November 2020 | Vol. 17 Iss. 11
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Brighton Marching Band begins program right in step By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
I
t hasn’t been an easy year to start a marching band—director Mikala Mortensen will admit—but the Brighton High Marching Band has been resilient and just snagged second place in 5A at their first-ever competition, the Bridgerland Invitational. “They have worked so hard and fought through all of the crazy that comes with being a first-year band and starting a band through a pandemic,” Mortensen shared with the Brighton community on Facebook. “Words can’t express the gratitude I feel to stand in front of them every day and the pride I felt during their performance today.” The marching band competition, which was held at Mountain Crest High in Hyrum instead of its normal venue of Utah State University, had different guidelines, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of getting to spend the day watching other bands, the Brighton musicians, who were the first ones to perform, were told to immediately exit afterward to reduce the chance of spreading the disease. Mortensen and others had plans to watch a livestream of the competition on the bus ride home. The road to be ready to compete during the pandemic has been bumpy. While marching band follows the Utah High School Activities Association’s guidelines, the 60 marching band members have their temperatures taken daily and complete
Brighton High Marching Band perform in their first competition, where they took second place. (Screenshot)
health checks, and if the group has three cases, then they need to be quarantined— something students already are familiar with as Brighton High moved to online for two weeks with reporting 28 cases in late September.
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November 2020 | Page 3
Connect Canyons podcast designed to communicate more with school district community By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
I
t was Max Lapore’s first time being interviewed for a podcast. The Hillcrest High senior was at home when he was asked questions about what it is like to be a studentbody president during the pandemic. “It was kind of out of the blue; I was sitting on my bed and wasn’t expecting a phone call right then,” he said. “As far as this year, we can go to events that are being held with masks on, but whenever I see someone— whether it’s a student, teacher, or visitor— without a mask, I remind them to wear it. I get it. I wish we didn’t have to, but we (Hillcrest High) haven’t been shut down yet and that’s because we’re doing our part. Whatever keeps us in school, that’s fine with me.” Lapore also said that Hillcrest student leaders are trying to find ways where they can have events, now that many extracurricular activities aren’t being held after a recent Canyons Board of Education meeting. He also wants to reach out to students who are online or learning at home. “That’s one of the hardest things for me I don’t see most of my friends who are online and some of those are just ones I’ve had in classes through the years, so we’re trying to find ways to include them, even virtually,” Lapore said. Lapore was one of three studentbody presidents interviewed on Connect Canyons. The podcast is a new communication tool launched by Canyons School District this school year, said Supt. Rick Robins, who was the first interview on the inaugural podcast. “The podcast definitely is a little more personal look, and something on a different level than regular news that might be coming out of the district, on a webpage, or through
Journals
The Connect Canyons podcast was launched during the COVID-19 school shutdown to better connect with stakeholders.
the regular channels of communication,” he said. “It feels a lot more contemporary and more on point with current topics that might be happening so it’s a great medium that’s relative to what’s happening that gives people a closer insight to people who are within the district or who contributes.” Robins was interviewed as a way to introduce him to the community since the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated the chance to hold town halls and gatherings when he was announced as the new superintendent in April. “It was a nice way to kick things off and just an opportunity for the community to get to know me a little better,” he said. “We’re still in the early stages of launching it. I’m excited to see where it goes.” Since the initial launch in July through mid-October, there have been seven podcasts, which often go more in-depth of stories that
are available online in the Canyons’ General News series. “My long-range goal for the podcast is really to enhance communication with our stakeholders. I’m excited to see this unfold, and hopefully to just become another avenue to communicate. One of the tenants in the (Canyons school) board’s strategic vision is community engagement, and I think, this podcast is another element that really supports that,” Robins said. The superintendent was interviewed by district associate communications director Kirsten Stewart, who originated the idea of the school district holding its own podcast. It’s the first podcast she has worked on and beside a team of others who contribute to interviews, editing, sound, and webpage design. “We’ve talked about doing a podcast for a year prior to COVID-19 as it’s really a good way to connect with people,” she said. “It’s more intimate, listening to the human voice, and people are able to listen on their own time, whether it’s in a car or mowing the lawn, to a story that can go in greater depth. It seemed like a good time during COVID, with a captive audience, to launch it, and it was a way we could communicate how we’re approaching students’ health and safety.” In fact, the top-ranked podcasts were about the safety and health guidelines surrounding Canyons schools. “Our No. 1 episode was a conversation about safely reopening schools with a local infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist. Our second most popular podcast was an interview with one of our nurses about our contact-tracing efforts and other preventive protocols we have in place,” Stewart said. Stewart said the podcast listener audi-
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ence already has surpassed the 500 mark by mid-October and continues to grow. “We logged more than 10 times the number of listens this week than last week,” she said. “The vast majority of our listeners are listening to each episode in its entirety. Giving the popularity and the demand for info, the podcast is really increasing communication. It’s connecting our parents, students we serve, and our employees.” She said the name, Connect Canyons, is a “natural theme” for a podcast. “We’re all about making personal connections and it’s another way to maintain and cultivate relationships,” she said. “As a journalist, the best way to tell the story is to let the story organically come into being. As a storyteller, I love to hear about students achieving their dreams, reaching their potential, that’s why I work here. This has been fun to work on.” While Lapore was interviewed from his home, the podcast crew can travel to locations or invite guests to be interviewed at the district office, where sound quality is improved, she said. Since its inception the podcasts have covered topics from the opening of the new Midvalley Elementary to building inclusive schools, through a variety of formats and time lengths. At the end of each podcast, listeners are invited to share ideas for future podcasts with the communication department. The podcast is available on major podcast services. “We hope people will subscribe and find this useful,” Stewart said. “We truly want the community members who don’t already know to know how, what, why and how to navigate their schools.” l
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Annual Arts Show going virtual to highlight local talent By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com
T
he Arts Show will go on. This year’s Cottonwood Heights Arts Show will be held virtually with the talents of community members shared on the Arts Council’s social media feeds. The event starts on Nov. 2 and runs through the week of Nov. 23. “I am amazed at the talent within Cottonwood Heights,” said Arts Show coordinator Laura Williams. “With the pandemic, we haven’t been able to put work on display. A few months ago we decided to bring the art to the people by sharing on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.” The Arts Show will feature work from professional, amateur and youth artists. Each week in November will highlight a specific medium or demographic, starting with painting on Nov. 2.
