June 2022 | Vol. 18 Iss. 06
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INCLUSIVE PROM’S ‘STARS’ SHOWED BRIGHT AT BRIGHTON By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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t feels good.” Those were the words of Brighton High’s inclusive prom king Gabe Salinas shortly after being crowned. Salinas and his classmates had walked in on a red carpet into the school’s commons for “A Night with the Stars.” “It’s ‘A Night with Stars’ because these kids are the stars,” said sophomore Isa McMaster, who organized the school’s first inclusive dance. “They deserve a night, a prom where they’re comfortable and able to have fun with their friends.” With music playing, girls and boys dressed up wearing corsages and boutonnières, they rocked the dance floor with their peer tutors, teacher Jared Denslow and others who made the night special. They even celebrated their royalty — Salinas, prom queen Camille Madsen, and court royalty Hailey Brown, Emily Pack, Trinity Kair and Michael Mejia. “The whole community and parents were so excited to help us,” McMaster said, adding the deejay, photographer, food, flowers and several other items were donated or discounted for the dance that was pulled together in 45 days. The idea came about after having played together in Special Olympics’ unified basketball, where both students with disabilities played alongside their peers. Brighton, in its first season, won the state title in its classification. “We had so much fun. We got really close, and we’ve hung out and developed close friendships, so we wanted to let them have a night that isn’t over-
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whelming, but fun,” she said. “We think how much we affect them, but honestly, it’s how much they affect us. They have taught me so much about patience and unconditional kindness.” McMaster fell into peer tutoring by accident. Last year, she was at the counselor’s office trying to figure out an elective to take when a friend suggested peer tutoring. “I absolutely love being a peer tutor. Last spring, I didn’t have it in my schedule, and I couldn’t last even a week. I went in and changed it so I could be with these kids. They give me so much joy. It makes my day every day at school to see them and be around them. They’re so positive and heartwarming,” she said. “They’ve become the meaning of my high school experience.” Principal Tom Sherwood said he was on-board when approached about a student-driven inclusive dance for this spring—and in future years. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for all our students to get dressed up, dance, have and be able to talk about the same experiences,” he said. “It speaks to the love and respect our students have for each other. It speaks to the goodness and empathy of those who want to plan an event to welcome their peers in a safe and fun environment and it speaks to those who are always friendly and kind to others.” McMaster said the prom was memorable for all the students. “They’re our best friends at school; they mean so much to us,” she said. “It’s something we’ll all remember.” l
Brighton High’s Gabe Salinas cheers after learning he’s the school’s first inclusive prom king. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
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Arts council offers master class on photography By Lj Occon | lj.occon@mycityjournals.com
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aura Bischoff, a member of Cottonwood Heights’ Arts Council, invites aspiring photographers to “take advantage of opportunities that come up because there are opportunities for people to learn from others and opportunities that [are hard to come by].” The Arts Council wanted to bring more photography opportunities to the community other than their annual photography show. Bischoff said the council wanted to run a masterclass to help newer members in the community or even novice photographers “make beautiful, creative photographs.” Then Brendon Porter, a professional photographer and Cottonwood Heights resident, stepped into the picture. Bischoff said their process to find Porter started with his local roots. “We reached out to him first, and he was interested. We are excited to work with him in a different capacity. Not as just a participant but as a professional who shares his skills with the community….Master classes are neat because it’s someone who is sharing their personal experiences with you.” She added it allows participants to “skip a lot of rough patches.” In this master class with Porter, the trial and error aspect is decreased but not ignored. Bischoff said that the motivation behind bringing a professional into the annual photography events was to “enhance the existing favorites.” The goal was to help encourage members of the community to pursue photography. This would allow them to participate in the annual photo show, which will take place from June 6 to July 6. “The show takes your breath away,” Bischoff said. “It’s like walking into a museum, and it’s free. I hope people take advantage of seeing local art.” With a master class and show afterward, what do the amateurs and professional photographers of the community have to look forward to? Considering Porter’s skills, Bischoff said “the class helps us learn skills that enhance our photography such as lighting, setting, timing, and equipment is always helpful to make it a better experience.” Porter is a sharing artist; he loves to teach and help others learn about the art behind photography. “The best part about him is that he’s willing to share their talents and skills with those on a local level,” Bischoff said.
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“The show takes your breath away,” Bischoff said. “It’s like walking into a museum, and it’s free. I hope people take advantage of seeing local art.” Laura Bischoff Not many artists enjoy sharing their “secret recipe,” but Porter seems to be open to helping others achieve his level of mastery. Typically, an artist of his caliber charges much more than a typical professional for this local master class. This creates an opportunity for professionals, locals, and even amateurs to “step into the frame,” Bischoff said. “This is a reasonable deal to help those who are interested or just curious.” Porter’s master class was on May 11 and 14. Following Porter’s photography master class, the photo show will be around the corner. It is open to experienced and upcoming artists. Various categories welcome new and even young artists. There is only one category reserved for professionals, but the other categories are open to the public. Bischoff’s advice to aspiring photographers is to “take advantage” but also remember that “when you participate, you can discover that photography is something that you want to do.” Porter gained a passion for still and motion pictures from his high school teachers. "I started in high school with videography classes, and that's where I learned basic principles," he said. Porter said his initial interest in videography "naturally progressed" into photography. "They're both very similar. I've been doing this since the mid-90s." Porter started with old-school film cameras, which he isn't a fan of. His excitement exploded when digital cameras started coming out. "I got really interested in digital photography….I like digital, the process of developing film and things like that wasn't my favorite." As a self-proclaimed "tech guy," he saw digital photography as a diving board
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Professional photographer Brendon Porter said his initial interest in videography "naturally progressed" into photography. (Photo courtesy Brendon Porter)
into a sea of possibility. With photography becoming more mainstream and everyone having a camera on their phone, Porter hopes to get people excited about photography with his workshop. Porter said that his classes are usually for experienced artists. Although he admitted that "telling a story is just as easy with a big camera as it is with a phone camera." Porter wants to help people in the community understand the basic principles of photography so it can "be more exciting the more you do it." He hopes that those with and without experience will join the workshop. Porter encourages everyone interested in photography to "go out and explore. Explore the environment, explore your equipment, go out and shoot." He also invites the community to try new things. "Don't be afraid of [it],” he said. Porter's gallery is available online for anyone to see at Brendonporter.com l
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Cottonwood FCCLA students to compete at nationals, five place at state By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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wo Cottonwood High Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America club members will be competing for national titles in June after they, and three of their teammates, brought home state medals. Seniors Georgia Barrus and Lily Lundeen will be representing their school June 29 through July 3 in San Diego in the leadership STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) competitive event. Barrus took gold at state and Lundeen, silver. “We’re both pretty excited to go to nationals together,” Barrus said. In fashion construction, Mariana Labrador, Sara Sandusky and Annalyse Staker earned silver medals at state. They each sewed different outfits, created presentations that outlined their concepts and process they learned and were able to wear them at the state competition. FCCLA is a club associated with family consumer sciences and helps youth expand their leadership potential and develop skills for life, such as planning, goal-setting, decision-making and interpersonal communication. As part of the club, Cottonwood’s 25 FCCLA members have focused on service and often have teamed up with other clubs to do projects, such as the school’s version of Festival of Trees, trunk-or-treat and a thankyou letter campaign to teachers, said Zahaia Cuevas, the club’s first-year adviser and second-year family and consumer sciences teacher. “We do a lot of community and schoolwide service projects,” she said. “We’re teaching students they can make a positive impact in the community, even if it’s by doing something small like writing a thank-you.” Since November, FCCLA students could begin preparing for competition. In the leadership category, Barrus and Lundeen were able to talk about their leadership experience they’ve gained through their high school years, show how they set goals and worked to meet them, give examples of leaders they admire, and complete a self-inventory of their leadership skills and provide it to other leaders to evaluate them. Lundeen, a Girl Scout, used that as a base of her presentation, Barrus said. “She was able to really talk about all her Girl Scout leadership experience into her presentation,” Barrus said. Lundeen, who oversees her chapter’s social media, also brought in communication, social media and time management goals into her event, Cuevas said. Barrus shared about her five years of experience in mountain biking, including being captain this year; her presidency in both FCCLA and in Cottonwood’s National Honors Society presidency; her internship at a nearby elementary school; and her part-time jobs. After region in February, which was
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changed to a district-wide competition during the high transmission rate of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Barrus said she wasn’t sure about her presentation. “The judges gave me notes to reflect on and what to improve so I looked at those. Honestly, I didn’t really think it would go far and because I wasn’t sure if my presentation was good,” she said. “But I really am passionate about it and so I just thought I’m going to see what I can do since I really care about it.” One piece of advice Barrus said was that she referred to her slides too much since the judges already had read through her presentation beforehand. “They just wanted to hear my thoughts on it. So that’s what I did for state. I talked what I was involved in and the more I shared, the more I got into it. I talked about how I’m a leader. I talked about mountain biking and how I wasn’t first in every race, but I love it because it encourages me to try my best at every practice and race. I shared with them how I would always try to make sure we’re being inclusive and welcoming with FCCLA and NHS meetings. I talked about how communication is a great part of being a leader and how I used it with my part-time jobs how I work with the public. I talked about my internship and about wanting to be an educator is helping me become a leader in the classroom,” Barrus said. When she got flashed a one-minute warning in her 10-minute state presentation, Barrus realized she was only half-way through her presentation. “I jumped to my summary and just talked about how and why leadership affected my life. I just talked about all my achievements and how it has helped make me a great leader. I quoted John Wooden, ‘Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be’ —and honestly, that’s the main point. I showed how a leader blossoms. I talked about as a freshman, I was experimenting and trying to figure out what I liked in school, and now as a senior, I’m in full bloom like a flower and have just grown in so many ways,” she said. As a freshman, Barrus joined FCCLA after learning about it from a teacher. “I decided it was the best thing ever. I competed my sophomore year in event management and earned gold at region, but then, state got canceled for COVID in 2020,” she said, adding that Cottonwood didn’t compete last year. After competing at state March 22-23 this year, Barrus was called to stage as the first-place finisher. “They called ‘Georgia Barrus, gold,’ and I was like, ‘what?’ I was shocked, I was shaking. I was like ‘this is the coolest thing in my life,’” she said. Now she is preparing for another cool thing—nationals. “I’ll do what I did at state, just sharing
At the state FCCLA competition, five Cottonwood students medaled: Georgia Barrus, Lily Lundeen, adviser Zahaia Cuevas, Sara Sandusky, Mariana Labrador and Annalyse Staker. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood High FCCLA)
my passion and not really referring to every point on my slides. I just want to rework what I say and how I present it,” Barrus said. Her adviser, who herself placed second nationally in FCCLA when she was a high school student, will help her students prepare. “I was able to look through their rubrics and look at the judges’ notes and I will go over those with Georgia and Lily before nationals,” she said, adding that in addition to the competition, they will attend leadership workshops and be able to network with professionals and students from across the country. “FCCLA really gives students opportunities to serve school and community and helps them grow as a leader and an individual in areas that they’re passionate.” Cuevas, who estimates there are 300 students who enroll in Cottonwood’s family and consumer science classes, wants to encourage more students to get involved. “Some students in my classes are real-
ly good and talented and passionate about sewing, fashion, cooking, children education so I want to encourage them to join FCCLA because we provide opportunities for them to grow,” she said. “I am so proud of my students who competed this year. They all worked really hard. My sewing students, it was their first real articles of clothing they made. They all did lining, buttonholes, collars—and things that are tricky. I think they all learned a lot throughout the while process, and they learned some great skills they’re applying to other projects. I’m proud of Georgia and Lily and the great leaders they are. They have been great FCCLA officers this year and they’re good example to the rest of the club and school. I’m excited for the things they’re going to do after high school; I really think they’re going to some really good things in the world.” l
June 2022 | Page 5
Newcomers learn about movie history, filmmaking through Canyons Film Festival submissions By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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or the past 10 years, Jordan Valley teacher Glenda Folkersen thought it would be fun to make a short film with her students, but the idea was always put on pause. This year, while teaching her students about the 2021 opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, Folkersen decided to hit record as her students brought the history of filmmaking to life. Fast forward to April 28 as one of her students, Nathan Curtis, representing himself and his 10 classmates, was able to roll down the red carpet to claim the golden film canister as winners at the Canyons Film Festival. It was the first film Jordan Valley has entered in the 12-year contest. “Every year when the film festival rolls around, I’m always saying, ‘Why doesn’t Jordan Valley participate in this?’ I’ve always thought it would be fun to make a short film with my students and enter it,” Folkersen said, who bounced around making a film with her student teacher Cora Bentley, who also liked the idea. “Without even stopping, I went to my back closet and pulled out a bin of hats and decided to let the kids choose which hat they liked and then we created the storyline.” Folkersen followed where her students’ eyes looked as a way of selecting their hats. “With their disabilities, some of them have their own form of communication. They will gaze if they want something or if I’m holding up a squid hat versus a sombrero, they’ll gaze to say yes at the one they want,” she said about students at the school who have severe multiple disabilities and can be extremely medically fragile. Part of the goal at Jordan Valley School is to improve the quality of life for students, age five to 22, and their families and Folkersen saw this as an opportunity her students could participate in, similarly to mainstream students. As the project unfolded, Jordan Valley achievement coach Brett Taylor stepped up to help with the filming and even arranged for Canyons School District to paint his office wall green as a form of a green screen for the students in the film. “We would dress our kids up, take them into the green room and if they had a speaking part, we would record it onto a switch device, so the kids could activate the switch to say their lines,” Folkersen said, adding that when one student was studying from home, Folkersen even went to her house to record her to ensure she was part of the film.
