February 2024 | Vol. 20 Iss. 2
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CITY CONSIDERING RAMIFICATIONS OF 95-ACRE ANNEXATION, INCLUDING THE TAVACI NEIGHBORHOOD By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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he petition for annexation of 95 acres of realty nestled in the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon has been submitted to the City of Cottonwood Heights and plans to continue the process of review in the upcoming months. The area being considered for annexation into the city includes the development commonly referred to as the Tavaci neighborhoods as well as 50 acres spanning to the north. The annexation petition was originally filed on Oct. 2, 2023. The petition was accepted by the Cottonwood Heights City Council for further consideration on Oct. 17, and certified (ensuring the petition satisfied the requirements of state law) by the city recorder on Nov. 16. A protest period then ran until Dec. 16. “We didn’t have any legal protests,” reported Mayor Mike Weichers. Continuing through the legal process, with no protests needing to be addressed, a public hearing needs to be held. The city will be required to notice residents of that public hearing in the surrounding area by (snail) mail. As of publication, that public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6 during the Cottonwood Heights City Council meeting. “State law doesn’t tell us how long after the annexation petition hearing occurs that the council has to make a decision,” said City Attorney Shane Topham. The council will ultimately need to make a decision to grant or deny the annexation lat-
er this year. Topham recommended coming to that decision within two to three months after the public hearing. Since the councilmembers have been thinking about this petition all winter, a handful of concerns and potential impacts to the city have been brought up. Many residents and city leaders have expressed concerns over the costs of additional road and city maintenance, public safety response, and potential future development within the area. “A consensus from many residents who are objecting to this is the concern about Cottonwood Heights having to take over maintenance and upkeep of the roads in the Tavaci development,” Weichers said. Currently, the roads within the Tavaci development, including the bridge into the neighborhoods, are managed and privately owned by the HOA. Weichers wondered if the city could request that the current HOA creates a tax service district. Then, the tax service district would be able to take care of road maintenance costs in the future. “What protections would the city have if the HOA defaulted? I’m just trying to look in Continued page 17 The annexation petition from the Tavaci development includes an additional 50 acres North. All 95 acres would like to annex into Cottonwood Heights. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights)
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February 2024 | Page 3
Cottonwood Heights Historic Committee recognized by leading state historical organization By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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he Cottonwood Heights Historic Committee has been recognized by the Utah Historical Society Board of State History with their 2023 Outstanding Achievement Award for their dedication to preserving the history of Cottonwood Heights through digital archives. Their efforts in amassing an impressive collection of written documents, oral histories, historic maps, photographs, and more did not go unrecognized. “Congratulations on receiving this prestigious honor!” said Mayor Mike Weichers while recognizing members of the Historic Committee during their Cottonwood Heights City Council Meeting on Jan. 16. The Historic Committee is made up of residents of the city who volunteer their time. Jim Kichas serves as Chair, Ken Verdoia serves as Vice Chair, Carol Woodside serves as Secretary, and Councilmember Ellen Birrell serves as City Council Liaison. Additional members include Gayle Conger, Beverly Beckstead, Jerry Christensen, Jessica Despain, Don Connon, Bruce Lubeck, and Mark Lentz. The Cottonwood Heights Historic Committee was formed in 2007. Since their formation, they have been working to collect various forms of media detailing the area’s stories and history. They have gathered recorded information about historical sites, photographs, maps, charts, documents, artifacts, and written and oral stories. “The committee’s dedication to preserving the history of Cottonwood Heights is truly inspiring,” Weichers said. The Historic Committee spearheaded and oversaw the creation of historic trail markers throughout the city. They also in-
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vested in and helped guide the publication of “City Between the Canyons: A History of Cottonwood Heights, 1849-1953” by Allen Roberts. In fact, Allen Roberts was recognized by the Utah Historical Society Board of State History with an Outstanding Achievement Award as well. Roberts is often credited as being the founder of Utah’s historic preservation movement with his work on preserving historic districts and buildings throughout the state. The Historic Committee was able to invest in an ongoing website and cloud-based storage. With those resources, they have been able to scan a multitude of historic documents and (over 400) photographs to make them available for public viewing. “Their website is an excellent example of how technology can preserve history,” the Utah Historical Society Board of State History notes. One of the biggest projects the Historic Committee has been working on for the past three years is their collection of oral histories. They have been busy interviewing humans of importance for the area, editing and posting those interviews, and sharing them online as part of their digital archives. Seven different categories have already been added to the original two categories within the Historic Committee’s Digital Archive including the Oral Histories Collection, School History Collection, and Community Reminisces Collection, among others. “Their Digital Archive is an excellent example of how history can be preserved. They’ve set a wonderful example,” Weichers said. Neighboring cities have reached out to
Historic Committee Chair Jim Kichas and Member Gayle Conger were present to accept the Historic Committee’s Outstanding Achievement Award at the Utah Historical Society Board of State History reception. (Photo courtesy of the Cottonwood Heights)
the Cottonwood Heights Historic Committee for their guidance in creating and implementing similar projects within their areas. “Thanks to their efforts, the history of Cottonwood Heights will remain secure and accessible for generations to come,” noted the Utah Historical Society Board. “They have an unwavering passion for the community’s history to stay alive and accessible.” To view the full list of awards from the Utah Historical Society, visit: www.history. utah.gov/awards. The Cottonwood Heights Digital Archives can be accessed through the website Preservica or by visiting this link. This Historic Committee knows there
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is still more work to be done and more documents to add to their Digital Archives. They plan to send out requests to the public for historic documents later this year. If you would like to stay up to date with the Historic Committee, visit: the Cottonwood Heights City Website, navigate to the “Your Government” tab and locate the “Boards and Commissions” tab. The Historic Committee’s page will be listed. To apply to serve/volunteer on this Historic Committee, visit “Boards Application” page through the Cottonwood Heights Website. l
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Canyons School District honors employees, volunteers, community for dedication, service By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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t’s been said it takes a village to raise a child. For 14 years, Canyons School District leaders have given Apex Awards to those who dedicate themselves to teaching, advocating and helping mold the education of children. This year, a teacher, a volunteer, administrators, support staff and community leaders were recognized for making a positive impact in their community and with students. Leading the charge in schools are Jordan High’s Principal Bruce Eschler and Eastmont Middle’s Principal Stacy Kurtzhals, who were honored for their dedication to students. “It was a surprise,” Eschler said when he received a letter from Canyons Board of Education President Amber Shill. “I’m honored. I couldn’t do anything I do without my [administration] team and my family backing me up. If I’ve done anything right, it’s because I’ve had good people around me, and I’ve had good mentors in my life.” Eschler has dedicated his three years at Jordan High by “bringing new programs that resonate and are unique to our community.” Under his leadership, Jordan officials introduced a drone program, which included electronics courses and a bike-repair program. He has seen to the addition of CTE courses, adding classes in game development and web development as well as bringing Alta High’s successful Step to the U program to Jordan and providing Salt Lake Community College’s Education 1020 or Intro to College concurrent enrollment class. Now, Jordan High is rolling out the Navy Defense Cadet Corps. “This will be beneficial to not only the students who are here, but students in the future,” he said. “I’m proud of our students—as students as well as our athletes, our unified programs, our performing arts, our career and technical organizations. We celebrate the amazing things our students are doing. I’m happy to see change within our school culture, like recognizing all our kids and having positive relationships. Those are impactful on educational outcomes. I’m personally a product of that. I’m here because a teacher saw potential in me and took the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, I’m an advocate for you,’ and that’s what I try to do for our students.” A positive school culture and advocating for students is key for Kurtzhals, who’s now in her eighth year leading the Eastmont Patriots. Not even flood, construction, nor asbestos, which forced the students to move to another temporary location, derailed her. Nominated by students, parents and faculty, she said: “This is everybody’s award. It’s not about me; it’s about we. I can’t do anything without them.” Instilling Patriot Pride from student leaders who took the initiative to welcome their classmates to a temporary new school building
