August 2020 | Vol. 20 Iss. 08
FREE MIDVALE CBC STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CRITICAL CARE FOR COMMUNITY By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
T
he Midvale Community Building Community (CBC) clinic provides affordable medical and dental services that are needed now more than ever. But the clinic has come close to closing its doors since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “It was a little scary at the beginning,” said Mauricio Agramont, executive director of Midvale CBC. “We had a tough ethical decision to make. We have to serve our community and at the same time, maintain our volunteer providers’ safety. We made the decision to keep the clinic open with the providers willing to come serve the community.” The University of Utah School of Medicine normally provides medical students and instructors to operate the medical clinic. When they were no longer available, Dr. David Sundwall, a long-time volunteer, offered to run the clinic on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to keep it open. At first, services were limited to prescription refills and follow-up phone calls to established patients. “Everyone still needs medicine refilled, even during a pandemic,” said Agramont. “We were able to help a lot of people who had no other access to other clinics.” Dr. Cleo Stephanides Cheney offered to provide emergency dental care. “The biggest challenge we faced at the clinic was being able to see patients with limited time, equipment and staff,” Cheney said. “Our main goal at the height of the pandemic was to keep patients out of hospital emergency rooms for dental pain to lessen their exposure to COVID-19 and to decrease the burden on the emergency medical staff.”
“She came here every time there was an emergency,” said Agramont. “And our staff had to be here to put charts together. Their commitment to serve the community is remarkable.” During the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff was kept to a minimum to decrease the risk of exposure. Generally, there have been three people running administration, obtaining supplies and scheduling patients. “There were limited types of procedures that we could perform in an effort to limit any respiratory aerosols created by dental drills,” Cheney said. “Because we were limited to emergency treatment only, I offered temporary treatment and extractions until patients could be seen when permission was given to continue elective dental treatment in May.” Patients are screened for COVID-19 symptoms before entering the clinic and are required to wear masks and apply hand sanitizer. All doctors and assistants wear full personal protective equipment (PPE). “We have to use safety equipment at a high rate,” said Agramont. “The physicians and assistants put on gowns and masks, treat the patient, then change the whole ensemble.” At one point the clinic was again on the verge of closing, this time due to lack of protective gear. “Salt Lake County really stepped up and provided the PPE needed to continue the clinics,” said Agramont. “Without their help, we would have ended services in May.” Cheney was also able to donate N-95 masks from her private practice. “I feel so lucky to be able to volunteer at the Midvale
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Hillcrest High snags best choreography from Utah High School Musical Theatre Award By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Hillcrest High School performing arts students tied for best choreography at the Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards with their performance of “42nd Street.” (Photo courtesy of Hillcrest High School)
I
n a typical year a packed theater of high school students eagerly await the announcement of the Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards; this year instead had them at home watching screens. In a world that has gone virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first-ever live streaming of the awards show, presented by the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, announced state winners, including Hillcrest High, who tied for best choreography for the fall 2019 performances of “42nd Street.” It was Hillcrest High’s first time winning best choreography; previously, the school has won 12 different musical theatre awards, said Josh Long, theatre director. Chelsea Lujan, dance teacher and choreographer for the show, said the students took advantage of the summer after the musical was announced and were resourceful to prepare for “42nd Street.”
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“Once we decided on the show, I let the kids take the initiative to learn the (tap) steps,” she said. “If they learned them by August, then they would be on stage in the musical. Some of them watched videos, some took classes and some already knew how to tap so when we came together in the fall, we had a core group who could help teach the rest of the cast.” About 90 cast members—productions company, dance company and 30 other dedicated students—provided extra help for other 80 members of the chorus, who found themselves dancing in the aisles during the performances. “We had tappers helping non-tappers and they fed off each other and got more and more excited. They wanted to do their absolute best and succeed. They know what a Hillcrest musical is and our expectations and they put forth that effort, work hard and value that to create something that is spectacular. What was fun about the students learning
it was hearing students tap in the hallways, shuffle under their desks—but I think it drove the teachers crazy,” Lujan said. The cast watched the awards individually, about 50 of them group chatted together. “They were really happy they were honored for their hard work and saw how much what they did was appreciated,” Lujan said. “It was a little sad to be away from each other during this, but I’m glad they got the recognition.” Hillcrest wasn’t the only area school to be recognized. Cottonwood High won for best orchestra with “Matilda” and Anthony Tibolla of Juan Diego Catholic High won best supporting actor. Cottonwood High’s instrumental director, Amber Tuckness, immediately received texts from friends, congratulating her orchestra pit for their accomplishment. “I immediately sent an email to my students afterward, telling them how proud I was of them,” she said. “It’s a nice recogni-
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tion and I’m thankful that they were honored. We had a huge pit full of musicians and this award validates us. So many high schools don’t have live pit orchestras anymore, but we do and that is one of the reasons our musicals are so successful. Recorded music is not the same feel and it’s harder for the actors.” Tuckness said that typically pit orchestra students are learning music on their own time; it is not part of their grade. Rehearsals may take 50 hours in advance and then, another 10 days of practicing with the actors. Tuckness said that after the judges watched their performance, they came to the stage and talked to the students. “The kids got the immediate feedback from the judges and got complimented on providing live music to the show. It was a fun show to do,” she said. “I’m glad they did the virtual awards ceremony; it was one less thing to take away from the kids this school year.” l
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Continued from front page a very long patient waitlist. To continue to serve our Midvale community, we need more volunteer dentists and more resources.” Other challenges have kept Agramont on his toes. The usual cleaning crew quit once the pandemic hit, so the clinic hired people from the community. “They weren’t planning on working, but they stepped in because I needed someone to clean the clinic,” said Agramont. “If that piece doesn’t fall into place, the whole operation falls apart. From the most basic tasks to the most difficult, everyone stepped up to the plate.” Eventually, the medical and dental clinics, located at 49 W. Center St., opened back up for non-emergency care. The hours vary, so the best way to make an appointment is to call 801-574-6172. That number will also connect community members to resources and education about COVID-19. “We’re educating our families in respect
of the symptoms and learning what to do if they’re exposed to someone who is positive (for COVID-19),” Agramont said. “What is quarantine, what do you do during the time after testing but before you get the results? Community workers are answering all these questions.” Midvale CBC is one of several organizations being funded to do this work by the Office of Health Disparities Reduction at the Utah Department of Health. Other key funders that keep the clinic running include the Making A Difference Foundation, the United Way and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “So many people are stepping up to help others and doing more than they usually do,” said Agramont. “That teamwork kept the clinic working. I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder than I have these last three months. And the work is just starting. We have these people’s health in our hands. It’s a big responsibility that we take seriously.” l
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Dental assistant Jose Torres prepares a set of dentures at the Midvale CBC Clinic in July. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
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Maria Cala (left) and Mauricio Agramont ensure that the Midvale CBC clinic’s charts are up to date and the entry is stocked with masks and hand sanitizer. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
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August 2020 | Page 5
New Canyons School District superintendent remains optimistic despite challenging transition times By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
O
nline schooling in response to COVID-19 pandemic. Earthquake and aftershocks along the Wasatch Front. Protests erupting in the streets. Masks required in Salt Lake County. Fire forcing Suncrest residents to evacuate to nearby Draper Park Middle. “What’s next?” may be what many people are thinking, but Canyons School District new superintendent Rick Robins found a silver lining. Robins said he is appreciative of the Utah lawmakers who decided to use the rainy day funds during the special session held in June. The result? Instead of being handed down a 2, 5 or 10% budget cut to public education, there is a 2% increase over this year’s base budget. “I am so grateful to our legislature and our local legislators for stepping up to the plate and holding education harmless at a time when things are so uncertain,” Robins said. “What that means for Canyons is we’re able to go on and deliver first-class education and just a small sample size of that, to give you a little flavor of that, with that passing, Canyons was able to go ahead and add six new school nurses. And so, when you’re thinking about our students’ well-being, their health and their