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Tying into the opening of the motion picture museum that her students were studying, the cast of room 261 created, “Making Movie History.” The opening scene has Miles Askvig dressed as a construction worker as he fits in with other workers to build the museum. Then, the movie history tour begins with Stephanie Moreno-Cervantes as a silent movie star. Abby Wilburn emerged in the first color movie as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” followed by Curtis as Mr. (Fred) Rogers in “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Next, students explore documentary films as Ahmed Hmeida and Sam Willardsen, wearing squid hats, discover the underwater world. From there, the students’ movie moves into animation films starring Jade Stephens dressed as Jessie and Caleb Kirk appearing as Andy in “Toy Story,” and Emily Jensen wearing Elsa’s hairstyle in “Frozen.” All the students were part of the “Ghostbusters” scene before Willardsen, joined by Monique Lopez and Connor Bruce, wearing sombreros highlighted the movie, “Coco.” The Jordan Valley studios’ film ends with fireworks. During the process, Folkersen said it created happy memories for her students. “We had so many smiles and fun while doing this. Nathan loves Mr. Rogers and one of my favorite experiences with this whole production was getting him in a sweater and tie to play the part of Mr. Rogers. When I turned him around in front of a full-length mirror, he laughed so hard. It was the most joyous memory because he was so proud of himself and happy to play the part of Mr. Rogers in our production,” she said. It ended up being more than just a movie as a class project. “We thought this would be a great short movie for families to get out and watch with popcorn and just really enjoy, but we had so much more. We had so much attention and clapping from the audience. Yes, we have students with disabilities, and it was our first time we’ve participated, but so many people came up and said how meaningful the movie was for them and how their own kids can’t watch it without smiling,” she said. “That’s what these kids do, they just make you happy.” There were other first-time entries, like Hillcrest High’s Jayashabari Shankar, who won the high school public service announcement category with “Buy Local, Think Global.” “I went out shopping and saw signs to buy locally produced items and that really sparked my interest so I did some research on that and thought it would be a really
Jordan Valley’s Nathan Curtis, seen with his teacher Glenda Folkersen, represented his classmates and accepted the best short film award as he appears as Mr. Rogers in the school’s first-ever film entry shown on the giant screen at the Canyons Film Festival. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
cool idea to do that for a film,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in writing and artistically spreading a message. I decided this would be a new challenge, especially after the last two years when so many things were virtual or canceled so I wanted to give it a try. I’ve never done a video in this format before, so I’ve learned about filmmaking. I liked the fast-paced tone of the PSA; it’s catchy and I could add music so people would remember it. It’s really been a good learning experience.” They marked just some of the winners of the 600 students and faculty who submitted films this year. It was the largest in the film festival’s history, which marked the return of the event after a one-year absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the ceremony was held virtually. Other PSA winners include: Lilyaina Moore, Brookwood Elementary, “Sunburns;” and Jacob Despain, Eastmont Middle, “The Easter bunny does not approve of cyberbullying.” Other short-film winners include Scarlette Matheson, Ben Hunt, Parker Bates, Jacob Do, Adelle Booth, Helena Mabonza, Sydney Merkley, Syniva Angilau, Brooklyn Thomson, Landen Williams, Luke Hobby and Abner Larsen, Ellie Holt, Cooper Wennerholm, Charlie Gulini, Charlie Gulini, Kaleb Faraimo, Ronan Christensen, Marina Araujo and Graham Abbott, Oakdale Elementary, “The Case
of the Missing Pickles;” Maya Yrungaray, Draper Park Middle and Linda Vogel, Liz Vance, Emma Bodell, and Noah Garcia, Corner Canyon High, “Struck.” Animation winners include: Abigail Felt, Lucas Felt and Cara Swinyard, Canyon View Elementary, “The Snowman and the Chick;” Gretel Diederich, Indian Hills Middle, “Mini Lifeguard;” and Cameron Tillman, Brighton High, “Laughter is the Best Medicine.” Newscast winners were Sprucewood Elementary Falcon Report; Draper Park Middle Mrs. Steel’s first semester fifth period newscast; and Jordan High School NewsBEET and El NewsBEET. Documentary winners include: Sadie Young, Peruvian Park, “How to make a fun after-school snack;” and Campbell Hone, Amber Parker and Abigail Slama-Catron, Hillcrest High, “Voting Rights.” Other winners include World Language film by Mathias Olsen, Butler, “Omelette;” best film for digital citizenship: Maya Yrungarya, Draper Park Middle, “Netiquette;” Ava Harvey, Jordan High, for film festival poster; and a tie for teacher film with Daniel Croshaw, Dallin Maxfield, Clark Ashland and Joe Wale, Albion Middle, “Basketball Bros;” and Wade Harman, Diamond Ridge, “An Invitation to Freedom.”
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Enjoy al fresco dining at eateries throughout the valley By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
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arm June temperatures bring with them the option to dine outside. Many establishments with beautiful outdoor seating are for special occasions, like La Caille in Sandy, The Charleston Draper and Tuscany in Holladay. But a number of other locally-owned restaurants around the valley offer charming patio spaces for dining on a budget. Here are five al fresco dining spots that are easy on the wallet. Price guide: $ = entrees under $10 $$ = entrees $10 - $15 Bubble N Bean (Food For Thought) 12640 S. Fort St. in Draper This cafe, which is tucked up against the southeast corner of Draper Historic Park, specializes in coffee and boba drinks. The cafe ended dining room service in 2020, but food and drink are still available through the drive-thru or walk-up windows. Choose from a range of beverages that includes mint lemonade, s’mores hot chocolate and caramel apple cider as well as more traditional sodas, tea and coffee. The cafe also offers ice cream and a variety of baked goods, including breakfast sandwiches and avocado toast. Pull up a chair on the patio or lawn to enjoy the fresh air and watch locals enjoy the peaceful, historic park next door. $ - www.bubblenbean.square.site/ Landmark Grill - 760 Fort Union Blvd. in Midvale This family-owned diner has a charming patio tucked away from the bustle of Fort Union Boulevard. The Greek-inspired food includes one-of-a-kind dishes like Nick’s
Many ingredients are locally-sourced at Roots Cafe in Millcreek. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
Original Round House, which is made of hash browns plus three kinds of meat and two kinds of cheese. “Landmark Grill stands out because it is a family-owned operation that take great pride in quality and service,” said Laurie Erickson, one of the owners of Landmark Grill. “This is proven by the number of regular diners that we have. Some even come in on a daily basis.” Enjoy breakfast or lunch surrounded by trees and shrubs and the sounds of singing birds. “Our patio is eastern facing with a view of the beautiful Wasatch range and has the
Landmark Grill in Midvale has a shaded patio tucked away from the bustle of Fort Union Boulevard. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
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Diners flock to Lone Star Taqueria in Cottonwood Heights on May 5. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
warmth of the morning sun,” Erickson said. $$ - landmarkgrillutah.com Lone Star Taqueria - 2265 E. Fort Union Blvd. in Cottonwood Heights Eclectic patio furniture and quirky details like cowboy boot-covered fenceposts let you know you’re in for a treat at Lone Star Taqueria. Tacos made with fresh, housemade tortillas come filled with your choice of protein, including pescado (fish), camaron (shrimp), deshebrada (shredded beef) pollo asado (chicken) and three different styles of pork. Lone Star Taqueria has been around for a long time, and it shows in the vintage patio furniture and seamless service. The outdoor chairs lean back, almost forcing you to relax as you feel the sun on your face. If you prefer shade, snag a table under one of the many umbrellas encased in cement, ensuring that that will not topple over in the wind blowing down from Big Cottonwood Canyon. Karl Rottner has been coming to Lone Star since it opened in 1994. A mountain guide at Alta and substitute teacher, Rottner keeps coming back for the fish tacos and chicken burritos. “The feel is authentic,” Rottner said. “Tourists know it and remember it.” $ - lstaq. com Nielsen’s Frozen Custard - 3779 S. Jordan Pkwy. in South Jordan The South Jordan location of Nielsen’s Frozen Custard features a spacious patio where patrons can enjoy burgers, fries and, of course, their namesake frozen custard, which is similar to ice cream. The outdoor space is tucked away from traffic and just a short sprint from Rushton Meadows Park. $ - nielsensfrozencustard.com
Diners soak up early May sunshine at Roots Cafe in Millcreek. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
Roots Cafe - 3474 S. 2300 East in Millcreek The bright, sunny patio at Roots Cafe is perfect for enjoying a satisfying meal outdoors. Roots offers breakfast and lunch made with fresh ingredients used in creative ways, like the Spicy Peeto French Dip, which adds caramelized jalapeños, sweet onions, pepper jack cheese and an avocado horseradish aioli to the traditional thinly-sliced beef sandwich. There is also a variety of salads, breakfast items and fresh juices. Locally-sourced ingredients are used whenever possible. The generous patio is shaded by a mature sycamore tree, along with retractable awnings. You’ll want to sit there all day, but please don’t linger too long. The management requests that diners not “camp” because there are plenty of others waiting patiently for a table. Roots Cafe is housed in the historic Baldwin Radio Factory and shares an entrance with The Old Flamingo, an antiques and furniture store. $$ - rootscafeslc.com l
June 2022 | Page 7
Summer meals available for youth at four Canyons schools By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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his summer students are able to eat school breakfast and lunch. The free school meals are provided to all children 18 years and younger at four Canyons School District elementary schools, three in Midvale and one in Sandy. They are East Midvale Elementary, 6990 S. 300 East, Midvale; Midvale Elementary, 7830 South Chapel Street, Midvale; Midvalley Elementary, 217 E. 7800 South, Midvale; and Sandy Elementary, 8725 S. 280 East, Sandy. At all locations, breakfast will be served from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 Women: Your Voice Matters! a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on weekdays. There will be no meal service on We need more women in political July 4 and July 25. office. We need you! The meals, provided through Join the Women’s Leadership Institute the federally approved food service in its non-partisan, in-depth training program, will begin on June 1 and for aspiring female political candidates. run through July 29. Meals will The seventh annual cohort has started, be served inside school cafeterias; but we have a couple spots still available! there will be no curbside sack distribution. l
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Canyons School District will serve meals this summer for children 18 years and younger in four school locations. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Area high school students honored with Aspirations in Computing awards