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to creating a community of teachers who support each other, and their students has helped to “rebuild the culture, which was one of the best things that I’ve done,” she said. “The thing that motivates me the most is watching the growth in our students.” Under her leadership and teacher innovation, students have engaged in learning from hands-on STEM engagement to puzzling out escape rooms. She also has seen her students embrace learning through AVID, a program that helps students identify strategies for learning from note taking to problem-solving and collaboration. “It’s giving them the tools so they can be successful in school and in life,” she said, adding that the school is working to be a national demonstration school as well as a state STEM-designated school. “I love my kids. I want them to know what is possible.” The Apex teacher of the year award was given to Midvale Middle math teacher Max Eddington, who was a finalist for the statewide teacher of the year award. He taught at four schools before finding a home at Midvale Middle. “I try to communicate with every single student in every class every day,” he said. “I try to know things about them outside of academics and to find ways for them to know that I am not just a teacher, but I’m a person who cares about them.” Caring about students is a trademark of Apex district administrator of the year award winner, Charisse Hilton, who initiated Canyons’ Peer Court, where peers annually review about 100 cases of challenging behaviors within schools and provide positive outcomes. Also on the district level, Canyons’ library media specialist Gretchen Zaitzeff, received the Apex Student Support Services Professional of the Year award for her dedication in creating policy in among the political turmoil of books in school libraries. Canyons also honored four area legislators—Utah Sen. Kathleen Riebe and Reps. Gay Lynn Bennion, Steve Eliason and Andrew Stoddard—with the Apex award for elected officials of the year for their support of public education. Tacos El Cuñado, which has given free tacos to students at events such as Butler Elementary’s World Night, as well as to teachers during teacher appreciation or PTA conferences, was thanked for its dedication with the APEX community partner award. The Apex education support professionals of the year award went to nutrition services. These individuals not only provide healthy food choices for students now, but even with a worker shortage, they came up with a solution to safely provide breakfast and lunch to thousands of students during the pandemic. The Apex Legacy Award was given to
Eastmont Middle’s Principal Stacy Kurtzhals was amongst those honored at Canyons School District’s Apex awards. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Bob Dowdle, who served as Canyons School District’s assistant superintendent after a career in education. His duties extended from recruiting and hiring directors as the district began to establish academic programs and helping lead students to successfully navigate their online learning through the pandemic. Honored for years of service without being on the payroll is Apex volunteer of the year Rebecca Martin. Mother of four, she has served as president or on the PTA executive board for the last 15 years at Peruvian Park, Midvale Middle and Hillcrest High as well as on several Canyons Districts committees. “I stepped up when the need arose,” she said. “I know it’s important to have parent volunteers in the schools. I’m here to advocate for our students. I’m a parental voice for our students with our own administration, with Canyons Districts, the school board and at a state level. I email legislators about issues that are affecting our children in education to help make things better in our schools.” At Peruvian Park, where in addition to PTA presidency duties, she organized the school’s 50th birthday party in 2015 that introduced the panther mascot costume, the writing and singing of the school song, a 50th birthday essay contest, a caricature artist, a timeline of events that took place, a creation of a time capsule and other activities. “It was fun to bring in alumni, current and former teachers and principals with the kids at the school,” she said. At Midvale Middle PTA President for two years, she encouraged use of PTA money
to purchase books. “We used money from the book fair to buy books for the school library and classrooms. We wanted to get books in kids’ hands,” she said, adding that another effort was to involve all kids in the school fundraiser. “We tried to make it more of a spirit event to include everyone.” At Hillcrest High, Martin’s volunteerism extended to helping get others, including her own family, to set up 500 flags at late notice for a memorial service for Hillcrest alum, Sgt. Taylor Hoover, who was killed in Afghanistan. Not only did the flags get set up, but she decorated for the reception and gave tours of the new school. During COVID and post-pandemic, she concentrated on teacher appreciation, making sure “faculty and staff felt appreciated and valued.” She also helped with activities her children have been involved in from cross country to drama. “Whenever I’ve interacted with the students, they are always very appreciative, very respectful to me and other parents,” she said. “They always say thank you, and that means so much to me—as much as the Apex. I want them to know that there are adults who support you, care about you, and we want to help you. I believe in community and connection. Everything I do in the schools is to help everyone feel part of the community that we are here together.” l
February 2024 | Page 5
City leaders eyeing bills affecting Cottonwood Heights, like fireworks on Constitution Day By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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he beginning of the new year marks the beginning of yet another Utah Legislative Session. We are officially in the busy season for lobbyists, activists, representatives, senators, elected official, municipal leaders, and interested residents. For Cottonwood Heights city officials, that means attending various meetings up at the State Capital along with meeting with the city’s lobbyists weekly. “We hope the legislative will respect the traditional role of government and realize that a one size fit all does not address community challenges,” said Mayor Mike Weichers. The Cottonwood Heights City Council has identified and shared their legislative priorities with the city lobbyists. In terms of funding, the council hopes the State Legislature prioritizes tourism, travel in the canyons, transit hubs, roadway improvements, and public safety and mental health. In addition, they hope the current tax distribution remains constant. The council would like to see traffic policies for Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon implemented, especially for bussing. They would also like city restrictions on short-term rentals to be lifted by the end of the session. Principal Lobbyist Brian Allen and Lobbyist Greg Curtis presented their first Legislative Update of the year to the Cottonwood Heights City Council on Jan. 16. They discussed seven house bills (H.B.) of potential concern to put on the city council’s radar. “There is a lot of unknown out there,” said Allen. H.B. 5: Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Base Budget has been sponsored by Representative Stewart Barlow and Senator Scott Sandall. Allen will be paying attention to this bill as it will appropriate the budget for specific natural resources in the state. Of interest to Cottonwood Heights, allocations for trail funding could come from this bill, if passed. H.B. 11: Water Efficient Landscaping Requirements was proposed and sponsored by Representative Doug Owens. “This could impose requirements on governmental entities on waterwise landscaping,” Allen said. Right now, Cottonwood Heights aligns with the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy ordinances for the waterwise landscaping. This bill might be of concern to the city if Representative Owens decides to go vastly outside of what the Water District allows and restricts. H.B. 32: Short Term Rental Modifications has been sponsored by Representative Stewart Barlow and Senator Daniel McCay. A thought-provoking question on if trucks and cars can count as short-term rentals has been brought up by this bill. H.B. 155: Discharge of Fireworks Amendments has been sponsored by Representative Rex Shipp. This bill would allow for fireworks to be set off in the evening of Sept. 17 for the celebration of Constitution Day. H.B. 180: Short-Term Rental Amendments was sponsored by Representative Gay-Lynn Bennion. “Bennion’s bill would give cities some power of enforcement,” Allen said. H.B. 165: Federal Law Enforcement Amendments has been sponsored by Representative Trevor Lee.
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AI is being used by many residents and city officials for tracking bills this legislative season. (Wikimedia)
We hope the legislative will respect the traditional role of government and realize that a one size fit all does not address community challenges. Mayor Mike Weichers The Salt Lake Tribune’s new bill tracker, built in partnership with Utah AI company Seer, simplifies more than 500 bills. (Screenshot via The Salt Lake Tribune)
If passed, cities would need to consider the wildlife impact of zoning. Cottonwood Heights Mayor Weichers is hesitant about this bill as the intention and implications for the city are unclear. The 2024 Legislative Session will run until March 1, with the last day of veto power from the Governor being March 21.
Residents can view current bills by visiting the Utah Legislature website at: www.le.utah.gov Various Bill Trackers can be found through specific company, entity, and municipality website. The Utah League of Cities and Towns Bill Tracker can be found by visiting: www.ulct.org/advocacy/ bill-tracking The Wasatch Front Regional Council Bill Tracker can be found by visiting: www.wfrc.org/billtracker/ The Salt Lake Tribune has partnered with Seer to implement a new Bill Tracking tool this year. This is available at: www.app.withseer.ai/explore/us/ut/state l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
