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Cottonwood Heights Journal | July 2022

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July 2022 | Vol. 18 Iss. 07

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CITY COUNCIL PUTS AN END TO THE BIG COTTONWOOD MARATHON By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

“D

o we want to keep doing this marathon?” The question hung in the air during the Cottonwood Heights City Council meeting June 7. Runners have been participating in the Big Cottonwood Marathon for the past decade. The horn is blown toward the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon early in the morning. Runners then follow the curves of the canyon down to Wasatch Boulevard arriving on Fort Union Boulevard. Continuing west, runners race along Fort Union Boulevard, downhill toward the finish line staged in the Union Park Center (between 1300 East and Union Park Avenue). The marathon is routinely scheduled all morning and into the early afternoon. Each year, Fort Union Boulevard is closed to commuter traffic from Wasatch Boulevard to Union Park Avenue (roughly 3.65 miles). Drivers wishing to cross Fort Union Boulevard are required to travel west past 1300 East, cross, then head back up toward their destination. The Cottonwood Heights Police Department makes sure to open the roads as early as possible, but it’s generally not safe to open the intersection of Wasatch Boulevard until 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. After Wasatch Boulevard is opened, the CHPD officers follow the marathon route down Fort Union Boulevard, unblocking roads when appropriate. “It’s been 10 years, and we are still receiving complaints,” said Cottonwood Heights Culture Manager Ann Eatchel. Closing one of the major roads within the city for hours on a Saturday morning results in city staff members fielding complaints for days. City residents are inconvenienced as they try to travel to or from their home, especially if they’re headed toward Salt Lake in the morning. Continued page 14

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Runner safety is a big concern for the CHPD during the Big Cottonwood Marathon events, as one of the main corridors in the city is blocked to commuter traffic. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights)

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July 2022 | Page 3


Council evaluates fiber internet options as Century Link presents their plan By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

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s the Cottonwood Heights City Council continues their pursuit of finding a worthy contender to bring fiber internet to its residents, they met with another namesake whose reputation precedes them. Presenting in front of the council on May 17, Century Link’s (Utah) Government Affairs Director Max Backlund and Manager of Consumer Investment Strategy Jim Farr boasted their rankings for the chance to win over the city’s populace. Backlund and Farr first clarified their allegiance. Century Link will be no more, as their realm is divided and established as two different domains: Quantum and Lumen. Quantum Fiber will provide and maintain fiber services for individual consumers at home or with small businesses, while Lumen Technologies will provide services more broadly for government, networking and cloud solutions. “Much of the existing fiber still marketed under the Century Link brand will eventually be under Quantum Fiber,” Backlund said. Currently, that existing network consists of 2.8 million living units. Quantum Fiber plans to continue expanding their network, estimating to be providing service to between 1.5 million and 2 million home units by the end of the year. So far in Utah, their biggest development was in Daybreak. “We may go underground with new developments, but they have to have an agreement with us,” Backlund said and explained that’s one of the only instances where they may choose to utilize micro-trenching. Quantum Fiber plans to build new fiber-to-home locations and services uti-

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lizing two different new technologies, currently still in development. Trying to avoid burrowing and micro-trenching, Quantum Fiber’s infrastructure will continue to work with rights-of-ways of existing utility lines. “The thing about the internet is you’re only as fast as the weakest link,” Backlund said. “We have to monitor traffic and add additional capacity on the back end.” They are beginning to utilize XGSPON technology, with backing from some federal grant programs. Backlund explained the X in XGS is not the English alphabetical letter, but the Roman numeral, standing for 10-gigabyte (per second) technology. Quantum Fiber advertises their services at $65 per month with unlimited data for the average household. Mayor Mike Weichers asked if a modem for the household was included in that monthly cost. Backland specified that the modem was indeed an extra charge, but there were frequent offerings to eliminate that charge. In recognizing some of the challenges of the current landscape, Backlund and Farr explained some of the different low-income assistance programs Quantum Fiber participates in. Most notably is a program where fixed-income customers can qualify for a $30 per month benefit. They enticed some mystery by mentioning there may be current neighborhood pockets being underserved within Cottonwood Heights. Backlund and Farr directed the council’s attention to the national standard for measuring internet speeds. On topographical maps, the FCC records the highest speeds available per equally measured block. Consumers can’t discover the highest speeds for their individual addresses

With Comcast internet services, this map was an amalgamation of shades of blue, indicating 1 gig speeds. With Quantum Fiber connections, current high speed internet options are shown in red. (Photo courtesy of Jim Farr/Lumen)

with this metric. However, the FCC is moving toward reporting top speeds per individual address. “Providers today report census blocks from the FCC,” Farr said. While projecting a color-coded heat map of the city, based on the FCC’s data, Councilmember Doug Peterson noticed a small area absent of any color within his district. “That’s where I live.” Backlund asked which service provider he utilized at home and what his internet speeds were like. “My speed on Century Link is just above…slow,” Peterson said with a laugh. “The whole city has one gig available based on block mapping from the FCC’s website, mainly through Comcast,” Backlund said.

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Backlund and Farr slightly winced at mention of their most notable adversary. “We are in a very competitive environment. They are capable competitors.” Weichers explained how the council would be considering all available suitors before declaring a victor, mentioning how they had already granted audience to Google Fiber and Utopia. “We don’t support the Utopia model,” Backlund said. “In my mind, it’s different flavors of Kool-Aid in the same network.” Backlund and Farr closed their presentation by stating, “We are working toward complete control over our network. We have more control and flexibility in our model.” l

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Popular middle school Book Blitz program teaches study skills, teamwork, builds community By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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hite Bird.” “The False Prince.” “Wink.” “Game Changer.” These and 16 other books are likely being read by middle-schoolers this summer as they prepare for Canyons School District’s Book Blitz this coming school year. Since 2018, Canyons has offered its own book competition, allowing middle school students a chance to read books and as a team, recall titles and authors for points in a district-wide book competition. The team with the most points —two for each correct answer plus another for the author— wins. The contest is similar to America’s Battle of the Books, which the district previously participated in, but then would substitute books to better fit their audience, said Eastmont librarian Sonia Miles. So now, under their own program, the titles are chosen by the middle school librarians and the district leader, Gretchen Zaitzeff. “We decide as middle school librarians which books to use each year and come up with our own questions,” said Miles, who said that they purposely pick a variety of genres. “We want students to become more familiar with books that they normally wouldn’t read, and we try to choose a fair amount that have female and male characters and are on different reading levels. Then, we encourage students to read, take notes, utilize the digital notebook and Google classroom.” The popularity of Book Blitz is evident as some of the eight middle schools have their own tournaments to identify the top teams to send to the district competition, and an individual contest was added. At Albion, for example, more than 150 students participated in Book Blitz at the school level and 25 went on to compete individually at district, said librarian Bridget Rees. In the coming year, there are discussions to start the program in elementary schools and also, possibly hold a staff and faculty contest as well, Miles said. Teams can be creative with a team name or team shirt. While this year Indian Hills’ Bananna Splits of and Union Middle School team 2 led the other teams, Albion’s BMMMS and Penguins were close behind. There were book sets or trilogies for winning teams as well as individual books and medals for every district participant. “In the very final round, it went into overtime and we had to have a final elimination round,” said Albion’s Rees. “I was super proud of not only my kids, but all of them. It’s a pretty big accomplishment to work on this all year long, reading books they may not have otherwise, taking practice quizzes,

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At the Canyons School District’s Book Blitz competition, Eastmont students discuss and answer a question about a book. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

and working together.” While students enjoy the competition aspect, Miles said it’s more than that. For example, by using the digital notebook, students are able to take notes on characters, themes and major plot points to help them understand and remember the books they read as well as develop study skills and help in their English-Language Arts courses, she said. They also are learning how to interact and support one another while enjoying reading for pleasure, Miles said. “The thing that I love about it is our schools focus on small groups and with having four or five in the group, they keep each other accountable,” she said. “They work together; it builds unity. It builds a love for reading and a reading community. They tell their friends about these books they read.” The Midvale Middle Narwhals said they read books that they may not have checked out otherwise. Seventh-grader Ella Wood liked “Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus” and sixth-grader Quinn Profsky liked “The Last Day of Mars.” “The characters were realistic, and it was action-packed, so the plot kept going. I got into it.”