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urray High School senior Mary Seeley knows a thing or two about science and technology. She has been part of a five-time first-place underwater robotics team; learned about making computer chips, coding, circuits, wiring, ethics, personal privacy and other aspects of cybersecurity at Brigham Young University camps; competed with VEX robotics and Science Olympiad on her high school team; been involved with Murray High’s tech club; was named Murray High’s Sterling Scholar in computer technology; served as a SheTech statewide student board member; started a SheTech club at her school; and has interned with both SheTech and Murray School District’s CyberCorp. The 4.0 soon-to-be Spartan graduate recently was honored as a state award winner of National Center for Women & Information Technology Award for Aspirations in Computing. She was one of 60 area high school students honored at the April 30 ceremony held at the University of Utah. “This award highlights all of my activities that I’ve done in tech, in STEM and computing,” said Seeley, who plans to attend BYU in the fall to study for a possible career in software development. “It showcases all the hard work I’ve put into it. It means a lot as I really enjoy the opportunities tech has given me and those opportunities have opened up a lot more. This year, and last year, there were some amazing women who spoke (at the ceremony) and really inspired me.” The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors ninth- through 12th-grade students for their com-
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com puting-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. Other area students who were honored include: Rachel Arlen, Cottonwood High; Daniella Black, Herriman High; Delaney Borg, Herriman High; Izabelle Davis, JATC; Annie de Bry, Brighton High; Joselyn Gardner, Herriman High; Taya Ginn, Herriman High; Acacia Hansen, Kearns High; Sage Hardman, Herriman High; Victoria Hollingsworth, Herriman High; Kailee Kim, Herriman High; Grace Ivers, JATC; Ashley Larson, Herriman High; Zoey Later, Herriman High; Casey Lumley, Herriman High; Micaela Madariaga, Hillcrest High; Katherine Numbers, Alta High; Leonardo Rivas, Olympus High; Madelyn Sadler, Bingham High; Abigail Slama-Catron, Hillcrest High; Katrina Snelgrove, Herriman High; Angelina Stokes, JATC; Adelina Trionfo, JATC; Allison Williams, Hillcrest High; and Julia Young, Herriman High. Since 2007, nearly 20,000 students have received an Aspirations in Computing award and are then inducted into the AiC Community—a network of 20,000 technical women, genderqueer or non-binary individuals who work in universities, companies, nonprofits, and government organizations and are working to increase the influence and meaningful participation of girls and women from every community.
Murray High senior Mary Seeley was one of 60 area high school students recently honored for their computing-related achievements. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
According to its website, NCWIT was chartered in 2005 by the National Science Foundation and is a nonprofit community that convenes, equips, and unites change leader organizations to increase the influential and meaningful participation of girls and women— at the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, age, sexual orientation, and disability status—in the field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development.l
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Free Comcast lift zones provide hotspot connections across the state
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ccess to internet connection can mean the difference between staying ahead or falling behind. As the COVID-19 crisis demonstrated, families without access to the internet struggled to keep kids engaged with online school and remote work became a challenge. To address digital equity, Comcast has equipped more than 30 locations across Utah with free Wi-Fi Lift Zones to get students and adults online. “We are committed to digital inclusivity for all Utahns no matter where they live or their financial status,” said Deneiva Knight, external affairs director, Comcast Utah. “Offering free Wi-Fi Lift Zones with Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which provides internet services to low-income customers, is a huge step toward connecting students and adults to online resources in safe, reliable locations.” Working with a network of nonprofit, community, and city partners, Comcast added Lift Zones in its service areas including West Valley, Millcreek, Murray and Bountiful. Lift Zones will complement Comcast’s Internet Essential program, which has helped connect more than 160,000 low-income Utahns to the internet at home. Since 2019, Comcast has worked with
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com Utah partners to install free internet services to sites, which provide low-income students with a space to participate in distance learning and complete homework. Adults are also using Lift Zones to work remotely, apply for jobs, and learn digital skills, all at no cost. “Community partners and organizations that align with our promise to create a dynamic community are leveraging South Salt Lake’s three Lift Zones,” said Lucas Horns, a City of South Salt Lake employee. “It is enhancing resources around the city and promoting a sense of community at the same time. What’s more, Comcast’s Lift Zone has become a hub for small businesses and other organizations to use.” A full list of Utah Lift Zone locations can be found at utah.comcast.com/lift-zones. “Increasingly, broadband access has become vitally important for Utahns across the state,” said Knight. “Combining more Lift Zones and the groundbreaking Internet Essentials program…not only makes sense, it’s a game changer. It literally opens a new world for students’ educational opportunities and for adults to connect online for better employment, something that was out of reach before.” l
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June 2022 | Page 11
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Rocky Mountain Power has installed smart meters to thousand of households in the greater Salt Lake Valley. (Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain Power)
How much energy is your home using? Rocky Mountain Power knows—and so should you 2022-2023 By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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Page 12 June 2022
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alt Lake City’s Public Utilities Advisory Committee County Member Ted Boyer discussed issues related to water conservation with the Cottonwood Heights City Council on May 3 as well as smart metering done through Rocky Mountain Power. Currently, the State of Utah is in stage two of water conversation this year. The committee consults with the mayor of Salt Lake City on a variety of topics related to water resources. The committee reviews water and sewer capital improvements, reclamation requirements, and rate increases. “Water rates have increased 15% over the past few years,” Boyer said. Boyer explained the different resources that provide water to Cottonwood Heights residents. The Central Utah Project, initiated in 1939, confers the Wasatch Front to receive water from the Green River in eastern Utah annually. In addition, the Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood treatment plants clean water from the Cottonwood Creeks and water also comes from Deer Creek Reservoir. Lastly, Boyer mentioned that there are many wells throughout the area, including one in the Avenues. As Utah has recently experienced severe droughts, many residents have been taking water conservation seriously. Boyer reported that he and many residents have scaled back their own water usage by about half. In his efforts to conserve water, Boyer mentioned that his lawn is more brown than green during the summer nowadays. “Brown is kind of a badge of honor,” he
said. With energy conservation, Boyer mentioned reviewing the data from a smart meter that helps him and his wife (Susan) monitor and conserve energy usage in their household. They recommend every resident in Cottonwood Heights utilize their own smart meters. Smart meters have been installed and maintained by Rocky Mountain Power since 2021. Rocky Mountain Power estimates over 115 million homes and business have already been equipped with smart meters in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming—with no cost to the customer. Smart meters are digital electric meters that send and receive communications through a secure wireless network. Household energy usage is metered, and that data can be accessed by the residential customer. “You can log in and see your monthly or weekly usage,” Boyer said. Residential customers can log in to their account on Rocky Mountain Power’s website. Once logged in, customers can see their energy usage broken into monthly, daily and hourly usage. This allows customers insight in help monitor energy usage. (Smart meters can only record whole-house usage information. They cannot track or record individual appliance usage.) In addition, the household smart meter and account allows customers to see a forecast of their next bill, set up usage budgets and alerts and sign up for paperless billing. Smart meters communicate with
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
UFA reminds residents of firework restrictions and safety precautions By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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ents and tables for local firework stands are beginning to flare up. The sale of fireworks can begin on June 24 per Utah laws. Here are some reminders for Cottonwood Heights residents: Legal fireworks can only be discharged in allowed areas on specific dates. Fireworks are allowed between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on July 2, July 3, July 5, July 22, July 23 and July 25. Fireworks are allowed between 11 a.m. and midnight on July 4 and July 24. Fireworks are only allowed to be discharged in approved areas. The Cottonwood Heights Fireworks Restricted Areas Map has been updated with a few changes to residential areas and neighborhoods. “This upcoming year, there will be a little more leniency with the firework map,” reported United Fire Authority Assistant Chief Riley Pilgrim. UFA re-evaluated some of the previously restricted areas based on resident requests. In addition, various restrictions have been placed on areas where property owners raised some concerns. The majority of the east side of Cottonwood Heights, along Wasatch Boulevard has been recognized as a firework restricted zone. “There is a clear line of demarcation this year on 3000 East,” Pilgrim said. Additional restrictions include the areas around: Butler Park (7500 S. 2700 East), Brighton High School (2220 Bengal Blvd.), Crestwood Park (1673 E. Siesta Drive), Antczak Park (1850 E. 7200 South), Mountain View Cemetery (3115 Bengal Blvd.), Canyon View Elementary (3050 Bengal Blvd.), Mill Hollow Park (2900 Hollow Mill Drive), Butler Elementary (7000 S. 2700 East), Whitmore Library (2197 E. Fort Union Blvd.), Boulder Drive, Caladora Cove, Woodbridge Lane, Hilden Court, Siesta Hills Court, Mary Esther Circle and Denmark Drive. As always, all fireworks are restricted
within 200 feet of a waterway, city park, urban interface or trail. (The Cottonwood Heights City Council adopted the new map by approving of Resolution 2022-21 Designating Areas Closed to the Discharge of Fireworks due to Hazardous Environment Conditions on April 19. The resolution was motioned by Councilmember Ellen Birrell, seconded by Councilmember Doug Peterson, and unanimously approved.) In the State of Utah, prohibited firework types include, but are not limited to, cherry bombs, Roman candles, skyrockets, bottle rockets, single shot mortars, M-80s and firecrackers. “Our goal is to educate but repeat offenders will get a hefty fine,” Pilgrim said. An $1,000 fine will be issued to anyone who discharges a firework outside of the le-
Rocky Mountain Power about power outages as well. They notify Rocky Mountain Power about outages immediately so energy can be rerouted within the system. This allows crews to respond more appropriately and quickly as well. With smart meter technology, outages tend to occur less often and are less extensive. “No other data (outside of wholehouse electrical usage) is shared, collected, or included with the transmission of usage data,” wrote Rocky Mountain Power Media Relations Manager Tiffany Erickson. That data includes name and address. The smart meter network utilizes a variety of password-protected portals, firewalls, data encryption and continuous monitoring to ensure safety. Smart meters communicate using
low-frequency radio waves. “You could stand directly in front of a smart meter for one year and still have less radio frequency exposure than a single 15-minute cell phone call,” wrote Erickson. If you do have a smart meter, you probably already know. When Rocky Mountain Power installs a smart meter, they send a letter to the residential household and call beforehand. After the installation, crew members leave a door hanger on the home notifying the reader of the installation and detailing next steps. Utah customers wishing to opt-out of smart metering services can do so with a fee. For more information about smart metering visit rockymountainpower.net/meterupgrade.l
