticky rice and fresh vegetables. Most entrees run about $10–13, though they have an $8 lunch special that includes an appetizer, a soup and a smaller entrée. The dishes the Phothiworns most recommend to newbies are their pad thai and their massaman curry.

“I think pad thai and massaman curry are the signature dishes of any Thai restaurant,” said Kanlayanee. “You will know if a restaurant is authentic or good by these two dishes.”

An authentic pad thai will be sweet and savory with a little kick of sour, and the noodles will have completely absorbed the sauce.

There shouldn’t be anything runny pooling at the bottom. Massaman curry should be rich, mild and sweet, which makes it a good pick for children or those who have a low tolerance for spice. Dee Garden’s is pleasantly

thick and utterly delicious. It can be ordered with your choice of meat, and together with rice, an $11 bowl can easily feed a small family.

“To be honest, I think we make the most authentic Thai food in this area,” said Kanlayanee. “We make sure the food is made with quality and compassion. My parents don’t ever shorten the necessary time to make pad thai, even when we are busy. And we work as a family, which means that the restaurant is not only family-owned, but we treat our customers like family too. We want them to feel comfortable and at home.”

Nepali Chulo, a Nepali/Indian restaurant located at 3376 South 5600 West, faced a similar lockdown dilemma to Dee Garden.

They opened in Nov. 2019, giving them around four months to build a customer base before the pandemic shut everything down.

“It was crazy,” Manager Mani Gautam said of the lockdowns. “But we are still here.

We are surviving. Since we are new, we are still getting a lot of new customers.”

Gautam and his head chef are both originally from Nepal, and both worked at another local Indian restaurant, Himalayan Kitchen, for many years before deciding they would prefer to branch off and start their own business. And thus, Nepali Chulo was born.

The restaurant is named for a traditional wood-burning Nepali stove. Generally made of mud, chulos are common throughout rural areas of Nepal where gas and electricity are hard to come by. Though they’re harder to use than more modern stoves, chulos give a very particular flavor to the food that is cooked upon them, which makes them quite beloved.

The menu is absolutely massive. They have all the standard Indian favorites, such as chicken tikka masala, lassis and samosas, but they have a lot more flavor options than most.

In addition to your more common mango and rose lassis, they also offer banana and salty lassis, and they have eight different varieties of naan bread, including a very filling garlic-cheese naan.

Their Indian dishes have much sweeter, rounder flavors than most other Indian places around Salt Lake County. But it’s the Nepali specialties where Nepali Chulo really shines.

Their momos—Nepali dumplings, available stuffed with chicken, bison or vegetables and served with a bright orange curry sauce— are especially fantastic. Most entrees run between $13–16, but for $21 you can get a one-person meal set that includes three curries, daal (stewed seasoned lentils), yogurt, tamarind chutney and dessert. Portions are generous. l

West Jordan City Journal

G O OD NE IG HBOR

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2020

Paid for by the City of West Jordan

M AYO R ’S M E S S AG E What a year we have experienced. It has been a roller-coaster ride and we didn’t even have to buy tickets. While we’ve been met with many challenges, we’ve also been given opportunities to grow.

As we have made changes, due to things outside our control, we can look for the positive in the areas we do have control. For me, I have been touring neighborhoods throughout the city; walking or riding my Segway or bike, which has given me the ability to meet and talk with many residents. It’s hard to believe that the summer is nearly coming to an end. I plan to be out in neighborhoods, meeting with you for as long as the weather permits.

As we welcome the Fall season with the Labor Day holiday, let’s turn our attention to another occurrence that begins in September. September 15th through October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month.

The City of West Jordan is home to people who come from many different cultures and who have many different backgrounds. In 2017, The Census Bureau estimated that almost 20 percent of West Jordan’s residents are Hispanic or Latino. With the 2020 Census happening this year, that number is expected to grow.

This summer, the West Jordan City Council passed a resolution that helps to get the ball rolling for a commission on diversity within the city. The commission will include input and recommendations from a variety of communities, to the City Council. If you’d like to be a part of this commission, contact us for an application: 801-596-5100.

Councilmember Zach Jacob sponsored the resolution saying it will further peace, tolerance, and justice within our city.

After reading through the resolution, and seeing how well it represents West Jordan, I was excited to join in and sign on.

As the fourth largest city in the State of Utah, and still rapidly growing, West Jordan is proud to represent all our residents and their diverse backgrounds. It’s just another way that you help make West Jordan a great place to live.

Sincerely,

Mayor Dirk Burton City of West Jordan

WestJordanJournal .com

West Jordan Police Presents Use of Force Transparency Report The West Jordan Police Department says it prides itself on transparency. During a City Council meeting, Police Chief Ken Wallentine and Deputy Chief Jeremy Robertson presented data from a use of force report. The data comes from arrests and instances that happened between June 2019 and July of 2020.

“The police department recognizes that use of force is an area of public concern and we want to be able to be as transparent as possible,” said Deputy Chief Robertson.

Chief Robertson displayed pie charts and bar graphs showing how the West Jordan Police Department compares to other departments across the United States when it comes to use of force. Compared to the national average, the department is well under the national average when it comes to any force used during an arrest or face-to-face contact.

Use of force is defined by the use of a tool (such as mace, a taser, or a body wrap), a strike or forcible take down, complaint of an injury, or any force used outside of policy.

During the presentation, the department also compared its numbers to data from five years ago. In 2015, the department reported 85 incidents where use of force was used, compared

to present-day where the department reports 35 incidents of uses of force.

“I believe this was accomplished by some very specific steps that the department has taken,” said Chief Robertson.

In those five years, the department implemented de-escalation and crisis intervention training and added a consistent use of force process, which requires supervisors to look at each force incident and to give feedback to their subordinates.

“This has created a culture where use of force is not glorified, where officers know they will be held accountable for force that will be used,” said Chief Robertson. “In 2015, about 60% of our uses of force were being committed by 5% of our officers. The culture we’ve created has caused those officers to no longer work here for one reason or another.”

To conclude the presentation, Chief Wallentine said his officers are not going to hang their heads in his department over its use of force.

“We’re going to market what we do because we do it well. We do it right and we do it as reasonably necessary. Sometimes we must use force in policing, but when we do, we will account for it.”

To watch the council meeting visit the City’s YouTube page: https://bit.ly/WestJordan

Call for Volunteers The City of West Jordan is looking for individuals interested in serving on its General Plan Committee. The General Plan Committee assists the Planning Commission and City Council in the preparation and adoption of a comprehensive, long-range general plan for land use and growth and development.

Appointments are for two-year terms and may be extended. Up to 15 citizens will be appointed to this committee.

Visit this link for more information: www.westjordan.utah.gov/committees

September 2020 | Page 17

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN

Salt Lake County releases “Property Watch” A NEW PROGRAM TO KEEP HOMEOWNERS SAFE AND INFORMED Title fraud is a billion-dollar problem in the United States, but a new program launched this year by the Salt Lake County Recorder’s office, plans to help Utah homeowners combat the problem for free.

Salt Lake County Recorder, Rashelle Hobbs, spoke virtually during a West Jordan City Council meeting, explaining how the new program could benefit residents.

“In recent months, our homes have taken on the added role of an office, classrooms, and a refuge from this virus. But, one thing remains the same and that is the American dream of homeownership,” said Hobbs. “To protect your property, we have launched a new and free service called Property Watch.

This service notifies Salt Lake County property owners when something is recorded on their property.

This is a great resource that will help prevent title fraud, while also protecting your property, offering a peace of mind; which I believe is something we all could use a little more of right now.”

Signing up for the free service takes less than 30 seconds. Residents just visit the recorder’s website, click ‘Property Watch’ and input information such as their; home address, name, and email address. In seconds that resident will get an email notifying them that they are officially enrolled in the program.