City council restricts RV parking on public streets to 12 hours By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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fter concerns and conversations about parking RVs (and other large vehicles) on public streets emerged last summer, the Cottonwood Heights City Councilmembers have been ruminating on a variety of perspectives voiced by residents. This left councilmembers divided in their opinions about how long large vehicles should be allowed to park on neighborhood roads. On Jan. 16, the Cottonwood Heights City Council picked up the conversation by discussing the option of changing the amount of time an RV could be parked on the public street or neighborhood road within the city’s ordinances. Mayor Mike Weichers wondered if the legal amount of time needed to be upped from two hours to 24 hours. Recreational vehicles (RVs) are defined in the city’s code as any vehicular unit other than a mobile home, primarily designed as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational, or vacation use, which is either self-propelled or pulled by another vehicle. The definition of recreational vehicle includes boats, snowmobiles, personal watercrafts, all-terrain vehicles, travel trailers, camping trailers, and fifthwheel trailers. Councilmember Shawn Newell wondered if 24 hours wasn’t even long enough for some families. He had previously heard concerns from his constituents about the time limit as prepping and cleaning an RV could often take even longer. “It seems like 24 hours is not enough time to make adjustments to an RV, clean up an RV, and make sure it’s maintained and fixed,” Newell said. Councilmember Matt Holton had also heard from many residents voicing that two hours, 12 hours, and even 24 hours was just not a long enough time when considering weekend family vacations during the summer. Resident Logan Page echoed his concern to the full city council on Jan. 16, while requesting the allotment of time lean more towards a couple days than two hours. “Two hours…is really not enough time to get a camper or boat ready for a trip and then get it unready from that trip,” Page said. “By the time you come home from a trip, it’s late in the evening and tomorrow is school. You got to get the kids ready so the trailer sits with its contents within it. In a two-hour window, I can’t effectively get it unpacked and take it back to my storage facility—let alone cleaned up.” From the opposite perspective, Councilmember Suzanne Hyland voiced her concern for traffic safety, as leaving RVs on public streets for stretched amounts of
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
time can create visibility hazards for drivers. Cottonwood Heights Police Chief Robby Russo mentioned that Code Enforcement tends to only get calls about this issue when neighbors are taking advantage of the ordinance and causing hazards or nuisances. She mentioned even though she had issues with the 24-hour allotment, she would be willing to extend the two hours up to six hours. Councilmember Ellen Birrell favored Hyland’s remarks. She expressed wanting to be sympathetic to the residents who do own RVs, but also believes residents should be thinking about all that goes into owning such a vehicle, like storage. One additional point of concern shared by many residents to their councilmembers was an issue with overcrowding in the storage facilities. Residents were finding that the local storage facilities were becoming fully booked, so they could no longer adequately store their boats for RVs. “If the storage is out, then it’s a private sector problem and not a public sector problem,” Hyland said. Mayor Weichers wondered if residential driveways did not partially function as areas to clean, prep, and store RVs. After a lengthy discussion, most of the councilmembers seemed in favor of adjusting the previous two-hour parking allotment to 12 hours for a single parking stand in a one-week period. However, ‘controlled vehicles’ are still limited to those two hours of parking on a public street (within a single 24-hour period). Controlled vehicles include agricultural vehicles, tractor-trailers, commercial vehicles, semi-trucks, and any other truck in excess of one-ton capacity. Ordinance 407: Amending Code Section 11.20.060 (of the Cottonwood Heights Code of Ordinances) Concerning Parking Restrictions for Certain Vehicles was considered on Jan. 16. The ordinance specifies that parking a recreational vehicle on a public street for up to 12 hours allows “time for the vehicle to be readied for use or readied for storage after use.” Holton motioned to table the issue as he wanted additional time to analyze parking options within the city for residents within his area. His motion to table did not receive a second. The motion to pass the ordinance to allow for RVs to be parked on public streets in residential areas for up to 12 hours in a week was motioned by Hyland and seconded by Birrell. The council vote ended up split as Hyland and Birrell both voted in favor and Newell and Holton voted in opposition. Mayor Weichers broke
The Cottonwood Heights ordinance that addresses parking RVs on public streets can be found in the Municipal Code under Chapter 11, section 20. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights)
Cottonwood Heights has upped the time limit for RVs to be parked on public streets to 12 hours. (Photo courtesy of Bigdogphotos2008/Flicker)
the tie with his ‘yes’ vote. Now, RVs (and other vehicles) may be parked on the public street outside of the residents’ home (dwelling) for up to 12 hours within any one-week period. To view Ordinance 407, visit the Cottonwood Heights City website and navigate to the “Recent Council Actions” page under the “Your Government” tab. This ordinance addresses Chapter 11, Section 20, Subsection 050 (Parking
Prohibited in Specific Areas) of the city’s code. To view the Municipal Code visit: www.cottonwoodheights.municipalcodeonline.com To read previous conversations about public street parking, visit the “Two-hour time limit for RV parking” article on The City Journals website. l
February 2024 | Page 7
Leadership program aims to help teenagers make schools, sports more welcoming By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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illcrest High senior Brooklyn Glover is a captain of her school’s basketball team and is learning how to lead. “It’s hard because you want to be a leader, but you also want to be a friend,” she said. “I’m learning to find that balance of leading and being a good teammate.” She is one of about 45 students from Hillcrest who are part of Canyons School District’s new student leadership program. Each of Canyons’ five comprehensive high schools can invite up to 60 students to participate in the program from sports teams and activities sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association as well as 10 other students who may be identified as leaders or future leaders in their schools. Partnering with Sunlight Works, an organization that helps deliver leadership and communication tools, about 300 students meet four mornings during the school year to address topics such as school culture, sportsmanship and resilience and then discuss them in break-out sessions. They’ve heard from guest speakers such as Brighton High alumni Bryan Kehl, who, as a former NFL linebacker, talked about what it means to be a champion; and former Utah State University basketball player Brock Miller, who addressed sportsmanship and accountability. Four other mornings, each high school group meets to take what they’ve learned in the districtwide sessions and apply it to their own school. Canyons’ Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood is overseeing the district program, which began in September talking about school culture. “We’re wanting students to take ownership of their school culture and collectively, identify what they value and are about, and sharing that message with their community,” he said. “We want them to be intentional about what they’re putting out there, their behaviors with their peers and on social media, the interactions they may have on the court, in a competition and with people they’re interacting with.” In November, the students learned about sportsmanship. “We talked about what’s OK what’s not OK, how to be positive, supportive and how these extracurricular activities are an extension of the classroom where they’re learning to be part of a team, working hard and learning how to persevere through adversity and other life lessons,” Sherwood said. “We want everyone to feel welcome and safe—whether they’re a spectator, an athlete or participant—and it’s part of their responsibility to ensure that takes place.” In late January, the topic is slated to focus on resilience and positivity. Brighton High alumnus Todd Sylvester, who showed great promise as a basketball player only to be derailed with alcohol and drugs, will speak. “We’re wanting to make sure our students are taking care of themselves and their own social emotional needs, having that life balance, especially when they participate in extracurricular activities or sports, because it’s tough to do it all well,” Sherwood said. “They have to stay on top of things academically and make sure that they’re mentally good, and they have time to spend with family and with friends. We’re going to go over being self-aware and developing some stress management techniques and good organizational skills and prioritization.” Together, students and administrators will decide a topic for March. “I think we all—the school administrators, Brian (McGill, director of student services) Rick (Robbins, superintendent) and I—just saw a need to begin this,” Sherwood said. “We can help these students see things through a different light and learn what it means to be respectful and responsible and to help take some responsibility for their school culture. We hope they can influence their peers. That’s why this isn’t meant just for seniors; we want this to carry on, year after year and help change the culture.
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During a student leadership program, Canyons Director of Student Services Brian McGill speaks to student representatives from all five comprehensive high schools. (Tom Sherwood/Canyons School District)
We’ve seen a significant uptick in challenging behaviors in the last few years, post-COVID, so we want to help students make smart choices whether it’s in the classroom, athletics, music or hanging out with their friends and have them share the message with their peers. This is a great leadership opportunity.” On months when they don’t meet together, school advisers lead discussions on the topics to focus on what they can do at their particular high school. Hillcrest High’s Athletic Director Scott Carrell is the school’s student leadership academy adviser. He has taken workshops at conferences about student leadership academies, saying there has been “a big push across the country.” “We want students to build a more positive culture and have students to be more involved in school,” he said. “Every school is different and has different issues, but at Hillcrest, we have a lot of students who work, so we want to find ways to involve them and have school be a positive experience. We brainstormed ways to pack the games and build a better atmosphere, one that is more inclusive with more school spirit.” During the first meeting at the school, Carrell challenged his students, who he calls Leaders of the Pack—tying into the Husky mascot, to come up with five things they could do personally to be more inclusive at Hillcrest. “A lot of them said they could constantly try to meet new people every day and invite them to activities, going to a game or seeing a play,” he said. “We were looking at small impacts they could do. Then, we talked about how they could take this back to their groups or teams and what they could do. We have some groups buying into this, and I’ve talked with the coaches and advisers to support this along.”