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
Double check firework restricted areas before lighting fireworks. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights) Discharging fireworks illegally will result in a $1,000 fine. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)
gally determined dates and times or in a restricted area. This law was renewed this year with H.B. 38 Fireworks Restrictions (sponsored by Rep. James Dunnigan and Sen. Jani Iwamoto) and became effective May 8. To ensure personal fireworks are both fun and safe, the UFA recommends securing all fireworks in place using bricks or cinder blocks, never allowing children to play or ignite fireworks, backing up to a safe distance immediately upon lighting any firework, lighting fireworks one at a time, keeping a bucket of water or a garden hose handy and soaking used fireworks overnight. Sparklers burn at over 2,000 degrees which is hot enough to melt some metals. All fireworks have the potential to cause serious burn injuries. In 2020, the most common burn injuries were to the hands and fingers (30%), along with legs (23%), head, face, and ears (16%), eyes (15%) and arms (10%). Don’t forget about the safety of fur-
ry family members, too. Animals tend to be fearful of the loud noises, bright lights, and smell of sulfur from fireworks, and there are many pets that go missing during the firework festivities. UFA recommends making sure pets are in a safe area during firework-frequent nights and to check in with them. If the animal is showing signs of stress, keep them inside overnight. Instead of lighting off personal fireworks, Cottonwood Heights encourages residents to attend the firework show during Butlerville Days on Sat., July 30 at 10 p.m. To report illegal firework activity, Cottonwood Heights residents can report nonemergency firework issues by calling the nonemergency dispatch line at 801-8404000. Salt Lake City residents can report nonemergency fireworks by calling 801799-3000. l
Rocky Mountain Power customers can log in to their account to access their personalized data usage reports. (Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain Power)
June 2022 | Page 13
All Canyons District’s schools to dismiss early on Fridays to to allow for teacher collaboration By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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ith a 5-1 vote, Canyons Board of Education approved to have all Canyons School District’s elementary and secondary schools dismiss early on Fridays starting in fall 2022, allowing teachers to have time to collaborate. It was not without many discussions and considerations, said Canyons Superintendent Rick Robins. “We’re excited that this will give our teachers the opportunity to collaborate, not just amongst their peers in the building, but also with other colleagues who are teaching the same grade or subject as well as vertically with grade school or high school teachers working with the middle school teachers,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to improve student academic outcomes.” The proposed times for early outs on Fridays in elementary schools are similar to existing pick-up times this school year with dismissals around 1:10 to 1:55 p.m. Middle school students will no longer have a late start on Fridays beginning in August. The early out dismissal times on Fridays are estimated to be around 1 to 1:30 p.m. High school students will be dismissed at about 12:55 p.m. on Fridays beginning in the fall. Alta High will discontinue its late start. Robins said the district will finalize the times and share those with patrons. Much discussion focused on determining the day and time of the collaboration during the third presentation to the board. Student safety, busing availability, staffing at external day cares or availability of older siblings taking care of younger brothers and sisters, ability to have after-school activities or jobs, family time, research on late starts benefitting other students, school schedules, before-school and after-school programs, patron input, and other topics were discussed. “I appreciate the board seeing the value of allowing our teachers to have collaboration time and making that a priority. We looked at every consideration to see what has the least impact on students and families in providing our teachers this valuable time,” he said. “This is really a commitment to provide our educators embedded time for better student outcomes. They will really understand how and what our students need to learn and what’s best for them. This collaboration time has been proven over and over that it does improve instruction in the classroom.” Robins also provided data to the board on the least missed days for elementary, middle and high school students as well as teachers on those levels. He said data also was reviewed for high school teachers who serve as coaches or advisers to teams and extracurricular activities as well as students who are involved in those. “Those kids are out of school anyway often on Friday afternoons leaving for a game or a competition or performance, so this actually has less impact on them missing school,” he said. “And only about 3% of our faculty will be impacted.” Even with early dismissals, students will receive more than the 990 required hours of education the state requires, Robins said, adding that currently that requirement is waived during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four principals, who talked to patrons as well as teachers in their schools, also addressed the board. They pushed for the board to make a decision so they could plan for the upcoming school year. Midvale Middle School Principal Mindy Robison added that teacher collaboration time “matters because it changes the trajectory of the day for the students,” both with academics and behavior.
Page 14 June 2022
Early dismissal on Fridays, which has been a routine in elementary schools, will now extend to Canyons School District secondary schools as well this fall. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Sprucewood Elementary Principal Cathy Schino supported Friday afternoon collaboration time because it allows teachers not only the chance to collaborate, but also to reflect on student progress from the past week to prepare for the next week. Copperview Principal Colleen Smith told the board the need for this collaboration time is critical. “The workload of educators is unrecognizable in comparison to what was expected just a few years ago,” she said. Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood said this is the time to align all schools and offer this time for teachers to better their craft, especially as he has seen more time to collaborate has been needed at the high school level. “In the changing educational environment we’ve all seen in the past couple years, collaboration has become more important than ever,” he said. “Things are changing faster than ever; technology is changing faster than ever. We really need something unified to help our teachers integrate all these changes to education. This combined time allows us to share their expertise, not just in our buildings, but throughout the district. Our teachers will thrive in this environment. We’re going to have more opportunities to have a culture of continuous improvement with results focused more on student learning and success.” l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Brighton plays host to a variety of sporting events By Jerry Christensen | j.christensen@mycityjournals.com
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he Cottonwood Heights community’s investment in Brighton High School is seeing returns as the newly rebuilt school is transforming into a larger and more capable institution. “Brighton High School has become a favored host to region and statewide events,” said Brighton’s principal Tom Sherwood. “This is a new chapter in Brighton’s history given the capabilities that the community has given to the school with its newly completed build.” A case in point is the unprecedented opportunity to host the first round of this spring’s tennis state championship. Coach Natalie Meyer, a Bengal alumna and former Brighton tennis player, explained that “there were decades when Brighton did not have the facilities to host a tennis tournament. Despite being a perennial tennis powerhouse, Brighton was relegated to playing most matches on the road.” In fact, until recently, Brighton played its home matches at Antczak Park. “That Brighton is the preferred venue for region and now state tournaments speaks to the dramatic change we are enjoying,” Brighton’s athletic director Lynn Moncur said.
Equally impressive was a highlight event in Brighton’s new gym facility in February. The UHSAA (Utah High School Activities Association) chose Brighton, with its expanded athletic facilities, to host the 5A girls wrestling divisional tournament. Again, in previous decades, Brighton didn’t have the capacity nor the space to hold even regional tournaments in its gymnasiums much less a divisional tournament which draws teams and spectators from 15 schools across the state. The Brighton facility and the Brighton staff pulled off the two-day tournament “flawlessly” according to one mat official who recommends that Brighton be the permanent new home for these large-scale divisionals. Were regional, divisional and state tournament hosting not evidence enough of a transformation into the greater Brighton, a national event has just been added to the school’s schedule. Brighton was chosen to host the June 24 ESPN/Under Armour football camp for elite athletes from around the United States. Former coach Justin Hemm who facilitated this camp to Utah said, “I think hosting the camp is big for not only Brighton but the state of Utah. For Brighton, the camp will do a tremen-
Q&A Business Spotlight
Brighton hosts wrestling divisionals in February. (Jerry Christensen/City Journals)
dous job of highlighting our athletes and faculties. For the state, I think it shows the type of athletes coming out and the hotbed that Utah has become for college football recruiting. We have major power teams from across the nation coming in each year to recruit from the state.”
Christ United Methodist Church
Starting on July 1, 2022, the new pastor at Christ United Methodist Church - SLC will be Rev. Lisa Petty. For five years, Rev. Lisa has been the pastor of Montrose United Methodist Church in Colorado. Prior to that, she served as pastor of Rifle United Methodist Presbyterian Church in Rifle, Colorado. Rev. Lisa graduated from Iliff School of Theology with a Master of Divinity, received her Local Pastor License in January 2012, was commissioned as a Provisional Elder in June 2012, and became an Ordained Elder in June 2014. Her history includes extensive experience in youth and young adult ministries dating back to 1998.
Q: Rev. Lisa, what was the life pathway that led you to become a Methodist minister? A: I grew up in Southern California with a United Methodist Pastor for a father. I have one older sister, one younger sister, and a younger brother who is an ordained UMC pastor and serves the people of Colorado Springs at St Paul UMC. I am also a fourth-generation Methodist pastor as my grandmother was one of the first women ordained a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church. After 10 years of denying my call to the ministry, and finally going back to school to finish an undergraduate degree, I moved to Denver to do my Master of Divinity in two and one-half years. Q: Tell us about your family and interests outside of the church.
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
Brighton joins brand-name schools like Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas in hosting such invite-only events. Brighton is well suited given its proximity to the airport, its turf field, the indoor field house, the broadcast and announcing facilities and the supporting staff. l
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Christumcutah.org Youtube: Christumcutah Facebook: Christ United Methodist Church, CUMC Salt Lake Q: How long has your church been in existence? A: Christ UMC was established in 1870. A: My spouse, JC Croy, and I enjoy mountain bike riding,
snowboarding, jogging and kayaking. We are empty-nesters and look forward to our kids coming to visit when we are settled.
Q: What is your message to the members of Christ United A: Methodist Church as we anticipate your ministry?