While seventh-grader Makoto Robinson said he already was friends with everyone on the team, others met one another and bonded as a team, seventh-grader Makenzie Dwyer said. Some teams split up the reading, so each team member read four or five books. Other teams accelerated, each member reading all or almost all the titles. Eastmont’s Chimeckos split up the reading, said sixth-grader Keegan Hutchinson. Sixth-grader Sophia Livinston read all the books and said some others on the team also read a few more than they were assigned and reviewed book summaries. Eighth-grader Michael liked “A Night Divided.” “It was interesting to learn about the Berlin Wall and how it divided families and about a girl trying to escape.” Seventh-grader Annika Goaslind learned more about events in New York and Afghanistan with “Ground Zero.” “It really interested me to learn more recent history and ask more about it,” she said. Mt. Jordan’s Fantasy Figures seventh-grade teammates Priya Davies and Rosemary Diamond read all the books, while seventh-grader Kaylie Call read all, but a couple. The three girls began their reading

for the last competition a few months prior and then would sit together at lunch to quiz one another on the books. “I’m a really big bookworm, so I’ll probably start next year’s reading this summer,” Rosemary said at this past spring’s competition. Penguins member Abby Eliason was excited to be on her team. “I like to read and really liked the ‘The War That Saved My Life,’” the sixth-grader said. “It was a well-written story. Book blitz is a fun challenge.” Her librarian said that the best part is that kids are excited about reading and participating about Book Blitz. “It’s not always easy to get kids excited about reading, so when I see kids whooping and hollering, like they’re at a basketball game, and having so much fun over books, it’s wonderful,” Rees said. “The kids are having a blast reading.” Albion sixth-grader Amelia Black, bonded not only with her best friend over Book Blitz, but also with reading. “When I joined, I didn’t really like to read and now I love it,” she said. “There are so many exciting books to read.”l

July 2022 | Page 5


Draper Elementary’s long-time ‘organized and efficient’ secretary retires By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com This is the first of three profiles spotlighting long-time Canyons School District employees. hen the teachers walked out of Draper Elementary for the summer, so did Administrative Assistant Marian Broderick—only she left for good. Broderick didn’t walk away alone. Principal Christine Waddell and Support Assistant Spring Park also are retiring; the three are taking a cumulative of 86 years of educational knowledge with them and leaving Support Assistant Deanna Brady to help break in the new front office staff. “I keep thinking I would really kind of like to stay, but nobody wants a 66-year-old secretary at the school,” said Broderick, who has been full time for 26 of her 29 years at Draper Elementary. “It’s hard to wrap myself around this knowing I’ve gone to work for all these years and love my job, but all of a sudden, it’s not going to be mine anymore. I think come July when it’s time to go back, I am going to start to miss the school and all the people here. I love the teachers and it’s going to be really hard to leave them.” That feeling may hit harder yet when school starts although the three retirees have plans to wave to the school on the first day as they head off to lunch together. Broderick knows much of Draper Elementary’s history from heart. She was at the school when it had open classrooms—“I don’t know why they ever thought that was a good idea;” and when they installed walls, they had to take down the school’s paintings and had a police escort to take the most valuable to the district office while they temporarily relocated to Union Middle. Skylights, secure entryway, and carpet upgrades have gone in since. She was there when Draper was the only year-round elementary school and had 10 portables to fit 1,400 students. “Draper was really starting to boom then. It’s when they started putting in neighborhoods of less than an acre property. People started coming when they could afford a house,” Broderick said, who lives in the Draper community on two acres with her husband, two horses and 14 chickens. In 1994, she said, the school switched to traditional school year. “Our numbers are around 700, but that’s still one of the highest (populated) schools,” Broderick said, adding that for a while Draper had the accelerated program and now, it hosts Chinese dual language immersion. Her job also has changed from a period where she didn’t use a computer to using it to make payroll and bank statements entries. “We’re always here to help the kids and patrons, answer phones, help teachers cut out things for bulletin boards, grade papers, organize things,” she said. “We cleaned out the ‘dungeon,’ as I call it, and found records from the 1940s (from the former Park

W

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Not one to be in the spotlight, Draper Elementary Administrative Assistant Marian Broderick has been known to work efficiently for almost three decades in her position. (Photo courtesy of Marian Broderick)

School) with report cards, PTA minutes and all sorts of papers. It was fun going through those because there were people I knew from when I moved into Draper.” Broderick, who is believed to be the second head secretary of Draper Elementary, followed Jean Smith in the position. “I had brought my first kid here in first grade and dropped him off. I went home and told my husband that I will be the secretary of that school, you wait and see, but I didn’t expect it to happen how and when it did,” she said. “I started part-time and the secretary that was here before, she taught me a little about everything. Back then, schools did their own bank statements. We were a track school at the time, so when we’d have three more weeks of the school year after the other schools were out, the secretary always went on vacation. When she was in Idaho, she called me and said, ‘Marian, I’m never coming back.’ It was kind of a crappy day and right after she said that, there was this big thunderclap.” Broderick told then Principal Ron Jarrett: “We had this big problem; we didn’t have a secretary to close the school. We had bills to pay; we had transportation costs and I didn’t know how to do them. We had to make sure all the kids got report cards and effectively schedule kids in classes. It was a nightmare because none of us knew anything. We did the best we can and then the principal asked me if I wanted the (full-time) job and here I am 26 years later.” Even though she didn’t have knowledge of everything, she was prepared to step into

Not to miss out, Draper Elementary Administrative Assistant Marian Broderick and her granddaughter were amongst the staff and faculty on the school roof ready to watch the 2015 lunar eclipse. (Photo courtesy of Marian Broderick)

the role. “Back in high school, I took accounting, typing, shorthand—nobody even knows what that is, but I can still do it. I typed back on the old-fashioned typewriters with non-correction ribbon. I typed my teacher’s thesis for her, and I thought, ‘man, I’m going to be a secretary. I love this,’ said Broderick, who said her Viewmont High shorthand teacher was one who inspired her. Those skills were still to be found years later as she was known at Draper Elementary for being organized and efficient with a no-nonsense approach to her work. “I’m a type A personality. I can run four errands or go home and do a bid for my husband’s plumbing business in my half-anhour lunch. My desk is always clean. I never have piles. I never put it off. I have always been really, really organized and you have to be, to be a secretary,” she said. Her colleague, Park, who is retiring after 26 years, said Broderick often joked about her organizational abilities. “Marian said you are good up front

helping people; I’ll be in the back, taking care of business because she could run a great office and was always ahead of the game,” she said. “She said on her headstone it will say ‘she may not have had a lot of friends, but damn she was organized.’” While teacher Madison Ellingson said the second part of the sentiment may be true, the first is not. “She makes such an impact and not just for students who walk into our building, but also for the faculty and parents,” she said. “Marian is caring and looks for ways to help others. She is the most selfless person, and she wouldn’t say that, but she really is. Every moment, she’s like, ‘how can I help you, what can I do?’ When I have tests to correct, I take them down to her and she gets all giddy because she wants to score them for me. And she does that for everybody in the building. She loves doing projects the rest of us hate because she knows she’s helping us out. She thinks she’s just this grumpy lady that sits in the back desk, but that’s definitely not true.”