THE ARTS SHOW SCHEDULE WILL FEATURE:
1. Painting: Nov. 2 (Oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, etc.) 2. Printmaking/sculpture/mixed media: Nov. 9 (printmaking, pottery, origami, mixed media, etc.) 3. Drawing: Nov. 16 (Pencils, chalk, char coal, markers, crayons, etc.) 4. Youth art: Nov. 23 (all categories ages 5-18) Entries can be viewed on the Cottonwood Heights Arts Council Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ CHArtsCouncil). Prior to the pandemic, Williams worked with local artists to feature their work at City Hall. Each month the city would feature a professional or amateur artist. “Meeting the artists each month has inspired me,” Williams said. “I have met older folks who only started creating a few years ago yet have produced an abundance of exceptional artwork. They inspire me to always try new things and keep creating myself. I have met young artists who have a passion and a drive that make me excited for the future.” While this year’s Arts Show has not been the same as year’s past, Williams and the Arts Council have been heartened, as usual, by the strength and energy of the work submitted by local artists. “It has been amazing seeing the artwork submitted,” Williams said. “Seventy percent of applicants so far say they are amateur artists, and it is amazing the work they produce. Half the applicants so far are from right in Cottonwood This year’s Cottonwood Heights Arts Show will be held virtually with the talents of community members shared on the Arts Council’s social media Heights. We have tremendous talent right here in our beau- feeds. The event starts on Nov. 2 and runs through the week of Nov. 23. (Courtesy of the Cottonwood Heights Arts Council) tiful city.” l
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November 2020 | Page 5
SROs: mentor, trusted adult, police officer By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
I
n a time of social justice and political unrest, some parents may feel comforted that a police officer is assigned to protect their children in school, while other parents do not feel that way. In some U.S. cities, school districts are even reviewing their ties with police departments. “A few states are getting rid of school resource officers; I don’t know if it’s because of the symbol or it’s just a way of retaliation how certain people feel about police,” Hillcrest Junior High School Resource Officer Matt Dibble said. “I wish people would just see the impact that school resource officers have on kids.” Often, the role of the school resource officer isn’t clear to an outsider. In Murray, there are school resource officers assigned to Murray and Cottonwood high schools, respectively, while in Murray school district, the two junior highs and seven elementaries share two additional Murray Police Department officers. Dibble said he is responsible for safety and crime prevention, and also to have a presence at Hillcrest and the east-side elementary schools. “Usually about this time of age, they’re more curious about life and things and what they’re introduced to so hopefully we’re here to push them away from bad decisions they may make,” he said. “This is a prime time for kids to learn the positive things about police officers and just have an interaction.” Besides checking for school safety, surveying security cameras, and usually walking the halls, giving the kids highs-5s, in a non-COVID-19 year, Dibble also is a guest speaker in classes, teaching students about his job as a police officer, the laws and protection of citizens’ rights, drug and alcohol awareness and answering questions they may have. With more tensions in the world, Dibble was a little uncertain how students would see him this fall. “I wasn’t sure how coming into this school year kids would be with me, but I haven’t had any issues,” he said, adding that his concern was more with new students who didn’t know him than the returning students who “know who I am and how I treat people.” Building relationships with students is key. “It helps with interaction with students and police, a lot of them have bad experiences so we’re here to show them we’re human and I’m not here to get you in trouble,” he said. Two years ago, following the Parkland, Florida school shooting, Dibble and the school administration knew students were going to hold a protest against school
Page 6 | November 2020
violence. “We had a walk out and we knew it was going to happen and we let them. We just told them protest all you want, but just stay in the field,” he said, adding that every student complied. If the situation would have turned violent, Dibble would call for back-up. Then, he would identify students and notify their parents. “A big part is getting parents involved so they’re aware of behaviors and what’s going on in school,” he said. “If, they’re (the students are) destroying property, we’re not going to let that happen. If they start assaulting others, they’re definitely going to be in custody or secured until we can let things calm down.” Dibble works closely with school administration, counselors and the school social worker to determine the best course of action for students in any situation. He also said there is a level of trust with student relationships. While SROs can’t randomly search lockers or backpacks without probable cause, Dibble can escort a student and a backpack to the school office, when he receives a tip, such as a student has a gun from either another student or the SafeUT app. Once at the office, Dibble and the administration would check for the weapon and address any issues surrounding it. What makes it more challenging is when something may be posted online, and Dibble has to determine what is credible. “It’s a big issue here, and at any school really, is social media and texting. A lot of kids say a lot of things over social media. A lot of things get misconstrued and you can’t really read emotions over texting, so it makes things really difficult,” he said. “A lot of bullying is done online, or over the phone, or it’s in person so they don’t leave a paper trail so if it’s difficult since there’s not a paper trail to determine if someone is being bullied or not.” Dibble said he still investigates the charge and lets students know there are consequences. For the most part, Dibble, who wears a blue polo and khakis, and carries his badge, handgun and handcuffs, hasn’t used much force with Hillcrest students. “I’ve wanted to avoid putting kids in handcuffs as much as possible because I don’t think that is the right answer for a lot of situations. I’ve only had to put like maybe two or three kids in the past five years in handcuffs. There are some that I’ve had to because they’ve been so unruly or combative,” he said, adding that one circumstance was after the student assaulted an administrator and another time, the student was flipping over a conference table.