“We’ve had over 7,500 subscribers with West Jordan making up 558 so far,” said Hobbs. “People have told us that this allows them to watch the property status of elderly family members and adds added protection to their own property.”

To sign up visit: https://slco.org/data-services/PropertyWatch/PropertyWatch.aspx If you have any questions you can email propertywatch@slco.org or call 385-468-8176 for live support.

Substitute Crossing Guard Needed The City of West Jordan is now accepting applications for the substitute crossing guard position.

For more information about the job posting, visit: WestJordan.Utah.Gov

Rush Funplex Coming to West Jordan Wondering what is being built in Jordan Landing next to the movie theater?

The Rush Funplex will feature bowling alleys, an arcade, rock climbing, a foam pit, go-karts, bumper cars, mini-golf, laser tag, full cafe, and party rooms.

Visit rushfunplex.com for more information.

Page 18 | September 2020

West Jordan City Journal

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN

Sharing the Love WEST JORDAN RESIDENTS SHARE PHOTOS OF THEIR RESCUED PETS.

COUNCIL CORNER The West Jordan City Council has created several sub-committees to further the work of the council. These committees are made up of no more than three council members and committees include the following: • Utility Rates and Enterprise Funds

“Our sweet Holly. We got her off Craigslist in Texas. We were her fifth and final home.

She’s been with us since she was two and she just turned 11. We couldn’t love her more than we do.” – Rebecca Norgard

• Land Use • General Plan • Mayoral Appointments • Council Rules • Budget and Audit

“Nacho the beardi.” – Caitlyn Michale Rawski “This is Rayn! I adopted her from the humane society in Febrauary. I’m not sure how anybody could’ve gave her up. She is such a sweetheart.”

– Ashlee Anderton Shosted

Councilmember Zach Jacob (and chair of the Land Use Committee) stated, “The land-use committee has started meeting to discuss issues related to zoning and development issues coming to the city.”

Councilmember Melissa Worthen (and chair of the Budget and Audit Committee) said, “Our committee will work along-side the finance dept and the independent auditors to further to work of transparency, accountability and financial sustainability.”

“The West Jordan City Council is also launching a social media presence and has started with a Twitter feed. We invite interested individuals to follow us on Twitter so residents and interested members of the public can follow the activities of the City Council.”

The Twitter handle is @WJCityCouncil. If you are on Twitter, please follow the council.

As a reminder, you can reach the council by either sending an email to councilcomments@westjordan.utah.gov, or calling the 24-hour comment line at 801-569-5052. Agendas for council meetings can be found at https://westjordan.utah.gov/agendas.

Each agenda lists the Meeting ID and password and phone numbers you can use to participate in the council meetings. It also lists the topics the council will discuss.

Next council meetings will be September 9th and September 30th Please share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions with us to make West Jordan an exceptional place to be.

New Pickleball Courts Open at Constitution Park “This is Burly… named after Burl Ives.” – Kasey Dahl

“This is Pepper, she came from West Jordan Animal Shelter 5 years ago next month.” – Councilmember Melissa Worthen

“This is our boy, Ollie.

He’s been part of our family for 6 years! He’s a good boy and we love our ‘little cowboy so much!” – Marisa Rochelle Mandia WestJordanJournal .com

Constitution Park is home to the newest pickleball courts in the City of West Jordan. The city held a private ribbon cutting event, where city leaders cut the ribbon and unlocked the gate, officially opening the courts to the public.

Mayor Dirk Burton was joined by former Mayor Jim Riding, who worked on getting the courts transitioned from tennis courts to pickleball courts while in office.

“We knew we could build them here and I just said we want pickleball courts at Constitution Park – let’s figure out a way to do that,” Mayor Riding said. “This is my neighborhood; this is why I was kind of anxious to have them here. I have a lot of neighbors that want to come over here and play. Thank you Mayor, thank you Parks, and thank you City Council for making this happen.”

After cutting the ribbon, some cheers and applause, Mayor Burton welcomed the public inside saying: “Let’s play ball!”

You can find the eight new courts at 3200 West and 7000 South – stop by and play today.

September 2020 | Page 19

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SEPTEMBER

1

SEPTEMBER

7

PLANNING COMMISSION

LABOR DAY CITY OFFICES CLOSED

Join virtually on YouTube 6 p.m.

8

5 PM - 8 PM

AU G U S T

FOOD TRUCKS

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

12

Takeout Tuesday every Tuesday night Ron Wood Park 5-8 p.m.

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

PATRIOT DAY

PLANNING COMMISSION

11

15

Join virtually on YouTube 6 p.m.

Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY

NATIONAL GOOD NEIGHBOR DAY

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

22

28

30

Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.

Page 20 | S

• consumer.ftc.gov • identitytheft.gov

Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER

9

Someone is reaching out to West Jordan residents CLAIMING to work with our Public Utilities Department and asking for money over Google Pay. DO NOT give your payment information to them. The city will not ask for a payment through Google Pay or gift cards. If you feel like the situation seems fishy - go with your gut! Hang up - and report the call to any of the following links:

LAST FOOD TRUCK EVENT AT RON WOOD PARK

AU G U S T

11

Don’t Fall for This!

SEPTEMBER

The City of West Jordan 8000 S. Redwood Rd., West Jordan, UT 84088 Join the conversation!

(801) 569-5100 West Jordan – City Hall www.wjordan.com eptember

2020

West Jordan Police Dept.

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

• usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds

West Jordan Communications If you’re reading the West Jordan Good Neighbor News, you’re likely involved and interested in what goes on at the City of West Jordan. As West Jordan’s Community Engagement Department, our goal is to provide accurate, timely and important information about government meetings, messages from city departments and City events. For your convenience, we use several communication channels to spread the word including: • Social Media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube • Email • The Good Neighbor News inside the West Jordan Journal • WestJordan.Utah.Gov • Banners placed throughout the City and display boards and marquees at City Hall

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH US There are several ways to be heard at the City of West Jordan. While this is not a comprehensive list, we hope to highlight the best ways to get in touch with the city.

COMPLAINTS & REQUESTS Most of the complaints we receive are accompanied with a request for an action to be made by the city. Many of these complaints can be resolved by involving code enforcement or by submitting work orders to the West Jordan Public Works Department directly. Our GIS team created a tool where residents can submit these work orders directly called the City Service Request. Visit WestJordan.Utah.Gov/service-request to see it in action. Common issues like potholes, unplowed streets or cleanup of city property can be done using this tool. If you have a legal complaint outside of code enforcement, please contact the West Jordan Police Department on their non-emergency line at 801-840-4000.

QUESTIONS Many residents ask questions on Facebook Messenger, post comments and use other social media messaging. All are welcomed and typically receive fast responses. You’re also invited to call the main City Hall line at 801-569-5000 during business hours to get help finding the right department your question.

West for Jordan City Journal

Creative solutions for teaching during a pandemic

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Take the ElevateHER Challenge

Plexiglass shields protect office staff at Columbia Elementary. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

M

ountain Shadows Principal Tina Susuico is excited to be part of the unique opportunity of starting the school year during a global pandemic.

“The start of this school year is going to be one for the books,” she said. “It’s going to be a very different opening for administrators, teachers, students and parents. We’re going to implement schoolwide procedures that teachers will model for students and practice the first week of school. It’s going to look different from previous years.”

The Jordan District Re-opening Plan, based on Salt Lake County health department recommendations, outlines social distancing, masking and cleaning procedures. Teachers and administrators have worked to incorporate these into daily routines and school culture, often in innovative ways.

Riverside Elementary Principal Ronna Hoffman has been marking up the school to prepare for students’ return.

“We are working on marks on the floor in the cafeteria to keep students social-distancing in line,” she said. “We will have marks on the tables to keep students sitting apart as much as possible as they eat.”

Markers on the ground will also remind students to distance while in lining up before school and at the end of recess.