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Ellingson, who was nominated along with Broderick for the National Life Group’s LifeChanger of the Year education award in 2018, said she knows Broderick is always available to help. “Marian is the glue that holds Draper Elementary together. She’s pretty much amazing. If you need to know literally anything, you go to Marian. She knows it off the top of her head. She’s a plethora of knowledge and is just amazing at her job,” she said. That experience comes from working under eight different principals in her career and thousands of students. “Kids call me Marian, I’m not known as Mrs. Broderick. They come back and remember me. I’ll know them because they were my kids’ friends and now they’re bringing their kids to school here. It’s really fun to get to know them again. Many of them will say they remember coming to the office, and I’d give them candy,” she said, adding she still keeps a candy dish on her desk. Waddell, who has worked with Broderick the past five years of her 32 years in education, said her administrative assistant is good with students. “Sometimes kids will get sent down to work in the office for a little while,” Waddell said. “She seems to gravitate to those kids, and she’ll talk to them, help them with the school work they’re doing, and ask them about their life. She really forms a relationship with them; it’s those kids who have behavior problems, she knows how to bring them around.” Waddell has been impressed by Broderick’s professionalism. “Marian is the most efficient secretary anybody could ever have. I talk with other principals, and they tell me how their secre-

taries are swamped and how they can’t seem to get their work done. Marian is done with her work so fast that she’s constantly doing stuff for teachers like cutting out stuff or correcting papers because she hates to sit there and do nothing. She is a no-nonsense kind of person. She doesn’t complain. She just gets it done,” she said. “And she’s personable. She is willing to talk to anybody; if parents call and need something, she takes care of them.” Broderick said it’s the job that has taught her that. “I’m quite the introvert and I’ve had to really learn to put myself out there and to make people happy. I like doing everything in my power to make them feel comfortable and loved to help make this school a happy place. You have to really care, and I do really care about the kids and the faculty. I just love it here,” she said. Ellingson said that’s apparent from Bunco nights she holds or planning and hosting staff and faculty gatherings. “Marian is the mastermind behind our socials. She plans them, with support from others, and hosts them. She wants to go under the radar and do her thing and recognize others, but she really has a bigger impact than she knows,” Ellingson said. Tamara Baker served as Draper principal for almost five years until January 2009. “Marian is the best,” said Baker, who also is retiring after being in education nearly 30 years. “One of the things I love about Marian is that not only did she just do her job with stellar efficiency, because she was so good at it, she was always looking for other things to do for the staff.” Baker recalled some teachers wanting to do hands-on learning with letter kits, but

they knew the school didn’t have the money. “They didn’t come to me, but they told Marian about it, and she came up with a solution of buying little cabinets at Home Depot that have one million little drawers and then buying lima beans and writing the letters on the lima beans to use as manipulatives. Marian told the teachers, ‘I can do that for you’ and for weeks, whenever she had a minute, she had all these lima beans on her desk and was using her Sharpie, writing letters on thousands of lima beans to save money. That was Marian. She’s like, ‘OK, I have three minutes and can get 50 more lima beans written on.’ I could have looked into a grant, but Marian jumped right in as she always did, to save the teachers time and she had thousands of lima beans written on in a matter of a week or two. She was just so incredibly fast and efficient by the time I caught on to what she was doing, she was about done,” she said. During her administrative assistant’s summer break, Baker decided to have a little bit of fun. “She likes her desk just so; it was always neat and orderly. One summer, I found a broken keyboard like hers, so I pried off the keys off and planted grass seed. Then, I found enough loose keys to write, ‘welcome back’ and put those on it. I trimmed the grass, put up a little lounge chair and substituted it for her keyboard. She came back from her break and looked at it and just started laughing. Then I hear, ‘Tamara, where’s my keyboard?’ You know, you don’t mess with Marian.” Baker said that Marian was not only a “a brilliant person,” but also big-hearted. “She quietly went about helping a child who needed something or if she sees a need

in the community, she just fills it. There are many kids who would need something, and suddenly have it because she wanted to make sure they had what they needed, like any other student in the school,” she said. “She just has a huge heart and she never ever wanted recognition or anyone to know. She’s an incredible humble person, but she was generous and wanted to do it.” Baker also recalled Broderick’s sense of humor. “One year we had tons and tons of rain and it made for a retaining pond for the playground. Hundreds of Canadian geese liked it right there and made it their personal home. We went out there and I turned to Marian and said, ‘What are we going to do?’ And Marian is a great problem-solver. She just said, ‘I’ve got this’ and she just ran out in the middle and all these geese took off in flight. They’d come after all of us, but not Marian,” she said. Broderick remembers other fun times, from when Steve Young give her a signed football when he came for an assembly to watching the 2015 lunar eclipse on the school roof with faculty. While she has some things lined up for her retirement—traveling, going to the family cabin, quilting, writing her life history and maybe even becoming a mobile dog groomer—she’s a bit anxious. “My biggest fear is that I’m going to sit on the couch in my PJs ‘til 11 (a.m.) and then shower, take a nap and watch some show,” Broderick said, realizing she won’t be helping faculty with their projects. “I will need something to do.” l

‘Slow Down in Your Town’ video encourages safe summer driving By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

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olice chiefs and mayors in the Salt Lake Valley joined forces to create a video asking drivers to slow down. Utah Department of Transportation officials reports that Utah averages 100 traffic fatalities between Memorial Day and Labor Day, approximately one death per day. To combat dangerous driving practices like speeding, the mayors and police chiefs urge residents to drive the speed limit and be aware of road conditions. “We are now in the 100 deadliest days of summer, the time of year when more drivers are traveling to destinations and traffic fatalities rise. Many of the fatal accidents are caused by excessive speed,” said Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski. The goal of the “Slow Down in Your Town” message comes after the summer of 2021, one of the deadliest summers in Utah history due to fatal traffic accidents. “Law enforcement is heavily enforcing traffic and speeding laws but we can’t be everywhere,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

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Salt Lake Valley mayors and police chiefs released a driver safety video, encouraging drivers to “Slow Down in Your Town.” (Courtesy of Salt Lake County)

The safety video urge drivers to slow down when there are dangerous road conditions caused by weather or construction, be aware of cyclists and give them ample space, and to be safe behind the wheel as speeding is a key factor in auto accidents. Distracted driving and driving under the influence are other factors that con-

tribute to auto fatalities. “I have joined the other mayors and police chiefs in the Salt Lake Valley to send a strong message to our residents to slow down,” Zoltanski said. “This is not just a Sandy issue; excessive speed is creating unsafe conditions in all of our communities. The goal of the ‘Slow

Down in Your Town’ video is to amplify the message across the county. We can all solve the issue of unsafe roads by just slowing down.” View the video at youtube.com.l