Murray Police Department Officer Matt Dibble knows he is responsible for safety and crime prevention as Hillcrest Junior High’s school resource officer. (Photo courtesy of Justin Nixon)
Dibble has never had to draw his handgun at the school, but he did say besides communication and having the mindset of working with this age group, having a situational awareness is important so he is able to respond immediately to a situation if necessary. “Training just kicks in,” he said. “I’ve experienced where I haven’t dealt with something in a long time and all of a sudden, some kind of threat comes up, not necessarily here at the school, but on patrol for something, and all of a sudden your training kicks in. I don’t have to think twice. It’s a mode that I can turn on and off.” Dibble’s role in elementary schools is also to calm an unruly student, or to track down a student who may have run away and answer students’ questions. High school SROs also attend extracurricular activities for a police presence. SROs also may have a role with talking to
students about truancy. Dibble had more than a decade of experience on patrol before he became a SRO five years ago. To become a SRO, he completed a 40-hour training program. In the summer months, Dibble returns to bike patrol in Murray’s parks or on the Jordan River trail where he will see students and they say hi. Dibble is comfortable in the role as a mentor, a caring and trusting adult, a police officer who will give students high-5s—and in the role as a tactical cop. “I just be myself and let them decide if they’re going to like me or not. I don’t try to convince them to like me, but I show them I am who I am,” he said. Dibble hasn’t always been a police officer. He allows students to learn about him as a person behind the badge. On his office walls, there are pictures of musical artists that he’s worked with or talked with, show-
Cottonwood Heights City Journal
ing his past as a singer of a four-member group, Twenty4seveN, based in Cincinnati. “It kind of shows ‘I’m no different than you,’” he said. After performing two years in the music industry, Dibble was ready for change. “I have a buddy living out here who said, ‘why don’t you start in law enforcement?’” So, he moved. Although Dibble now wears police blue, he hasn’t walked entirely away from music. In a recent Murray City Police Department lip sync video (https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=OShxMZt6pOY), Dibble is front and center, leading the department in the performance. While Murray Department typically rotates its SROs every five years, Dibble isn’t sure his next move. He does have dreams of being a pilot. “I do this to give back to the community,” Dibble said. “I feel like I’m doing something important for the kids so they can reflect back later in life and had a good few years in my 7th, 8th and 9th grades. I think more people need to understand the job of a SRO. We’re not there just to be police officers; we’re not running radars down the hallways. We’re there to help kids in any way possible and let them know, you can come talk to me even if it’s not even police-related or criminal-related, you can just come talk to me and have a conversation.” l Hillcrest Junior High School students get to know Matt Dibble, their school resource officer, as well as appreciate his talents in music as he stars in Murray Police Department’s 2018 lip sync video. (Screenshot courtesy of Matt Dibble)
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
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Annual district cross country nets winners
And they’re off! Middle school runners from across the district raced in Canyons School District’s annual district cross country race on Oct. 10 at Union Middle School. The overall girls’ winner was seventh-grader Cadence Bettinson, of Eastmont; followed by Ruby Lewis, of Albion; and Anna Dorny, of Draper Park. Draper Park boys swept the boys’ top places with sixth-grader Hunter Hurl leading teammates Andrew Washenko and Gavriel Quebodeaux. Albion girls were crowned champions and Draper Park brought home the boys’ title. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
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For For info more visit - -WWW.GRIFOLSPLASMA.COM/EN/ENDCV19 visit - WWW.GRIFOLSPLASMA.COM/EN/ENDCV19 Formore more For info more visitinfo info WWW.GRIFOLSPLASMA.COM/EN/ENDCV19 visit - WWW.GRIFOLSPLASMA.COM/EN/ENDCV19 For more For info more visitinfo - WWW.GRIFOLSPLASMA.COM/EN/ENDCV19 visit - WWW.GRIFOLSPLASMA.COM/EN/ENDCV19 November 2020 | Page 9
Fifth-grade online students learn civics lesson—in time for elections By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
W
hile many Americans will be voting for a new president, some Canyons School District fifth-graders will be following along, understanding the process a little bit better, thanks to their online teacher Kathy Smith. Smith introduced topics surrounding the election while teaching 47 students from three different elementary schools—Altara and Sandy elementaries in Sandy, and Bella Vista Elementary in Cottonwood Heights. “The students are turning 11 this year, so that means they will have one more presidential election cycle after this year until they’ll be voting,” she said. “It’s important that we start the conversation of what it looks like.” Smith set the ground rules early. The first discussion was about the process of electing the president, not this election nor its candidates. This also follows with Canyons’ policy committee that sent out a memo on Sept. 15 which said, “Multiple policies in Canyons School District reflect the importance of political neutrality in the public school classroom and maintaining an environment free from private interests or political agendas.”
As part of her morning meeting, Smith posed the discussion question. “I started with ‘how do we elect a president,’ and there were some great answers,” she said. The replies ranged from “I think the candidate who wants to be elected president wants to tell people the direction to take the country,” to “I think the candidate wants to make the world a better place.” “It was good to hear them think about the person being able to direct policy and moving the country in positive ways to almost a service-component. We also talked about how the most votes don’t necessarily mean that person becomes president since we have the electoral college,” Smith said. The electoral college, the nomination process, the history of the different political parties, the history of voting, how to vote, and other topics Smith planned to cover during five or six basic lessons before the election. The lessons tie into the fifth-grade history core curriculum that surveys early explorers to the Thirteen Colonies to the early 1900s. “We talk about concepts during those early years of our country and the fundamental understanding how our country
works,” she said. While this isn’t the first time Smith has talked about these topics to her fifth-graders, it is the first time she has taught them online. “It’s a little tricky,” she said. “When you’re in-person, we can have a discussion with everyone there. When we meet on-
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line, they electronically raise their hand or respond in a chat to each other. It’s just a little harder, but it’s fun to see their abilities develop to mute and unmute and to respect each other when while speaking. It’s been good to introduce student to these concepts; it’s been an active discussion.” l
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Continued from front page marching band didn’t even get to perform their show before a home crowd as they planned since the football game was canceled as one team was quarantined with too many cases of the coronavirus. “The kids prepared really well, and it shows through the maturity of the band,” Mortensen said before competition as she prepared to hand it over to drum majors senior Hailey Timm and junior Yvonne Sun. “I have little control in the moment, so they’ll just do the best.” And they did just that in their first competition with their show, “Shere Khan,” which plays off of the tiger from “The Jungle Book.” “I wanted to tie into the school culture as Bengals. In fact, our music also ties into that with ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ by Guns & Roses and ‘Roar’ by Katie Perry. I wanted to connect with our community and have it be meaningful to Brighton,” she said. The show examines to see if Shere Khan is a villain or if he is more of a victim of his circumstances, Mortensen said, as the tiger has his jungle, created with lush green backdrops parents created, that is destroyed by man—which the band illustrates through construction cones and barrels, that are in abundance on the campus as the 50-yearold school is being rebuilt on the same site. The backdrop is flipped to show an industrial scene with factories and smoke destroy-
ing the natural setting. Mortensen said that initially band members could understand that impact as Australian wildfires were destroying animals’ habitats, but now with fires on the West Coast, it has brought that destruction and devastation closer to home. But the story doesn’t end there. Through choreography of the flags, the audience is left with a sense of hope. Other music in the show includes Brittany Spears’ “Toxic” and a choral arrangement of “Earth Song,” by Frank Ticheli. Mortensen and her seven-member staff worked on the arrangement and choreography with area experts John Matthews and Mark Hartman amongst others on the halftime show, a more theatrical performance than what was known in the 1980s when marching bands played a variety of pep songs with their fight song in formations at the half. “We still do a pregame song and play our fight song and pop songs in a ‘park and bark’ style, which helps to get the fans involved and excited, but the theatrical show stems from drum and bugle shows in the late 1990s,” she said. The marching band is slated to perform for their home crowd at another October football games They also intend to compete at the Mt. Timpanogos Regional Invitational, American Fork Invitational and Davis Cup before state on Halloween.