wellness returning to school what an awesome opportunity for us to complete that where if we were to face any of those budget cuts, that would not have been a possibility.” As schools are expected to begin Aug. 17, Robins said it is a “fluid situation” and they will follow the guidelines of the governor, Salt Lake County Health Department, and Utah State Board of Education. As of late June, he said Canyons was planning for an in-person start, and if masks aren’t required, they would be recommended. “It’s really important for everyone to understand that schools, not just in Canyons District, but across the state and the nation, will struggle to comply with 6-feet social distancing guidelines. Now having said that, what I have received from USBE (Utah State Board of Education) and from county health and the governor’s office is that if students are within 6 feet more than 15 minutes, then we would recommend that they mask up. We’re not going to require masks unless we’re told to by the health department or the governor’s office,” he said. “It presents a challenge, no doubt about it. We’re going to sanitize more often; our plans are to disinfect our buildings more often, all those things we can do. Masks will be provided for students and for teachers or employees. We’ll do everything we can to create the necessary distancing as possible, but it’s going to be impossible to comply with that 100%. We’ll do our best that way, there’s no way with the design of the buildings to ensure that students are 6 feet apart.” While school may open, not all activities may be. While the Utah High School Activities Association regulates sporting events, Canyons Board of Education and the superintendent may make decisions about other activities. “I would recommend that we start slower and what this really comes down to is contact tracing. If we do not have the ability to contact trace, for example, school dance, back to school night, or large assembly. If we don’t have the ability to contact trace then I’m asking or recommending that we either delay that for a future date or we look to an alternative way of doing that event,” Robins said. “I hope that everyone will be patient and considerate as we work through some of these issues. I think all of us want these activities to return. These activities are so important to so many kids and it really doesn’t matter what the activity is. For Always the self-proclaimed optimist, Canyons School Dis- a lot of kids, this is their passion and trict new superintendent Rick Robins found a silver lining it’s very important to them and their with COVID-19: using rainy day funds for schools which re- families. We’re going to do everything sulted in Canyons hiring six new school nurses. (Julie Slama/ we can to see those things get off the City Journals) ground.”
Page 6 | August 2020
Families wishing to keep their children home to learn or have blended learning will be able to do that as online kindergarten through eighth-grade curriculum is being established this summer, he said. High school online curriculum already is in place. While long-range goals are challenging during this time, Robins is focusing on his immediate goals of finalizing a re-entry plan and to support conversations about the social unrest in the country. “I think it’s important that as a school community, we understand and recognize the issues that are going on with social unrest in the country and in our own communities,” Robins said. “I think it’s important that we listen more, we learn more, and respect each other more. It’s something we all want. I believe with all my heart that the solution to this issue is through education and it always has been. As a school community collectively, we need to help our kids understand each other better and learn from each other better. We need to be respectful of each other and that starts with me, and I’m right there and excited to lead that conversation.” He hopes that Canyons Board of Education will approve reviewing the District’s curriculum and instructional practices, policies and procedures as well as student access to opportunities to ensure equity. During his transition time, Robins received a call at 3 a.m. Sunday, June 28, notifying him that Draper Park Middle School would be used as an evacuation shelter due to a nearby fire. “Just that event, in itself, reflects on the great collaboration that takes place in Canyons School District with their families— that in a given moment of need like that our schools are on the ready to support the families. There were district personnel that went out of their way at 2 and 3 o’clock in the morning to make sure those buildings were open and accessible. That’s such a great tribute to the community of how they can take care of each other. That’s a proud moment for all of us to relish on, that people really stepped up to support each other,” he said. Robins was voted unanimously by the Canyons Board of Education April 14 to lead the District’s 34,000 students, replacing Jim Briscoe, who retired June 30. During June, Robins and Briscoe made decisions together. Canyons Board of Education President Nancy Tingey is confident in the district’s new leadership. “He is a proven leader in Utah public education,” she said. “I think he has a lot of great qualities that are going to benefit our district and help our district move forward, build on all the great things we have in place. I have every confidence that Rick can lead the district through into the new now. He has
the experience, the skills, and the attributes to work with the other educators, with the Board, as we move forward.” Robins comes from Fillmore, where he played point guard on Millard High School’s basketball team, quarterback on the football team and shortstop, pitcher and first base on the baseball team before deciding to pursue playing football in college. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University where he was inducted to the university’s hall of fame in 2013 after being a fouryear starter at quarterback. He received his master’s degree from Grand Canyon University and a doctorate in educational leadership from University of Nevada - Las Vegas. His 25 years in education began as a history teacher at Copper Hills High School in Jordan School District and he worked as an assistant principal and principal in the Alpine, Nebo and Juab school districts. He also has coached high school boys football and girls basketball. His love of sports continues to this day and he often runs 5 miles per day to “decompress.” As Juab High School principal, Robins was named Utah’s high school principal of the year in 2012 by his peers. Under Robins’ leadership as superintendent, Juab School District was inducted into the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools in 2015 and the district was honored by the National School Boards Convention by the Center for Digital Education as a top 10 winner in 2018. While students were at home during the “soft closure” in response to COVID-19 pandemic, Robins made his rounds around the schools, meeting principals and admiring the campuses. “He’s very positive,” Willow Canyons Principal Marilyn Williams said. “He expresses appreciation. He said this is his dream job.” He’s looking forward to meeting students this fall. It may be getting to know them while supporting activities and watching games, or Robins, a self-claimed lifelong fan of Dr. Seuss, said he may also slip into an elementary school to read to students. “It does not matter what age, we can always look to Dr. Seuss and find some wisdom,” he said. “I’d really like to get out and meet our students and meet our parents and our communities in person to understand their needs and what those needs and requests are. Relationships are at the core of everything we do, and it starts with our students. I hope that my time in Canyons and in other districts will exemplify that. At the end of the day it really is about doing what is best for our students and building relationship with each and every student that they feel part of their experience and they have goals and a pathway to achieve those.” l
Midvale City Journal
Go online to support local performing arts By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
M
onths into a pandemic, when it’s best to limit large gatherings, what are performing arts organizations to do? For the Midvale Arts Council, Quick Wits and the Midvale Main Street Theatre it means creating online content and engaging with audiences in creative ways. “We were given notice that there were guidelines for how to open up, but I just didn’t feel comfortable doing so,” said Tammy Ross, owner of Midvale Main Street Theatre. The Midvale Main Street Theatre had cast one production and was about to begin performances of another when the pandemic reached Utah in March. Both productions, “Company” and “Next to Normal” have been postponed until 2021. In the meantime, to bring in revenue and keep actors engaged, the theatre is preparing to stage its first online production. “We’re trying to figure out how to make it work,” Ross said. “Rehearsing over Zoom calls is quite the adventure. Especially when someone needs to sing harmony, because there’s often a lag.” “Disenchanted! The Stay at Home Version” is about traditional fairytale princesses who aren’t happy with how they are portrayed in their Disney movies. “It’s funny, it’s a little sassy,” Ross said. “Sleeping Beauty will be hosting her show, and all the sudden Belle will come on and sing her frustration with having to talk to inanimate objects.” “Disenchanted!” was first performed by the Midvale Main Street Theatre in 2019. The three main actors are reprising their roles, though the script has been modified by the playwright, Dennis P. Giacino to fit the online format. The 60-minute performance will be prerecorded and streamed on Aug. 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online at midvalemainstreettheatre.com. The Midvale Main Street Theatre is also taking donations.