Thorough cleaning is a big focus. Students and teachers will frequently sanitize workspaces, and custodians will deep clean each night.

“We are looking to hire someone whose whole job is to go from one restroom, door knob, etc., to the next to clean it all day long,” Hoffman said.

In the classrooms, teachers are adapting routines and activities.

Jessica Sheffield, a kindergarten teacher at Mountain Shadows, is providing students with containers of individual supplies to eliminate shared supplies that would need to be cleaned after each use.

Sheffield is even adapting her clothing.

“I plan to wear an apron every day that holds my hand sanitizer so I am not having to go back to my desk to pick it up,” she said.

Sheffield is also preparing students for the possibility of classes going online due to quarantine or school closures.

“I published my own Classroom Communication book with the signs I use in my

WestJordanJournal .com

Teachers think of creative ways to include sanitizing into regular classroom routines. (Jessica Sheffield/ Mountain Shadows Elementary)

classroom, which are the quiet way to communicate,” she said. “I have always used the signs, but this year, these signs will transfer into Zoom meetings if we go online. They will easily help my students communicate with me without all the mics on.”

At Columbia Elementary, teachers applied for funding and donations to provide their students individual kits of supplies, touchless sanitizer dispensers, colorful masks, air purifiers and lanyards (to prevent lost masks at recess).

“I’m feeling very prepared and excited,” said third grade teacher Angela Drope, who has really missed her students. “We’re going to make it work—anything to keep these kids in school. I’ll do anything; I will move mountains for them if that’s what it means to keep them here and to keep them safe.”

Drope has stocked up on cleaning products, purchased an air purifier, banned backpacks in the classroom and placed colorful marks on the floor for social distanced lining up.

She had to get creative to space student desks according to district policy.

“I was able to comfortably get them in here with a creative arrangement,” Drope said. “I angled my side desks so it gives a little more space.”

She said she came up with creative solutions as she spent the two weeks before school preparing her classroom.

“I was really grateful for the extra week that the board gave us because it does give us that time to really slow down and think,” she said.

Columbia teacher Kymberli Cosner will begin the year with a germ experiment that she hopes will instill in her fourth graders the importance of handwashing and hygiene.

After reading a book about germ transmission, students will experiment with glow germs—powder that is visible only under blacklight—to see how far germs on hands or in sneezes can spread.

Teachers will adapt daily schedules to include regular mask breaks. Masks are required indoors but not in open outdoor areas. Cosner will take her class outside for a five-minute snack break or for read aloud time in the sun.

Assignments will also be adapted to uti-

lize an outdoor classroom. Columbia fourth grade teachers have a plant identification TM scavenger hunt planned for science class instead of a desk activity.

“We’re just trying to find ways to take them outside and get them out of the classroom as much as possible,” Cosner said.

Indoor classwork, especially group work activities, have been adapted to keep students socially distanced.

“For me, it’s really hard not to be having them in groups with one another,” Cosner said. While some assignments will just be completed individually instead, Csoner has moved some group assignments to an Are you a business leader? online format where students can type their At no cost, the ElevateHERTM Challenge is easy comments and ideas to the group instead of to accept and will benefit your company. sharing them face to face.

Cosner’s bucket of calming, hands-on Join businesses across Utah in activities for students who need a time out our mission to elevate the stature break has been adapted to an onscreen expeof women’s leadership. Take the rience where students can listen to soothing ElevateHERTM Challenge and stand with music or watch breathing exercise videos. other businesses as we pledge to elevate Cosner is a proponent of mindfulness, women in senior leadership positions, in which she believes will be even more neces- boardrooms, on management teams and sary this year as students will probably be more on politcal ballots. stressed or anxious during this unusual year.

“Things are going to be a lot different LEARN MORE: this year, structure-wise,” she said. Instead of www.WLIUT.com/challenge stressing over schedules and what she used to do, she plans to go with the flow. l

Immediate Openings Custodian Assistants Full & Part Time $13..82/hour

Apply today at workatjordan.org/apply September 2020 | Page 21

Miss Africa Utah pageant: A diverse cultural scholarship program

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

T

he 10th annual Miss Africa Utah pageant was Aug. 11-15. The pageant is for single Utah women with ties to Africa. The result is an event like no other where African women feel supported as they educate others and celebrate their heritage.

The pageant was created by Gloria Mensah of GK Folks Foundation. Mensah was born in Nigeria and resides in Utah. “It started as a culture night, just to learn more about different African cultures. It was so successful that I decided to make a nonprofit and create a scholarship,” Mensah said.

This year’s pageant went online due to the pandemic, so events were shown on the website, www.missafricautah.org. Like other pageants, each contestant chose a platform or social issue to promote. There was a talent segment and judges who select the queen. But unlike other pageants, there was a traditional costume segment and a parade of nations.

“There is a lot of diversity. It doesn’t matter your size or shape or height—you have to be within three generations from Africa. Some of the women are adopted, some are single moms and many are in college or have already graduated,” Mensah said.

This year’s final contest involved women from eight African nations: Anna Elizabeth Robbins of Cameroon; Amira Kherrallah of Central African Republic; Perpetual Stevens

of Ghana; Aziza Jabhad Hussein of Kenya; Nini Ndongo Macias of Ecuatorial Guinea; Easter Shadrack of North Sudan (born in Ethiopia); Pauline Makoma of Rwanda and Seary Kallon of Sierra Leone.

The women come from across the valley—Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, West Jordan, Draper and Kearns. The theme of belonging and fitting in came up for several as they introduced themselves and their platforms.

“People said I wasn’t African enough, or I wasn’t Latina enough,” said Nini Ndongo Macias, Miss Ecuatorial Guinea. Macias was born and raised in Salt Lake City, and code-switches easily between English and Spanish. Ecuatorial Guinea is the only official Spanish-speaking African nation.

Aziza Jabhad Hussein, Miss Kenya Utah, said she didn’t fit in “because I couldn’t walk until age 5.” Hussein was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and lost friends because they didn’t understand what that meant.

“It taught me that sometimes we judge people too quickly. Our differences seem more like weaknesses, instead of them making us more rounded and interesting individuals for our communities. I’ve made it my mission to get to know people on a deeper level,” Hussein said.

Perpetual Stevens won the People’s

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African Queens: Pauline Makoma (center, back) is crowned Miss Africa Utah 2020; other winners are L to R: Amira Kherrallah, Aziza Jabhad Hussein and Perpetual Stevens. (Lisa Chriss Photography)

Choice Award through online voting. “I lived in an orphanage until I was 7, and then I was adopted and moved to America,” Stevens said.

Stevens chose the Kaeme Foundation as her platform, which supports families in Ghana so they can keep their children at

home instead of having to utilize orphanages.

“Kaeme is very personal and important to me. I want to share my story of living in an orphanage, show people that they can trust me and my platform, and educate and help people better understand what Kaeme does,” Stevens said.

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Page 22 | September 2020

801-516-0580 West Jordan City Journal

Stevens said that though the African community in Utah may be small, “we are powerful, loving and resilient. We have continuously shown that we are here to stay. We will forever stand up and speak out about our dreams, rights and beliefs.”

The events were broadcast each night leading up to the finale on Aug. 15. The second runner-up was Hussein, the first runner-up was Amira Kherrallah and the winner was Pauline Makoma.

Makoma is a web developer studying software engineering. “I plan to visit high

schools during my reign and talk about my platform: helping young African women explore career fields that are not looked at as ‘traditional.’ African women still struggle to see themselves in technology and STEM [fields],” Makoma said.

Brittany Johnson, a news presenter at ABC4, hosted the event. Johnson said the virtual edition speaks to the importance of the event. “The GK Folks Foundation could have canceled due to the pandemic, but instead they found a way to adapt by making the event virtual.

Participants from Miss Africa Utah 2020 pose with those from 2019. (Tempestt Williams/Vivid Kodaks)

“The pageant allows contestants to feel empowered, showcase their talent and create a platform in which a young African woman can thrive. The MAU Pageant promotes positivity, and that’s what the world needs more of today,” Johnson said.