Glover said they’ve taken that brainstorming into motivating their peers to become involved or attend school functions and games. “A lot of people know Hillcrest for the arts, so now we’re trying to support each other to play or come to the games,” she said. “We want to get rid of high school cliques and build community and have fun.” The program might still be in its infancy, but Carrell is optimistic. “I feel it is working,” he said. “It’s going to take us a year or two to get it implemented where it’s the norm. Hillcrest already is welcoming and inclusive, but we can build more on that. This was something that I wanted to do on a school level, but I think at the district level, we’re not seeing as much involvement in school activities. I don’t know why. I feel this program can help us a lot and we want to have opportunities for our students, and we want them to be positive.” Carrell also said they break into groups to discuss situations and how, as leaders, they would handle the situation. “We help them develop some leadership skills that will benefit them with their teams or club, but also, ultimately they’re learning skills that will not just help them in high school, but after high school,” he said. Sherwood agrees. “The kids have genuinely felt they are learning something,” he said. “It’s been good to learn and get tips from different schools. We’re all in this together, and we’re here to learn. This, already, has been a game-changer.” l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Winter Extravaganza provides Cottonwood students with needed items, gifts By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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t was mid-December when Cottonwood High junior Tabarak Aalibrahim was looking through lunchroom tables filled with books, coats, games, quilts, candles, hats, sports balls, puzzles, holiday decorations, crafts and toys – hoping to find Barbies for her four-year-old sister. She already had gotten some hair accessories for her nine-year-old sister. “I’ve been looking forward to this; I want to get them some presents,” said the student who was born in Iraq. Student Rose Babala also was looking for her younger sisters, ages one, two and three. She had picked up socks and shoes as well as some books and toys. “All this reminds me of being together with my family; there are six of us and my mom,” said the high school junior who moved from Congo five years ago. They were just two of the hundreds of Cottonwood students who stood in line to for the items that were donated by neighbors, local church congregations and others. It was the third year of the extravaganza that has provided items for Cottonwood students and often, for their families, said Robyn Ivins, who founded the food pantry seven years ago and continues to organize it with other volunteers. She also has been instrumental in establishing Cottonwood’s teen center, which opened this fall to provide resources to students. “It came about when a few people in the community who donated to our food pantry reached out to us and asked if these
kids had enough for Christmas,” Ivins said. “So, we started collecting and giving a few items to kids through the pantry.” That distribution grew in 2021, the 20th anniversary of 9-11, when students performed a day of service. “We did a big day of service with some surrounding congregations and community members and a big interfaith project to collect items. It just caught on and somebody started calling it the Christmas Extravaganza — and it has just grown from there,” she said, saying it’s now known as the Winter Extravaganza. Donors come days before the extravaganza to drop off items for the students’ free “shopping spree.” “We had 18,000 fliers that went out to the community this year and hundreds of people dropped off items,” Ivins said. “Then, we had people donate their time to help organize and set out all the donations.” In 2022, 755 Cottonwood High students, about half the studentbody, took advantage of the extravaganza. This year, Ivins purchased oversized IKEA shopping bags for 1,000 students. Some of the popular items, such as sports balls and games, are limited to one per student to stretch them out to as many students as possible. Ivins has seen some students “shopping” who take advantage of the food pantry every week. “We basically serve 300 kids per week. Very few of these students take much for themselves. We do give students
At the Winter Extravaganza, Cottonwood High students fill their bags with needed items and gifts for the family. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
a Cottonwood-branded sweatshirt so that’s usually the one thing they get for themselves. The toys are usually the first thing that goes because they’re choosing things for their siblings. So far this year, we’re doing OK on the hats and candy, and some books; we had a lady donated 300 copies,” she said. Ivins was answering questions between ensuring the tables were stocked
on what she calls, “the funnest day of the year.” “It’s great to see kids happy for the holidays,” she said. “My main motivation is to get even more donations and more people to help so we can provide Christmas for even more students’ families that otherwise wouldn’t have much.” l
Local farmers and artisans at Wheeler Historic Farm’s Sunday Winter Market
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ust because it’s winter doesn’t mean consumers shouldn’t be able to enjoy shopping for local produce, artisanal goods and homemade treats. The Wheeler Historic Farm’s Sunday Winter Market features a variety of vendors that provide fun items to make the winter months more enjoyable. Held at Wheeler Historic Farm’s Outdoor Education Center (6351 South 900 East) on the south side of the property, the market offers handcrafted breads and pastries, locally sourced honey, handmade crafts and gifts and fresh produce. The market runs every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 24. “The winter market is a local bounty of flavors, colors and crafts,” said Jane Wylie, winter market coordinator. “From farm-fresh produce to artisanal delights, the market offers something for everyone.” Chad Midgley, owner of Chad’s Produce, has been involved with farmers markets for 25 years, selling citrus fruits and other produce. He has 11 greenhouses, heated only by compost, that allows him to grow fresh food all year. Although he’s participated in the Wheeler Farm summer market, this is his first year doing the winter event. “We checked it out last year and saw how well it was supported and decided to come join in,” Midgley said. “It
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Vendors at the Wheeler Historic Farm’s Sunday Winter Market offer local produce and handcrafted items. The market runs every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 24. (City Journals)
allows us to supplement our income, so we don’t have to drain our income until the summer markets.” It’s also the first time Amanda Francis has been a vendor at the farm’s winter market. As the owner of Shed Antler Dog Chews, Francis gathers dropped antlers from
deer and elk across the region to sell to pet owners for their dogs. “The antlers last a long time; they clean [a dog’s] teeth and they have lots of vitamins and minerals in them,” she said. “They’re safe and nutritious, and they don’t leave a mess.” For Saruul, owner of Munchy Macarons, the farmers market is a way to build not only customers but community. She traveled to France to learn the art of baking macarons. After hundreds of trial-and-error recipes, she perfected her cookie. Available in a variety of flavors, including lemon, strawberry, blueberry and pistachio, the gluten-free treat is a hit at the market. She was a vendor at the summer market and couldn’t wait to sign up for the winter option. “We love it. It’s a community,” Saruul said. “In the summer, we were so sad because it was the end of the market. But we’re glad to be here. All the other vendors are so nice. It’s just cozy.” “As the seasons change, our market remains a thriving hub, offering an incredible range of locally sourced treasures,” Wylie said. For more information, visit slco.org/wheeler-farm. l
February 2024 | Page 9
Cottonwood student’s quick instincts helped put out a fire to save school By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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t was Thursday, Dec. 7, about two weeks before winter break, and 30 minutes before the bell would ring to mark the end of the school day. Cottonwood High senior Elliot Payne and a group of his stage crew classmates were working in the Black Box Theatre on the set for the melodrama, which was to open in mid-January. “It was a normal day like any other,” he said. “I was walking to get a drill from the auditorium and heard someone yell, ‘fire,’ so I ran over. I saw the stage lights had started to burn the curtain. I told someone to lower the stage curtain and raise the lights away from the curtain. Then another dude helped me pull the curtain away. I ran to find my teacher and get the fire extinguisher to put it out. I thought it was weird that it started from the stage lights; we use them all the time, and it never happens.” Payne returned with the fire extinguisher and theater director Adam Wilkins. “Adam slid me a chair. I got on it and pulled the pin on the fire extinguisher, then put the fire out,” said the 5-foot 11-inch student who said the retardant shot about 6 feet onto the curtain. “I’m good in crisis situations. I probably learned that from being in Boy Scouts. I saw the fire, I put it out. It’s a simple duty.” Wilkins alerted the school assistant principals, Ashley Snarr and Jeremy Brooks, the latter who was on the phone with the principal. They came, along with the substitute school resource officer, who called the fire department. Payne and Wilkins returned to the Black Box, but minutes later, they were later evacuated along with the student body. That’s because Snarr saw the curtain back on fire in the smoky auditorium.
Cottonwood High senior Elliot Payne was recently honored at a Granite School District Board of Education for his quick assistance with a fire on the auditorium stage in December. (Photo courtesy of Granite School District.)
“It was circling smoke, and that’s when I noticed it was smoldering, and then, the curtain was on fire again,” she said. “So, the substitute officer quickly grabbed a ladder and put it out. About 30 seconds later, the fire department arrived along with our district maintenance crew. The stage lights are very strong, very hot. The damage was just to the curtain and a little bit of the metal rod. Our auditorium was not damaged at all, not even smoke damage.” Outside, students thought at first it might have been a fire drill, but once the fire truck arrived, reality set in, Snarr said. Payne realized he still had the drill in his hand yet and tried to lighten the mood. “I was saying puns like, ‘This isn’t a drill,’” said the recent Eagle Scout, who not only was the stage crew shop foreman for
“The Little Mermaid” production but also is on the football and track teams and sings in the choir. Within minutes, the student body returned to their classrooms. Students in classes near the auditorium were moved to the opposite side of the school to prevent any smoke inhalation, Snarr said. That night, the Granite (School District) Youth Symphony was set to perform on stage, but the concert was rescheduled. It was the only postponement on the auditorium schedule, she said. “It was under control quickly,” Snarr said. “We have wonderful teachers and staff, and our drills have prepared us for these situations, but Elliot deserves a lot of credit. He was very calm. He saved our school.” Payne recently was honored at the Granite Board of Education with a plaque from the school board and a pendant from the fire department. “I was told by the [Murray City] fire marshal that if we didn't stop the fire, then it would have been millions in property damage, and the whole school would have been gone because it would have reached another higher curtain, and it would have kept burning since our auditorium is so high,” he said. “I gave a shout out to my family who was there and my Scout leaders who trained me for emergency preparedness.” Payne, who is looking to pursue musical theater and emergency management in-state next fall, wants to both perform on stage and go into fire safety. “My first words as a kid were ‘firefighters help people,’” said the Holladay teenager. “Now, I have a cool story about saving the school.” l
Ridgecrest students help set sport stacking world record
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idgecrest Elementary students had their work cut out for them. In fall 2022, the youngsters were part of a world record. In coordination with the World Sport Stacking Association, they were among the 737,863 people stacking cups in multiple locations, beating the previous record set in 2019 by more than 99,000 stackers. This year, the grade-school students wanted to beat the record set last year. So, with the support of their Playworks coach Angi Williamson, they got out their sets of bright-colored plastic cups and began practicing. Many of the students remembered how to stack them and unstack them from when Williamson introduced the sport two years ago. Others, who were new, quickly caught on. “The students love it; they think it’s fun and don’t see it as a learning activity,” she said. “It starts with kindergartners, who are learning what balance looks like. Then, the students learn to concentrate, and that translates to their academic learning. This is good for all levels of athleticism because it’s engaging, and they feel productive. At the same time, it creates community because they might not participate in other games together, but this is
Page 10 |February 2024
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com one where all students feel welcome.” The students were excited and ready. From Nov. 14 through Nov. 16, people in one dozen countries joined the Ridgecrest students in cup stacking, trying to set a new WSSA world record for the most people sport stacking at multiple locations. More than 2,240 elementary and middle schools or organizations worldwide took part. Twenty Utah schools had students participating. While some Ridgecrest students raced the clock, trying to improve their times, many students worked together in small groups while combining the school’s 30 sets of cups to create a huge tower. “A few of our kids have their own sets, so they practice year-round,” she said. “I know we had a student who competed in cup stacking tournaments, but a great number of them just want pull them out for indoor recesses or to have fun with their friends.” Fifth grader Izzy Ciaramella likes the challenge that goes along with cup stacking. “I like cup stacking because it's entertaining,” she said. “Other games you might play for 30 minutes, but with cup stacking, you can stack for a long time, and you can try to beat so many records.”