July 2022 | Page 7


Juan Diego students learn how experts understand, fight rise in wildfires By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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eadlines were bleak: “Smoke blankets the West” and “Wildfire smoke from out-of-state fires darken Utah skies.” With weather patterns, smoke was picked up in fires from California and Oregon, producing air quality so poor that the World Air Quality index, which tracks air quality across dozens of cities globally, ranked Salt Lake City amongst the worst in the world. The Utah Division of Air Quality recommended everyone avoid outdoor activity as much as possible and several schools canceled their outdoor activities and sporting events. That was summer 2021. Recently, Utah fire experts were cautious releasing the number of wildfires as of late spring had dropped in comparison to this time last year. As of early June 2022, there have been 177 wildfires that have burned 564 acres compared to 326 fires during the same time period last year. Both years, human-caused fires accounted for percentages in the 80s. In 2020, a record number of 350 fires were set with 81% by humans, fire experts attribute this to the push for outdoor recreating during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with dry and changing conditions, experts caution this year’s summer could lead to a long fire season. Recalling last summer’s gloomy and unhealthy air, Juan Diego Catholic High School recently held the “Fire & Water in the West” symposium addressing the challenges around wildfire suppression and the urban interface with climate change. U.S. Forest Service chemical engineer Daniel Jimenez and Camp Williams Military Base fire management captain Jon Slatore spoke to students and community members about the past and future of wildfires. “Each decade there is a rise in the temperature during the fire season and our fire seasons are longer and a higher severity,” said Jimenez, who grew up in the Salt Lake Valley and now works with the fire science lab in Missoula, Montana. “It results in the change of the landscape.” He uses several models to see how conditions change annually, mostly which identify the climate becoming drier and hotter, combined with a deficit in the vapor pressure of the atmosphere drying up the vegetation. “We are seeing more and more fires in the landscape and a larger fire area,” he said, adding that in the future, by 2030, “We may see a drastic increase in the probability of fire.” Jimenez said with every fire that starts, the U.S. Forest Service is “97% effective putting out within a 12-to 24-hour period,” however, it is getting more difficult as more trees in the forest compete for the same or less moisture and nutrients, leading to the environment being more suspectable to beetle attacks and ripe for fires. While people tend to identify with the devastation of fires, there is a positive impact of forest fires. “It’s a very positive mechanism for wildlife and the ecosystem; it’s like a cleansing and rejuvenation,” he said. “After a fire, you see immediately within a second or first spring, a flush of grasses.” Jimenez pointed out the 1988 Yellowstone National Park fire was catastrophic with numerous dead lodgepole pines. Yet, now years later, those mature trees died and with the heat, it opened up new seeds that are abundant. However, the increase of fires is escalating. “We aren’t alone; it’s a worldwide issue,” he said. “Fires around the world have grown wild. We’re seeing

Page 8 July 2022

U.S. Forest Service chemical engineer Daniel Jimenez speaks to students and the community about the challenges facing wildfire suppression at Juan Diego Catholic High’s “Fire & Water in the West” symposium. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

more extreme fires. In 2016, Canada had one of its worst fire seasons ever. In 2021, Greece had massive fires. In 2020, Australia had record-breaking fires. In the last two years, California has had nine of the largest fires they’ve ever had.” Jimenez said that at a South Carolina testing facility, fire scientists are learning how to address the issues facing “our new normal. We are studying where our highest area of risks is and where we focus the money and manpower to reduce that risk so when the fires come out of this landscape, we’re prepared for it. That is happening across the West, but it may or may not be happening fast enough in a town near you.” While that may sound bleak, Jimenez said that may be some of the reality of it. However, there is a paradigm shift with the fire management. “There used to be the mentality, this machismo tough guy on the ground, ‘we’re going to get it on that ridge, the fire is not going to get past this.’ Now the mentality is we’re going to pick the right ridge and we’re going to use our minds and our science and be smart about this. We have to recognize the fact that fire is a very present part of our landscape. We can be aggressive and smart about using resources and dollars, but there are also times where we just put up the white flag and let this thing rip until we get a change in weather, or it hits the right ridge. Then we can use the resources, technology and ability to engage and do it safely.” Slatore, who used to work for Salt Lake and Logan fire departments, said that they can’t do it alone. “The role of the public cannot be diminished,” he said.

“We like to have 30 feet from the structure clear of any kind of vegetation that can burn, and we’d like 100 feet of nice open country so the likelihood of a fire carrying to a house will be lessened. If we have entire communities adopt this sort of policy, we can keep a lot of these fires from taking down the whole communities at one time.” Meanwhile, urban crews are creating and maintaining fire breaks where communities meet the wild land. Near Camp Williams, a running path is being added to serve as a fire break. That may help overcome the issue in 2010 when there was a machine gun fire that spread outside the base and destroyed three structures. “Now look at that landscape. There are 200 homes that have been constructed within that fire area that was just 12 years ago; this is where our Wasatch Front looks like with so much growth. Draper has pretty much doubled in size since 1980 and the majority of it falls into the wildland urban interface,” Slatore said. While there are other fire breaks, such as the Shoreline trail along the Wasatch, which serves for hiking and mountain biking, crews are needed to maintain those. These wildland 20-member firefighting crews, who work 16-hour shifts with 50-pound packs on their backs, are those on the front lines “taking that fuel away from the fire to try and stop it; we rely on these guys a lot,” he said, adding that the mobile crews can get into places where mechanized equipment cannot. By mechanized equipment, Slatore is referring to fire engines that can carry 200-800 gallons of water, but face the steep incline of the Wasatch Front. They also use bull-

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Ridgecrest Elementary welcomes back community with Year of the Tiger celebration By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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att and Sheena Haynes came to see daughters fourth-grader Lily, and first-grader Madelyn’s artwork, which was displayed in Ridgecrest Elementary’s hallways. “We’re proud of what they’re doing at the school and what the teachers are teaching them,” Matt Haynes said. “This is a community night where we get to come in and get to know one another better—and be proud to be a tiger.” It was Ridgecrest’s dual language and community celebration and it turned out to be huge. Partly, because it was its return after the hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, and partly, because it was tied in with the school mascot and the Chinese zodiac calendar; it was a celebration of the Year of the Tiger. For many, it also was a chance to meet new principal Sara Allen in person. Allen had served as the assistant principal while previous principal Julie Winfree split her time between Ridgecrest and helping with the construction process of the new Glacier Hills Elementary that will open this fall in White City. After seeing their own tiger mascot, Reggie, and getting some cinnamon Tiger Bites (packaged with Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger) and looking at the hallways adorned with many different forms of tiger artwork, students and community members were welcomed in the school’s multipurpose room. “One of the things I have heard through the past two years has been how much people have missed coming together for community events,” Allen said. “So, tonight we hope to take our first steps back into building the community together. We are celebrating cultures around the world, including here at Ridgecrest. We wanted to have a moment to

dozers and graders as well as helicopters that can dump 50 gallons of water. Aircraft carrying 11,000 gallons of retardant also are used to fight fires and “work ahead of crews putting in the line that’s going to make it difficult for the fire to pass them,” he said. What’s difficult is winds limit the effectiveness as well as the ability to use aircraft. Slatore said they also work on a limited budget that is stretched thin when use of a plane costs “$22,000 per hour plus $60,000 for every drop of retardant” as well as the need to pay crews who work fighting fires 78 days longer than in the 1980s. However, location of infrastructure is something to consider when people build cabins in the forest or even when subdivisions continue to approach the forests. “What we saw with the Boulder fire in December, and that county is very similar to us in elevation and snow, is some-

CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com

First-grader Madelyn Haynes gives Ridgecrest Elementary’s mascot, Reggie, a hug during the school’s Year of the Tiger celebration. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

celebrate this Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac and ‘what it means to be a tiger at Ridgecrest.’” Allen said that people born in the Year of the Tiger are considered courageous, confident, trustworthy and energetic—and that’s what Ridgecrest tiger student-performers were going to be as the choir took the stage, thing we’re seeing more and more common where it used to just be in California fires. We have subdivisions tucked away in the mountains with light flashing fuels all around and it’s becoming more of a common thing in the West. We’ve been seeing in Oregon the last few years and now Colorado fire, which affect roughly the same size as Cottonwood Heights. We’re talking about 1,000 homes in 100 mph winds.” In 2020, there was an 80-acre Neff Canyon fire. “We evacuated about 6,000 homes on that—that cost $1.9 million,” he said. “Parleys Canyon fire was 541 acres and 10,000 people were evacuated. We’re looking at a cost of $3.1 million and that was even without a loss of structure.” Slatore said with strong winds, older power grids have started fires in Utah and Wyoming, much like California. “Two years ago, winds came off the Wasatch at a downhill slope at 70 miles