Makoma said when she moved to Utah three years ago, she was surprised by the size of the African community. “You can search for African events that are happening near you and try to attend those. You will learn so much about the culture, get the most amazing food and the music there is always the best,” Makoma said.

The virtual aspect of this year’s contest meant there were no tickets sales, which brings in a lot of support for the program.

“We’re taking a lot of losses this year because we don’t have a live event we can sell tickets for. There is so much these young women learn in the pageant, and since we’re a nonprofit, all donations go toward helping them,” Mensah said.

GK Folks coordinates events to support the community. “There is so much for people to process with their mental health. We did a march for George Floyd where the girls wore their crowns and sashes. We want Black people to be seen as people, not a threat.

“Our mental health programs give people a safe space to come and talk. It really worked. People were pouring out their feelings,” Mensah said.

To support the scholarships awarded by the pageant or learn more about the young

Pauline Makoma is crowned Miss Africa Utah 2020 via a virtual event. (Tempestt Williams/Vivid Kodaks)

women and their platforms, visit their website. And Mensah hopes that more sponsors will step up and people in the community will donate to the causes.

Makoma offers this invitation of inclusion to everyone: “I want you to join in creating and finding opportunities for young African women to…be [who] they were meant to be, here in Utah, in Africa and all over the world.” l

A PROVEN ADVOCATE for the Community and VOICE FOR YOU As a police officer, the welfare of our residents is Sam’s #1 Priority.

AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, SAM WILL FIGHT FOR:

• Increased and Smarter Investment in Education • Responsible Growth through Improved Planning & Transparency • Real Improvements to Air and Water Quality • Expanding Access to Affordable Healthcare and Prescriptions

385-202-0238

sam@vote4samwinkler.com Twitter @SamuelUtah Facebook & Instagram @SamWinkler4UTHouse42

www.vote4samwinkler.com WestJordanJournal .com

September 2020 | Page 23

Mail-in ballots: Salt Lake County a model system says County Clerk

By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

S

alt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen and her team have been fielding many calls about mail-in ballots and the possibility of fraud. Despite the national news and concerns, Swensen wants people to know the system we’ve used for years is “safe, secure and efficient.”

“Since I took office in 1991, I’ve been working on making voting more accessible, and that includes mail-in ballots. Mail-in voting has been in the news, and I want people to know that in Salt Lake County we’ve been doing this for a long time, and it works,” said Swensen, who lives in Sandy.

“Random ballots cannot be produced by just anyone. The idea being circulated that ballots could be printed by Russians, or in living rooms by anyone, is ridiculous,” Swensen said.

Swensen’s longevity in her job has given her many years and many elections to develop mail-in ballots. She even designed the envelope with the required voter’s signature over the seal.

“We mail out a ballot to active registered voters. Every ballot mailed has a ballot ID number assigned, which correlates to the voter for whom it is ordered. If a voter asks to have another ballot sent because they didn’t receive it, or it was lost or ruined, the first ballot ordered for that voter is spoiled/ canceled. The new ballot has a different ID

Stay safe from coronavirus and still get your “I Voted!” sticker—they’ll be sent with mail-in ballots this year. (Courtesy County Clerk Sherrie Swensen)

number,” Swensen said.

Ballots are run through a series of human- and machine-operated steps. Each step ensures that signatures are matched, secrecy is maintained, the vote is counted and the computer-generated ID number recorded.

“If someone tried to prepare bogus ballot packets, they would not pass through our system and would not be accepted and counted. Those circulating these rumors do not understand the vote-by-mail process or do not want voters to have the convenience of voting by mail,” Swensen said.

The ballot drop box at the Sandy Senior Center near 9400 South and 1300 East is one of 20 across Salt Lake County, and an alternative for those who don’t want to mail their ballots. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)

Swensen also addressed the argument that the U.S. Postal Service could play a role in fraud or may slow down the process of tabulating votes.

“The cutbacks make me concerned.

[USPS has] always been very responsive and treated [the ballots] well. They care about the service they provide to us. We use postage paid envelopes. We can track things through the USPS. If there’s a concerted effort trying

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to make it harder for the [Postal Service], that’s a concern to me.

“And if people don’t feel comfortable sending their ballot through the mail, we have 20 drop boxes located throughout the valley,” Swensen said.

The mail-in ballot program started as a permanent absentee option for seniors. “By 2013, we offered it to all registered voters, and only two cities opted out. In 2016, we conducted our first major elections by mail, and in 2017 all cities wanted to do it,” Swensen said.

Not only did the ballots work for security purposes, they increased voter turnout overall. “We found that the percentage of turnout was so much better. In 2018, Salt Lake County had an 80% turnout rate for voters, and 88% of those were by mail,” Swensen said.

Voting in person is always an option, though with more social gathering restrictions in place this year, Swensen hopes as many people as possible use mail-in ballots.

Getting a ballot in the mail doesn’t mean that someone can’t vote in person. Even if you were to drop your ballot in a ballot box or send it in through the mail, if you vote in person in addition to that, you’ll only be counted once.

Swensen offers tours of the ballot process to anyone who’s interested. “We have had lawmakers, the Lt. Governor’s staff, the state auditor’s staff, media, political parties, candidates and even international visitors tour our processes. They come away impressed with our system and the security we have in place,” Swensen said.

Election Day is Tues., Nov. 3. The voting schedule is posted on www.got-vote.org or www.slco.org/clerk/elections. Vote by mail ballots will be mailed the week of Oct. 12. If you haven’t received yours by Oct. 20, call the Clerk’s office at 385-468-7400 or email them at got-vote@slco.org.

Swensen said that most issues with voting have to do with confusion, not fraud.

Most of them can be cleared up ahead of time by visiting the website. Voters can make updates to their registration, and review instructions about things like who can sign your ballot or what to do if you accidentally put your ballot in your spouse’s envelope.

Poll workers are also still needed on Election Day. “We will be hiring poll workers and staff, so if people are interested, they can go to got-vote @slc.org. It’s a long day, and you need to have some technical skills. But you’re trained and paid, and if anyone’s interested we’d love to hear from them,” Swensen said.

The bottom line for Swensen: increase accessibility for everyone who’s eligible to vote.

“It’s extremely important to me that people get out to vote. For all the years I’ve been doing this, it was always about getting people to register—going to high schools, going to senior centers and other events.

“We want to make it simple for every person who’s eligible to register and cast a vote.

It shouldn’t just be left to those that have the means to figure it out. That’s what makes democracy work—being accessible to everyone who has the right to vote,” Swensen said. l

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September 2020 | Page 25

New Antelope Canyon Elementary has the solution to the math problem

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

A

Antelope Canyon Elementary welcomes students with vibrant colors and open learning spaces. (Tami Bird/ Antelope Canyon Elementary)

Page 26 | September 2020

ntelope Canyon Elementary, at 8810 South 6400 West, is the newest school in West Jordan. Principal Tami Bird has calculated that the winning formula for opening a new school during a global pandemic is an equation of safety, kindness and math.

Bird will address the low math scores common among students with a comprehensive mathematics instruction curriculum.

Bird was a district math specialist for five years and previously administered a comprehensive mathematics instruction curriculum at Rose Creek Elementary in Riverton. Several teachers have completed training in effective teaching of mathematics in conjunction with BYU and Jordan School District.

The CMI curriculum follows best practices of teaching mathematics using a conceptual approach.

“We know that memorization is not the best form of learning for students in mathematics,” Bird said. “Because, at just about fifth grade, it’s all a jumble in their head, and they don’t know what any of that means.”

Conceptual level instruction uses pictorial representations and concepts that carry through from year to year.

“Usually what you’re doing in kindergarten has a direct correlation to what’s happening in calculus later on,” Bird said.