While Izzy doesn’t have cups at home, she wants to get some to get faster. Izzy times setting up the cups as well as taking them down separately, so she knows where to improve. “I’m faster at going down, so I need to get faster setting them up,” she said. “It’s challenging because I try so hard so many times, and I can get the same score every time. I’m going to keep trying and improve my technique to get faster.” Fifth grader Brenna Baker also was racing the clock. “My top time is 24 seconds going up and down,” she said, adding that she has a set of cups at home she received as a gift and finds the rhythm and routine of sport stacking relaxing. “I’ve only been doing this for a year, but maybe someday I’d like to compete.” While class after class took part in cup stacking in the school’s gym—some trying for speed and others trying for height— Williamson tallied students participating to send into the association. A few weeks after putting away their plastic cups, Ridgecrest Elementary had 528 stackers verified, which helped set the new world record of 746,698 people sport stacking at multiple locations. How were the Ridgecrest students go-
Ridgecrest Elementary students raced the clock and were among 746,698 people sport stacking at multiple locations, helping to set a new world record. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
ing to celebrate? “If I know the kids, we will probably do more cup stacking,” Williamson said. l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
CELEBRATING 10 Years in Riverton! Bella Vista Elementary students used their talents in several different art mediums to share messages of friendship and kindness a recent exhibit at Whitmore Library. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Students share messages of friendship, kindness through art exhibit
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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
hen we are kind, we all feel like we belong.” Bella Vista Elementary students’ artwork focusing on the theme of kindness and friendship recently was displayed at Whitmore Library’s gallery. The exhibit, supervised by the school’s Beverley Taylor Sorenson Art Teacher Christy Delaney, showed how students interpreted kindness and how to be a good friend. Delaney would read stories about kindness in the art room, then discuss why it is important and what a good friend looks like before students showcased those thoughts using a variety of skills and media. The artwork shared messages of students being excited that one another is at school. For example, kindergartners made painted handprints and wrote how they could show friendship, such as waving or holding hands.
First graders cut out different shapes to create friends and then finished the sentence, “I can be a friend by …. Their responses varied from “sharing my Barbies” to “listening.” The artwork became more interdisciplinary in the upper grades. Fourth graders looked at music, such as “You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor, and together, with Jordan Valley School students, illustrated their favorite part of the songs. Fifth graders learned about mixed media artist Faith Ringgold’s narrative quilts and created their own paper version of a star pattern quilt. In the center of each star, the students wrote a message of kindness, such as giving someone a hug or helping a friend with homework. A reception also was held during the monthlong exhibit. Whitmore Library is a branch of the Salt Lake County library services. l
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February 2024 | Page 11
Canyon View principal sleeps on roof in avocado onesie as part of school fundraiser
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here wasn’t any fuss, no wrapping paper or candy bar sales, no pledges or money to collect—just simply donate money to the school to help student learning. That was the message that helped Canyon View Elementary raise more than $42,000 this school year. “It is miraculous,” Principal Kierstin Draper said. “It was just donations.” Along with the donations were celebrations. “We have grade-level celebrations, so when they reach a certain point, each classroom gets to celebrate,” Draper said. “We had a bubble recess with bubble machines outside so the kids got to dance around with the bubbles, and then they also got to blow the bubbles. Then, we had a glow party in the gym with every kid attending, and they got glow sticks. I roller skated, and Benny, our Bengal mascot, was there. It was a lot of fun. It’s the simple things in life that are so beautiful.” When students reach a certain amount, they could participate in a Code Ninja Sandy, an art class from The Smartest Artist or a Bobby Lawrence Karate Sandy class hosted at the school. “We had quite a few kids go to the special classes,” she said. “Our goal was to have each student raise $125 for a total of $40,000, but
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com we know that isn’t always possible. One of the things that makes the fundraiser successful is we do tell parents that they’re able to sponsor other kids who may not be able to donate. It’s anonymous, and we have a lot of very generous families who donate so that most kids have the opportunity to do that kind of special thing every year. This year, we had a parent who donated for everybody in the whole class, $6,000, just to make sure that everybody in the class could attend a special class. We have a very generous community.” Draper said they’re also able to get business donors to support their fundraiser through purchasing a banner that is hung across the street from the school on Bengal Boulevard. More than $5,000 was raised through banner sales. Most of the money raised goes back into the classrooms, she said. “When teachers need any type of special supply or if they’re doing a special activity, such as fourth grade pioneer day or when the kindergarten does butterflies, there is money for those special projects,” Draper said. “We’ve used funding toward technology for additional iPads and different STEM programs. But the biggest part of the teacher grants where teachers can request what they need for different activities, and the PTA will fund it.”
Canyon View Principal Kierstin Draper wore avocado pajamas and slept on the school roof as a reward for students raising more than $42,000 in a no-fuss fundraiser. (Photo courtesy of Canyon View Elementary.)
This year, some of the funds will be earmarked for new library books. “When they ran statistics on our library, the average publishing date of a book was 2004, and it just blew my mind,” Draper said. “Even though we have a quite a few new books, we had a ton that were from the 1970s from when the school was originally built. We’ve weeded out a lot of the older books because they’re not being checked out. We want to make sure that we have diversification of subjects, so we have books when a student is learning about different countries, different cultures, different sports, because we kind of saw that there wasn’t as much variety of topics.” Additional funds are used for traditional PTA programming such as Reflections, field trips, Veterans Day and other activities. Money also has been helped to renovate storage closets into “these little beautiful learning areas. They’re completely renovated with brand-new
With our
shelving and bright walls,” Draper said, adding that activities and classroom learning is prioritized over renovation projects. Students were excited for the final incentive of the fundraiser: Draper sleeping on the school roof. The night comes with the students voting on a pair of pajamas for their principal; an avocado onesie was the winning loungewear. Third grader Wesley Meadows voted on the avocado pajamas. “I thought it was hilarious,” he said, adding that he went to the school that night to see his principal in them. Draper said there was a large turnout of students that evening. “Having me sleep on the roof is really the part that they love the most,” she said. “They hang out with our mascot, Benny, and families talk.” Third grader Jonah Buerger went and played four-square as it grew dark. “Our principal lowered her bucket on a rope and I got two bags filled with candy and little notebooks, one for me and one for my sister,” he said. Draper said some student will send up pictures and notes or even hot chocolate. “At 8 p.m., I sent them home, so I read stories on Facebook live to them,” she said. “It’s cute because parents emailed me pictures of the kids in their pajamas listening to the stories. In the morning, I’ll do a Facebook Live once the sun comes up and I’m still in my pajamas, and I’ll show them the sun rising over the mountains and tell them about my night. It’s just a fun way to end the fundraiser.” Draper said the fundraiser is more than raising funds. “We’re seeing this as a celebration of our community coming together for the sake of helping the kids have a really amazing year,” she said. “Our PTA brings the magic. We have the best PTA in the state because they will give so freely of whatever resources they have. Most importantly, they donate their time and allocate the funding so these kids have what they need and can do some really special things.” l
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
From pawn to king: Chess program shapes students’ lives
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t’s 7:45 a.m. one Wednesday morning, an hour before the school bell rings, yet kids sling their backpacks and coats down as they come in the elementary school cafeteria to face each other in a round of chess. Among the 45 students are fifth grader Zach Thomas, whose grandfather taught him how to play two years ago, and second grader Ethan Ladue, who had just joined three weeks ago and learned the queen moves diagonally. “If something is in her way, I can smash it,” he said. Ethan was playing third grader Alex Lopez, who had learned to castle and other moves during the resurgence of the chess program about one-and-one half years ago. Ridgecrest Chess Champs began about 10 years ago under former PTA volunteer Marci Cardon, said former principal Julie Winfree. However, much like many programs, it went on hiatus during COVID. It reemerged with the help of parent volunteers and the school PTA. “Last year, we had a school chess tournament, and our winner was in kindergarten,” said PTA secretary Brooke Schneider. “This year, we had an anonymous donor pay for a chess teacher to come teach the kids. He's teaching them strategies and specifics when you capture an opponent, he's talking to them about defenders and exactly where to put the pieces on the board.” After 15 minutes of students playing one another, they turn to face Waterford School chess coach and private chess teacher Alexander Gustafsson, who had arrived to begin the lesson, picking up from the previous week. “In our last class, we talked about moving away when you’re being attacked,” he said. “But it's important that before you move somewhere, you make sure it's a safe place. You want to be thoughtful about your moves. Another way is to add a protector. That's when you get a piece to back-up, to give some support.” Among those keenly watching his demonstration and explanation is the school’s tournament champion, now first grader Beckham Rawle. Last year, he also won the state championship for kindergartners. “That was better than Christmas,” said the 6-year-old Chinese dual immersion student who also enjoys playing soccer and basketball. His mother and chess volunteer, Rachel, said that after pretending to play chess, her husband, Jason, taught Beckham the basics. “He’s passionate about it,” she said. “He reads books to get better. At first, he wanted to beat his dad. So, his dad had to step up his game. But he’s beaten me and his dad several times.” Beckham said he wanted to learn because “it looked like fun. Sometimes, I still let my dad win.”