Ridgecrest Elementary students perform the traditional dragon dance during their Chinese community celebration. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

followed by fourth graders performing the dragon dance. Nicole and Sam Peterson, along with preschooler Lucas, were on hand to watch their fourth-grade daughter Avery perform in the dragon dance as well as see her and their second-grade daughter Aspen’s artwork. Both girls are learning Mandarin in the school’s dual language immersion program. “I like learned Chinese and learning

about the culture and the candy,” Aspen said. Nicole Peterson said that often the girls will read passages, then act out what they read to have a better grasp of learning. “They’re having fun while learning Chinese,” she said. “They’re in classes that will move with them during their education, so they’re making those friendships and building a community while learning more about the world.” l

per hour knocking down trees, pretty much shut down our cities for a few days with power outages,” he said. “When that happened, the downslope wind accelerated faster and reached destructive speeds when it impacted our communities at lower elevations making it more concerning for dangerous conditions.” To combat those instances and others, crews are moving forward with prescribed fires, choosing an area and time to start fire on the ground. Slatore said it’s hard to burn thousands of acres of forests with cabins and infrastructure in place because of the possible damage to them or the beauty surrounding them, but if you don’t, there could be devastating results if a wildfire does occur. There also is a concern with prescribed burns near Salt Lake City with an international airport as well as about “how much smoke particulates and then the downwind populations and sensitive populations con-

cerning breathing,” he said. While working to thin the forests, the U.S. Forest Service is partnering with the timber industry in Oregon, Washington and parts of Montana and Idaho, Jimenez added. “You don’t see large timber coming off the mill…but the way we look at it, it’s great,” he said. “We’re keeping the community thriving, we’re meeting our objective by pulling fuel off the landscape so that we can put fire back on the landscape. And the question to follow up with that is if we’re going to use prescribed burns, how much is going to be enough. It’s never going to be enough. We just can’t treat 200 million acres. We’re identifying where our fuel treatments are going to be the most effective and those are the area where we’re using funds we have and the crews we have to treat that landscape.” l

July 2022 | Page 9


Hillcrest Junior High first in state to install free period product dispensers By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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t looked like a transformation to junior high. A group of females congregated into the girls’ bathroom at Hillcrest Junior High, smiling and laughing—only this time, the talk didn’t focus on boys, but rather menstrual period products. With the unanimous passing in the state legislature of HB 162, making free period products available in K-12 public and charter schools’ unisex and female restrooms, Hillcrest began the rollout this summer. With eighth-grader Alyla Ruiz snipping the bright pink ribbon, the dispenser installation in their bathrooms was celebrated by students, educators and advocates. Utah Period Project founder and president Emily Bell McCormick and other leaders took a subject that once was taboo to publicly discuss and brought it to the forefront. “Until today, there has been so much stigma around menstruation that you couldn’t say the word,” she said. “We worked with the Utah legislature a couple years before this and there were whole committee meetings where the words menstruation, period, tampon and pad were never mentioned even though they were talking about a bill like this. We just needed to normalize this because we know that it’s something four to six days every month for 40 years in life, 50% of our population experiences.” McCormick said that Hillcrest’s installation of free products is the first of 8,000 dispensers that will serve 337,000 females across the state this year and will help girls in “period poverty” situations. “Our studies show 84% of the girls in the U.S. have missed school or known someone who has because of lack of period supplies,” she said. “The reason this has mattered the whole time is that this very day when a 12-year-old who is sitting in fifth period and starts her period, she’s going to walk to this very bathroom and be able to use free period products here. She’s not going to the office; she’s not going to call home. She’s going to go back to class and that is a win.” Murray School District Superintendent Jen Covington said without access to period product supplies, education is impacted. “Our students often times will stay home from school or not participate as vigorously in school without access to period products,” she said. “Not all of our students come from homes or situations where buying period products is an option, so they stay home. This impacts what we do every day with these students. We want them here in our school. We want to be able to remove barriers.” Since 2018, the Period Project has been making products more accessible nationwide. While McCormick acknowledged others, including area Girl Scouts, in the past have worked to get products available in schools, often times, the products are just found in school

Page 10 July 2022

There were smiles and cheers celebrating the first time free period product dispensers are made available in the state, starting at Hillcrest Junior High. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

offices, which can be “embarrassing” for girls. This launch is statewide and products are available in restrooms. “We didn’t want for every school to individually decide whether or not they wanted to do it. We wanted to work with the legislature to make sure this is a statewide mandate because it’s a need that’s been overlooked. We recognize there are kids in the state who face food insecurity, so we produce a free lunch program. In the same way, or even more so, you can’t go to school if you’re not caring for your period, so we just wanted to make sure that was understood,” McCormick said. With $1 million donations from both the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation and The Andrus Family Foundation, dispensers are being installed in school restrooms. Initial funding from the bill will supply the tampons and pads, but ultimately the responsibility will fall upon school districts’ budgets. Covington said others will look to Murray School District’s program as they install their own dispensers. “They will take our feedback and share that with our messaging, how we put the dispensers up and at what heights along with feedback from students and parents to see how to roll this out throughout the state,” she said. “This really is a grassroots effort started in this school. Our social worker and head custodian

have been very active in speaking about the need here and making sure girls have what they need to be able to get back to class.” It began when a food pantry donation was being made at the school. That’s when social worker Courtney Nolan confided that what the school really needed was menstrual supplies. “We have about 400 girls here and 50% of our student body is on free and reduced lunch,” she said. “Most stay home if they don’t have supplies. I’ve had girls come to my office to ask for a pad or tampon, but many are too embarrassed. In our society, it’s something that in the past has been unspoken.” Head custodian Heather Wilks has been called upon to clean up from accidents, wash clothes and help students. “A lot of our students struggle with food, so having period supplies isn’t even an option,” she said. “I’m glad to jump on it and help. This will make it so girls can be here at school and participate and be on an even playing field as the boys.” McCormick said knowing the inequality fueled her passion for the project. “The thing that got me was when I heard Utah was ranked 50 out of 50 for women’s equality and I starting thinking, well, what are concrete things we can do to change that number?” she said. “Viagra and Rogaine are traditionally male products with a policy saying

Hillcrest Junior High head custodian Heather Wilks and social worker Courtney Nolan stock the first free period product dispenser in the state with tampons and pads that are labeled, “changing the world, one cycle at a time.” (Julie Slama/City Journals)

they’re tax-free products, so we worked on the tampon tax and got it passed. Then it got overturned, but we’ll be back working on that.” l

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Butler Elementary’s World Night returns to enrich students about cultures By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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utler Elementary third-grader Harper Dunford practiced a dance from Punjab, India every Wednesday for weeks alongside her classmates. “It was fun to learn, and we had costumes,” she said. “I watched a lot of other dances, too. I really liked the fifth-grade dance.” She also learned a Japanese art style and created a picture of flower blossoms on a tree branch as well as painted a fish, which was hung on display in the school’s main foyer along with schoolmates’ artwork. It was all part of the Butler Elementary’s World Night. For years, the cultural activity has been known as a huge community event as a time to share and embrace cultures. Now, back after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 500 of the school’s 600 enrolled students, came, bringing another 600 people. “We want to promote world citizenship and have kids develop an appreciation for cultures from all over the world, including their own,” Principal Jeff Nalwalker said. “(It’s important because) It all has to do with our interdependence on one another and that our world is enriched by understanding people who are living near us an living far away.” World Night took on a new look. Instead of being in the school’s multipurpose room, World Night was performed outside on the school’s blacktop as a makeshift stage. Portable bleachers were brought in, which allowed people to

watch student performances. The night began with kindergarteners singing “It’s a Small World” before other grades danced. First graders performed a Mexican dance, followed by second grade dancing a Basque number. Third graders learned a dance from India, while fourth graders performed an American folk dance. Fifth graders finished the performances with one from New Zealand. The students learned from artists in residence, Nalwalker said. “They come in and spend a few weeks teaching dances to the kids,” he said. “So, these people from various cultures actually teach dances of the cultures to the kids.” That was coupled with a display of art the students made, representing different cultures and styles from around the world, put together by Beverley Taylor Sorenson visual art specialist Marcie Ambrose. The night also featured two bands, one that played traditional Andean music with the Peruvian plan flute; and the rock band, SLAM, which featured current and former Butler Elementary students. “They played American rock ‘n roll, so there was a bit from our culture,” he said. The event was kicked off by hosting Brigham Young University folk dancers. “The idea is to give the kids the spirit of all these different dances from around the world,” Nalwalker said. “It’s a time to come together, learn and have fun.” l