“As a for-profit company, a lot of arts grants aren’t available to us,” Ross said. “We’re holding on by our fingernails for the moment. If we wait for the right time, things will work out and we’ll get through this.” The Midvale Arts Council’s programming has also gone online until further notice. “The Midvale Arts Council Board of Directors has had numerous conversations with the Midvale City Council, staff, and mayor centered around keeping our patrons, community, and participants safe,” said Stephanie Johnson, treasurer of the board. “As such, the Midvale Arts facilities and programs won’t be opening back up until the green phase of reopening for Midvale City. It was a decision that we did not come to lightly but ultimately was the easiest hard decision we have ever made.” Instead, the council has been busy producing a slew of content to entertain anyone in need of a smile. A unique standout is a production of “Macbeth” where volunteers were given a scene to produce in any style they wanted. Some scenes were filmed with actors, while others use toys, puppets and even text messaging to convey Shakespeare’s famous play. The council’s summer concert series is also available to anyone with an internet connection. “Melanie Beardall was bound and determined to still make something happen,” said Wade Walker. “So she organized a series of virtual concerts—one a month for the summer. While the concerts haven’t burned down the internet with viewers, we hope that it’s still a way for the Arts Council to keep people engaged in the arts during the pandemic.” Walker, who is currently serving as president of the Midvale Arts Council Board of Directors, will perform with his brothers, Verdon and Kevin, on Friday, Aug. 7. Normally part of Harvest Days, this year the concert will take place at the Performing Arts Center and the only person in the audience will be operating a webcam.
Kevin Walker (left), Verdon Walker and Wade Walker perform in the Midvale Arts Council’s Patriotic Virtual Celebration on July 3. (Screenshot via Midvale Arts Council)
Midvale residents act out a scene with puppets in the Midvale Arts Council’s online presentation of “Macbeth.” (Screenshot via Midvale Arts Council)
“There’s not a theme per se other than the general idea of let’s forget about the pandemic and think of simpler times,” said Walker. “So we’re doing a medley of old TV theme songs (in honor of all the binge watching people are doing during the pandemic) and singing some of our other standard oldies that people seem to like.” The concert will also include patriotic songs. “We love the freedoms we have here in the U.S. but recognize that not everyone in the country feels the same freedoms we’ve felt,” Walker said. “One of the lyrics we sing from Barry Manilow’s song ‘Let Freedom Ring’ is about passing the dream of freedom along to others until no one’s denied its song. That lyric seems particularly applicable and poignant right now in our country.” The Walker Brothers have experimented with prerecorded and live streaming events Cassidy Ross (left), Alexandria Zinov and Makayla Conner Marriott will reprise their roles as fed-up fairytale since the pandemic began. princesses in Midvale Main Street Theatre’s virtual production of “Disenchanted! The Stay at Home Version” “The biggest con is that we don’t have an on Aug. 21 and 22. (Photos courtesy Midvale Main Street Theatre) audience to engage with,” Walker said. “Sing
MidvaleJournal.com
along songs are a little harder to do virtually than in person. One of the pros, however, is that we won’t have to watch our families roll their eyes at us when we share a corny joke.” Quick Wits, Midvale’s professional comedy troupe, has also been providing entertainment on computer screens for audiences at home. Anyone can watch videos of the “2020 Virtual Summer of Fun” for free on the Quick Wits Facebook page. For the experience of watching a live performance, log on at 9 p.m. on Saturdays. The Midvale Arts Council’s Facebook page is also the place to watch their content. Anyone wishing to donate to the council can send payments to admin@midvalearts.com via paypal.com. “Right now with the pandemic we have been so grateful that even though we can’t be together physically, that our community is doing so much to help lift one another emotionally,” said Johnson. “We need to do what we can to take care of each other, especially right now.” l
August 2020 | Page 7
What’s your legacy?
Mental health emergencies and the defunding of police: A law enforcement viewpoint By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com
As many news articles and U.S. citizens are crying for police reform and defunding, local law enforcement heads explain what those changes may actually look like. (image/pexels.com)
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“
Defund the police” state many news headlines. West Jordan Police Chief Ken Wallentine says the mental health programs that many residents call for have already been tried, then left behind. “We’ve done defunding of community health programs, we’ve done defunding of early intervention in our schools,” Wallentine said. Funding for law enforcement comes from the city government in which they operate. Mental health services are usually funded by the county or the state. Though mental health resources may exist, there is no procedure that helps an individual connect with those resources. “What we’ve done is transferred the responsibility to deal with people in crisis to the police department. Parents in our community that have a 16 year old with mental health problems who may have the physical body of an adult, the parents don’t know what to do. They don’t have a social worker they can call, so who do they call at 9 o’clock at night when they’ve got the child that’s acting up. They call the police. “We do our best to train our officers to deal with that situation but frankly that’s not a police problem. That’s a mental health emergency, that’s a social problem,” Wallentine said. “I’m a huge adherent to training officers to deal with mental health crises as we can. But I’m a big proponent of expanding our social services. I don’t want to take a 16 year old to detention, I really don’t,” Wallentine said.
Currently in Utah, most officers can take an individual to a hospital, fill out a pink sheet and the hospital will detain them for a few days. Or, if the individual reacts violently because of their mental state, the officer can take them to jail. In the past, programs have been tried. Cities will receive funding for a time, but then lose the money to run it when the government can no longer keep up. “Mental health...is almost like an ebb and flow situation where it will be funded through the state, county, however that looks, and then they’ll lose that funding. I do know we have lost a lot of resources over the years,” said Sgt. Jolayne Sampson of Unified Police Department (UPD) and director of the Mental Health Unit. Wallentine said emergency health care used to be easier. “As a young cop 38 years ago, we had someone who was on call 24/7...a mental health crisis worker. If the person was not being violent, we could call one of these folks, we [officers] could walk away. If someone needed acute care they could find a space for them at the community health center. They’d take them up there, or to help them find some different placement if they needed long-term care. “That resource exists...if we don’t have access to follow-up care, if we don’t have a structure where folks can get the help and get pointed to the right corner of the safety net we end up dealing with them again and again,” Wallentine said. Is there any program in Utah that has a follow-up system?