I am excited to serve the people of Salt Lake, particularly in Millcreek. I am praying for all the ways the Holy Spirit will show up and move us to be a community of faith. It will show all people they belong to God and to one another - not just by our words, but by our actions.
Q: What sets your company apart from your competitors? A: We are a progressive alternative for those looking for a
church home. For those who are looking for a community of faith, CUMC is here to help people at all stages of life. I think folks who choose to come to CUMC come for the experience of a thoughtful, open, science-respecting, reconciling, traditional worship experience. I think if a person is looking for a church family that is open to LGBTQ folk, who is looking for a church that respects science and what science can offer, who is looking for a place that honors children, and people with different backgrounds, they will find a place with us.
June 2022 | Page 15
Google Fiber discusses plans for possible service in Cottonwood Heights By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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ontinuing discussions about implementing fiber optic internet throughout the city, the Cottonwood Heights City Council met with members of the Google Fiber team May 3. Head of Government and Community Affairs Manager Jacob Brace and General Manager Ashley Church presented information about Google Fiber’s services, community engagement and infrastructure. “Cottonwood Heights deserves a reliable fiber network that is best in class for internet service and meets today’s and tomorrow’s demands,” Brace said. For residential households, Google Fiber offers multi-gig services. Each household is eligible to receive speeds up to 10 gigabytes per second and a terabyte of storage use. Commercial agreements mirror residential ones. Google Fiber offers a Web Pass for multifamily and multitenant buildings to provide wireless access to everyone utilizing that area or building. “Google Fiber offers competitive and transparent prices and plans with no equipment costs,” said Church. She continued to explain how there are no installation fees, cancellation fees, data caps or throttled services.
Google Fiber’s development principles include lifetime, survivability, constructability and repairability. In practice, that means they anticipate future bandwidth needs as their customers’ needs continue to grow. Google Fiber makes sure to have infrastructure that is flexible and adaptable. “We deliver an end product that is resilient and reliable for the customer,” Church said. Church described Google Fiber’s ratings based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which is a customer survey regarded as the industry standard. Customers described Google Fiber as the gold standard among ISPs, as they were ranked first in 22 metrics including speed, customer service, and reliability, among others. Google Fiber’s customer support service is available during all hours of the day. “Ninety percent of calls are answered in 30 seconds or less,” Church said. Brace explained how Google Fiber does not mine information from customers as they don’t have even the data centers to be able to do so. “We do focus on digital equity, closing the digital divide and net neutrality,”
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Google Fiber is either already serving, or plans to serve, much of the populated areas of Utah. (Photo courtesy of Ashely Church/Google Fiber)
Brace said. “We keep our internet open and accessible to the world.” Google Fiber works with communities to build skills and access points. They develop connections with nonprofits, including schools and libraries, to offer gigabit connects for no cost. In addition, they work to offer services to provide adult digital literacy programs and no-cost school lunches. Google Fiber boasts fast build-outs that do not require financial support from cities. They utilize a construction process called shallow-trenching in order to install their network. Shallow-trenching has been described as having a faster process and lower cost comparative to microtrenching. Construction stays above the granite level of the roads, which tends to lead to less utility strikes. Construction crews are able to spend less time in the roads which means minimal disruption for neighborhoods. The shallow nature of the trenching allows for more timely repairs and maintenance as well. “Traditional underground boring is slower, more disruptive on neighborhoods, more difficult for timely repairs and maintenance, and double the cost,” Church said. Google Fiber’s team has already designed the network for Cottonwood Heights. However, they would need to work with the city to finish designing the neighborhoods with private easements and HOAs, as they are not part of public domain. “We make sure to meet all city licensing requirements,” Church said.
A main hub, or connection point, would be required within the city in order to service all the residents. A church property within the city has already offered to be that hub, as they would enjoy the financial benefit and the land lease has been drafted. “This gives us a head start as the land lease is secured for our network to feed in and out of Cottonwood Heights,” Church said. Google Fiber is able to constantly survey their infrastructure and reseal city roads, as they initiated shallow-trenching six years ago with Salt Lake City. “Utah is a highly connected and engaged community,” Brace said. Google Fiber has license agreements with many entities throughout the greater valley region. Provo, Salt Lake City, Holladay and South Salt Lake have been fully completed. Millcreek is 85% complete. Taylorsville, Sandy, White City, North Salt Lake, Woods Cross, South Jordan, and Springville are currently in construction. West Jordan, Draper, West Bountiful, Kearns, and Riverton are currently being designed. If Cottonwood Heights decided to allow Google Fiber within the city, Google Fiber’s team would drop door hangers on residential households explaining what to expect in the roads and neighborhoods. It would include information on installation, repair, maintenance, customer service and pricing. Google Fiber is part of Alphabet Cooperation with offices in Salt Lake City and Provo. l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Cottonwood forensics team heads to nationals after successful season
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here was no fan section that exploded when Cottonwood’s forensics team claimed victory at the regional tournament in February. Nor were there any cheers like when a goal is scored or a basket is made as the team claimed the second-place trophy the next month at state, but through the years, the Colts speech and debate team has built a legacy. Now that momentum continues as students are preparing for the National Speech and Debate Association that will be held June 12-17 in Louisville, Kentucky. “It will be a good capstone to our extremely successful year,” Cottonwood forensics adviser Adam Wilkins said. “Our kids are really remarkably talented and what makes it so great is the fact that the majority of kids do all the heavy lifting, which from a personal standpoint for them, is so satisfying. We have a lot of student coaches, and we rely a lot on the kids to coach each other, especially our senior kids helping our underclassmen, and they really pulled it out of the park. That’s what you want for your team so it can sustain a legacy of success. We definitely have a legacy of success— and that’s so awesome. Just to know we have great kids in the wings, ready to jump in, is so incredible. We’re just fortunate to keep attracting these students who want to be good.” It's a legacy that has lasted for more than five decades. “Since the school has been built in 1970, speech and debate has always been in the top three for region. It’s pretty remarkable,” Wilkins said. It starts in the classroom where students will research topics and spend hours practicing it for one another. “They’ve talked about anything from national and international crises, so prevalent and relevant these days, to some state and local issues. Our orators have amazing topics and there is a great range from the benefits of anger to tribal law and the way Native Americans are portrayed. They’ve discussed ranked-choice voting, local bills, national bills, Supreme Court decisions, COVID, recession, Russian aggression. The great thing about debate is it allows these students to really engage in the world,” he said. Wilkins not only teaches them skills, but also trust. “The bottom line is we trust kids and they trust each other. We trust them to be captains of events. I love the idea that kids can be student captains and then the success of an event is on the shoulders of those captains. We have some amazing event captains this year. That tradition of our success is handed down from our upperclassmen to our underclassmen,” he said. It's also about attitude. “I always tell the kids I will never be mad if you don’t win, but I will be mad if you don’t try. That’s a life lesson, you know, to be the best they can and that’s a good thing,” Wilkins said. While some tournaments have been held
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com in-person, others still remain virtual. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he taught students how to communicate with their eyes since some expressions were hidden under masks and body language was limited. “The students are taking some of those skills that they naturally developed during the pandemic, and then with their diction and articulation, they’ve become better speakers all the way around,” he said. That has led to Cottonwood’s team competing well all season. “We’ve really been dominating all year and have won about half dozen local tournaments,” Wilkins said about his 32-team member mostly speech team. “It’s a quite competitive region and it’s definitely a competitive state, which is nice because you don’t want to win without any competition because that victory would be a little hollow so it’s nice to win a hard thought victory.” Wilkins attributes the success of the program to the students themselves. “They practice for each other and model what they want to do in nationals,” he said. “They want them ready to be able to present and not lose a step and they want to get better, each and every tournament. The first thing they do when they get a ballot back is talk about what can they do to become better, they see
Cottonwood High looks to continue its successful forensics year at the National Speech and Debate Association tournament in June. (Image from website)
what are some successes, and what are the takeaways that they can learn from in this process. It’s another life lesson they’re learning which they can apply after their debate career.” Wilkins is proud of his team. “These kids are geniuses; they truly are. There are times when they say things that truly takes my breath away. It’s not just because of their intelligence, but also for their charisma and their intuitiveness,” he said. “What I love about debate is that it allows kids to be smart and it celebrates kids being smart. Several of these young adults—and they’re not children—
are being told that their opinions matter, not just their ideas, but their opinions; and that’s what debate can provide you.” Top Cottonwood’s state 5A forensics results: Co-champion, Matthew Cessna, student congress Co-champion, Sydney Pomeranz, student congress 1st, Abriel Tuckness, combined interpretation 1st, Hannah Zoulek, foreign Extemporaneous Speaking 1st, Ryan Dillon, foreign Extemporaneous Speaking 2nd, Taycia Linford Perez, combined interpretation 2nd, Kate Wilkins, student congress 2nd, Nizhoni Tsosie, informative 3rd, Alaa Elsir, informative 4th, Justen Powell, informative 4th, Jackson Kirkwood, national Extemporaneous Speaking 5th, Nex Lerwick, combined interpretation 6th, Hannah Zoulek, foreign Extemporaneous Speaking Octos, Valery Tomadakis, Lincoln-Douglas debate l
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JUNE 2021 EVENTS
2022
E VAmphitheater EEVENING N I Parking: N G495SERIES SEastE5300RSouth IES
Ticket Information:$49 801-264-2614 www.murray.utah.gov Season Tickets: Adult,or$45 Senior, $29 Child June 3 .......................................................................................The Sound of Music, Movie Sing-Along June 4 .......................................................................................Murray Symphony Amphitheater Parking: 495 EastPops 5300 South June 16-18, 20, 23-24.........................................................Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical Info: 801-264-2614 or Concert www.murray.utah.gov JuneTicket 25 ....................................................................................Murray Band
July 9 .........................................................................................Jenny Oaks Baker Violin & Cello Student Workshop JulyJune 15-16, 18, 21-23 ............................................................Sister Act 4 ................................. Les Miserables, Movie Sing-Along July 29-30................................................................................A Celtic Summer’s Night, featuring Mairead Nesbitt
June 5 ................................................... Murray Concert Band LUNCH CONCERT SERIES June 17-19, 21-23 ........................ Disney's The Little Mermaid Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE 26 ...................................................... Murray JulyJune 12 ................................................................................................... The Lazlos, Roots & RollSymphony