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Butler Elementary’s World Night featured artwork from many different cultures as seen here in the school’s main hallway. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Sandy residents who rely on Wasatch Boulevard to commute north are blocked from their habitual commute. Drivers from other cities and non-Utah residents stumble upon roadblocks they were not anticipating. Businesses along Fort Union Boulevard lose the majority of proceeds for that weekend day. The council decided it was time to open a conversation analyzing the costs and benefits of the marathon. “In 2012, it was presented to the council as a great opportunity for Cottonwood Heights,” Eatchel recalled. “It would put the city on the map.” As the Big Cottonwood Marathon is a Boston Qualifier, it seemed like it would provide publicity for the relatively young city. Runners who would have never heard of Cottonwood Heights suddenly knew about, and wanted to visit, the area. Eatchel recalled the excitement at the time but noted that it did not draw as many visitors as they had initially hoped. “There are 15 Boston Qualifiers in the State of Utah. It’s not a major thing now,” Eatchel said. The Big Cottonwood Marathon has the potential to stimulate the city’s economy. Runners from outside of the area can stay in local hotels and visit the shopping centers and restaurants. After the race, runners, their supporters, and spectators can grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants surrounding the finish line and visit local businesses. Unfortunately, that has not been the reality. “We watch (participants) go to their cars and drive home. Economically, it doesn’t benefit our city…the Maverick benefits,” shrugged Police Chief Robby Russo. Instead of helping economic growth within the city, Eatchel sees the marathon hurting many of the city-owned businesses. Almost all businesses located along the stretch of Fort Union Boulevard that gets shut down for the marathon close for the day. Customers cannot access the buildings and employees cannot get to work through a blocked road. Recognizing the impact of the road closure for the marathon on local businesses, Revel, the company that sponsors the marathon, does offer free advertising. They initiate conversations with all the business owners to notify and discuss the event in advance. Revel also works with the CHPD to create, maintain, and implement an enforcement and safety plan for the event. CHPD officers, along with additional officers from Sandy’s and Murray’s police departments, maintain a safe environment for participants and enforce the road closures at the intersections along Fort Union Boulevard the day of the marathon. “We don’t have enough officers to handle it,” Russo said. “It also impacts UFA. They can’t get to their medical and fire calls as quickly.” To host the Big Cottonwood Marathon, Revel submits a special event permit application to the city. Eatchel noted language within the permit requires an evaluation of the impact

of the event to traffic, security, public access and safety. “We charge a $200 fee. That’s it for the application,” Eatchel said, almost flooring Councilmember Shawn Newell. “They do have to cover costs. The police charge for their officers’ time, but I can guarantee that the officers put in more hours than what is charged.” Another cost Revel is required to cover is canyon transportation. No one is allowed on Big Cottonwood Canyon Road in the morning before or during the event. Runners line up at the bottom of the canyon so busses can transport them to the starting line incrementally. Those busses are usually borrowed for the local school districts. “The schools won’t take the liability. It’s liability to the city to drive the busses up the canyon,” reported City Attorney Shane Topham. About a few weeks after the marathon every year, Revel donates their remaining proceeds to the Cottonwood Heights Parks & Recreation Foundation. Total amounts vary year to year, but on average the donation is between $4,000 and $5,000. City Manager Tim Tingey asked (Service Area) Executive Direction Ben Hill if he thought the pros of the marathon outweighed the cons. He was torn. While it is nice to receive those donations, the marathon causes issues for their patrons the day of. The Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center hosts a variety of different tournaments and games for sporting leagues on Saturday mornings. Many youth and adult athletes miss their events because they can’t cross Fort Union Boulevard (approximately 7000 South) to get the rec center, located at 7500 South and 2700 East. After analyzing the costs and benefits of the marathon, such as economic and environmental impacts, police and city staff’s time and labor, communication and partnerships, public access, traffic, conflict, liability, security and safety, it was time for the city council to answer the initial question. “There are a lot of burdens the city has to carry, and that’s concerning,” Newell said. “I understand the community engagement aspect,” said Mayor Mike Weichers. “We have done this for 10 years; maybe it’s someone else’s turn to host the marathon with a different route.” “I wish there was more upsides for Cottonwood Heights. I don’t see them. It’s our main corridor and it gets cut off completely,” said Councilmember Doug Peterson. “I can understand why it’s become a real challenge,” said Councilmember Ellen Birrell. “We need to consider the change.” Coming to a consensus, the mayor, councilmembers, and city employees do not think continuing the marathon is advantageous for the city. Moving forward, the Big Cottonwood Marathon will not take place within Cottonwood Heights. However, plans for this year’s event were finalized before these conversations. The 2022 Big Cottonwood Marathon is scheduled for Sept. 10. l

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


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Changes in 2023 city budget include cost-of-living increases By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

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n June 21, the Cottonwood Heights City Council adopted the annual budget for fiscal year 2022-23. Budget discussions began to transpire early in the calendar year in two different committees. The Compensation Committee and Budget Committee met regularly; each comprised of two city councilmembers, at least one city employee from the Finance Department, and various city employees. “It’s a good budget based on input and collaboration,” said Administrative Services and Finance Director Scott Jurges. “It was a long process talking with a lot of different people including department heads, city councilmembers, and city staff members. It’s been very productive.” Compensation Committee Councilmembers Ellen Birrell (District 4) and Doug Peterson (District 1) are a part of the Compensation Committee. They discuss budgetary items related to employee compensation such as salaries, merit, COLA (Cost-Of-Living Adjustment), PTO (paid absences), health insurance, and retirement (with Utah Retirement Systems). “It’s challenging to understand the market for (compensation) increases,” Peterson said. “This year, some of the health insurance cost estimates were as high as 19%.” One of the most deliberated items this year regarded merit and COLA increases. Usually, Cottonwood Heights incorporates a 2% increase into their annual budget. This year, that wouldn’t suffice. “We haven’t had this rise in the consumer price index since the 1980s,” reported City Manager Tim Tingey. He reported that while some cities were still planning on increasing COLA by only 2% or 3%, the average throughout the state seemed to reflect an increase of 6%. “The council loves their staff, and we want to be ahead of inflation, but we do have a fiduciary responsibility,” said Mayor Mike Weichers. “It will be a multiyear impact on the compensation budget.” Culture and HR Director Paula Melgar voiced concern over hiring and retention if the council decided to go lower than 7%. Councilmember Shawn Newell (District 3) echoed her concern, stressing “the importance of maintaining people with their skills sets.” After months of deliberation, the city council came to the decision to raise merit by 2.54% and COLA by 6%. In total, these increases will reflect an increase to the annual city budget of $1,020,326. Budget Committee Councilmembers Scott Bracken (District 2) and Newell serve on the Budget Committee. They have frequent discussions related to prioritizing and allocating funds throughout the various city departments and projects. This year, three new expenditures were heavily dis-