“You’ve got to connect the dots with the kids and help them to see how mathematics is an interrelated system.”

Bird is passionate about math instruction and said when students have negative attitudes and experiences with the subject, it becomes a stumbling block in their education.

“It is the No. 1 reason kids don’t get into college,” she said. “It’s the No.1 reason kids don’t want to go to college. And that’s something that I’m trying to remedy in our community. I want the kids to see math as something that’s fun and exciting and that they can do it.”

The CMI program empowers students.

“The kids need to see themselves as learners,” Bird said. “They have their own

ability to make sense of this and not just do what the teacher says.”

Antelope Canyon curriculum will also have a strong STEM focus. During daily rotations, students will spend time in a hightech STEM lab exploring coding, robotics, physics, geometry, engineering and scientific principles.

Ultimately, Bird wants students to feel safe and happy at school. She has established the common factors of optimism, safety and acceptance among the faculty and staff. She expects it will multiply as students and families pick up on the culture.

“We’re going to take care of the students, and we’re going to love them, and it’s going to be a good school,” Bird said. “Because a school is not about a building; school is about the people in the building. We’re going to take care of them. This staff will love these kids, and they will use their hearts and their incredible skill set as teachers.”

The student body will be coming from a variety of schools, backgrounds and experiences and will be at different levels, academically and emotionally. Bird isn’t worried. She has handpicked a staff of what she said are excellent teachers who are skilled and kind.

“We’re experts in the field,” she said.

“We can help fill holes. We can help diagnose learning gaps. We can do all of that. But right now, the most important thing is just to feel safe, to feel loved, to feel that this is their school family.”

The staff is following Jordan School District procedures and guidelines to provide a safe environment for learning and teaching.

“Right now, the thing consuming my mind is safety,” Bird said. “And once we get that through that hurdle, then I feel like I can really start all the other dreams and things that I’m just excited about. I don’t want COVID to drive this train. It is always on my mind and it is always there. We can find our ways to mitigate the impact. When we get past that, then watch out, world, we’ve got an agenda. Academically, we’ve got some work to do.” l

West Jordan City Journal

Grizz volleyball hopes this is their year

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

Grizz volleyball hopes this is their year Caption: Copper Hills head volleyball coach Silver Fonua helped guide theme to a second-place finish last season. (Photo courtesy of Greg James/City Journals)

T

he Copper Hills volleyball team hopes to take the next step towards a state championship.

“We have been looking forward to this season,” Grizzlies head coach Silver Fonua said. “We feel like this is our year. We are excited to be in the gym because we feel like we have the team.”

In mid-June the Jordan School district opened high school gyms to allow sports training. The Grizzlies were cautious to follow district protocol so that they could keep playing.

“A lot of our girls play club volleyball, so even when we were let back into our gym, they had been playing,” Fonua said. “Going through COVID precautions was not new to them. We have been building up to this and are doing our part because we know this could end our season.”

The 2019 Grizzlies team finished second in the state tournament. They lost to Pleasant Grove three sets to one; 14-25, 25-20, 25-15, 25-22. The runner-up finish comes one year after they finished third.

“There is pressure when you do well like we have there are expectations,” Fonua said. “We have the core, and I am confident that we can handle these though games.”

The senior-laden team is highlighted by several recognized players.

Grizzly twins Asiah and Aliyah Sopoaga were named to the 2019 Deseret News All-State team. They have also committed to Idaho State to continue their volleyball careers after high school.

“There are not many scholarships on a college team,” Fonua said. “For them to offer both sisters is very good. Their coach (Debbie Buchanan) has been watching them for a while and she believes in them both.

They are the hardest workers on this team.”

As a setter, Aliyah averaged nearly three assists per set. She was second-team

WestJordanJournal .com

All-State in 2019. Teniyah Leuluai provides a dual-threat at the setter position. She was named first-team last year and posted 6.2 assists per set.

“I feel we have really good hitters on the front row,” Fonua said. “We have a team that can score from multiple positions.”

Asiah had a season-high 34 kills against Bingham last season. Randi Reeves (outside hitter and libero), Elle Hutchings (outside hitter) and Lolohea Fonua rotate for those scoring opportunities.

“We have players that have received lots of recognition,” Fonua said. “They understand they have roles on this team. We can win together. They want to be part of something bigger. These girls have been with our program for a while. They have grown up together.”

The Grizzlies opened their season Aug. 18 against Juan Diego (after press deadline).

They finished last season as the 4A No.1 seed. The Utah High School Activities Association used a rating performance index to seed its teams into the state tournament for the first time last season. They also have Timpview, Fremont, Pleasant Grove and Skyview on their early schedule.

“I put in a tough schedule because I know we are capable of playing against these teams, but we need to find out early and test ourselves,” Fonua said. “We need to play at a high level right from the beginning.”

The UHSAA state tournament is scheduled to begin Nov. 3.

“Our administration, the students and the community cannot wait to see the girls back in the gym,” Fonua said. “If there is a year, it is this year. This is going to be special for us. We have parents that support us and know that we have something big going on.,” l

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September 2020 | Page 27

Services abound for homeless, low income students

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

The Principal’s Store at West Jordan High School is stocked with supplies for struggling students. (Robyn Luke/WJHS)

T

he nearly 1,900 homeless students and 11,000 on the free or reduced school lunch program in Jordan School District are in good hands. The district is bursting with support resources including Principal’s Pantries, McKinney–Vento homeless liaisons and Title 1 programs, all with the goal to meet students’ physical needs so they can be successful in school.

“The whole purpose of it is, if they are hungry or cold, they don’t think about schoolwork, and it takes them off the path of graduation,” said Robyn Luke, homeless liaison at West Jordan High School. “I’m there to keep their physical needs met so they can stay focused on graduating.”

Homeless liaisons, part of the McKinney–Vento program serving students who are homeless or living in severe economic circumstances, are stationed at each high school in JSD and at middle and elementary schools as needed. They distribute food, clothing, coats, shoes and hygiene products for students in need. Students stop by the Principal’s Pantry for something to eat if they haven’t eaten breakfast or lunch. They can also take a bag of food home for the weekend. Luke said students often worry about standing out among their peers. They are relieved to be able to get some nice clothes and a warm coat from those donated to the Principal’s Store so they can blend in with their peers.

Hilda Lloyd, homeless liaison for all of

Page 28 | September 2020

Jordan District, said the McKinney–Vento program gives students options and opportunities to access education and to stay in school despite difficult living circumstances.

She identifies problems that keep students from coming to school and finds solutions to them. One student couldn’t afford to get to school; she provided them with a gas card.

One family had only one set of clean clothes so two boys were taking turns going to school and other students were sleeping in their cars with no access to clean clothing; Lloyd installed a washer and dryer for students at West Jordan and Copper Hills High Schools.

While distance learning this spring was a struggle for many students, it was a positive change for McKinney–Vento students, who often get distracted by worrying about how to overcome obstacles to get to school and to fit in while there, said Lloyd.

“I think the students had the opportunity to be online without having the stress about getting to school and getting homework done,” Hilda said. “It was a time for them to focus, and there were no other things that were holding them back.”

With the McKinney–Vento liaisons staying in contact with the 156 seniors in the program this spring, for the first time ever, 100% of the seniors in the program graduated.

“We just have amazing people who make sure that these kids graduate and have the best opportunity to be successful after

graduation,” Jordan Director of Communications Sandy Riesgraf said.

Superintendent Anthony Godfrey recently highlighted the work of liaisons on his Supercast. He called them “creative problem solvers,” “miracle workers” and “life-savers.” Luke also recently received the Outstanding Support Professional for 2020 award for her work expanding the Principal’s Store at WJHS. Title I schools also provide support resources for students in need. Evelyn Sadler is the parent family liaison for students of the seven Title 1 schools in Jordan District. She helps students and families access local resources and assistance programs. She helps families register for programs to help with heating bills or provides bus tokens for parents to get to a job interview. She coordinates with principals to schedule visions screenings and free eyeglasses, dental clinics, immunization clinics, visits from the Utah Food Bank and donations of shoes, coats and school supplies.