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Before school on Wednesday mornings, 45 Ridgecrest Elementary students participate in the school chess program. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
His mother said her son spends a lot of time studying the game. “He’s patient,” she said. “He can concentrate and problem-solve and sit there for hours figuring out strategies. He likes that it challenges his brain.” The youngster continues to show promise in chess. He placed second in his level at the Utah Open, earned a bronze medal in blitz or speed play last May at the U.S. Chess Federation’s National Elementary Championship in Baltimore and finished 16th in the international chess tournament last June in Las Vegas. While on a family vacation in Vancouver British Columbia, he played in a tournament and finished seventh as an unrated player. Beckham practices at least an hour online daily and plays in tournaments at least every month. He was looking into competing in the Kids Chess tournament this February in North Carolina to prepare for the state chess tournament in March. “When I practice, I get better and smarter because I use my brain,” he said, adding that not only does he practice online but also goes to Whitmore Library’s chess club and has a private coach. “I like chess. It makes you think.” One of his favorite strategies is the King’s Pawn opening, a popular and aggressive option to begin a chess game. “I like to take control,” he said. “I read it in a chess book. I’ve read a lot of chess books; they help me get better.” At the Ridgecrest Chess Champs, he often plays fourth grader Bronson Karr before and after the chess lesson. “We keep track of who wins,” Beckham said, who, at that point, had edged Bronson
saying ‘good game.’” That is a chess lesson that Schneider appreciates. “They learn to think, and they’re gaining confidence in their skill as they practice the ability to win gracefully or lose gracefully,” she said. That is what Gustafsson has students practice. “One of the biggest and most important things that you can learn from chess is learning how to interact with other people,” Gustafson said. “You shake hands at the beginning and at the end of the game; you need to be a good winner or a good loser. With chess, my hope is that they have a more solid understanding of not only the basic rules but basic strategy. If you follow good strategy and know the rules, you're more likely to have fun and enjoy the game. Critical thinking is big. I want them to think about their decisions. Critical thinking in chess is like solving problems in life; they need to think about the consequences of their decisions, their words, their actions. My hope is that through learning this art, this sport, this game, they come to that realization themselves.” l
by one game. “I like to play other people,” he said. “It’s challenging. I like when we shake hands,
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February 2024 | Page 13
Zions Bank economist pegs 2024 recession chances at 50-50 By Brice Wallace | Salt Lake Business Journal
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he economic forecasting season has begun, and Robert Spendlove has thrown out the first pitch. At the recent Zions Bank 2024 economic outlook event, the bank’s senior economist pegged the chances of a national recession this year at 50-50 but added that Utah likely would get through it OK. “I’ll tell you that that has been the thing that has gotten a lot of economists scratching their heads, because we all thought it was going to happen in 2023 and it didn’t happen,” Spendlove said at the event, held at the Zions Technology Center in Midvale. “I still think there’s about a 50% chance. A few months ago, six months ago, it was at closer to 65, 70%, so I do think that probability of recession has gone down, but there still are some of those factors that could tip the U.S. into a recession nationally. I think locally we are part of the national economy so we are exposed to that risk, but I think we’re well-positioned and if we do go into a recession, I think we’re in a good position.” Utah has been in a “good position” for several years now. Spendlove cited some U.S. News & World Report rankings showing Utah as the best state overall, topics in fiscal stability and the economy. Its population continues to grow, fueled by in-migration. It’s second among states with positive job growth since before the COVID pandemic, and its unemployment rate of 2.8% remains low. Utah also has seen its labor participation rate increase. However, housing affordability remains a bugaboo. Utah home prices relative to household income sits at 6.2 but should be about 3, he said. “What this is saying is, housing is too unaffordable in Utah,” Spendlove said. “Housing is very difficult, especially for low-income, especially for young families, people trying to get in. And how do you fix that? You essentially need to dramatically drop house prices, you need to dramatically increase income or you need to start thinking outside the box of what housing looks like. What we’re going to see is more multigenerational households, more multifamily households, and we’re going to have to start talking very seriously about thinking of different ways of what housing looks like in our communities.” Prefacing Spendlove’s presentation, Scott Anderson, Zions Bank’s president and CEO, likewise had an overall positive outlook for Utah’s economy this year. “As we head into 2024, our Utah economy remains strong and resilient,” Anderson said. “We continue to benefit from strong population growth and net in-migration, low unemployment and solid job growth. I’m confident that what we’ll see here in Utah will be a strong economy this year and that we’ll continue to thrive, even though other parts of the world and other parts of the U.S. economy may suffer a bit.” Most of Spendlove’s remarks focused on the national economy, which he said is still being distorted by the effects of the COVID pandemic. That is leading to a lot of economic uncertainty for 2024, just as it affected 2023. Last year, experts expected the economy to slow or contract, with a drop in GDP and employment demand. “We saw a little bit of that, but the economy ended up being very resilient and very strong,” he said. “We saw inflation has been coming down, employment has been improving, but people are still grumpy. That is one of the things that I hear all the time, is people say, ‘Well, you know, yes, things may be a little bit better, but they’re not the way they should be and they’re not the way they
Page 14 |February 2024
As we head into 2024, our Utah economy remains strong and resilient. We continue to benefit from strong population growth and net in-migration, low unemployment and solid job growth. I’m confident that what we’ll see here in Utah will be a strong economy this year and that we’ll continue to thrive, even though other parts of the world and other parts of the U.S. economy may suffer a bit. Scott Anderson Zions Bank’s president and CEO were before.’” GDP in the third quarter actually jumped, with 4.9% growth, but Spendlove told the audience that that is not an accurate reflection of what is happening in the economy. “I don’t think any of you think that the economy dramatically accelerated in the third quarter, but it’s some of those distortions from the pandemic that we have to be really careful about,” he said. “However, it’s very clear that we didn’t contract. In the third quarter, we didn’t contract in 2023, and this is a sign that the economy is much more resilient than we had expected in 2023.” Still, the economy could enter a recession in the second or third quarters this year, but he believes it would be relatively mild “and we’ll move through pretty quickly.” The big question is whether any “black swan” events— huge, upsetting surprises—would shock the system and amplify volatility. Nonetheless, consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the economy, remains strong. Consumers “are all grumpy but you’re still spending,” he said. “That has been another one of the big surprises, is even with consumers being grumpy— you all went out and bought your Black Friday gifts and you all went out and got holiday presents for everyone and it kept the economy going—but you still are grouchy.” Spendlove foresees Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year, inflation continuing to slow but remaining “sticky,” the labor market growing, unemployment increasing, the economy slowing but remaining broadly
Zions Bank senior economist Robert Spendlove speaks in West Valley City at a recent ChamberWest event. (John Rogers/Salt Lake Business Journal)
resilient, and international uncertainty and elections possibly adding to volatility. Anderson likened the past three years to a roller coaster ride but added that the national economy in 2023 transitioned toward pre-pandemic norms. The Fed raised interest rates and tightened monetary policy, but the economy avoided a recession and remained resilient, he said. The Fed now figures to lower rates, with the first reduction as early as the second quarter. “And why would they do this? I believe that they looked at inflation and they saw that it had dropped dramatically from mid-2022 and where it fell from a 40-year high of more than 9% in June of 2022 to about 3% in November of 2023. But with food and energy prices coming down, getting to the Fed’s target of a 2% annual inflation rate could take some time. We’re not there yet.” Higher interest rates and housing inflation colored consumer opinions about the economy in 2023, but recent consumer surveys have found that people are feeling more optimistic about 2024, he said. “And this is important,” Anderson said, “as consumer sentiments can drive behaviors like spending and investments, often acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy.” l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
February 2024 | Page 15
Page 16 |February 2024