Mortensen began the process of introducing the marching band in 2018, her second year at Brighton, when she approached Principal Tom Sherwood to start a drumline at the school. The band program received his support for $25,000 to purchase new drums to replace the aging equipment. After the momentum and success of the drumline that played at sporting events as well as school-wide functions, Mortensen gained the support to the tune of $296,000 from Canyons Board of Education in October 2019 to begin the school’s marching band. Auditions were held campus-wide and drew an interest from musicians as well as those with dance and drama experience for the color guard. Brighton had a strong, active marching band as did the other east side high schools—Alta, Hillcrest and Jordan in the 1980s and 1990s, but interest faded, and a framed uniform on the band room wall is a reminder of the band in days gone by. Alta High is the only other Canyons high school that has a marching band, which returned in 2013. Hillcrest High’s band paraded into their football stadium the past two seasons, but is taking the fall off in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s been quite an adventure this year putting the marching band together, but it’s been awesome,” Mortensen said. l
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November 2020 | Page 11
City considers implementing storm water fee
T
he City of Cottonwood Heights is considering implementing a new fee for residents and other property owners. A storm water fee of $7.50 per month for a single-family residential household would be collected to help fund the repair, operations, compliance, and maintenance of the city’s storm water system. Over $19.2 million of capital projects related to the city’s storm water system has been identified by T-O Engineers through a city council funded study. In addition, $600,000 is needed for annual maintenance. Out of that $19.2 million, $4,200,000 is needed for cleaning and camera installation, $500,000 is needed for immediate spot repairs, $1,236,710 is needed for 2016 project list priorities, $2,000,000 is needed for detention basins, and $11,221,497 is needed for pipe replacement. Cottonwood Heights has six major basins “where the water runs off from a local point and we move it out of there,” explained Public Works Director Matt Shipp. With such large expenses identified, the Public Works Department suggested implementing a storm water fee to the city council. “Storm water fees will ad-
dress operations and maintenance, capital projects, and regulatory compliance,” explained Shipp. “With the fee, personnel, street sweeping, storm drain cleaning, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and capital improvements would be covered.” Cottonwood Heights has been trying to get a handle on the storm drain system for years. When the city incorporated, much of the infrastructure was adopted from Salt Lake County. Unfortunately, the County had not mapped or maintained the system accurately. The Cottonwood Heights Public Works Department still finds new areas of the storm drain system. In addition, the areas that were accounted for were failing. “Many pipes throughout the city are in poor conditions,” said Shipp. A storm water fee would be based on impervious surfaces throughout the city (artificial surfaces covered by water-resistant materials, like sidewalks and parking lots). One equivalent residential unit (ERA) would be roughly 5,000 square feet of impervious surface, typical for single-family households within the area. Three different potential options have been proposed to the city council
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for implementation. Each would include a monthly fee between $5 to $9 per ERU ($60 to $108 annually for single-family households) with the potential of additional variables like annual rate increases and bond options. The recommendation from city staff members would be to implement a $7.50 monthly ERU fee with a rate increase so no bonding is necessary. Through this model, everyone using the storm water system would contribute funding. “Those who are tax exempt would pay into the storm water fee so it’s a little more equitable,” explained City Manager Tim Tingey. “They would be paying for what they are using.” Out of 5,100 acres of taxable property throughout the city, 556 acres are tax exempt for various reasons (including educational and religious). That means, around 11% of the entire city is not contributing funding for the storm water system. Currently, Cottonwood Heights utilizes taxes under the general fund to pay for storm water improvements. One of the concerns with the current setup is that storm water-related expenses compete with other budget items. However, with a storm water fee, there would be dedi-
cated funding for the storm water infrastructure. “There are over 70 miles worth of conveyance,” said Shipp. Conveyance refers to the system composed of drainage components like storm drains, pipes, street gutters, inlets, and catch basins, among others. Federally, the Public Works Department is required to perform litter prevention and cleanup, public education, regular water testing, code enforcement, and other pollution monitoring and prevention activities. “I have met with the city managers of Millcreek and Holladay, and they have been going through the same process,” said Tingey. The Cottonwood Heights City Council will continue to consider the option of implementing a storm water drain fee. The tentative plan is to have more discussion through the end of October, start a public input period throughout November, consider adoption of a plan in December, and, if passed, fee collection in January so funds can be implemented during next spring and summer. l
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Canyons District to go 1:1 on devices to secondary students, extends service of existing computers By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
F
or more than a decade, Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood has consulted technology experts at Canyons School District, gaining insight before making decisions on how best to keep computers updated at his school. Like other schools, Brighton High is on a five-year rotation, where Sherwood has the choice to purchasing new desktops in labs or yearly ordering about 500 new Chromebooks at roughly the same price – $100,000. This past spring, he decided to order enough devices so every one of his 2,200 students can check out a Chromebook for the year. “It becomes more fiscally responsible to provide a Chromebook checked out to each student, and now with the onset of COVID and online learning, it is more a necessity,” he said in early October after receiving a shipment of devices he ordered last spring. However, he is keeping computer labs for some classes and programs where they’re needed such as multimedia, coding, computer programming, computer-aided drafting, yearbook and others and will continue to update those computers every five years. But what happens to the school’s old computers? Sherwood said after he checks throughout his high school to see if there is a use for them, he reaches out to middle and