“We have programs to try and take away from any of the financial concerns that families might have about their kids succeeding in school,” said Heather Reich, a teacher at Majestic Elementary, a Title 1 school. “Our families, they might be struggling, but they do support their kids in school and they do believe in education. It’s just helping them overcome some other things to break those barriers down.”

Families can also access family support services such as the Family Learning Centers located at Heartland and Majestic Elementary Schools.

“The Learning Center is super important because it draws the families in and gives them information in order to improve their lives, which ultimately is going to improve our kids’ lives and then, really, our community and our society,” said Reich.

On the front lines of caring for low-income students are caring and dedicated teachers like Reich and her co-teacher, Kyla Asmar. They teach sixth grade at Majestic Elementary, which has the highest proportion of low-income and homeless students in the district. The two teachers have received an Effective Teachers in High Poverty Schools Award for the past three years.

Reich said the secret to their success is caring about the kids and setting high expectations for them.

“I absolutely love my kids, and they know that I do, and I think that that’s important,” Reich said. “They know that I care about them, and so they want to do well.”

Majestic teachers and administrators, including the Principal of the Year Kathe Riding, work tirelessly to take care of needs that would distract students from learning and being successful in school.

“Almost everything is harder for them,” Reich said. “They’re not sure if their water is going to be on when they get home. That’s definitely something that I never worried about as an 11-year-old.”

The district programs are in place to serve students but can only help if the families are aware of them. Lloyd said many students are embarrassed to ask for help, are unaware they qualify, or are fearful of negative repercussions from sharing information about their circumstances.

“My biggest fear is not meeting a student’s needs that really needs them because they want to be silent about it,” Lloyd said.

Earning the trust of a student is the biggest challenge and the biggest joy of her job, said Luke. She was able to help a number of new families this spring when the pandemic exacerbated their situations, and they reached out for help.

“That’s one positive that came from the coronavirus,” Luke said. “They found out I was there and I could help. I really hope we can find more. I know they’re there; I’m sure there’s homeless kids there. But I have to develop the trust, and they need to get the word out.”

If you are interested in supporting students, contact a school liaison to find out what items students need or donate through the Jordan Education Foundation. l

West Jordan City Journal

Fought for and not given: Copper Hills football

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

Western is proud to announce our new physician: Chadwick Densley, D.O. Dr. Densley’s practice encompasses all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology with special interests in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, infertility, cancer prevention and genetics, cosmetics and preventative medicine.

First-year quarterback Tommy Peake ran for two touchdowns for the Grizzlies in their first game this season.

(Photo courtesy of Greg James/City Journals)

C

opper Hills won four straight football games last season. The team hopes to continue that trend this year.

“Wins and losses will come,” Grizzlies head coach Corey Dodds said. “We are at the point with this team that if we take an ‘L’ it better be an ‘L’ that was fought for and not given.”

The toughness and determination of its coach shows in the team and its players.

The Grizzlies defensive line tackled a Taylorsville running back for and loss, Dodds threw his arms in the air, let out a holler in celebration of their accomplishment.

“If we play the way I know these kids can, we will sneak away with one or two,” he said. “We need to stay humble and hungry.”

In their first post-COVID sporting event, the Grizzlies took the field two-bytwo quietly, no hoopla or screams just quiet confidence on their faces. They opened the season with a 32-6 victory over Taylorsville.

“We had some offensive woes to start with,” Dodds said. “We have a new quarterback; he was our best receiver last year, so he has some learning to do. He is an athlete and very smart. He just needs more game time underneath his belt.”

Tommy Peake started his first game at quarterback and ran for two touchdowns.

Last season he had 40 receptions and three touchdowns.

A first-quarter interception led to a Taylorsville touchdown and an early deficit. The Grizzlies were able to rebound and dominate from that point on.

“Defensively, we played really well,” Dodds said. “We played really sound. I like the way they flew around and kept the energy. We need to work on our timing offensively. Our play calling diversity will be a key. We can run the ball, but when someone packs the box (defends the run) we have got to find other things.”

WestJordanJournal .com

Running back Kolianitioni Lemau will carry the load at running back. His barreling style is a deep contrast to the dink and dump screens the team runs to throw a defense off.

“He (Lemau) is a great skill player, and I love his leadership,” Dodds said. “He will be part of our diversity on offense that can open up the deep routes.”

This is the fourth season under Dodds for the Grizzlies. He has compiled six wins in his tenure. The group of seniors has spent their entire high school careers under his tutelage.

“We had a bad practice one day in camp,” Dodds said. “I sat the seniors out of practice, and I told them, ‘This is your fourth season. I am not mad just disappointed, as a dad thing.’ I saw the look on their faces.

This team has leadership from those seniors.

Practices are different. We are at the point where we are good enough to stay in games.”

Defensively, he said he is impressed with the soundness of the team’s play.

“We finally have a team of guys that stay where they are supposed to be,” he said.

“I have had teams that want to be successful, but they don’t understand that your job is what will make them better. They fly out and try to make a play to save the team. It is a weird selfish way to be, but it hurt the team. These guys stayed home when there were cutbacks; we had guys in those lanes.

The d-ends were getting inside and forcing the ball into the safeties and linebackers to make the plays.”

Copper Hills is scheduled to host Skyridge for homecoming Friday, Sept. 4. The school is following a strict Jordan School District protocol. Fans must prepurchase tickets to be in attendance.

“Our region is a tough region,” Dodds said. “These early games we need to clean stuff up.” l

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A tale of two restaurants: How two local eateries are handling the pandemic

By Mariden Williams | m.williams@mycityjournals.com

Enjoy’s curbside pickup window is completely contact-free. (Dylan Crider)

T

he pandemic has put a lot of strain on mom-and-pop businesses. Two local restaurants that share the same parking lot are doing their best to adapt and roll with the punches.

Enjoy Chinese is a family-run operation that’s been serving from-scratch Chinese food for 12 years, and in that time they’ve become a favorite for many in the valley.

The restaurant is the realization of a lifelong dream for chef Cuong Wong, who runs the business with help from his wife, Denise Bang Tam, and their five children. Located at 2629 West 7800 South, they serve good-quality Chinese favorites at reasonable prices and are considerate about food allergies. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about them is the way they’re handling the pandemic: They have transformed the front of their building into a no-contact food pickup booth.

“Our dining room has always been known to be very quaint and small; therefore, maintaining social distancing was very challenging,” said daughter Eva Trinh Wong. So, after many family meetings, they closed their dining room and reopened with a sophisticated, thought-out curbside pickup systems.

“The learning curve was steep, but we knew it was something we had to do,” Eva said.

You can tell whether or not your food is ready for pickup just by glancing at the large front windows. One window is labeled “Currently Making,” while the other says “Ready for Pickup.” The names of those who have placed takeout orders are written on index cards, which get moved from one window to the other according to the status of the order.

When you approach, you point at your name, and your masked server nods at you

Page 30 | September 2020

for confirmation from within before removing your name from the window. You then proceed to the front door, which has another window set into it, shielded by a curtain of plastic strips like those you might see in a walk-in freezer. Payment methods and receipts are passed back and forth through the plastic curtain, and pens are sanitized between uses. Soon enough, your food is handed to you through the curtain, and you walk away, satisfied that you have obtained a good meal without trading germs with another human being.

Even with these precautions, Enjoy has experienced a considerable decline in revenue, particularly during their lunch hours.

But Eva says that despite the revenue dip, the hardest part for the family has been the inability to engage with the customers the way they used to.

“Many of our patrons have been customers since we opened, and through the years, we have developed relationships and truly consider them to be our friends,” Eva said.