Midvale City Journal
UPD is the only police force in the state that has a joint response program with a licensed clinical social worker. Wallentine is head of West Jordan police, so his team doesn’t have access to follow-up care. Sampson, who works for UPD, does. “Our [unit] is different than anybody else in the state, because we are a co-responding model. We deal with people in a crisis that require both an officer and a mental health worker together and we respond out into our jurisdiction. We have both resources on scene,” Sampson said. Other Utah law enforcement departments do have LCSW on their team, or mental health detectives, but none respond cooperatively, as on Sampson’s team. UPD’s LCSW however is funded by a grant from Salt Lake County. This grant is available to them for the next two years. Another practice that sets the UPD’s Mental Health Unit apart from any other department in the state is their ability to follow-through with people in a mental health crisis. “We get them where they need to go, whether that’s counseling or whatever that may look like...so that individual has resources available to them,” Sampson said. What about defunding police officers and shift the funding to mental health workers? “It would be like...making me a surgeon and expect me to be able to do open heart
surgery. You cannot take a social worker and throw them out on the street and expect them to handle it like law enforcement,” Sampson said. Sometimes a person who needs mental health care can turn violent. “Social workers are not trained. We’ve had people who have produced a firearm, a bat,” Sampson said. Sampson acknowledges that the life of an officer is changing and many people have a different view of officers. “Society has changed, we have to change with it. That is partnering, not defunding,” Sampson said. Sampson expressed frustration that an officer must never step a toe out of line. A resident can go over the speed limit, but an officer can never stray. “Everybody makes a mistake. Expectation to have the same reaction, do it a certain way every single time. The reality is that no call is the same. No person acts the same. And no situations are going to be the same,” Sampson said. Wallentine also expressed frustration that people cry for defunding but also for more training. “The irony is we’re hearing we need to train our officers better, community-oriented policing and cultural competency addressing the implicit bias in de-escalation, in crisis intervention and communicating with the mentally ill. Well great! That creates professionals, that kind of training takes money.”
As many news articles and U.S. citizens are crying for police reform and defunding, local law enforcement heads explain what those changes may actually look like. (image/pexels.com)
“You want to cut my training budget then tell me we’ve got to do things that really we don’t teach in the police academy,” Wallentine said. “No one, no one, dislikes a bad cop more than a good cop. We have the responsibility
to police our own profession. I’m all for reform steps, I’m all for more transparency in police discipline records. One of the things we’re trying to do is listen very hard.” l
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August 2020 | Page 9
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Business Spotlights are a service offered to our advertisers to help them inform our readers about their businesses. For information on scheduling a Spotlight, please call us at 801-254-5974 or email us at ryan.c@thecityjournals.com
The last four months has been very challenging for small businesses in Utah and around the country. However, one small business in Midvale has been able to capitalize on the opportunity at hand and thrive during this time. Outlaw Distillery has been focused on its hand sanitizer product since the Covid 19 break out. Some may be surprised to learn that hand sanitizer is created during the “distillery” process. So, when times hit hard, owner Kirk Sedgwick decided to switch his main business from producing whisky & rum to producing hand sanitizer. The switch has paid off dramatically for this small business in Midvale. Over the last four months, Outlaw has sold thousands of gallons of sanitizer to hospitals, pharmacies, trucking companies, preschools & daycares. Offering their product in a range of different sizes, customers can purchase sanitizer in 3 ounce bottles, 55-gallon drums and everything in between. Their blend of sanitizer exceeds the World Health Organization recommendations for killing germs and viruses. Outlaw Distillery has been so successful, they’ve exceeded all of their profits made in 2019 in just the four months since the virus outbreak hit the United States. Outlaw Distillery has been in business for over six years and Sedgwick is quick to point out they only use local grain from Utah farmers to make their products. The distillery process is quite fascinating! If you hav-
en’t been on a tour of the Distillery, you should schedule a time to visit. Tours run every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Customers are encouraged to call or go to their website for more information and to schedule a visit. So, avoid the long lines at the liquor store and swing by Outlaw Distillery…locally owned, locally grown.
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Midvale City Journal
In The Middle of Everything City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047 MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY City Hall Finance/Utilities Court City Attorney’s Office City Recorder/Human Resources Community Development Public Works Ace Disposal/Recycling City Museum Midvale Senior Center SL County Animal Services Midvale Precinct UPD Police Dispatch Unified Fire Authority Fire Dispatch Communications
801-567-7200 801-567-7200 801-567-7265 801-567-7250 801-567-7228 801-567-7211 801-567-7235 801-363-9995 801-569-8040 385-468-3350 385-468-7387 385-468-9350 801-743-7000 801-743-7200 801-840-4000 801-567-7230
MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Robert Hale Email: Rhale@midvale.com
801-567-7204
CITY COUNCIL District 1 - Quinn Sperry Email: qsperry@midvale.com District 2 - Paul Glover Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Heidi Robinson Email: Hrobinson@midvale.com District 4 - Bryant Brown Email: bbrown@midvale.com District 5 - Dustin Gettel Email: dgettel@midvale.com 801-567-7200 801-567-7202 801-567-7202 801-567-7212 801-567-7207 801-567-7265 801-567-7202 801-567-7213 801-567-7246 801-567-7235 801-256-2575 801-567-7231 801-567-7208 801-567-7228 385-468-9769
EMERGENCY OR DISASTER CONTACT Public Works Fire Dispatch – Unified Fire Authority Midvale Police Precinct or Police Dispatch Unified Police Department EMERGENCY
July was a hard month for me. The Salt Lake County Health Department COVID-19 statistics reported the grimmest statistic: that our first Midvale resident passed prematurely. The sadness we feel is that the prematurity of this person’s passing was likely preventable. Somewhere, perhaps right here in our City, a family is having to deal with this death way too soon. On behalf of our City and its residents, I express our deepest sympathy to the family. May God assuage your broken hearts. To prevent such an untimely event in my family and yours, the best preventative measures are so very simple to employ: (1) wear a mask, (2) maintain six-foot social distance from others, (3) wash hands frequently, and (4) avoid touching our face with potentially unclean hands and fingers. More than ever before, we must review our interactions at school, work (Hopefully, steady workload will return for all of us), in our religious observations, and in our social lives (this part of our lives has taken a severe hit, which hopefully will cause us to look afresh at how we treat and unite with friends, associates and families forever more!).