elementary schools and transfers the assets. “By the time five years passes, many of them are obsolete and can’t make it worthwhile to replace operating systems, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value,” he said. Director of Information Technology Scot McCombs agrees: “We just kind of do that trickle-down model. We target students and staff and as it (the device) loses its value, we try to trickle it down to another location where we can still get some use out of it.” McCombs said now that every student in the district is online learning on Fridays after the recent Canyons Board of Education decision, he is looking to use those Chromebooks and computers now more than ever. “Right now, we’re trying to come up with 500 devices for our special education students to do a virtual meeting between them and their teachers,” he said. “These 500 devices are a good example of us not having to necessarily needing to buy new devices for this purpose, because the requirements are pretty simple, it doesn’t take a ton to do a virtual meeting. So, if we can find a device to do that, and it may not do anything else, but if it can do that, then we’re serving the district as best as possible.” For those secondary schools that are not already 1:1 with a device, the district placed an order of almost 3,000 Chromebooks – expected to arrive in November – to ensure
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all students at the eight middle and six high schools will have a Chromebook checked out to them, he said. The $600,000 funding for that purchase comes from the district’s technology fund, Canyons Education Foundation and the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act), which is federal funding provided to the district through grants that need to be used by the end of the calendar year. “At this time in education from us moving from in-person to online to our two-week dismissals, based on quarantine, making sure that every student has a device is really essential,” he said. “The supply chain is just so slow right now. In the past, we’d order Chromebooks, we’d have them in six weeks. Well, now, it’s almost six months, if not longer. While we recognize the Chromebook is not the perfect device, it does more of what we need than anything else.” While many of the students and teachers are using the newer devices, McCombs said that the district is using 10-year-old devices that are kept updated and in working condition in other areas. “We use technology much longer than industry would or much longer than people would in their homes. We truly don’t have enough money to buy all the technology we need,” he said, adding that his team tries to find creative ways to fund technology for the district. In elementary schools, there are still computers in labs that are being used for coding and video editing. Those are rotated out of the lab every five years at a cost of $60,000, McCombs said. Those older computers may be used in classrooms or in the media center. Or if the school principal opts not to update its lab with new computers, McCombs offers the alternative – replacing a Chromebook cart of 30 devices every year for five years, which is about the same amount of money. On top of that, every four years, a mobile lab is updated, which is either Chromebooks or iPads, he said. The middle school computer labs are usually geared for career and technology and STEM classes and are replaced typically every five years, he said. The middle school students are using Chromebooks from carts until the new shipment arrives and they will be 1:1 with devices. What happens with the outdated computers that are no longer useful? Simply put by Sherwood: “We keep computers in the district as long as possible, but at some point, they are wiped clean and go to the state surplus or the public auction.” McCombs explains that after wiping the
Computers are regularly upgraded in Canyons District schools, but often older models are reused for years before being surplused. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
devices of student data, it’s up to the warehouse staff to collect and surplus the computers. “Our rotation is let’s get as much life out of these devices as we can and then when they no longer have value, that’s when we turn around and surplus them. By the time, those devices actually make it to surplus, there is so little value in them that very seldom does someone wants to buy them,” McCombs said. “Nobody wants to buy a 10-year-old computer.” He estimates only 5 to 10% of the district’s computers go to surplus, and most of those can’t be upgraded with a current operating system. They also are cleared of their programs so those purchasing the computers would have to buy a license and install their own programs. The funds from devices that are sold goes back to the district’s general funds that will feed back into the system, he said. The district server and teacher laptops are shred with metal shredders. Some of the older devices that require a higher power consumption and more support from the district technology staff are the ones that tend to make it to surplus, he said. “As we try to balance this, it’s kind of the pendulum, the weight we have to put on it. Are we spending more to support this device than what it’s worth? And that goes back to value…looking at costs, uses, energy consumption, support cost, we’re constantly looking at getting the value out of the device we can,” he said. “The mantra of the district is we use it and if it doesn’t have value for that person anymore, we see if there’s another person who can use it. Our idea is to just use it, reuse it, and finding new and creative ways to still get value out of it. And finally, when we
do surplus it, it really is out of its prime and it really shouldn’t have any real value left.” On the public surplus site, www.publicsurplus.com, there also are items available from mannequins to school buses. l
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November 2020 | Page 15
Canyons partnership with Comcast allows students new way to connect, bridge digital divide By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
T
his past spring, Canyons School District’s partnership with T-Mobile allowed students to connect their devices with hot spots during the soft closure of schools in response to COVID-19 pandemic. “During COVID, during our soft dismal, we bought an additional 250 more so we actually delivered up to 800 hot spots to our families,” said District director of information technology Scot McCombs. Running parallel to those hot spots, Canyons School District recently partnered with Utah State Board of Education and with the help of Canyons Education Foundation, there will be a roll out of Comcast’s internet essentials program that will allow students a wired connection for a faster-speed internet service. McCombs said that the Comcast partnership will provide service at 25 meg per second at a cost to the District of $10 per month. For the T-Mobile hot spots, it’s 15 meg per second at $20 per month. He estimates that about 1,200 students can take advantage of this service. It has yet to be decided if the service will be available during summer months.