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Continued from front page the future,” Weichers said. Councilmember Shawn Newell expressed concern over the ingress and egress access points for the Tavaci development, in addition to the road maintenance. “Do we want any kind of responsibility for a bridge?” asked Newell. “Things like that can add up to a whole lot of money.” Councilmember Ellen Birrell voiced a complementary concern over the bridge roadway. Being so close to the Water Treatment Plant, she’s curious if the roadway is compliant with the Clean Water Protection Act. Community and Economic Development Director Mike Johnson mentioned how the bridge is essentially the only point of access for the Tavaci development, even though there was a secondary point of egress originally planned. “If you go up there, it (the platted secondary access point) drops straight off the side of the mountain right now. They are in the process with Salt Lake County of removing that secondary access point from their subdivision plat,” Johnson said. “I think it would be safer to leave it in the County and not let them come into Cottonwood Heights. There’s just too many unknown situations and risks,” said Resident Larry Larsen. “For instance, it doesn’t have a secondary access….which means it’s not approved in the code for fire protection, police, or emergency services. They call for secondary access.” Cottonwood Heights Police Chief Robby Russo added that the area wouldn’t necessarily be serviced by CHPD as it falls outside of the city’s boundaries. Referencing how UPD and the Sherrif’s Office are currently in the process of separating, he wasn’t quite sure who would be assigned to respond to nonemergency calls for service (like alarm drops or day-to-day patrol) as it would be the charge of county corridors. He speculated that Millcreek, Holiday, or canyon cars might be sent. “Otherwise, they will have to send an unincorporated car and I’m not sure if that comes from Granite West, White City, or Kearns,” Russo said. The average home value of all the currently (as of publication) finished homes within the Tavaci neighborhoods amounts to $2.5 million. Johnson ran some preliminary tax projection numbers for the Tavaci development by averaging the value of the homes that are occupied today, multiplying that by the total number of lots, and multiplying by the local tax rate accounting for Utah’s residential properpty tax exemption. Rounding up, the estimated tax revenue for the city would be around $100,000 to $150,000 annually. This does not include the 50-acre parcel north of the Tavaci neighborhoods. While the council knows what to expect within the Tavaci neighborhoods, the future of the 50-acre parcel is uncertain. Johnson believes much of the area along that hillside is not developable as it sits up on the ridge, espe-
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
The most pressing concerns related to annexing the Tavaci development into Cottonwood Heights is the road maintenance and single access point of the bridge. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)
cially with current city ordinances. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be some sort of development plan proposed in the future. “That 50-acre parcel… is owned by the same owner as the Gravel Pit. I have no confirmation, but I do suspect when the Gravel Pit development plans come in that all of this will, somehow, try to connect together,” Johnson said. Birrell shared with the council that she was alarmed when she realized “we’re not just talking about Tavaci, we’re talking about another 50 acres owned by the Walker Family Trust.” “I don’t know if it’s better or worse for us to be the jurisdiction that would manage a development application,” Johnson said. “If we’re not, then the County is, and we have a little less say of any future development plan that impacts that.” This article continues from our June 2023 coverage titled “Tavaci development intends to petition for annexation within Cottonwood Heights.” To view, visit our website at: www.cottonwoodheightsjouranl.com. To view the Cottonwood Heights Resolution (2023-56) accepting the Annexation Petition, visit the Cottonwood Heights website at www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov. Then, navigate to the “Your Government” tab, and click on the “Recent Council Actions” page. As of publication, the Public Hearing has been scheduled during the Business Session of the Cottonwood Heights City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 7pm. City Council Meetings are held at Cottonwood Heights City Hall (2277 Bengal Blvd.). To view the Cottonwood Heights City Council Agendas, visit the Cottonwood Heights website at www.cottonwoodheights. utah.gov. l
February 2024 | Page 17
Brighton honors a fallen alumna By Christine Yee | Christine.yee@canyonsdistrict.org
N
ote: Christine Yee is assistant girls wrestling coach and English teacher at Brighton High School On Jan. 16, the Brighton High Wrestling program honored a recent alumna who died in a car accident just after Christmas. Katelyn Marie Edgell, a two-time Class 5A state placer, died this past Dec. 26 when an oncoming vehicle crossed over the center line and collided with her. She would have been 19 this April. At the dual wrestling match against Herriman, the Bengals presented Katelyn’s family with her framed singlets, a plaque noting her accomplishments and the booster’s Legacy Award for “substantial contributions to the success of the Brighton wrestling program.” The girls team wore gray shirts with print in Katelyn’s favorite color, teal, including a heart surrounding her initials on the sleeve. In a sign of unity, Herriman wore orange bows in their hair to honor Brighton’s most decorated female wrestler. Katelyn also excelled in music. Early on, she found a love for the flute and the piccolo. Later at Brighton High School, she studied under Ms. Makala Mortensen and picked up the trumpet in the Marching
Katelyn Edgell on wrestling/rugby scholarship at Adrian College (Photo Adrian College Athletics)
Band. Learning new things and finding success in them was supremely Katelyn. By all measures, Katelyn was a fantastic, disciplined student. Her transcripts show near perfect rows of A’s. She took advanced math and English. Because she took music and athletic classes, she had to take online courses too. She completed the medical assisting program at CTEC and earned her certification. And she did
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Memories of Katelyn Edgell given to Katelyn’s parents (Photo Jerry Christensen)
all this while engaging in three difficult activities that kept her going through the summer, fall and spring. Few were surprised that she wanted to be a doctor. Her family wrote in her obituary, “Her aspiration to become a neurosurgeon was driven by her curiosity and fascination with medicine.” She also loved animals. As her family wrote: “Animals both great and small were powerless against her charms. If it swam, flew or crawled, Katelyn loved it. Her dog, Bayre, couldn’t leave her side and her cat, Stormy, loved to aggravate her allergies. Katelyn had a special fondness for horses and enjoyed volunteering for Freedom Riders Horse Therapy Program.” Katelyn helped lay the foundation for success in girls Wrestling at Brighton High School. She worked the hardest in every room she was in. At the end of her first year of wrestling, she had earned a fourthplace finish at the 5A state tournament in her weight class and helped the girls team win its first region championship. Her band and wrestling friend, Avryl Pineda, said: “She always kept me in check. Whenever she was mad at me, she would just pick me up, fireman carry me. She would leave me on her shoulders to calm me down.” In her senior year, Katelyn learned to be a stellar captain. It surely wasn’t an easy job. But she was already known as the ultimate mom friend, supporting the girls the best she could—even bringing their favorite treats like Nutter Butter for freshman Ray Radzinski or Veggie Straws for freshman Mei-Mei Engebretsen to tournaments and carrying them off the mat if they were injured or exhausted.
Katelyn met the challenges of leading and inspiring her teammates while fighting to a third-place spot on the podium at state as a senior. She finished her senior year as the leader in takedowns, pins and match points. Then she jumped right into her first year of rugby, where she held her own against more seasoned players. She was one of the strongest players on the field and worked hard to understand the game every chance she got. At senior night in April, she announced that was going to play rugby and wrestle at Adrian College in Michigan. She joined just a handful of other Utah Rugby players that year to earn scholarships to play at the next level. In all this, may no one forget that Katelyn had a steady hand for competitive shooting and a warm spot in her heart for children. She was also an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Katelyn was a genuine person,” said friend Rhodes Martinez, also a former wrestler. “She doesn’t care about what you do. She’ll let you be you and then be you, too, sometimes. She’s like that. She was someone you can be yourself around all the time.” Katelyn truly lived a full life, filled with awesome humans. So many have been touched by her kindness and warmth. Her hugs and cuddles were the best, the wrestlers say. May each one of us be inspired to live a life like Katelyn. She didn’t know this would be the end of her story, but she lived like it could be. l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Brighton girls lacrosse is reaping the rewards of player development By Jerry S Christensen | j.christensen@mycityjournals.com
B
righton girls lacrosse looks to be back in contention for the Class 5A state title. The long-awaited season begins as the snows recede from Brighton’s home Freestone Field. However, through the winter, coach Melissa Nash’s teams have been hard at work in the weather-protected fieldhouse at Brighton assembling what Nash believes will be a dynamic team. “We have six seniors who have been part of the Brighton lacrosse program since they were in junior high (Ayla Cole, Alex Heugly, Zoey Keefer, Izzy Gurley, Emily Grace and Ansley Phillips),” Nash said. “Most of this group of seniors have been playing together since seventh grade and now will graduate together.” Two of those seniors are already signed to play at the next level in college. Zoey Keefer signed with Division II school, William Jewell, in Missouri. Ayla Cole is finalizing her college decisions and has several offers. For the last three years, Brighton girls lacrosse has finished third in the state with several players receiving Utah High School Activities Association and USA Lacrosse awards (Hannah Bangerter, Lauren Ellis, Courtnie Wright, Izzy Gurley and Alex Heugly). Three players competed on the Utah
Ready for all competition. (Photo Brighton High School)
National Team this summer: Gurley, Keefer and Charly Eichner. All three bring experience and skills back to Brighton this year. Cole, a star defender, is back on the field this year after a year setback due to a 2023 preseason car accident that broke her
collarbone and wrist. She has been on the Utah World Team and Utah National Team. “I had to stand and watch from the sidelines while my team played shorthanded,” Cole said. “At first, it was tough, but as time went by, I was able to understand the field
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from a different perspective. I understood that though I was out, I was still there to contribute to my team. I became an expert at the field’s layout and where the team should set up against opponents.” Heugly, a four-year varsity starter, national team member and tricky, speedy lacrosse player, is looking to have her best year yet. Nash said she has improved year after year, and her lacrosse IQ will be invaluable on the offensive side of the field. “My lacrosse highlights include making varsity as a freshman,” Heugly said. “The biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome include trusting my abilities to compete against incredibly talented athletes, not doubting myself and not getting discouraged when games don’t turn out how I expected.” Nash is looking forward to the 2024 season. “I hope we can continue to prove that Brighton lacrosse is a powerful, smart, hard-working team and improve on our success from years past,” she said.. “I am always proud to be a Bengal and grateful for the support of our parents and admin team. Come catch a free game at Freestone Field this spring—in hopefully dry, warm weather.” l