CITY NEWSLETTER By Mayor Robert Hale
Among our residents, there are many who are hanging on thanks to the efforts of heart-warming people and organizations who are turning inside-out to assist those who are in need. I want to thank all who provided labor, planning, foodstuffs, and daily living necessities to the Feed Midvale’s Poor in May and June. It was much appreciated by the hundreds of families that were served in the cultural hall of the Midvale North Stake, at the Copperview Recreation Center, the St. James Episcopal Church and probably a hundred other less known, but just as valuable, locations through the late spring and into the summer. I want to thank all who have helped a neighbor, family, or organization in need. Nothing speaks higher of our friendly attitude towards others as when we share our abundance with those with less. I am so pleased that our recently deceased “Saint” Mayor JoAnn Bagley Seghini has been inducted into the Midvale Arts Council Hall of Honors. No greater person has thus been honored. We miss her calm happiness in her greetings and her constant looking outwards to see how others could be lifted. We will all remember her and esteem her qualities as we seek to emulate them in our own lives. Thanks, JoAnn. You softened our hearts this summer in the midst of a storm.
Unified Police Department’s Midvale Precinct Partners with Local Businesses
WHO TO CALL FOR… Water Bills Ordering A New Trash Can Reserving the Bowery Permits GRAMA requests Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Property Questions Cemetery Water Line Breaks Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Building inspections Graffiti
The Heart of the Matter
AUGUST 2020
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Members from Unified Police Department’s Midvale Precinct banded together to paint two child day care rooms at the Family Support Center’s LifeStart Village, located in Midvale. The mission of LIfeStart Village is to move single parents with children from dependency to self-sufficiency. Detective Mark Utley was recently assigned to the Midvale Precinct Shelter Resource position. The primary purpose of this unit is to assist and respond to calls involving those experiencing homelessness. Once Detective Utley transitioned to this position, he immediately began searching for areas he could assist. And he developed relationships with the following businesses who were more than willing to help. We are very grateful for the support these businesses provide to our community. • The paint and supplies were donated by Allen Gordon, the owner of Prism Paint. The rooms, originally solid white, gave a very institutional feeling and had not been painted in 10-15 years. So, the families really appreciate the beautiful rooms. • West Jordan Home Depot manager Russ Makin donated a utility shed (valued at $800) to the Road Home shelter located at 529 W Ninth Avenue. • West Valley PODS manager Kyle Hunt donated large portable storage containers (valued at $2,000 each) to the Road Home shelter and the Family Support Center. • The manager of the Midvale Walmart, Jennifer Hardin-Cave, donated several refrigerators (valued at $1,600) to the Family Support Center to be utilized in the living quarters. Walmart also issued a significant monetary grant to The Family Support Center.
In The Middle of Everything
WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG
Important Information About Midvale City’s Proposed Property Tax Increase Midvale City is proposing to recapture previous General Obligation Bond property tax State Code. This process involves a public hearing and multiple notices across multiple platrevenue for general City operations. Utah State Code considers this a property tax increase, as forms (such as the newspaper and websites) before the proposed tax increase may be voted on. money previously being used for General Obligation bond debt will be used for general City The Certified Tax Rate used to calculate a taxpayer’s property tax liability for Midvale City operations. However, for the average Midvale City resident, it will be property tax neutral. is made up of different “buckets,” or categories. Previously, the City had both a general property tax category and General Obligation debt service category (both of which are added together HOW THE PROPERTY TAX RATE IS CALCULATED to arrive at the Certified Tax Rate). Twenty years ago, a General Obligation bond was issued Each year, the Salt Lake County Assessor calculates a “certified tax rate” each year for to construct the police building (currently being used by the Unified Police Department). Debt each entity. In the simplest terms, this formula is as follows: service payments owing on these bonds were added to the Certified Tax Rate calculation. This bond was paid off in July 2019. Normally, this catePrevious Year’s Property Tax Revenue gory would drop off decreasing the average resident’s + New Growth + GO Bond Debt Service property tax bill by $26 (this is just the Midvale City = Assessed Property Taxable Value portion, other taxing entities may lower or raise their This tax formula is designed to give Midvale City the tax rates). Instead of letting this tax revenue drop off, same amount of property tax as the prior year, plus any the City is proposing to add this portion of the tax rate new growth (such as new businesses, buildings, etc.). to the City general property tax “bucket.” This rate is then applied to the assessed taxable value for every property within Midvale. The formula does not WHAT THE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR give the City any automatic increases, outside of new The City’s costs have increased each year since the growth within the City (these additional funds are used last property tax increase was approved in 2016. For to provide services to the new businesses and residents). example, Police costs and supplies used by City emProperty taxes do not automatically go up when a propployees have increased. Approximately $200,000 of erty’s value goes up (the Certified Tax Rate goes down to the $403,295 proposed increase will be used to fund ensure the City receives the same funds as the prior year). Unified Police Department’s increased member asIf the City wants to receive more revenue than the sessment. The remainder will be used for debt service Certified Tax Rate calculates, it must go through a proon the City’s City Hall, Park Improvements, and Street cess called Truth in Taxation, which is outlined in Utah Lighting Bonds issued in 2012.
JoAnn B. Seghini – 2020 Midvale Hall of Honors Inductee Shortly after the 2002 Winter Olympics, Midvale City had a big decision to make – what to do with the significant funds the city had advanced for the Olympics that would now be returned to the city. As a strong supporter of the arts, Mayor JoAnn B. Seghini quickly threw her support behind the idea of using those funds to renovate the vacant, old City Hall building on the southeast corner of Main and Center. That idea became a reality, and for nearly 20 years now, the building has served as the Midvale Performing Arts Center and been host to hundreds of theater performances, dance and music concerts, visual and literary art exhibits, and other community events and classes. For a time, the building even served as a temporary dental clinic and home for the Community Building Community non-profit organization. Of particular note, the building houses Midvale City’s Hall of Honors, with a wall of plaques honoring the recipients of this distinguished award. So, it’s only fitting that in the “house that she built/renovated” Mayor Seghini will have her own plaque prominently displayed as the 2020 inductee into the Midvale City Hall of Honors. Midvale Arts Council Chairman Wade Walker commented, “It’s no understatement to say that this building would not be here in its current shape and form without the unwavering support of Mayor Seghini for the arts in Midvale and this particular building project. She was also Mayor when the stage in the park was completed. Without her, neither of these two great performance venues would exist here in Midvale.” Stephanie Johnson, President of the Midvale Arts Volunteer Council, also noted that Mayor Seghini came to every concert, theater production, and event that the Arts Council held until her health no longer allowed her to attend. “She was just a fantastic supporter of the arts and always went to bat for us.” Ruth Allen, a prior inductee into the Hall of Honors herself, noted Mayor Seghini’s induction is well deserved. “No one has done more for this city – the businesses, the residents, and especially the youth - than JoAnn. When I was with the Chamber of Commerce, JoAnn
and I would visit one local school each month and present a Most Improved Student Award. She never missed that opportunity to visit the schools and recognize those students personally. Educating the youth was in her blood.” Ruth also mentioned that when the homeless shelter was built in Midvale, Mayor Seghini worked her hardest to make sure the children at the shelter had every opportunity to attend school on a daily basis. “No matter what she did, it all led back to education and making the youth feel important. Her lasting mark is with these youth.” Mayor Seghini’s numerous and significant contributions to the city are well documented and were highlighted in last month’s Midvale Journal. Although Mayor Seghini recently passed away, the Arts Council was able to inform her of her induction prior to her passing. “It’s kind of a crazy story,” said Walker. “I’ve been working from home during the pandemic and often go out jogging during lunch. One day in April, I decided to run down to the [Midvale] Middle School instead of my normal route along the Jordan River Parkway. I passed by Mayor Seghini out walking with her physical therapist, and something said to go back and let her know that she’d been chosen for the Hall of Honors. (The induction selection had been made in March, but she hadn’t been notified yet of the award.) So, I circled back around the block and visited with her for a few moments on her porch. She’s been suffering from dementia for several months, but I caught her on a good day. She remembered who I was and was so deeply humbled and appreciative when I told her of the award.” Walker doesn’t think it was a coincidence he ran a different route that day or that he happened to jog past just at the time that Mayor Seghini was out walking – “some things are meant to happen”. Just a few weeks later, Mayor Seghini passed away. Due to the pandemic, the Hall of Honors induction ceremony that normally takes place in conjunction with Harvest Days has been postponed until a later date. Johnson said, “We look forward to the time when we can join together for the induction ceremony and appropriately recognize Mayor Seghini’s significant contributions to Midvale and her lasting legacy.”