In the same parking lot as Enjoy is another newer restaurant that is also very worth a visit: Doner Kebab Express. Run by Nailya Ragimova and her husband, who both immigrated to the US from Azerbaijan in 1992, it’s been in business for about three and a half years.

“You know, it’s just the food itself,” Nailya said when asked what inspired her to start the restaurant. “The food and the attachment to my roots. It has a lot of connection to culture, to our homeland, to comfort. And it helps keep my skills alive. I grew up on kebabs, grew up making them.”

There are few dishes on the menu, but

Nailya Ragimova and her husband have been running Doner Kebab Express since 2017. (Mariden Williams)

that extreme specialization means that every dish is absolutely delicious. Most dishes are built around one of two meats, either chicken or beef, both of which are seasoned generously with garlic and other spices before being slow-roasted on a vertical rotisserie spit for hours. The meat is piled onto the spit into the shape of a top-heavy cone, and as the outer layer cooks, it is sliced off in thin strips.

The result is extremely tender, flavorful meat, which is then loaded together with tomatoes, lettuce, onion, cucumbers and a tzatziki-like yogurt sauce onto either pita bread (as a doner kebab sandwich or wrap), or directly onto a platter.

For $6, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bigger or tastier meal. One sandwich all on its own will comfortably feed two people.

The quality of both the meat and the vegetables is amazing; even in seasons when the

tomatoes at other sandwich places tend to be pale and insipid, the ones at Doner Kebab Express have been red and flavorful.

Despite the deliciousness of the food, their lobby is often quiet. The pandemic has not helped. Like neighboring restaurant Enjoy, Doner Kebab Express closed for a few weeks when social distancing orders first came out. Unlike Enjoy, there was some worry that they might not be able to open back up again.

“It’s difficult. It’s a very challenging time. Like everybody else, we’re struggling,” Nailya said. “Of course, safety is very important. We always wear masks. But there are a lot of challenges in communication, and in enforcing safety rules. But we’re trying to keep people safe, because it’s important.” l

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Home Equity Conversion Mortgages also known as reverse mortgages have been around since the late ’80s and even with all the corrections, changes and modifications to the program over the 30 years of its existence, it remains one of the most misunderstood products on the market today for the senior homeowner.

Seniors are often leery of programs that seem too good to be true as they should be, and the reverse mortgage is often lumped into this definition unfairly. Because of the longevity of the program and the constant revisions, especially over the last 10 years, the HECM has become a much stronger tool for those trying to navigate the best retirement possible. But due to the misreporting that has taken place and the general confusion surrounding this loan, many myths remain in circulation.

One of the most persistent myths surrounding this program is “I’m giving up my home to the bank.” This is not true. The homeowner always retains title to the home and there is no risk of foreclosure if they do what every homeowner is required to do, pay property taxes, keep the home insured, maintain and live in the property. The HECM program requires nothing more than that.

Another myth we hear often is “My children will be stuck with the bill.” Again, not true. The program is based on the value of the

property and the loan is collateralized against it. The home is appraised during the reverse mortgage process and is not reappraised until the borrowers permanently leave the residence.

The loan amount the borrower qualifies for is based on the age of the youngest borrower, the value of the home and the current interest rate.

Once the loan closes, these amounts are set and do not change until the borrower passes away or permanently vacates the home, then the loan is called due, the value is determined at that time and any remaining equity belongs to the borrower or their heirs. If there is a shortfall due to accrued interest, that shortfall is paid by the Mutual Mortgage Insurance fund of FHA and not the borrower or their heirs.

One other issue we hear a lot about is that “My children will get nothing from my home.” This one does have some truth to it, but it really depends on how much of the reverse mortgage the borrowers take out and the future value of the home. As an example, if a home is worth $300,000 today and does not increase in value and the borrower qualifies and takes out $150,000, based on a 3% interest rate, the $150,000 will grow by accrued interest and mortgage insurance to $300,000 in about 18 years. If the home value increases to $400,000 over the same 18-year period, the kids would inherit roughly $100,000 in equity at the end

of the 18 years. If the home decreased in value, they would owe nothing, they just would not get anything from the home.

These are typical questions and should be answered by a reverse mortgage specialist. Everyone’s situation and opinion regarding their

estate is unique and there is not a one size fits all solution. Lonny Eschler at Reverse Freedom Mortgage is a licensed specialist and would be happy to answer any of your questions and determine if a reverse mortgage is the right fit for you. He can be reached at 801-573-7525.

The opinions expressed and examples used are general in nature and not specific to any one borrower. Each reverse mortgage is unique, and qualification must be determined based on the individuals applying and their personal financial circumstances. Lonny Eschler, NMLS #639786, is a licensed Reverse Mortgage Loan Specialist with reverse Freedom Mortgage. NMLS #1382816.

High school sports return to play…for now

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com n unprecedented times with uncertainty continuing over many aspects of life due to the current pandemic, the idea of sports at all levels coming back sounds so refreshing.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights have resumed, PGA golf tournaments are again being held, Major League baseball has begun their delayed season and the NBA created a bubble in Orlando, Florida to bring 22 teams to play out the last regular season games and playoffs—all without fans in attendance.

And yet, just as our excitement builds as we watch live sports returning, we see the number of COVID-19 cases, patterns and deaths fluctuating on a daily basis and are left to wonder—will high school fall sports really happen? The seasons have already begun for most of the state’s boys golf, girls soccer, girls tennis, volleyball, football and cross country teams, but how long will it last? As schools begin opening statewide as well, a lot of apprehension hangs in the air.

“This is literally an hour-by-hour situation as we have been continually adapting to the current pandemic, making plans to ‘return to play,’ scrapping plans and making new plans,” Utah High School Activities Association director Rob Cuff said.

The UHSAA has been working tirelessly since March when the coronavirus shut

down the sports world—and the country for a time—to brainstorm scenarios that could allow Utah high school athletics to resume.

Initially, the organization suspended play for two weeks and continued to delay participation until mid-April when the spring sports seasons were officially canceled.

Before the school year ended, the UHSAA lifted the typical moratorium that begins after Memorial Day to allow sports programs to hold summer trainings without date restrictions while encouraging strict adherence to local health recommendations. On July 10, the UHSAA board voted to resume the fall sports season and within two weeks had released a “Return to Play” set of guidelines to help districts and schools to outline their own protocols based on the local health procedures in their area and with specific evaluations of the use of their own facilities.

Those policies include: 1) Eliminating handshakes between opposing teams and coaches.

2) “Masking up” all players and coaches who are on the sidelines along with fans in the stands, particularly when social distancing isn’t possible.

3) Having schools and districts establish and enforce protocols and place signs at their facilities to inform participants and spec-

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5) Having each school fill out Utah Event Management forms and sending copies to the UHSAA. Additionally, daily temperature screenings for athletes and coaches, constant sanitizing, using personal water bottles, having wider sidelines, longer timeouts and setting a cap on uniformed players (at 50 for football) are among other procedures being required for each school.

In an Aug. 13 memo to UHSAA schools and administrators, Cuff called for all members to “double down on efforts to ensure that safety guidelines are being universally adhered to across the association…one district, one school, one team, one coach, one student participant who chooses not to follow these guidelines has the potential to undermine participation for all.”

While many states around the country have delayed the start of high school fall sports until at least the start of the new year, Utah was one of 17 states nationwide to begin as scheduled.

“For months, we have been working closely with the state health department and the governor’s office to stay in tune to what’s happening,” Cuff said. “We are in uncharted territory, so we are carefully and constantly navigating how to move forward.”

Keeko Georgelas, Murray High’s athletic director said, “The district has worked really hard to put a model in place. A lot of work has gone into designing a model to give this thing a shot and it has a chance to work,

although I’m apprehensive about the human nature of things, especially in the pre-game and post-game. I’m actually not as fearful of the games themselves.”