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February 2024 | Page 19
Canyons, other districts settle Title IX lawsuit, aim to promote equality in sports By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
S
ix years after filing a discrimination lawsuit for not providing sanctioned girls tackle football teams in Utah high schools, the three named school districts—Canyons, Jordan and Granite—reached a settlement. Brought about by former football standout Sam Gordon and five other female players who lived within those districts’ boundaries, the settlement reached this past fall will hopefully result in increased opportunities for girls in high school athletics, said Canyons School District Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood. “Basically, it spelled out some things that we need to do better as school districts in terms of honoring Title IX,” he said. “One of the agreements in the settlement is we will be more intentional in promoting girls high school sports beginning as early as elementary schools and in middle schools.” That is one of Canyons District’s focuses in 2024. “We have assigned all the high school [athletic directors] to help promote Title IX at their elementary and middle schools and in addition, each middle school now has a middle school administrator assigned to be a Title IX specialist,” Sherwood said. “We’re in the process of creating more in-
One of the agreements in the settlement is we will be more intentional in promoting girls high school sports beginning as early as elementary schools and in middle schools. Tom Sherwood tentional recruitment in spring to the middle schools specifically talking about girls sports. We’ll be doing promotional posters and being more proactive in promoting girls high school athletics. Before, we would go to the schools and say: ‘Hey, get involved in high school. We have lots to offer. We have sports, choir, band, dance and all the activities,’ but this is very specific to promoting girls sports in middle schools and even elementary to narrow the participation gap.” Sherwood, who was named as the director of high schools, also is the Title IX compliance athletic officer. He said as part
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Six years after filing a discrimination lawsuit, Canyons and two other school districts settled this fall, promising an increase in promoting girls high school sports. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
of continuing to seek student input, Canyons District will survey female students to determine interest level in female sports and activities in future years. Sports, such as girls tackle football, may apply to become a student-led club sport within the district and can advertise on campuses and request to use school facilities. While Title IX doesn’t specifically say athletics, it’s commonly known in the sports world as a way to equalize opportunity for girls and women. “There is a three-prong test (practiced by the National Federation of State High School Associations) that’s been accepted by the Office of Civil Rights to determine Title IX compliance in schools,” he said. “One of the three prongs is proportionality in funding, facilities and participation, meaning that the ratio of female participation is close to the ratio of female enrollment. So, for example, Jordan High has 50:50 enrollment (of males and females), and they have 50:50 participation. Our other four comprehensive high schools are all within 6% in variability between participation and enrollment.” Sherwood added that in late January, he will present those findings within athletics to the Canyons Board of Education in compliance with new state code 53G-6-1101 that states each district must report it annually and have an action plan to address discrepancies greater than 10 percent. However, Sherwood isn’t just reporting the numbers. The other parts of the three-prong test are to show the district is striving to increasing opportunities for female athletes and accommodating interest. “I’m aware that there’s a 6% gap, and
even if I never achieve complete equality, what am I doing to close the gap?” he said. “How could we support and expand opportunities for females specifically? In terms of expansion, [Utah High School Activities Association] recently added lacrosse, but again, that’s for both boys and girls. Cheer is much more participated in by girls than by boy,s and that was the last dominant girl sport sanctioned; however, in spring 2024, boys volleyball will be sanctioned, so it put us back in achieving participation equality. One thing we’ve learned from all this is that UHSAA does not receive any federal funding, so they are not responsible for being compliant in the local school districts. It’s the districts that need to follow the tenants of Title IX, to find that balance and to ensure we’re supporting growth in female sports.” Sherwood said the UHSAA, which also was part of the lawsuit, was not included in the settlement. In interest of equality, Sherwood reviews budget, gear and facilities. “There’s been a light shined on equity of facilities,” he said. “Canyons School District has been very intentional through its facilities’ improvements to ensure there is equality in our facilities, uniforms, equipment, gear and financial commitment uses of gyms and other rooms. We’ve had a lot of progress in just the past few years in terms of how we approach girls and boys athletics. As far as the spirit of Title IX and Canyons District, by our current levels of participation, facilities’ compliance, and efforts to expand female participation, we’re doing a pretty good job.”l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Coming up for air
F
or a state run by legislators who sneer at tobacco products, I find it confusing they don’t give a flying cigar about our state’s dangerous air quality. GOP legislators balk at green energy initiatives like a vampire facing the sunrise and a head of garlic. A 2023 American Lung Association report said Salt Lake ranks among the nation’s most polluted cities for ozone and short-term particle pollution. I don’t know what those words mean, but it doesn’t sound good. Lawmakers say Salt Lake has always dealt with inversions, we just have to work around a valley filled with pollution. That’s like saying the kitchen’s always been filled with rotting banana peels, crushed egg shells, open yogurt containers veiled in mold, and a greasy chicken carcass. We just have to work around it. Studies show polluted air is a bigger threat to our health than alcohol or tobacco. Maybe not breathing polluted air should be included in the Word of Wisdom next to wine (the devil’s fancy beverage) and tea (the witch’s drink). Then, perhaps, our lawmakers will pay attention. It’s true the valley’s design creates Utah’s crappy air quality. Temperature inversions trap cold air under a layer of warm air, like putting a lid on a pot of soup. Only this soup is filled with vehicle pollution, smoke from wood burning stoves, industrial emis-
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sions, and glitter from gender reveal parties. Reducing the number of cars using fossil fuels is a good way to cut down on emissions but “leaders” like illustrious Sen. Mike Lee often fight against renewable fuel programs. And don’t talk about closing coalfired power plants. Republican lawmakers embrace coal energy like it was brought down from Mount Sinai. While other states are running away from coal as fast as humanly possible, Utah lawmakers delay closing coal power plants that leave behind tons of coal ash, a lovely bouquet of radioactive waste, arsenic and old lace. Utah has around a dozen coal ash dump sites and you can bet your sooty lungs each site contributes to our bad air quality. Oh, don’t our legislators wish it was still the 1970s, when coal was king, and you could use your wood stove all day (even in the summer) and no one was trying to take your gas-operated vehicle?
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ness in our atmosphere? I know. Money. The answer is always money. But it’s at the expense of our health, especially low-income populations, minorities and children who live near higher-polluted areas. It must be a coincidence that these children have higher rates of respiratory illnesses. Yeah, just a concidence. I know we’re not supposed to compromise anymore, and we’re not supposed to believe science and doctors, and we’re not supposed to believe in climate change or coal pollution. And I know we’re supposed to trust the Utah legislature with our lives. But, that might be the problem.
Interior/Exterior Residential/Commercial Over 20 Years Experience LICENSED AND INSURED
For Immediate Service Call
801-865-4049
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
Remodels, Kitchens and Baths New Windows, Doors, and Trimwork Electrical and Plumbing Repairs
40 Years Experience • Licensed and Insured
801-882-2332
Affordable Yard Care / Tree Trimming & Removal Flower Beds, Hedges, Railroad Ties, Mulching, Sod, Mowing, Concrete Senior Discounts
For Estimates, Call Bill
(801) 205-0272
Call Dan: 801-518-7365
EMERGENCY WATER STORAGE
SIDER-MAN SIDING
Blue 160 gallon water storage tank
Sale price $449 (retail $699)
385.324.3762
Specializing in : • Vinyl siding • Aluminum soffit and fascia • Expert Repairs • Custom Wrapping: Garage Door, Posts, Windows, etc. “Your friendly neighborhood Sider-Man” Kelly Dallof 40 years experience
UtahWaterVault.com
Office: 801.262.8592 • Cell: 801.243.2516
PATIO COVERS & HANDRAILS
WATER SOFTENER RELIABLE SOFT WATER
Don’t slip and fall this winter! We offer quality handrails to ensure your safety.
• Steel Covered Carports, Patios & Porches • Steel Handrails NOW • Quality Decks Call John today for a FREE estimate.
801-205-5999
HIRING!
Quality and Integrity for over 25 Years
without the typical water softener problems
• Zero maintenance • No breakdowns • 2/3 LESS salt
For free in-home estimate:
visit www.KineticoUtah.com or call 801-890-5344
February 2024 | Page 23
50+ Years of Experience
Emergency Tree Services Tree Trimming and Removal Stump Grinding Tree Health Care Organic Mulch Demolition Residential & Commercial
Winter Tree Damage?
This is a job for the Experts!
30 OFF %
Certified Arborist on Staff
Must present coupon at time of estimate. Expires 3/15/24
Call Diamond Tree Experts Today!
801-938-4345
Winter Tree Services
Now Accepting Green Waste at our Magna Yard!
DiamondTreeExperts.com
Now Hiring! Up to $80K 801.262.1596
7774 West SR201 - Magna, UT Commercial & Residential