AUGUST 2020 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG
Water Utility Shutoffs for Non-Payment to Resume
Annual Water Quality Report
Beginning in March, Midvale City temporarily suspended non-payment shutoffs to support the state of emergency response to the COVID-19 virus. Now that the City has entered the “yellow” risk phase, the City will resume shutoffs for customers due to non-payment beginning August 1. This follows similar actions by other utilities, including Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy. When a customer is more than 30 days past due, Utility Billing will generate a “Termination of Services” notice. This notice gives the customer approximately two weeks to pay the past due amount before the water service is shut off. The Termination of Services notice has a due date the past due amount must be paid by to avoid shutoff. If you are unable to pay your bill, please contact the Utility Billing Department at (801) 567-7200 to discuss payment options. In most circumstances, Utility Billing can work out a payment arrangement to avoid shutoff. If your water is shut off, a $50 reconnection fee is charged and the full amount of your bill (including current charges) is due before service can be restored.
Midvale City routinely monitors our drinking water in accordance with Federal and Utah State laws. Each year we provide our residents with the Annual Water Quality Report which is designed to inform you about the quality of the water and services that we deliver to you every day. As always, our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. You can access this report at www.midvalecity.org/departments/public-works/public-utilities-division. If you have any questions about the Water Quality Report, please feel free to reach out to us at 801-567-7235.
Farmers’ Markets Midvale Senior Center 7550 South Main Street (West Parking Lot)
Hot Rods, Classics, Rat Rods and more awesome cars will roll through the neighborhoods of Cottonwood Heights & Midvale. View the route on the cities' websites. Please use proper social distancing if viewing from a public location. www.ch.utah.gov/community/car-show www.MidvaleCity.org/CarShow
Monday, August 3—Green Urban Lunchbox Tuesday, August 25—Jail Horticulture Monday, September 14—Green Urban Lunchbox During Drive Thru Lunch from 11:30am—1:00pm Seniors 60+ who would like a lunch, please call 385-468-3350 twenty-four hours in advance.
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Hillcrest softball coaches change during COVID-19, program building to be competitive By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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t wasn’t the way Hillcrest High’s Scott Carrell expected his last coaching softball season to go—shortened after three games. “I was ready for a break, but didn’t expect it to be this quick,” he said, after the Utah High School Activities Association cut the spring sports season short and terminated the rest of the season, because of social distancing and health guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had the most
athletically talented team and could have competed for the region title.” Carrell has built the softball team from 10 girls trying out his first two years to an average of 50. Although Carrell is stepping down and his five-year assistant, Ashley Anjewierden, will take the helm, he isn’t leaving Hillcrest. Carrell will continue as co-athletic director with Sally Williams, and teach in the career and technical education department. However, by not coaching, he will be more available to watch his Riverton High freshman daughter play as well. “I’ll miss the relationships we built with the girls and their families. We become united and into a family ourselves, so it feels as if I have 26 to 28 daughters,” he said. In fact, even though the team’s season ended during the soft closure of schools, Hillcrest softball coaches still held a virtual banquet to send on their six seniors as well as announce Carrell’s retirement and the hiring of Anjewierden as head coach. Along with Anjewierden, Carrell said he expects great things next spring from some of his returning players: pitcher and junior Maddie Sluga and pitcher and right fielder, senior Aspen Small. “They’re student-athletes who know how to compete,” Carrell said. Hillcrest High five-year assistant coach, Ashley AnAnjewierden said she expects to have a jewierden, has been named the new head softball “full roster with a decent senior class” next coach. (Photo courtesy of Hillcrest High softball)
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year as well as some promising freshmen. “We had many younger players this year, some with a lack of experience, so I’m hoping to focus on developing player skills and get them mentally focused,” she said. “So much of this game is mental.” Anjewierden said she has an advantage into stepping into the head coach role since she has learned from the past seasons and has a perspective of where the team needs to go. “Our girls are resilient, so it’s a matter of physical fitness and understanding the game and gaining that mental part. We’ve built this program so our returning upper-class players understand the skill base. Hillcrest High senior softball players only got to play a couple Some of them started having never games this season before the cancellation of spring sports in response to COVID-19 pandemic. (Ashley Anjewierden/Hilleven seen a softball in their lives, but crest High softball) now they can hit a line drive. Right now, we’re wanting the girls to get into condition—drilling, fielding and priority during that season,” she said, undertaking care of their bodies,” she said. She also wants to breakdown skills and standing that as she lettered four seasons in softball and basketball and two in volleyball go over footwork in the offseason. Many of the softball players are multi- at Jordan High before graduating in 2012. However, every season is homework season athletes so Anjewierden said eating healthy and being in condition are priorities season. “Just like in years past, we’ll spend for all their sports. Wednesday mornings before school having “When it’s another sport, for many of study time, seeking teachers and catching up them that’s basketball, then that sport is their if they’ve fallen behind on game days. We want them to work together on and off the field, but as student-athletes, they’re students first,” Anjewierden said. They also may help in their community performing service projects. “It’s all part of community. The community raises you up, it A P P O I N T M E N T S O N LY. brings the culture of success around you, so it’s good for us to build up the community, and it makes us a Because Our Overhead is Low. better team,” she said. Anjewierden also hopes to hold more middle school clinics to introTO SET AN APPOINTMENT! duce the sport to those student-athletes and to build more interest in the sport. She already introduces softball in classes she teaches at Mt. Jordan Middle School, where she is a physical education and health teacher. “I’m really excited about our program and our players. We’re looking forward to playing a full season next spring,” Anjewierden said. “I’ve had five years as an assistant to help me grow into the coach I am and want to be. We have something special at Hillcrest; we’re a family and we’re wanting to work to get better.” l
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Midvale to stay with UPD, but concerns remain By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com