Page 16 July 2022

cussed. The city’s Public Works Department has been waiting for funds to pay for new facilities for years. Based on increasing interest rates, the city council has decided to bond for that project this year. The city will pay $516,134 for the first year of principal interest on a $7.5-million bond, in order to improve the Public Works facilities. In addition, the city council has agreed to a cost of $12,000 for Y2 Analytics to conduct multiple topical scientific surveys, expanding on previous citywide surveys gathering resident opinion. One of the new expenditures this year comes from a request from the Central Wasatch Commission. They would like to study traffic impacts within Big Cottonwood Canyon and have asked all participating municipalities to pitch in for the cost. Cottonwood Heights’s portion is estimated to be $15,000. “It’s the first thing we need to do in order to go to UDOT with our own plan, instead of them coming to us,” Weichers said. Expenditures Additional new expenditures for this upcoming year’s city budget include: $45,000 for biannual city elections; $25,000 for the city council’s attendance at the National League of Cities; $267,188 for UFA fees; $15,420 for city attorney fees; $1,000 for Youth City Council’s expenses; $6,600 for Butlerville Days; $6,300 for emergency management; $20,000 for court costs increases (managed by the Holladay Justice Court); $5,000 for increases to ordinance enforcement; $2,000 for various Community and Economic Development Department trainings; $97,500 for technology costs including cybersecurity enhancements and software and hardware subscriptions; $120,326 for Public Works related expenses (including equipment operations, traffic calming, hazard mitigation, ADA ramp projects, fencing, and a right-of-way technician); and $113,550 for police related expenses (including fuel, VECC (dispatch) fees, Lexipol and software subscriptions, Axon Redaction, D.A.R.E., and de-escalation training). Lastly, transfer out of the general fund for debt services will total $2,342,410. Land and buildings are estimated to take $1,694,114 of that total, while $338,079 will be allocated for police vehicles and $310,217 for Public Works vehicles. Cottonwood Heights holds 6% of the general fund balance in savings (estimating $1,557,315 this year). Along with that 6%, the city will be holding an additional percentage for 100 hours of PTO and compensated absences for city employees, totaling $595,179. This year’s general fund balance is estimated to be $8,513,270 (however, as of publication, more recent projections estimate closer to $8.7 million). That leaves approximately $6,858,753 available to cover the above, and additional, costs.

The Central Wasatch Commission has asked Cottonwood Heights for a $15,000 contribution for a traffic study in Big Cottonwood Canyon. (Photo courtesy of the Central Wasatch Commission)

(Jurges mentioned that based on current projections, Cottonwood Heights could see an $8.8 million general fund next year.) Revenues Cottonwood Heights collects funds from a variety of different tax revenue streams. Current projections indicate that the city will likely collect estimates of: $8,203,450 from property taxes; $7,200,000 from sales taxes; $2,200,000 from energy use taxes; $300,000 from franchise taxes (Cable TV); $650,000 from County Option Highway Sales Taxes; $350,000 from Telecom Franchise taxes; and $425,000 from Fee in Lieu taxes (which comes from vehicle registration). “We are fortunate to not be raising property taxes this year,” Weichers said. “We have a good property and sales tax base.” In addition, the city is estimated to collect $100,000 from the more recent Transient Room Tax (this revenue is collected from short-term rentals accommodating the overflow from the homeless shelter); $1,250,000 from Class C Road funds; and $1,406,430 from the Storm Water Fund. “Tax collection could be higher, but we don’t want to overpredict revenues,” Jurges said. “Property values are going up, so the certified tax rate is expected to drop. There might be an indication of slower consumer spending.” Overall, total revenues are estimated to be around $25,973,870 for the 2022-23 budget, which is $4,017,670 over the 2021-22 budget. Public Comment The city’s 2022-23 tentative budget was unanimously adopted May 3 (through Resolution 2022-23). The first public hearing for that tentative budget was held May 17. There was no public comment, so the city council extended the hearing into the next city council meeting. On June 7, resident David Berry commented during the public hearing, continuing the conversation around employee compensa-

tion. He inquired about the processes keeping merit and COLA separate, and how many city employees were receiving both. “The people of the city would like to know who is getting the merit increases,” Berry said. Tingey explained it would be difficult to give an exact number or percentage of city employees eligible to benefit from merit increases. However, he mentioned city employees are not eligible for merit increases after 10 years. “The merit increase is based on individual longevity and job performance. Some employees do not receive the merit increase based on their annual reviews,” Tingey said. “We are budgeting $250,000 but it will depend on job performance.” Resident Runar Boman also commenting during the public hearing, inquiring about city’s rainy day fund and the cost of the installation of solar panels on City Hall located at 2277 Bengal Blvd. “I’d like to see what those solar panels did cost the taxpayers of Cottonwood Heights,” Boman said. Later that week, Community and Economic Development Director Mike Johnson followed up with the details. The total cost of the solar panel installation project was $516,181. However, with a Rocky Mountain Power reimbursement of 71% of that total cost (equating to $366,488), the cost to the city was $149,693. Calling the Vote The Cottonwood Heights Final Budget for FY 2022-23 (for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023) was adopted on June 21, when Ordinance 384 was motioned by Newell, seconded by Birrell, and unanimously passed. Bracken wrapped up the vote by stating, “I appreciate the work of (Tingey) and (Jurges) going through all the details. Everyone in the Finance Department needs to be congratulated.” l

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


JULY-SEP EVENTS

2022

EVENING SERIES

Simi Fehoko enters his second season with the Dallas Cowboys. (Simi Fehoko)

Where are they now? Simi Fehoko By Jerry Christensen | j.christensen@thecityjournals.com

T

his is an ongoing column highlighting Brighton athletes who continue to excel at the next levels. Send profile recommendations to brightonlegacy@gmail.com. Strapping on the Dallas Cowboy blue and white this fall for a second year as a professional NFL Football player is Brighton’s own Simi Fehoko. Fehoko and Jackson Kaufusi were the toast of the blue and orange football program seven seasons ago taking Brighton football to the state finals. “The competitive skills that I learned in our idyllic Brighton stadium prepared me for college and the NFL” Fehoko said. As a junior at Brighton he led the state in receiving, posting 65 receptions for 1,656 yards and 24 receiving touchdowns (state record). As a senior, he tallied 59 receptions for 1,495 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. He was a two-time All-State selection and was named to the 2015 USA Today All-USA high school football team—a high honor in the history of the Brighton football program. He set the state record for career receiving yards (3,571) and career receiving touchdowns (41). He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and committed to Stanford University to play college football. As a senior, Fehoko was named Deseret News 2015 5A Mr. Football. A storied high school career. “I remember him dunking the basketball and being the center of the mosh pit at the school dances” recalled Christine Yee. A kind-hearted fellow student, he was known around the circular halls of Brighton High as a friend to everyone. He was accepted at Stanford not just for his athletic prowess

CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com

but also for his academic performance. He took advantage of Brighton’s renowned AP courses. Stanford football waited while Fehoko served a two-year Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in South Korea. He returned in 2018 a full 6’4” and 200-plus pounds as a promising wide receiver in Palo Alto. The question with all high-performing prep stars is “can the athlete take the skills to the next level and continue to excel?” Fehoko answered that question with an exclamation point. He successfully translated his Brighton receiving skills to the collegiate level setting Stanford records and being named to All-PAC-12 First Team as a junior in 2020. Declaring for the NFL a draft at the end of that accolade-rich junior year, Fehoko was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft by the flashy Dallas Cowboys—a match for Fehoko’s growing athletic skills. Of his first year at the highest level of the sport of football, Fehoko admits, “I’d say definitely it’s a learning year. I felt like I got my feet wet learning the offense to build that trust and just get a feel for what it’s like to be in the NFL.” He appeared in five of the Cowboys regular season games as a rookie. His teammates know him as a talented young player who comes into work with his head down ready to work and get better—just as he did at Brighton. “He comes in every day. He goes to work. He’s not a complainer,” said Cowboys wide receiver Noah Brown. “He puts his head down and he’s just trying to get better each and every day, taking advantage of his opportunities out there.” l