“We’re going to add this Comcast internet essentials as another option. It will be for those who can prove financial need, and then the hot spots will be our filler. So, if a kiddo is traveling between Mom’s and Dad’s house…we’re not going to be able to get Comcast to both homes so a hot spot may be the better case,” he said. “We’re trying to put the right tool in place for the family.” While both are serving students and their families who are in financial need, McCombs said that T-Mobile allows the district or principals to define what financial need is while Comcast requires proof, such as families who qualify for free and reduced lunch. “With the hot spots, the families don’t have to bring a W-2. The principals, based on the relationships they have with the students, can determine the need,” McCombs said, adding that “Is the financial need now based on the family being out of work based on COVID and that may not show up on a W-2.” Last year, McCombs met with every principal in the district to decide how to bridge the digital divide. About 550 devices were then distributed to be used as a home
Chromebooks are often the device Canyons School District students use to connect with teachers online. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
computer for those with economic needs. Brighton Principal Tom Sherwood recently received a shipment of Chromebooks to enable his school to check out a device to every student. “Should students have access to the in-
ternet at home?” he questioned. “I think it’s unfair to those who don’t have it and we need to provide the device that can give them access to bridge the achievement gap. l
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PhD in political science from the University of Utah Career in higher education as a technology expert Served on PTA boards in the Canyons School District Former chair of the Mount Jordan Middle School Community Council Focused on family values and running to stand up for Utah families
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Cottonwood speech, debate students preparing for a season—either online, or in-person
What’s your legacy?
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
I
n a world of looking at the positive side of things, Cottonwood High speech and debate teacher Adam Wilkins is doing just that. He is planning the school’s first virtual debate tournament. “There’s a lot of logistics with judges, virtual training, preparing students’ skills set to speak or debate over a Zoom call with just seeing their face and not having body language—it makes it more about the speech itself,” he said. “It’s all a fun challenge. The students’ safety is, has to be, and will be my primary concern so if teaching them and having them have this experience is virtual, I’m happy to oblige and make it work for them.” While Wilkins prepares for this tournament, he still is teaching about 50 speech and debate students in person as well as students online. It is one of his largest teams despite half his team graduating last spring. He also is placing more emphasis on skills, including a new one—how to speak through masks. “Masks aren’t going away here for a while so we need our students to be able to communicate with them in what is now called the ‘new normal,’” Wilkins said. “I think with COVID, it has given me a chance to re-evaluate what and how I’m teaching and providing them in class. It has taken the urgency out of things and given us a chance to slow down and evaluate to become better speakers and communicators. We used to be go-go-go and get going before a competition, but now we’re able to dive into our speaking and organizational skills.”
Those may include skills such as articulation and projection and addressing what makes a better speaker. Wilkins said that he is encouraging his students to speak about topics that interest them. “Students are feeling more muzzled, for lack of a better term, with masks during this pandemic. They have reason to talk, to express their opinion. Students want to be heard and validated, especially now when the year 2020 will go down as one of the worst years of the last 100 or in their generation politically, socially, economically in the U.S. and in the world. These kids have grown up a lot in the last year,” he said. Many of the speeches he expects students to address this year may focus on the year’s headlines: social justice, global pandemic, world-wide recession, and U.S. elections. “It’s a world of uncertainty and they’ll talk about those issues—and the new ways we’re facing this world,” he said. Historically, Cottonwood’s forensics team performs well, being amongst the top for the past dozen or so years. Last year, Cottonwood placed second in region last February and was already competing at state at Wasatch High when Gov. Gary Herbert put schools on soft closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I don’t know what in-person debate looks like this year. We will hope for the best and plan for the worst,” Wilkins said. “The kids are excited and are ready to work hard and do their best.” l
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A Cottonwood member of the speech and debate team leans in to watch the sparring of fellow debaters. (Photo courtesy of Nizhoni Tsosie)
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Landscape beautification award winner showcases drought-resistant design By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com
C
ottonwood Heights residents and businesses were recently recognized for doing their part to beautify the community. Cottonwood Heights Landscape Beautification Award winners were selected from nominees from each district in the city, and one winner focused his landscaping on saving water. Chris Owens, received his landscape beautification award after years of rehabilitating what he called an eyesore of a property. He reworked his property with a focus on xeriscaping, replacing thirsty old grass and bushes with drought-resistant varieties. “My No. 1 priority was xeriscaping and low water use to show that a yard without a single blade of grass can still be eye-catching and not require so much water,” Owens said. He’s a believer in water conservation and constructing low-water use landscapes in Utah’s dry climate. The yard is also intended to attract bees and other pollinators. “There are lots of colors for pollinators.” The results of his work certainly are eye-catching to those near him. Owens was nominated by neighbors for the award. “I have some kind neighbors around me,” he said. All told, Owens work on his yard took
three years. He contracted out the work but drew up the plans himself based on his own research and designs he had in mind. He took a lot of walks to get ideas from the yards he passed. Then he visited landscaping supply stores to check out rocks, different kinds of mulch, and other materials he wanted to add to this yard. He then created plans using Photoshop and shared them with the landscapers he hired to bring his vision to life. Before he started, the property was overgrown and in disrepair. “On Google street view, you couldn’t even see the house,” Owens said. He cleared out the overgrowth and created a landscape design that makes use of rocks and brightly colored drought-resistant plants. “Nominations are submitted by community members over the course of a few weeks, and are then organized by Council district,” said Mike Johnson, Community and Economic Development director. “Each councilmember then selects a winner in their respective district from the nomination list.” According to Johnson, the landscape beautification awards have taken place for around four years now. Residents are invited to nominate the yards of homes or businesses in the community. VCA Willow Creek Pet
Landscape award winner Chris Owens designed his yard himself. (Photo courtesy of Chris Owens)
Center received the award for a commercial property. Other residential winners included Brian and Lindy Selander, Tamra Feenstra, and Marilee Christensen. Award winners received a certificate of recognition from the mayor and a yard sign signaling their
achievement. For Owens, seeing his vision for his landscape come to life is reward enough. “I’m really proud of the xeriscaping,” he said. l