July 19 ................................................................................................... Iris (Britney Holman), Indie Pop/Folk July 26 .................................................................................................. Infusion Rock, Rock Band
L U N CLIBRARY H C OSUMMER N C E RSHORTS T SERIES
Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE * Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park&Pavilion July 6 ......................................................................................................Scales Tails, Reptile#5, ShowFREE July 13 ....................................................................................................Scariff Irish School of Dance 1 - BD Howes ...................................................... JulyJune 20 ...................................................................................................Monroe’ s Mountain Melodies,Acoustic with Puppets JulyJune 27....................................................................................................Longwings, Bird Show 8 - Vaudeville Nouveau ................................... 50's - 80's
Mana Nonu guides a scrum. (Photo by Christine Yee)
Brighton rugby climbs to the top By Jerry Christensen | j.christensen@mycityjournals.com
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he sport first documented in 1845 by school boys from Rugby, England has made its mark at Brighton High. The football field becomes a rugby pitch, the goal line becomes a try line. Between rucks and scrums the oblong ball moves forward and backward. In mid-May, Brighton brought home the state championship. “It is a sport gaining momentum throughout Utah and particularly at Brighton,” said Christine Yee, an English teacher at Brighton and a powerful driver behind the rugby movement. “Many students are drawn to rugby because of the camaraderie
and the sense of family that the club sport creates. But the club also attracts multi-sport athletes who dedicate their spring season to the pitch.” Mana Nonu, a junior and three-sport athlete (football player, state wrestler and now champion rugby player) helped lead the team to its first-ever state championship. “It was a thrilling victory to take this program that is only eight years old at Brighton to a state championship,” Nonu said. “We faced teams with more depth and history, but somehow our team chemistry and our great coaching pulled us through.” l
June 15 - Wasatch Jazz Syndicate ........................ Jazz Quartet CHILDREN MATINEE SERIES June 22 - Riding Gravity .............................. Surf & Rockability Thursday at 2 p.m. in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE
July 14 ................................................................................................... Kenshin Taiko, Japanese Drumming July 21 ................................................................................................... Rick Schwemmer, German Cow Bells July 28 .................................................................................................. Paul Brewer, Magic Show
LIBRARY SUMMER SHORTS * Wednesday atFAMILY 1 PM inNIGHT MurraySERIES Park Pavilion #5, FREE
The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Paul Brewer June Murray 2 ............................................. Magic Show, Senior Recreation Center (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 block west of State) June 9 ........................................... Scales & Tails Animal June 13..................................................................................................The Flashback Brothers, ClassicShow Rock JulyJune 11 ....................................................................................................Neo Vintage, Jazz & Bossanova 16 ................................................................ Mad Science This program received funding support from residents ofDJ Salt Juggling Lake County, SL& County Zoo, Arts & Parks June 23 has .......................................... Magic Show (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, Utah Humanities, and National Endowment for the&Arts. June 30 ......................................... Woody Jessie, Characters
CHILDREN MATINEE SERIES
Page 18 June 2022
* Thursday at 2 p.m. in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE
A state championship payday. (Photo by Christine Yee)
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Butler Middle student’s chocolate bar may rival Willy Wonka’s By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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utler Middle has its own Willy Wonka. For an English class project beyond the books, sixth-grader Isaac Ison helped create his concept of a campfire crunch chocolate bar into a reality. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn the science behind making candy bars and be part of the making of them,” Isaac said. “I really appreciate Mr. S and Utah State for letting us have this opportunity. It was super fun.” The project began after reading Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” at the beginning of the school year. The sixth-grade students were challenged to come up with their own new flavor of a chocolate candy bar, along with the slogan, tagline and marketing label. It was the brainchild of English teacher Mark Sanderson, who likes how students can apply what they learn in the classroom to the real world. Last year, he was instrumental is setting up the task for sixth-grade students to invent a soda flavor and similarly, have a slogan and bottle label. The school’s winner, Emery Gallegos, had her “Sunset Blend” raspberry-strawberry lemon soda made and distributed by Real Soda in California. “I was in Logan when I saw their chocolate bars,” he said. “We already had been reading ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ for years so I put the two together. It just grew out of the soda pop idea. It’s a really cool opportunity for our students to work USU’s Aggie Chocolate Factory and learn a little about the food science program. The university imports their own cacao beans and makes high quality chocolate bars; and they were willing to work with us. It’s a real-world learning opportunity and a great fit.” With this year’s chocolate project, similarly to the soda assignment, students presented their concepts and then the 300 Butler Middle sixth-graders voted on the top five finalists and overall winner. Each of the top six winners—Isaac along with Isla Croft, Marin Fail, Victoria Jardine, Matthew Jensen and June Merrell—received a golden ticket to help make the winning candy bars at the Aggie Chocolate Factory. “I was behind in the voting and somehow, mine pulled out ahead in the last period of the day,” Isaac said. “I was just shocked and incredibly happy. I felt a little like Charlie Bucket when he found the Golden Ticket.” Isaac said several of his peers had great ideas and he, in fact, voted for June’s “The Chocolate Drop,” which had Twix and Kit Kat in its recipe. “It sounded great, and the name was hilarious,” he said. Isaac’s concept didn’t come easy. “I was super stressed and didn’t feel like any of my ideas were that creative,” he said. When Isaac shared the assignment with his parents, they advised him to think about what he loves. “I love camping with my friends and family and there’s always s’mores, so then I thought I’d take a twist off that,” Isaac said. “I had lots of ideas for my tagline, but I choose ‘night under the stars’ because it fit perfectly.” Campfire Crunch combines milk chocolate, Golden Graham cereal and mini freeze-dried marshmallows. The Golden Ticket students not only toured Utah State’s chocolate factory, but also donned disposable lab coats, gloves and hair nets to have a hands-on opportunity to make Isaac’s actual winning candy bar. “We made four trays of eight candy bars. We poured the chocolate into the mold, added the Golden Grahams and scooped mini-marshmallows and sprinkled them on top,” Isaac said. “The hardest part was getting the foil on the wrapper right on the fold.”
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
Murray 2022 Fun Days
Monday, July 4, 2022 Breakfast
Rotary Club Community Breakfast 6:30 – 10:00 am Murray Park Pavilion #5 $8 Adults, $6 Child (12 & under)
Sunrise Service
7:00 am Murray Park Amphitheater Music by Murray Concert Band
Chalk Art Contest
6:00 am – 2:00 pm, Winners announced at 2:30 pm **Pre-registration Required 5K and Kids Race Both races begin and end near Constitution Circle, Murray Park 5K Race 8:00 am, Kids Race at 9:00 am $20 early registration until June 19 $25 registration June 20-24 $10 for Kids Race by June 24 Register online at mcreg.com no later than June 24 No day of registrations.
Coed Doubles Outdoor Volleyball Tournament
Butler Middle sixth-grader Isaac Ison helped create his concept of a campfire crunch chocolate bar into a reality as part of English project. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)
Isaac still has the first candy bar. “It’s the original and I made it,” he said, adding that he didn’t even take a lick of the chocolate while in the factory. Utah State University brought samples for the entire sixth grade. Principal Paula Logan arranged for Campfire Crunch to be stocked in the school store. USU Food Science Professor and Aggie Chocolate Factory Director Silvana Martini said that they also will have some Campfire Crunch bars available at USU. “We liked the whole idea of this when Mark approached us,” she said. “Our staff, our food science students, thought this was a very good concept and recipe and a great opportunity for these middle school students to get a hands-on learning experience and introduction into food science. We hope to make it an annual event.” Martini said that the college’s printing department printed the label from Isaac’s submission. USU Aggie Chocolate Factory Manager Steve Bennet said that it was a great connection between the only academic chocolate learning and research facility in the United States and the academic institution of Butler Middle. “These students are learning that they don’t have to wait until their grown up to make a positive impact in the world,” he said. “They have a chance to do amazing things and our students wanted to help these students in their vision.” Principal Logan agreed: “When we work together, great things happen.” l
Adults, Youth, Parent/Child Divisions 8 am – 4 pm, Softball Field in Murray Park $30 per team Register online at mcreg.com no later than June 30 No day of registrations.
Parade
8:30 am Begins at Fashion Place Mall and ends at Murray Park
Activities
10 am – 4 pm ...... Car & Bike Show (Behind swimming pool) 11 am – 4 pm ........ Food Trucks & Game Booths 1 pm – 2 pm .......... Bingo 12 pm – 4 pm ........ Park Center Hours 12 pm – 6 pm ........ Aquatic Center Hours
Activities for Kids
11 am – 2 pm ......... Games 11 m – 2 pm ............ Fishing Booth, Face Painting (minimal fee)
12:00 om ..................................Balance Bike Race (pre-register) 12:30 pm .................. Firemen Squirt (free)
Daytime Entertainment
Murray Park Gazebo 11:00 am .................. Noa Polynesia, Dance 11:45 am.................... Arts in the Park Musical Reviews 12:30 pm .................. Michael Paine Band
Evening Entertainment
Murray Park Softball Field 8:30 pm .................... The Current, Party Band 10:00 pm Fireworks
(leave personal fireworks at home)
June 2022 | Page 19
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Brighton alumna to lead volleyball team By Jerry Christensen | j.christensen@mycityjournals.com
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Page 20 June 2022
he alma mater is a sweet home to come back to. Class of 2014 graduate Jenna Markey accepted the appointment to come back to Brighton High School and coach the volleyball team. She returns to Brighton with plenty of experience. “I went to Brighton High School, I graduated and played at Angelo State University (San Angelo, Texas) where we won the conference, the conference tournament, the region, the regional tournament and I attended the Elite 8 National Championship Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the first time in program history,” Markey said. “I’ve been coaching at Club V for the last four years and an assistant coach at Park City High School for the last two. I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned and pour it into the Brighton program.” She wants to take everything that she has learned and experienced since leaving Brighton and give it to student-athletes who are just like she was—hungry to “level up.” She knows the reputation Brighton has for competitive sports and is looking to instill an attitude of success. “I expect my athletes to level up every day. Pushing themselves to get 1% better on and off the court. To put in just as much energy that they put on the court into the classroom is the goal. Coaching for me is less about volleyball and more about developing younger generations into honest,
The lessons I’ve learned from my coaches have stuck with me far beyond volleyball and help me solve problems every day. Jenna Markey hardworking and gritty individuals. I want my players to be passionate and respectful. I want other teams to look at us and admire us for the way we work and the way we are as student- athletes off the court,” Markey said. “The lessons I’ve learned from my coaches have stuck with me far beyond volleyball and help me solve problems every day.” While Brighton routinely competes for the annual region trophy, it has been 16 years since its last state volleyball championship in 2006 under coach Jeremiah Larsen. Markey knows a bit about championships given her collegiate experience. “I’m so excited and honored to be back at Brighton and be given the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than just this sport we all love,” Markey said and added, “Go Bengals!” l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Champions of preservation—How one nonprofit helps save historic Utah buildings By Deb Schoenberg Hafner | d.hafner@mycityjournals.com