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Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Utah Interpreter Program celebrates 30 years of service

S

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

ince 1992, the Utah Interpreter Program has ensured that American Sign Language interpreters throughout the state meet the highest standards through certification and professional development as well as maintaining a statewide interpreter directory. This year marks UIP’s 30th anniversary of working directly with sign language interpreters and members of the Deaf, hard-ofhearing and DeafBlind communities. “Utah was 20 to 30 years ahead of many other states in its recognition and protection of the communication rights of Deaf, hardof-hearing and DeafBlind citizens,” said Trenton Marsh, director of the Utah Interpreter Program. “As early as 1975, the Utah Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, in collaboration with local Deaf leaders, created a certification process for sign language interpreters, 20 years before it became state law.” After the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, the provision of interpreting services changed. Community organizations such as URID and the Utah Association of the Deaf asked the Division of Services of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to take on the responsibility of certifying in-

terpreters and educating the public regarding communication access issues. This led to the creation of UIP. In 1993, Utah passed legislation requiring certification of sign language interpreters. “This is incredible since many states still do not have a similar law today,” Marsh said. Currently, UIP focuses on providing certification exams and oversees annual certification and professional development status for all sign language interpreters in Utah. It also educates the public about state interpreting laws and policies, and provides interpreting services for DSDHH and vocational rehabilitation staff, as well as for the Utah governor’s press conferences. UIP recognizes nearly 600 certified interpreters in the state. Interpreters can be certified after demonstrating skills, knowledge and judgment to be able to facilitate communication, including complex, technical or specialized situations. To learn more about the program, or to become a certified interpreter, visit jobs.utah.gov/usor/uip. l

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Boys high school soccer teams will play two less games for the next three years due to being on probation. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

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n a stand against poor sportsmanship, the Utah High School Activities Association has placed boys soccer on probation. Coaches have questioned if their decision was accurate and if it will change. “The Executive Committee voted to place the sport of boys soccer on probation due to the rise in ejections related to unsportsmanlike conduct,” the UHSAA said in a statement. “UHSAA programs will now have 14 allowable contests, down from 16.” The sport will be on probation for the next three years. The committee will conduct annual reviews to assess the sport’s progress. “I am really torn on this issue,” Hunter High School boys head coach Brett Solberg said. “UHSAA claims that in the past year 50% of all ejections were in boys soccer. I feel that is not a fair comparison. In soccer, you can get a red card for a handball or a foul as the last defender. If you foul out in basketball it is not considered an ejection.” In soccer, a red card forces the player or coach to be removed from the contest and the team’s following match. Red cards can be assessed for several reasons: two yellow cards are an automatic red card, a handball, a foul as the last defender before the goalkeeper, leaving the field of play without authorization, and poor sportsmanship. “Not a single coach or administrator I have talked to knew anything about this being considered,” Copper Hills head coach Sean Terry said. “Unfortunately, when you are dealing with high school boys in a competitive sports setting, you will have isolated instances of poor sportsmanship.” According to Terry referees have been instructed to take a no-tolerance approach to bad language on the field.

“I do not disagree with that approach, but if a player takes a hard foul from his opponent, then says something to the kid that fouled him, now he is red carded and out of the game. In football, that stuff happens, but the team will get a penalty and not an ejection,” Terry said. Coaches agree that sportsmanship needs to be addressed and some changes need to be made. They do not think removing two games from the schedule will affect a change. More players may skip high school soccer and continue playing for a club team, high school teams just lose two contests. “With the suspension of two games, we were hoping to travel to St. George in the preseason and play, but now we may not be able to,” Solberg said. Most high schools have player and fan contracts that they sign before the season. This helps remind participants of what is acceptable. “I work very hard with my players. We want them to be honest players,” Terry said. “We will not tolerate a dirty player. We are all human, I would never say we are 100% in this area. We strive to improve every year.” Player conduct will be re-evaluated after the season. “For a majority of our matches things we’re fine,” Solberg said. “We had a close match against Kearns. The game got heated and it led to pushing and shoving, which was not OK. Before our next match with them, we got all of the players together at center circle. We discussed the game and that bad behavior would not be tolerated, and it was not a problem.” l

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


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Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Teed Off

I

t was the height of COVID. We were trying to figure out Zoom meetings and DoorDash and online grocery shopping. I’d been laid off. The world was topsy-turvy. Stress levels were off the charts. My husband decided we weren’t fighting enough, so he thought he’d teach me to golf. I was young and naive and thought it would give us a break from the COVID lockdowns and Netflix binging. But two years later, it’s become the most infuriating part of my life. A sport with an uppity dress code should have been the first clue. We got to the golf arena and rented a cart, which is really the only reason to golf. Tom gave me the scorecard like I understood “par” or colors or numbers. We drove to the starting line and he proceeded to give me my first golf lesson. “What club are you going to use?” he asked. “How should I know? Sandwich? Soda? Strip?” Tom swore, handed me a club and instructed, “Widen your stance, get closer to the ball, shoulders up, head down, knees together, thumbs out, straighten the arms but bend the elbows. Twist, but don’t move your hips. Watch the ball. Watch the ball!” After getting me in peak form, I took a swing. I totally missed the ball and sprained COTTONWOOD

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

several unused muscles in my back. “You’re pulling up,” he said, unhelpfully. “Pulling up what?” “Just pulling up.” “I don’t understand the words you’re using,” I replied. I considered throwing a ball at his head. “You know, just don’t pull up.” I glanced around the course, certain a divorce lawyer had to be within range. “Watch,” he said. “This is what you’re doing.” Tom then proceeded to reenact my swing, which, according to him, looks like I’m trying to kill a spider with a baseball bat. “Don’t do that,” he said. “Understand?” “Do you understand alimony?” I mumbled.

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It’s gone downhill from there, but at least now I’ve learned golf etiquette, like how driving the cart through those fun sand dunes is frowned upon. And I should whisper on the golf field unless I miss a shot, and then I’m supposed to yell a swear word and throw my golf bat in the lake. I also learned I shouldn’t shout “Fore!” every time I take a swing, and kicking the ball onto the fairway is a cool golf-pro trick. And the drink cart is like an ice-cream truck for grown-ups. After watching Tom’s conniption when he hit a ball into the creek, I asked him, “You do this to relax? Is it working?” He gritted his teeth and drove to the next hole. I sat back and watched the beautiful scenery. I’ve seen deer, squirrels, ducks and bunnies romping near the “greens,” which is a lazy name if I’ve ever heard one. Maybe during the next pandemic, Tom can teach me how to pole vault or we could join a curling team or maybe we could do a DIY extension to our house. There are just so many ways to start a fight. Peri Kinder is an award-winning humor writer and hosts the Life & Laughter podcast. She’s also a yoga/meditation instructor and life coach.

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July 2022 | Page 23


For: less pain and enhanced mobility. By: proven orthopedic specialists. At Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, our team of orthopedic specialists is here to treat your joint pain and provide the relief you deserve. From surgical procedures to non-surgical treatments, we’ll create a personalized plan that will help you live an active, independent, pain-free life. That’s Orthopedic Care

FOR PATIENTS, BY DOCTORS.

Learn more at saltlakeregional.org/orthopedics

O R T H O P E DIC C A R E AT

SaltLakeRegional.org


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Cottonwood Heights Journal | July 2022 by The City Journals - Issuu