And despite the best efforts of the nearly 100,000 members and 155 teams statewide, COVID-19 has again disrupted high school sports in Utah.

A positive test on the Lone Peak girls soccer team put the whole program in quarantine, missing four games over a two-week period.

Most notably, three players on Bingham’s football team tested positive which led to the cancellation of its season opener against Weber Aug. 13.

“Those kids have never showed any symptoms and are as healthy as can be,” said Bingham head coach Dave Peck, who noted that they were cleared for a return to practice Aug. 17. “The health department came in and tested the whole team—100 kids and coaches—and there were two more positive tests found. Those players have been quarantining and will for 10 days. What we’ve proven here is that we’re not spreading it through our team; it’s coming through outside sources.”

Peck said his program canceled camps and scrimmages over the summer to deal with cases and out of an abundance of caution, but losing that time along with their first game has been tough.

“We have a group that could seriously challenge for the state title, but with all that

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we dealt with in the summer, we’re behind,” he said. “Plus, we didn’t play this week while everyone else did.”

And yet, the grim reality of the COVID-19 situation sets in further for Peck as he has watched one player struggle with coronavirus so severely that the player’s 25-year-old sister contracted the virus and she is now on life support.

Now, for the second week in a row to begin the football season, a game will not be played as Cyprus had two players test positive which will cancel its game with Ridgeline Aug. 20.

These cancellations are considered no contests and will not be rescheduled, for most sports, and do not count against them in RPI rankings.

And those are just the more current cases that are more widely known. That doesn’t even include the various sports from Bonneville, Box Elder, Clearfield, Farmington, Fremont, Granger, Herriman, Layton, Syracuse, Weber and others that had to cancel practices, scrimmages and camps throughout the summer as they dealt with positive tests for some players and coaches.

“We’re doing all we can to play safe so we can play as long as we can,” Georgelas said.

Cuff noted the “remarkable job” schools and districts are doing.

“This is a massive effort to provide the best for our kids,” he said. “We want them safe, so we’ll start playing. We recognize

This season looks different than in years past as three Juan Diego Catholic High School soccer players “mask up” at a recent game. (Photo courtesy Alysia Love)

that among all of the factors we are considering that mental wellness for our student-athletes are so important and we are constantly evaluating if the reward outweighs the risk so we can condense or adjust things. We’re certainly in uncharted territory, but we are working diligently to ensure that we make the safest decisions for everyone. As long as school’s in session, we’ll keep playing.” l

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Being a mom to kids with mental health challenges

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“I want to die. I’m done.” Those were the words I heard from one of my children several years ago. It was late one evening, my husband was out of town, and when my son came to me for help, my brain was reeling… I didn’t know what to do.

I’m not alone when it comes to having children, a spouse, or other family members with mental health challenges.

As I’ve worked on these issues as a Salt Lake County Councilmember, and on the state’s mental health crisis response commission, I know we need to talk openly and break the stigma. I’m grateful to my family members who have given me permission to share some of our experiences…

A few of my kids have struggled with anxiety — it runs in my family. In fact, I can relate with how they feel because I, too, have battled it. After years of putting myself in high-anxiety situations, meeting with a helpful therapist, and learning my triggers (lack of sleep is the biggest one), I’ve been able to mostly overcome it. But my kids have had to learn in their own ways what their anxiety triggers are, and what they are willing to do to over-

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come it. I’ve had some kids who gladly met with a therapist, and others who thought they “didn’t need that,” and later realized that therapy is immensely helpful.

I’ve had some of my kids who have tried medication and decided it didn’t help them much, and others who are grateful for modern medicinal miracles.

All have realized that solving mental health issues is more than taking a pill.

It’s work. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health are intertwined.

I’ve experienced depression as both the patient and the spouse. After my second baby was born, I found myself dealing with post partum depression and it was awful. Feeling like you have nothing to look forward to, and even wondering if your presence on this earth is meaningful is not a pleasant experience, but I gained empathy for those who deal with it.

My husband went through a bout of depression a few years after we were married. I think that being the spouse of someone dealing with depression is far worse than actually being depressed myself. It was the most helpless feeling I

had ever felt. I wanted to fix things for him, make him all better, and watching him suffer was difficult to watch. We were lucky it was a short-term issue.

So back to the son at the beginning of this article… I took him to the hospital. And later found out that some hospitals are better for suicidality than others.

I learned how hard it is to be the parent of a loved one who was suicidal. Every day I would worry if he slept in too long, or if he didn’t come home on time. I had nightmares about finding him dead. It was such a scary time and I’m so grateful he got the help he needed and is doing so well now! During that time I also found out about an awesome resource that Salt Lake County helps to fund — the UNI Crisis Line. You can call 801-587-3000 anytime to speak with a professional.

My advice to all of you who are struggling or are watching a family member struggle… talk to someone. Don’t suffer in silence. This illness totally sucks for so many reasons. My heart aches for those of you in the throes of this, but hang in there. It can be overcome and the sun will come out tomorrow.

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A Brave New World

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Not necessarily known for our patience, Americans are suffering from COVID fatigue. People can’t wait for things to return to a “new normal” like suddenly everything’s going to be ice cream sundaes and furry kittens. The way 2020 is going, the new normal will probably be kitten sundaes and furry ice cream.

Our world has changed, for better or worse, so now’s a good time to decide what we keep and what we toss. I’m all for tossing office jobs, dress pants and family reunions, while keeping pajamas-as-clothes, Uber Eats and virtual baby showers.

Let’s look at how the new normal is evolving, shall we?

Sports – Like a canary in a coal mine, team sports started up this summer with the hope of bringing entertainment to millions of sports-starved individuals, and millions of dollars to money-starved sports organizations.

It’s been a bit Hunger Games-ish

as teams drop out once their players contract COVID. Who’d have thought activities that include spitting, shouting, sweating and grunting could easily spread viruses?

School – Or as I like to call it, the Catch-22 Education Plan.

Parents and teachers are negotiating this real-life version of Oregon Trail where one wrong move can end up with junior high students being eaten by cannibals in Donner Pass. (Not the worse thing.) Here’s an idea: make the best decision for your family without judging everyone else.

Parenting – Let’s just agree that “screen time” rules have been suspended indefinitely, and it’s just fine if your toddler wears the same outfit for three days. Let’s also agree chicken nuggets are healthy, YouTube personalities are annoying, and everyone gets a blue ribbon for doing the best they can.

Work – Every introvert’s birthday wish was granted when they were told to work from home.

Turns out, with these new-fangled computers, lots of stuff can be done at home. Who knew? Maybe companies don’t need 50,000 square feet of office and ping-pong space, or outdoor meditation biospheres.

Date night – You’ve spent an inordinate amount of time with your significant other. You’ve worked from home together, prepared 5,459 meals together, rearranged closets, sock drawers and bathroom cabinets. Maybe the new normal will be individuals spending date night alone, so they don’t drive to the grocery store one day and end up with a new life in Cheyenne.

Weddings – Can we please standardize virtual weddings? That is all.

Holidays – Even with social distancing guidelines, summer holidays stayed the same as everyone went to national parks, held BBQs and spent the day sitting at the community pool with hundreds of other people. These holidays were

always followed by a COVID spike. I’m sure the fall/winter holidays will be no different because people are crappy at following CDC advisories.

The 2020 Election – It’s been 28 years since the 2016 election and this year’s election has disaster written all over it. Literally. Will there be mail-in ballots?

Russian interference? A loser who refuses to leave the White House?

Civil war? The return of our alien overlords? All of the above? My best guess for election aftermath is equivalent to shaking a Magic 8 Ball, and then lighting it on fire.

Mindset – Some people say COVID will help the world achieve a higher level of consciousness where people are more compassionate, kind understanding and . . . hahahaha . . . never mind. I don’t think we’re there yet. Time to go make a kitten sundae. l

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