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hen David Amott was little, he built entire cities from the heavy clay soil in his backyard in Cottonwood. He was fascinated by form, and his yard became a diorama where he built everything from native adobes to engineered masterpieces modeled from books. “As a five year old I had a book about a haunted house,” recalls Amott, “and I didn’t care about the ghosts. I wanted to remove the cobwebs and paint it and fix it up.” Amott, without exception, is “absolutely riveted by structure.” He earned a degree in historic architecture and is the Executive Director of Preservation Utah, a nonprofit that advocates for historic preservation in Utah. At the end of April, Preservation Utah hosted their annual conference, after a hiatus for the pandemic, at the renovated and preserved Art Castle on the west side in Salt Lake City. This year’s conference, “Preservation Engaged: Celebrating Utah’s Communities,” hosted representatives from cities throughout Utah who were in attendance to learn how to combine economic development with community driven, comprehensive downtown revitalization and historic preservation. Preservation Utah advocates for preservation-oriented public policies by supporting legislation, working with elected officials and administrators, and providing creative and sustainable solutions in collaboration with property owners. But the preservation seed has to be planted deep at the local level, with individuals, towns, and communities coming together to initiate, advocate and sow preservation projects. The preservation movement has swept across America in the last few decades and has established itself as powerful and an important part of cities and towns, with preservation being an accepted practice at the local government level. Draper’s historic committee has spearheaded efforts to preserve aspects of the soon-to-be-relocated prison, Taylorsville recently added its first building to the National Register of Historic Places, and Millcreek recently nominated a seven-member Historic Commission to work on preservation efforts and to fix outdated ordinances. Their first meeting was in May, and they have a big job ahead. “The greenest building,” says Amott, touting the quintessential preservationist belief, “is the one that’s already been built.” At any given time, Preservation Utah has 25 to 30 preservation projects from around the state that need funding for preservation. These days, with housing prices reaching all-time highs, residents in towns and cities across America have become increasingly interested in turning existing buildings around with adaptive reuse—restoring and
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
The inside main room of the Art Castle where conference attendees gathered for the keynote speaker, Claudia Loayza, the communications and community engagement coordinator for the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs. (Deb Hafner/City Journals)
updating historic buildings and utilizing the space in new ways to meet the needs of the community. The Art Castle is one such example. According to the EPA, a new, green, energy-efficient office building that includes as much as 40% recycled materials would take approximately 65 years to recover the energy lost in demolishing a comparable existing building. “A remarkable example of adaptive reuse in Salt Lake is the Granary,” Amott said. One of Salt Lake City's oldest districts, it used to be a busy manufacturing, processing and storage center, but it was in danger of being demolished. It was rescued and restored and today is home to restaurants and shops. The Granary took part in the Main Street America initiative, a federal program adopted and administered in every state. In Utah, the program falls under the auspices of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and the Utah Main Street America Program helps communities revitalize their economy, appearance, and image of downtown commercial districts. Salt Lake City (The Granary), Brigham City, Price, Heber and Tooele, in addition to about 15 more Utah cities, have a Main Street designation and have received funding for revitalization. Brigham City and Price were Utah Main Street pilot program cities, each receiving facade rehabilitation grants and ultimately seeing increased economic activity and success from the program. Nan Groves Anderson, the Utah Main Street Program Director, on a panel at the Preservation Utah conference, reported that
nationwide, since 1980, over 2,000 communities have participated in the Main Street program, with $61 billion in new investment, 525,000 net new jobs, and 251,000 buildings rehabilitated. Closer to home, Preservation Utah has advocated in many cities in Utah, including Millcreek. Amott said they have two historic easements on houses in the city that are regularly monitored, the summer house of the Silver Queen and a modern glass house by architect John Sugden. But, as with all preservation efforts, you win some and lose some. After Millcreek City was established, recalls Amott, Preservation Utah advocated for the George Merrill Estate, which was eventually demolished and is now an Ivory Homes development. Preservation Utah also stepped in on the Old Meeting House building, which became controversial when it was approved to be demolished and replaced with townhomes. Garbett Homes has been approved to build on the site, and since the meeting house sits on a fault line and is structurally older, it was determined it was not a good candidate for adaptive reuse. Although the effort to save the building was lost, some good came out of it. Preservation Utah helped advocate for an improved city preservation ordinance and the establishment of the new historic commission, and city officials requested Garbett install an historical marker to commemorate the building. Preservation and sustainability models have gained traction in the race to develop places to accommodate the population
A view of the Art Castle, a project by Utah Arts Alliance to acquire, preserve, renovate, and activate the historic 120-year-old 15th Ward Chapel located at 915 W. 100 South. (Deb Hafner/City Journals)
The Old Meeting House at 4120 Highland Drive in Millcreek is important historically because it was designed by the grandson of Brigham Young, Joseph Don Carlos Young, and his son Don Carlos Young, and built in 1905. (Photo credit EstateSales.org)
growth. “You can’t build your way to affordability,” Amott said. It is greener to remodel a home and to repurpose a large building or district, and through community effort and advocacy, new resources and funding it is a path many are taking. At their conference, Preservation Utah shared myriad resources, including how to access the Main Street America Program, tax credits, and funding available to anyone interested in preserving a home, district or land. If you are interested in finding out more about the home you live in, discovering more about historic places in your city, or how to place make and advocate, Preservation Utah website is a good place to start (preservationutah.org). l
June 2022 | Page 21
Brighton tennis near perfect in region, finish second at state By Jerry Christensen | j.christensen@mycityjournals.com
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t is not often that lightning strikes just at the right moment when all the elements are properly lined up. At the 5A region tennis tournament in mid-May, the elements aligned for Brighton boys tennis team. The combined years of steady preparation paid off in a spectacular flash of brilliance. Big Orange ended the tournament with a near sweep and another region trophy. UHSAA tennis pits the first individual tennis player from each school against the first player for the other 30 5A schools. The same is true for the second and third varsity players respectively. These brackets are complemented by first doubles and second doubles competitions. The point totals from these five brackets become the team score. Brighton took first place in the first four brackets and second place in second doubles. A near sweep. The leaderboard at region was awash with orange: • Brighton varsity tennis team - first place region champs • First singles - Hardy Owen region champion • Second singles - Parker Hopkin region champion • Third singles - Ty Parrish region champion • First doubles - Ford Owen and Owen
Hopkin region champions • Second doubles - Davis Turley and Cameron Grass second place When asked if this region showing is the best she has seen coming out of Brighton, Longtime Brighton tennis coach and math teacher Natalie Meyer recalls, "I’ve had teams in the past that have all taken first place in region and state. We swept state three times." Brighton teams are no stranger to the state tennis scene. "Brighton’s tennis teams have high expectations for themselves. We have a great coaching staff, we spend countless hours on the court, players play year round and we have great summer programs that work with youth from five years old to 18," Meyer said. Evidence of a strong evergreen tennis program are the underclassmen who are competing at the highest varsity levels including Parrish, Owen, Hopkin and Grass. Even as the highly decorated seniors end their high school tennis careers and move to the collegiate level, the next generation steps up. Editor’s note: after press deadline, the Bengals finished second at state, sweeping the three singles titles. l Brighton boys tennis team members Owen Hopkin, Cameron Grass, Davis Turley, Parker Hopkin, Hardy Owen, Ford Owen and Ty Parrish savor the region victory. (Photo courtesy Natalie Newell Meyer)
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
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June 2022 | Page 25
Steve DeBry to retire after more than 40 years in law enforcement By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
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fter serving in law enforcement for more than 40 years, Salt Lake County Councilmember and Millcreek City Chief of Police Steve DeBry will hang up his badge later this year. His career path was started by his father who became a Salt Lake County Deputy Sheriff when DeBry was 6 years old. “I remember my father came and spoke to my first-grade class,” he said. “I remember looking at him in his uniform, and I was just so proud of him. It made me so happy that he was helping people and that he was respected.” DeBry grew up on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, graduating from Cyprus High School before attending the University of Utah. His plan was to become a history teacher and coach, but when he worked as a court bailiff for Judge Reginald W. Garff Jr., he turned back toward law enforcement. His career path changed again when he met Lorraine Lyman, who wasn’t excited to marry a police officer. He tried different jobs but nothing felt right. In March 1982, DeBry became a deputy, working for Salt Lake County Sheriff N.D. Pete Hayward. Lorraine worked part-time as a hairdresser and DeBry worked several jobs as they raised their three children. “She stuck with me through thick and
thin for almost 43 years and that’s very difficult because with police officers there’s a high divorce rate,” he said. At the time, mental health wasn’t addressed with law enforcement officers. DeBry said it was difficult to come home from a tragic event without letting it affect their marriage. From the start, they established good communication, learning to compromise and listen. “I tried to be open, honest and sincere with her,” he said. “There were times when I wanted to talk about something and she would listen. Most of the time, she knew when I didn’t want to talk, and she didn’t push the issue.” DeBry advanced through different units, serving on the first SWAT team in Utah, and working in schools with the Sheriff Assisting Youth program. He was one of the first detectives assigned to the Metro Gang Unit in 1990 and worked as an internal affairs investigator when Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard promoted him to sergeant. Later, he oversaw the detective unit and COP officers in Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Brighton and Holladay, eventually serving as chief of police in Holladay. He’s been in Millcreek for five years and said a lot has changed in policing since
1982. There’s now an attitude from the public that’s proven deadly to some officers. Almost 150 police officers have been killed in Utah, since records have been kept. “I think the respect and admiration has decreased. Back when I started, people would give you a lot more trust and respect. Walls have gone up. It’s more of an us versus them feeling. I never felt that way myself and I’ve done everything I can to break down barriers and talk to people and get to know people…if you don’t have trust you can’t have a relationship.” He emphasizes the need to re-fund the police, get officers trained and paid well, hire the best people and support “the thin blue line that keeps everyone safe.” When he talks about the lives saved and the lives lost, he still gets emotional. The best change he’s seen over his career has been the approach to mental health. “Now we have help. Now we have mental health resources so our officers can be taken care of with what they’re dealing with,” he said. “I’m still dealing with stuff 41 years later. I can talk about it and things flood into my mind, the good stuff you did, the little kids that you find, the people you help along the way, and the tragedies you have to deal with.”