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Considering affordable housing for gravel pit development By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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he Planned Development District (PDD) was created and implemented in 2015 into the Cottonwood Heights City Code of Ordinances. Since then, only one development has taken use of it. Currently, applicants proposing a development for the north end of the area known as the Gravel Pit within the city have requested the written ordinance to be altered. Specifically, they are requesting the Cottonwood Heights City Planning Department, Planning Commission, and City Council consider changes to the requirement of affordable housing. “Rockworth Development is requesting flexibility to how affordable housing is developed on that site,” said Community and Economic Development Director Michael Johnson. Affordability is dependent upon standards set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Per the Utah guidelines, affordable housing should be available to those who make 80% of the community’s area median income (AMI). This category of income level is considered low income. Very low income is considered those who make 31% to 50% of the AMI, and extremely low income is considered 30% or less of the AMI. (The area median income for Cottonwood Heights is $86,207.) Currently, the PDD requires 10% of all developed units to be affordable based on 50% AMI, or very low income. For this specific project, out of 419 units 42 would need to be affordable. However, Rockworth Development
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
reported that construction based on 50% AMI is very difficult because of the requirements involved with subsidizing funding. Instead, they are asking the city to consider some flexibility. A suggestion was made for allowing the requirement to be 80% AMI instead of 50% AMI matching state guidelines, so they would be able to offer more units. Based on projections from the U.S. Department of Human and Urban Development, the most need for housing units will occur between 2030 and 2040 for those earning 50% to 80% of the AMI. “Affordable housing is a priority in our community,” said Adam Davis from Rockworth Development. “We feel great about responding to every PDD ordinance requirement. We drafted our plan to meet every single one of the goals and have done everything we can to meet those goals.” Rockworth Development has reached out to HUD for consideration of alternative funding but with the lack of certainty about the project’s timing, it was denied. (The owner of the gravel pit has said he plans to continue running the gravel pit operation until it is no longer profitable.) “If this issue was not raised by this applicant, would you have brought this back for review?” Mayor Mike Peterson asked Johnson. “Affordable housing was going to be addressed in the next update to the PDD,” said Johnson. l
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The two certainties in life: death and taxes By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
I
n 2018, the Cottonwood Heights City Council raised property taxes for the first time since its incorporation. It was one of the biggest discussions between the public, city staff members, and city council that year. Since then, the city council and staff have been approaching budget development quite differently, with various committees and personnel meeting frequently throughout the year. One such continuous discussion focuses on the same topic from 2018: tax increases. Municipalities all over the state are experiencing shortages in revenues with expenditures ever increasing. The Cottonwood Heights City Council knows theoretically that they will have to raise taxes again in the future, but the implementation and timing of doing so practically has still yet to be decided on. “I want to get a holistic picture,” said Councilmember Christine Mikell. “How do you put all the pieces together from what people need while being thoughtful for all economic levels within our community?” On Oct. 6, Administrative and Fiscal Services Director Scott Jurges presented some contextual information to the city council. One of the main questions that was asked by the council to Jurges was, “Could we do a year over year cost of living or fixed rate on tax increase?” Jurges explained that is certainly an option, referencing the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Service Area and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District who both do something similar. “I’ve pulled a lot of research on different entities, districts, and municipalities since 2011 and I’ve pulled out any years
Many cities throughout the valley raise taxes in large increments sporadically throughout many years. (Scott Jurges/Cottonwood Heights)
where an entity would need to do a Truth in Taxation process which would mean that they increase the tax above and beyond what the certified tax rate would be,” Jurges said. However, if the council chose to implement a fixed rate increase every year, the process to implement a tax increment increase would have to be completed every year as well. “You can’t bind a future council,” he explained. “You can’t set it in place one year and have it set for every consecutive year.” Jurges provided an example for the council to reflect on. “The current property tax in the budget is at just over 8 million dollars. If we were to do a 1% increase, that would equate to around 80,000 dollars.” Moving forward, the Cottonwood Heights City Council will need to decide to
either increase taxes by a small percentage every year or increase taxes by a larger percentage intermittently. “Some entities are rather sporadic with their tax increases,” Jurges said, providing examples of Murray, Sandy, Midvale, and other cities within Utah. Luckily, the urgency to address this question has eased as the State of Utah and related municipalities have not been experiencing a decrease in revenue funding as anticipated with the global pandemic. “It’s happily surprising that revenues haven’t dipped significantly like we feared that they would, and they’re staying relatively stable at least for the sales taxes,” said Councilmember Scott Bracken. As budget discussions continue, Jurges will present an updated 5-year projection for
Fixed rate taxes 2 – Taxes will always be raised. Governments just have to decide on if they’d like to raise taxes incrementally or sporadically. (Flicker)
the city budget with information based on the pandemic incorporated. l
City makes changes to idling code By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
I
n June 2018, the City Journals reported on a new ordinance that was passed regarding idling within the City of Cottonwood Heights. The ordinance made idling for over 1 minute illegal. Idling drivers would be given a warning, then a citation for a reoccurring offense. In 2019, the Utah State Legislature passed a statue which changed their idling code for all municipalities within the state H.B. (House Bill) 148 – Vehicle Idling Revisions sponsored by Senator Curtis Bramble and Representative Patrice Arent. Now, Cottonwood Heights is making revisions to their Idling Code (Chapter 9.62 – Idling Vehicle of the Cottonwood Heights City Code of Ordinances) in order to meet the state’s requirements. One of the changes to be made to the code addresses challenges that occur on private property. “The biggest challenge pertaining to code enforcement for idling on private property are drive-thrus,” explained Cottonwood Heights Police Chief Robby Russo during the Oct. 6 City Council
CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com
meeting. “Functionally, it makes more sense to not enforce idling on private property,” Russo said. However, he noted that business owners can put up educational signs requesting drivers waiting in drive-thrus to turn off their engines. Another change that needs to be made to the Cottonwood Heights city code includes legal repercussions for idling over 1 minute on public property. The state legislature changed the language in their bill from three warnings before a citation, to one. Cottonwood Heights will do the same. “It’s easier to track with one warning,” said Russo. “Like seat belt laws, the whole intent of this ordinance is education.” “The changes address idling on private property, but still keeps the desire and intent related to handling idling issues throughout the city,” said Russo. The Cottonwood Heights City Council voted on the changes to the city’s Idling Ordinance on Oct. 20. l