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s it stands today, Midvale City will continue as an active part of Unified Police Department (UPD). Questions have been raised in the past two years after UPD asked Midvale to contribute nearly 20% more money than the previous year in 2019, and another 4% increase in 2020. But, UPD increased the asking price from all its partner cities, not just Midvale. Midvale staff performed a feasibility study that would help determine if the city could provide its own force and bring down the cost of first responders in the city. “Right off the bat, yes, we can provide a police department. The city council would form a budget of $8 million and we would determine how many officers and vehicles and things like that, that could afford,” Assistant City Manager Matt Dahl said. The question then remained was whether the city could provide the same services they get by being part of the larger UPD organization that funds specialist teams like SWAT. Councilmember Dustin Gettel was unsure which path would be more beneficial. “There’s potential that it could be disastrous in its roll out. Next fiscal year UPD could as a model fail, and we didn’t get off in time. Either way you look at it, there’s a very high risk potential,” he said. The concern that UPD might fail is not only about the budget increases, but increased costs that weren’t really necessary and amounted to budget mismanagement. Chief Randy Thomas submitted that, “When we onboarded Lisa Dudley, our CFO, the ball of twine she inherited turned into a proper budget. It gives me a lot more ability to predict at least at the precinct level what
our budgets are going to look like.” Midvale joined UPD in 2012 when the city felt overwhelmed with its own police costs. Councilmember Paul Glover was on Midvale Council at that time and still is today. “The council needs to understand that just because we have our own police, it doesn’t mean we will stay within our own budget. The city may not necessarily save money if we leave,” Glover said. There were other reasons that members of the council were interested in leaving UPD. Councilmember Bryant Brown “had major concerns with the fund balance and governance issues.” “I would like to know the rationale behind staying in a contract that does not account for my tax money, that does not give voting rights according to the money spent, and that has a CEO that has no duty to be accountable to the UPD members,” Brown said. Brown explained his concerns in depth on a Midvale residents’ Facebook page. “Each city receives one vote on all policy matters. Copperton, a township of 579, has the same voting power as Midvale, a city of 34,000.” “UPD has lowered its cost by using its fund balance. The use of fund balance highlights an unsustainable method Midvale is subsidizing smaller townships like Copperton. Their overall shared services budget is minimal because of the call volume.” “[T]here is a fixed cost of an entire SWAT team going to a place like Copperton, even once, that likely puts Copperton’s fund service at a net benefit for that township. It is not odd that the larger entities have left UPD while the smaller entities have stayed and are literally begging Midvale to stay,” Brown said.
After two years of city council discussion, Midvale has decided to stay with Unified Police Department. (Photo courtesy Midvale UPD)
Councilmember Quinn Sperry said he would rather stay with UPD because he thinks the larger organization will make it easier to keep officers. “[W]ith smaller departments there is less opportunity for upward advancement. If the city is in the middle of the pay scale, the officers may get trained by us then leave to a different department where they can advance. UPD has more opportunities to advance. I would love to see it grow,” Sperry said. Ultimately, Midvale voted 4-1 to stay with UPD. The results of the voting have been confused in other local reports. The vote was a majority “no” to send a letter that stated an intent to disband. Meaning Midvale will not declare an intention to leave at this time.
“I need to be clear that I think our UPD officers do a great job and provide a great service to the community. This is not about UPD officers or their service levels,” Brown said. During the public hearing on June 30, over a dozen people submitted comments stating whether Midvale should leave UPD or stay. Mayor of Millcreek Jeff Silvestrini asked Midvale to stay. “(Midvale) Mayor (Robert) Hale and I have worked hard with the UPD board to improve financial transparency at UPD. I think we can now see that shared services are being managed efficiently.” Holladay Mayor Robert Dahle agreed with Silvestrini. “I would like to reinforce that we have a prior knowledge to issues with regional services and have made progress with transparency and efficiencies in this critical area. My hope is that your council will not just weigh the monetary issue but weigh the value with the quality of service you receive as a member of UPD.” Several residents also spoke out in support of Midvale remaining with UPD, but not just for the benefits of being part of a larger organization. Amanda Hollingsworth said, “It is not just the cost you anticipate when building a new police department, it’s the hidden costs. The workers’ compensation costs, automobile liabilities, directors’ and officers’ insurance costs. It’s opening the door to be responsible for any misconduct.” Other residents were in favor of forming an independent Midvale police force. Brian Van Steenkiste said, “I fondly recall the days of our community police force and the positive relationships they had....I lamented the switch to Unified, and I really noticed a change in police behavior and directly saw its negative effects. Please seek the opportunity to end the relationship with Unified and return to a financially prudent police force.” l
After two years of city council discussion, Midvale has decided to stay with Unified Police Department. (Photo courtesy Midvale UPD)
MidvaleJournal.com
August 2020 | Page 15
Besides more sanitizer and mask wearing, students will see changes in some Canyons’ schools By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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his fall, schools will look different enough with the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but some students will see changes in their administrators as some retired amidst the soft closure of school and others have moved on to other schools. Midvale Elementary will welcome former Sprucewood Elementary Principal Lori Reynolds. “The schools are in different worlds,” she said. “Midvale has double the number of students and twice as many teachers, who are celebrating the academic success they’ve been having since the school got off turnaround status, and I will be right there, cheering on students. These kids have a lot of passion, spirit and personality, and the teachers are dedicated and are making an impact.” However, Reynolds is quick to point out similarities in the schools as well. Midvale Elementary’s campaign was “just be nice” while Sprucewood’s was “be the nice kid.” “Kindness is important. We just want students to learn to be kind, to lift each other up,” she said. Reynolds is replacing Chip Watts, who was transferred to Draper Park Middle School as principal, replacing Mary Ander-
son, who retired. “I’m very sad to leave Midvale,” he said after spending the past five years at the elementary. “It’s a great place, school and community. It’s hard to leave students, parents, teachers, friends here, but I think Lori will be able to take the school to the next level. She has a strong elementary background as an achievement coach and teacher.” Watts was recently honored with Canyons School District’s APEX administrator award and was named Utah PTA administrator of the year for his ability to direct the staff and faculty in getting the school off the turnaround status. “It’s been pretty phenomenal,” he said. “We had double digits in RISE (state year-end test) scores last year and our progress monitoring and Acadience (reading test scores) were trending up when COVID hit. It’s sad our students didn’t take RISE this spring; we would have seen more growth. The students are doing great things.” One of his favorite memories of being Midvale’s principal is when he has been able to lead the dual immersion school in the Grito de Independencia—or expression of independence for Mexico’s independence day on Sept. 16.