Millcreek City Chief of Police Steve DeBry will retire from law enforcement this year, after more than four decades of service. (Photo courtesy of Steve DeBry)
DeBry has served three terms on the Salt Lake County Council in the southwestern District 5 and is running for a fourth term this year. “I love my career. I would have done it over again. I think it’s the most honorable and fulfilling job anyone can have,” he said. “My legacy is that I hope I did some good and I hope I helped a lot of people along life’s journey.” l
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Honorees selected at the inaugural Comcast RISE Black Excellence Event By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
H
ardware Creative Collective and Comcast partnered to host the inaugural Comcast RISE Black Excellence Event in Salt Lake City on Apr. 20. The celebration honored Utah Black Creatives in a range of industries from the arts, business, education and film to mental health, armed forces, tech and venture capital. Honorees were selected based on their ability to showcase their creativity through inspiration, intersection and innovation. “It was truly amazing to see something that started as a vision and brainstorming with folks around a kitchen table turn into an extraordinary celebration of Utah’s Black creatives,” said Deneiva Knight, External Affairs Director, Comcast Mountain West Region. “For me, Hardware Collective is a platform for Black creatives to acknowledge and celebrate themselves and their peers versus waiting and hoping to receive accolades from outsiders. The love and appreciation in the room that night were unmatchable.” Honored at the event were Kenneth Boggs (fashion), Kimmy Paluch (tech), Dr. Jackie Thompson (education), Col. Jenise M. Carroll (military), Melanie D. Davis, LCMHC (mental health), Mauli Bonner (music), and Tenisha “Isha” Hicks (beauty). The celebration acknowledged the efforts of talented entrepreneurs who continue to innovate and succeed despite facing financial challenges. Comcast RISE recognizes small business owners through its brands Comcast Business and Effectv. Empowering business owners with knowledge and resources allowed them to navigate economic difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. “As I was sewing, Motown music used to play all the time,”
said Boggs, CEO of Kenneth Boggs Suit. “Most people wanted to be like Michael Jackson, but I wanted to be David Ruffin from The Temptations because he looked really good in his suit. . . By the end of the day, my goal is to create your own story. I’m proud to be a chosen honoree for the Hardware. It makes me feel blacknificent.” Honoree Carroll serves as the 75th Air Force Wing Commander at Hill Air Force Base. She is the first African American female to hold this position in the 75 years of the Air Force. “I ask that everyone look at me as being an American first. Don’t judge me by the color of my skin or by my gender. Look at me as an American serving proudly in her country wearing this uniform,” Carroll said. “I’m standing before you letting you know there’s nothing impossible if you believe.” “Thank you to our presenting sponsors, Comcast and Zions Bank, for co-sponsoring the inaugural launch of the Hardware Creative Collective, '' said Sui Lang L. Panoke, founder, Hardware Creative Collective. “Additionally, we thank our investment sponsor, the Andrus Family Foundation, and our community sponsors, the Utah Black Chamber, and Utah Arts Alliance.” Panoke and Scott Anderson, president and CEO, Zions Bank, were inspired by the honorees and their accomplishments. “As I look upon your faces and I listen to your stories, I have been touched,” Anderson said. “I thought of the comment from the prophet Gibran, 'Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.’ So thank you, thank you very much.” “The most advanced levels of diversity, equity and inclusion are evident when communities and organizations maximize and capitalize on their ability to stimulate and cultivate creativity
Seven honorees were recognized at the Comcase RISE Black Excellence Event including (from left) Col. Jenise M. Carroll, Installation Commander, Hill Air Force Base; Dr. Jackie Thompson, Assistant Superintendent, Davis County School District; Mauli Bonner, Director/Filmmaker/Producer/Artist, Lift Up Voices. Photo courtesy of Comcast.
and innovative thought,” said Panoke. “And that… is how Utah does business!” Find out if you qualify to apply for small business support at www.comcastrise.com. l
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June 2022 | Page 27
Salt Lake County receives EPA funds to clean up contaminated sites for development By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
B
rownfield areas in Salt Lake County can hinder development because, without proper cleanup, redevelopment or reuse they could spread contamination to surrounding areas. Most brownfields are properties with old gas stations, auto repair shops and dry cleaners, or near smelters, railroad lines and mines. But the Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Salt Lake County nearly $4 million in an effort to clean up these sites and create vibrant communities and business centers. “We’re grateful for the EPA’s substantial investment in Salt Lake County,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “It expands our ability to effectively leverage the revolving loan fund and make a difference.” The EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund allows the county and its coalition partners (Salt Lake City and Ogden) to issue loans to public or private property owners who meet EPA qualifications for assistance with brownfields. Funds are expected to help clean at least 10 properties in the next few years, many of which are in former industrial areas that need significant cleanup to be safely redeveloped. Loans are available to qualified governmental entities, site owners, or developers with lowto zero-interest rates.
“With our community’s history of industrial and mining work, there’s no shortage of properties that could use this EPA money for cleanup efforts,” said Kersten Swinyard, program manager for the Wasatch Brownfields Coalition and Salt Lake County senior economic development manager. “We’ll use this money to accelerate redevelopment on those contaminated properties and make our cities safer and cleaner for everyone.” In 2021, Centro Civico Mexicano received funds to work with the county to remove asbestos, mercury, hydrocarbons, and other contaminants in the soil. The remediated property now features a community center and 61 apartments for low-income seniors. The cleanup led to more than $25.2 million in leveraged redevelopment funding on the project. The Wasatch Brownfields Coalition works closely with the EPA and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality throughout the cleanup processes. The EPA has awarded $5,850,000 in total to Salt Lake County throughout its program history. Property owners not responsible for the contamination who are interested in financial assistance to clean up properties can visit slco. to/brownfields or contact Kersten Swinyard at 385-468-4869 or kswinyard@slco.org. “This award will set up Salt Lake County
A multi-family housing development in Murray is remediating contamination related to historic mining. (Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County)
to further environmental justice in our underserved communities for years to come,” Wilson said. “All our neighborhoods deserve to
live in healthy environments with the promise of an equitable economic future.” l
Professional cornhole league hosts tournament in Sandy By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
C
ornhole, played at the professional level, took over Sandy’s Mountain America Expo Center this past month. The American Cornhole League is the highest tier of talent the game has to offer. The ACL has over 250 registered pro players and their matches are televised on ESPN. “I was tailgating,” ACL founder and commissioner Stacey Moore said about starting the league. “We were using cornhole as an activation for sponsors at NASCAR races and NFL games. I saw a group of players playing the game way more seriously than I was. The more I talked to the serious players I realized there is a lot of strategy to it.” ACL has been in existence for six years. It has a following of professional players that compete in several tournaments held across the country. Salt Lake City is the home of one of the platform sponsors. Allcornhole is the title manufacturer of the professional board used on the circuit. The opportunity to host the league here was delayed by the pandemic, but this year event number three was held in Sandy. The league has over 150,000 active players and several formats including singles, doubles, and teams format. The teams have a season of 16 matches. Professional players are drafted to a team and play against the oth-
Page 28 June 2022
er drafted teams, similar to the NFL. The top team in the standings will win the championship at the end of the year. The Woodchucks sit atop the current ACL team standings. Sharpshooters are second and the Freeze third. “The pros come from all over the United States. The sport has increased in popularity. People play it casually all over the place, but more and more people are playing competitively. We are being proactive, cornhole is on track to become an Olympic sport. The singles and doubles divisions are gender-neutral. Last year, a male was against a female to become world champion,” Moore said. Isabella Surprenant, a 15-year-old from Lawton, Oklahoma is one of the youngest players in the ACL pro division and has become a top-ranked player. “I started playing beach cornhole in Florida nearly 15 years ago,” Harry Stoltzfus from Fort Collins, Colorado said. “I bought a set of boards at an RV show and now we travel the country playing in tournaments.” The ACL hosts Superhole competitions at all of the season events. They match a professional player with a celebrity all in the name of charity. “The celebrities play in a mini tournament. They get to know the sport and get some
Celebrities such as Lisa Barlow and Kyle Van Noy were among the participants at the ESPN-televised cornhole event in Sandy. (Photo courtesy Marlon LeWinter)
tips along the way. We are starting to see celebrities catch the bug and more and more are taking this seriously,” Moore said. There are local leagues around the country. To find the nearest organization or for more information go to www.iplaycornhole.com “I am from Mississippi originally and my brother had this set up in his backyard,” Salt Lake City resident Ricky Mcgowan said. “I came home and bought a set off Amazon.”
Salt City Cornhole is a local group of players. They host tournaments at Allstar Lanes and Pins and Ales in West Valley. There are also several other groups in the state. “It is a place for a beginner to more advanced players,” Mcgowan said. It is not just a backyard barbecue game anymore. Anyone can play. Anyone can win. l
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Salt Lake County to xeriscape 132 of the worst park strips and parking lot islands By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
I
n light of the ongoing drought, cities are looking for ways to save water without impacting the quality of life for residents. Salt Lake County has proposed to xeriscape 132 of the largest park strips and parking lot islands that are currently grass. The proposal is expected to save 5.2 million gallons of water each year. “The drought has increased our sense of urgency for water conservation, but that need already existed with Salt Lake County’s growing population,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “Last year, we made a commitment to reduce our water use, and we did. This is one of many long-lasting conservation solutions that will help protect our residents’ quality of life, our watershed, and the future of the Great Salt Lake.” Park strips and parking lot islands to be targeted were selected based on size. The xeriscaping project will span nearly 40 county facilities and totals the size of three football fields. The large water footprint will make a significant impact on water reduction in the county. According to Utah Water Savers, the average park strip consumes 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of water each year. Sprinkling systems at the Salt Lake County Government Center will also be made more efficient by targeting priorities, like trees. American Rescue Plan Act funds will cover the $2 million it will take to xeriscape the 132 park strips and islands. “This proposal represents a proactive investment in water conservation measures by the county,” said
Michael Shea, Salt Lake County’s Environmental Sustainability director. In 2021, Wilson said the county reduced its water use by 13% after she challenged operations to cut use by at least 5%. These new water-saving measures build on the county’s long-term water-wise strategies, furthering the county’s water reduction. County residents are asked to participate in the Flip Your Strip rebate program to help with water savings. The program will pay residents up to $1.25 per square foot when they replace their park strip lawn with water-efficient xeriscaping. The program is expected to save thousands of gallons of water each year. For more information, visit UtahWaterSavers.com. To learn about Salt Lake County’s water conservation measures and information shared at the 2022 Water Summit, visit slcoh20.org. “We are no longer looking at just cutting back water use,” Shea said, “but making concrete changes which will help us reduce in the long term.”l
Salt Lake County will xeriscape more than 130 park strips and parking lot islands, saving the county 5.2 million gallons of water each year. (Photo courtesy of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District)
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hen I was in eighth grade, I was elected to the class senate. In ninth grade, I was elected as a cheerleader. Did I deserve these titles? Probably not. But I’d bribed fellow students with copious amounts of candy because that’s the American way. After a series of decidedly terrible life choices, my scholastic career drove off the rails and I never ran for election again. When I turned 18, I registered to vote and I’ve cast a vote in every election since. I also respond to Twitter polls, fill out Amazon reviews and take surveys at the bottom of yard-long Kohl’s receipts. Now that I’m a semi-functioning adult, it’s up to me to choose the right people to lead us into the future. Since the future is nuclear bomb-shaped, we won’t need leaders much longer, but elections are important, at least until that mushroom cloud rises over the mountains. Here’s why voting is funny. You’ll get a kick out of this. When I vote for new leadership or more progressive ideas, the person/issue I’m voting for rarely wins. Why? Because I live in conservative Utah.
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People tell me to just move to a different state. I don’t want to. At least not until I can afford a lighthouse on the East Coast where I can replace the light bulb with a bat signal. So, for now, I’m here in Utah, voting for things that matter to me and to many other people, without a Popsicle’s chance in hell of it working out. In fact, we started an election night drinking game. For every winner who isn’t a conservative white male, we take a shot of tequila. We’ve been sober for decades. Because here’s the truth: My vote rarely counts in Utah. Oh, our esteemed leaders say my vote counts, but they know it’s a lie. With their abstract-painting, gerrymandered districts they’ve effectively shut down my voice. I feel all I can do is
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