Receiving a citation for idling will now occur after only one warning. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights)
November 2020 | Page 21
Life
Laughter AND
by
PERI KINDER
Falling Apart
Well, 2020 finally broke me. I’m overwhelmed, worried about COVID, stressed about the election, climate change, immigration and poverty, and disillusioned to learn Ellen DeGeneres is an actress. It feels like someone shook Pandora’s Box 2.0 like a maraca, releasing sadness, greed and hubris. I started this column dozens of times, but it feels like my funny is numb. I’d begin writing but devolve into an angry rant where I’m pounding the keyboard like a furious Elton John. I’ve gone feral. During yoga, I asked my students for advice on how to find my funny. They suggested sharing recipes for Doomsday Survival beverages like Meltdown Mimosas and Disaster Daquiris. I’m afraid if I start researching drinks, I’d sober up around Groundhog Day. (If there is a Groundhog Day in 2021.) I’m run through a gamut of feelings, enough emotions to create a second or third generation of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs. I start each day with Hangry then work my way through Weepy, Lonely, Screamy, Worry, Panic and Gloomy. My husband never knows which Peri he’ll bump into when we pass in the hall. It makes everyday discussions a bit wobbly. Hubbie: What sounds good for dinner? Me: We’re on a spinning planet, slowly moving toward the sun where we’ll be consumed like a fly in a bug zapper. Hubbie: So . . . enchiladas? Americans are resilient, right? We’ve been through tough times, right? We’ll come together and make the best decisions for our country . . . oh, who am I kidding? I started screaming at the moon every night like some kind of demon weredog. I’m sure my neighbors are terrified. (Sidenote: I hope someone who’s been living in a bunker since Y2K finally emerged this year to see if it’s safe to come out. Joke’s on them.) My meditation practice has become a slow descent into madness. But then. I zoom in close and watch my grandkids teach a disinterested dog to roll over. I see myriad kindnesses in my life like chocolate, warm blankets and Disaster Daquiris. I zoom out and witness this beautiful world with its billions of people just doing the best they can. Compassion is abundant. I talk to the trees (literally). I smell pumpkin spice (everywhere). I hike through gorgeous canyons, watching leaves release their grip on branches and freefall to the ground. The stillness settles my thoughts.
I don’t know if you’ll read this before or after the election. I don’t know if we’re facing martial law, a presidential coup or (finally) an alien invasion. But I know optimism feels better than despair. We can continue to Catastrophe Scroll though vile social media posts, created by friendless trolls with no sense of humor and a serious case of ringworm, or we can turn off our phones and relearn what “community” means. One day soon, we’ll have to acknowledge the friendships we’ve lost, the unnecessary arguments we waged and the times we refused to back down. It will be a political hangover of epic proportions, especially if you’ve been drinking Calamity Cosmopolitans. Those who follow my social media platforms know where I stand politically, and it’s easy to look at the rage in the world and point fingers at The Other Side. I can stop the blame game, but I won’t stop calling for equality, justice and inclusion in places it doesn’t exist. We must remember that Hope remained in Pandora’s Box. It’s our job to nurture it.
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Cottonwood Heights City Journal
Mountain-bikers climb to reach goals, 14 qualify for state By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
F
ourteen mountain bikers on the Cottonwood-Hillcrest-AMES composite team were slated to compete at state Oct. 2324, as of press deadline. “I feel amazing about the season,” Cottoncrest coach Tony Stowe said. “Each athlete has shown so much growth.” While the team has no varsity athletes, two—Connor McMillan and Matt Hinks, and possibly a third, Justice Robinson—are expected to compete at that level next year. “We are dead last in our division, but I never care where we sit overall. I care about these young adults setting goals, working toward those goals, understanding how to readjust them so they can be successful and improve,” he said, adding that the team is young with only five seniors graduating. Stowe said that in addition to his riders’ goals, a measure of the team’s success
is when an athlete who has never mountain biked before puts in hundreds of miles training, with thousands of vertical climbs, to competing at divisionals at Cedar City’s Three Peaks Throwdown without getting injured since “it’s pretty advanced riding.” Some of the season’s highlights include senior Elliot Meyer, in his first race ever, started in 38th place and placed third in his division, and freshman Jacob Arens, in his first race, started in the back and moved up 23 spots to finish 19th. His second race, he made the podium. For the girls, he said Hiley Campbell is up-and-coming, placing 16th in her division. To learn more about the club sport, Stowe recommends student-athletes turn to utahmtb.org, Cottoncrest mtb on Facebook or huskycoltmtb on Instagram. l
“I care about these young adults setting goals, working toward those goals, understanding how to readjust them so they can be successful and improve.” At the divisionals in Cedar City, Cottoncrest biker Matt Hinks finishes 12th in his division. (Photo courtesy of David Butler)
Cottonwood-Hillcrest-AMES composite mountain bike coach Tony Stowe
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Brighton Marching Band begins program right in step By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
I
t hasn’t been an easy year to start a marching band—director Mikala Mortensen will admit—but the Brighton High Marching Band has been resilient and just snagged second place in 5A at their first-ever competition, the Bridgerland Invitational. “They have worked so hard and fought through all of the crazy that comes with being a first-year band and starting a band through a pandemic,” Mortensen shared with the Brighton community on Facebook. “Words can’t express the gratitude I feel to stand in front of them every day and the pride I felt during their performance today.” The marching band competition, which was held at Mountain Crest High in Hyrum instead of its normal venue of Utah State University, had different guidelines, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of getting to spend the day watching other bands, the Brighton musicians, who were the first ones to perform, were told to immediately exit afterward to reduce the chance of spreading the disease. Mortensen and others had plans to watch a livestream of the competition on the bus ride home. The road to be ready to compete during the pandemic has been bumpy. While marching band follows the Utah High School Activities Association’s guidelines, the 60 marching band members have their temperatures taken daily and complete
Brighton High Marching Band perform in their first competition, where they took second place. (Screenshot)
health checks, and if the group has three cases, then they need to be quarantined— something students already are familiar with as Brighton High moved to online for two weeks with reporting 28 cases in late September.
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59
per month
FREE WATER HEATER - OR Whole Home Duct Cleaning W/ Furnace/AC Install
All offers are for homeowners only. One per household. Some restrictions apply. Call for details. Not valid with any other offers. Must present offer at time of appointment booking. Offer ends 11/30/20.
(801) 845-4414 allhoursplumbingslc.com uintahfireplace.com