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“I learned and can speak Spanish, but here I am struggling with it and all these fluent speakers are there, asking me to lead it,” he said. “It’s an honor and always fun, but I feel a little out of place with all the Hispanic speakers.” At Copperview Elementary, current assistant principal Deidre Walbeck will be moving to Oakdale Elementary as principal, replacing Lori Jones, who retired. Carolee Mackay, a Sandy Elementary achievement coach, will become Copperview Elementary’s assistant principal. At nearby Midvale Middle, Connie Simons will remain at the school after being promoted to assistant principal from being an intern assistant principal. Other Canyons administrative appointments include Crystal Conners, a Jordan High achievement coach becoming Mt. Jordan Middle’s assistant principal; Edgemont Elementary Principal Cathy Schino being transferred to Sprucewood Elementary as principal and Michelle Snarr will be placed as interim principal at Edgemont Elementary; Copperview Elementary Assistant Principal Shawn Walker being named as Sandy Elementary principal; Cassie Kapes, a teacher specialist in the instructional support depart-
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ment, being promoted to Copperview Elementary assistant principal; Diamond Ridge Principal Amy Boettger also will serve as Canyons Virtual High School principal; Kim Baker, a longtime public-school administrator, appointed to be the secondary human resources administrator; Mt. Jordan assistant principal Eric Gardner being promoted to Bella Vista Elementary, replacing Sandra Dahl-Houlihan, who retired; Jordan High’s assistant principal Ryan Durrant moving over to Brighton as assistant principal; Butler Middle’s assistant principal Doug Hallenbeck moving to CTEC as assistant principal; Dan Ashbridge, a teacher specialist in the instructional support department, becoming Butler Middle’s assistant principal; and intern assistant principals Dina Kohler, Sierra Segura and Connie Simons being promoted to assistant principals at their respective schools: Jordan, Mt. Jordan and Midvale Middle. In fall 2022, Ridgecrest Elementary Principal Julie Winfree will become the new White City elementary principal as she will be overseeing construction until it opens. l
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Hillcrest drill team finishes previous season, begins new year online By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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bout 50 Hillcrest High students found the choreography on an online link, learned it on their own, and then, filmed themselves performing and submitted it to a selection committee within eight days. “All our dancers did a good job; they were prepared and took the initiative and followed through,” said drill team adviser Chelsea Divine, who said the first online auditions exceeded the normal 30 or 40 girls who tryout in person. The HD squad narrowed to 33 dancers including 19 returnees, showed their ability in their dancing from doing the splits to being able to jump and turn. The military and jazz combo showed their strength, flexibility and technique, Divine said. “It was good to see the students get excited especially as everything had seemed to be shut down. Some of the girls had cute hair and dance gear, and it was cool to see how resourceful they were, dancing in the grass, basements, football field or in a private studio. We felt everyone was able to find a place to dance so we held auditions so we’d be ready for this year,” she said. This year’s team already is meeting their theme: “FEAR: Face Everything And Rise.”
The team has met online and started practicing with running 5Ks in the mornings, dancing on two-hour Zoom sessions three days per week, and on Fridays, meeting fitness and motivation challenges. “We’ve even been running one mile after every practice, too; the girls do it, the coaches do it,” Divine said. “It’s been a weird time where we can be afraid of the uncertainty, so it’s cool to see the team rise up together and face everything. These girls are enthusiastic, excited and focused. They want to better their best.” As of early summer, the team was planning to begin practicing in person, but also following social distancing guidelines and health safety checks. They also are planning to participate in four invitationals starting in December, leading them to state in early February but Divine knows that plan could be altered as guidelines may change with COVID-19. Coaching alongside her is her sister, Erica Williams, who has coached a junior college team and danced for Arizona State, and her brother, Carter Williams, who is a top-ranked ballroom dancer and has choreographed for several companies, including Center Stage Performing Arts Studio.
This past year’s squad had six seniors who led the 17 sophomores and six freshmen to top three finishes in military, hip hop and character dances and placed in the top 10 in hip hop at the Contest of Champions National Competition at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. “The girls did awesome and had so much fun performing,” Divine said, adding that they brought back their trophies on the plane that will now be on display in the school’s new sports complex. However, with the soft closure of schools in response to COVID-19, the drill team wasn’t able to perform their final showcase in person as planned. Instead, it was a 30-minute online showcase hitting the highlights of the year. A video also was pulled together by a dancer’s parents that showed their routines at football and basketball games to competitive routines. “It was so wonderful to capture all those moments for the girls; it’s something to treasure,” she said. “It’s been the best team to coach in a long time. The girls are so united and love drill team. We worked hard, but the awesome leaders had great attitudes and that was shared by the team. We committed to our theme: ‘Do it with passion or not at all.’” l
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Hillcrest High drill team brought home trophies from the Contest of Champions at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, shortly before schools went on soft closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Chelsea Divine/Hillcrest High)
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SheTech Summit participants learn about technology, responses to COVID-19 and more By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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hen Gillian Ruppel was a ninth-grader at Riverview Junior High, she saw a poster in the hall about the SheTech explorer day summit. “It was really cool,” Gillian recalled. “I was just fascinated by so many different technologies and companies that allowed us to explore and learn about what they do.” Since then, the Murray High student has attended every summit and this year, Gillian was on the student board that helped organize the event—although, it was held online, much like many activities because of the social distancing response to COVID-19 pandemic. “It was still a good way to extend the opportunity to many high school students,” she said. “We heard from industry leaders, had group chats, discussions, and even held the tech challenge where we had to brainstorm ideas to solve a real problem.” The SheTech conference, organized by the Women Tech Council, traditionally invites more than 150 science, technology, engineering and mathematics companies and colleges to share in-person hands-on activities from robotics to auto tech to 3D gaming to technology entrepreneurship opportunities with thousands of female high school stu-
dents from every county in the state. This year, in its first virtual Summit, participants heard from female STEM leaders in the state, including the recently well-known state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn, who shared with them about the Healthy Together app. Dunn was followed by other female technology leaders who told the high schoolers how they stepped up to help with the response to COVID-19 from analyzing data to identifying and assisting Utah companies to pivot to produce personal protective equipment. Then, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox welcomed participants and encouraged them to get involved in the tech fields. He even shared with them how his 13-year-old daughter is learning coding. “As Lieutenant Governor, I get to see the way that tech impacts our state and more broadly, what the industry is doing here in our state,” Cox said. “Over the last 10 years, the technology sector in Utah has grown faster than any other state with one exception and that is the state of Washington and most of that is driven by Amazon. It’s not just that we’re adding all of these jobs in the tech center. These are really good jobs and jobs
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refugee concerns. She said during her ninth-grade year, her group won the canyon traffic challenge by deciding upon a gondola that would connect with Utah Transit Authority in the Salt Lake Valley. “We were trying to think outside of the box on a real-world issue, using technology for a solution,” she said. Participants also could take part in industry and student challenges from defying gravity, binary basics and basic phone repair principles to hacking a website and saving the world with data. There also were creative sessions such as making elephant toothpaste, engineering your own musical instrument and vector art. Those who completed as many challenges as they could in 24 hours were eligible to win prizes. Participants also received T-shirts in the mail. “The SheTech program connects students to women in technology so we can learn firsthand from those in the field; it also can lead to having mentors or internships,” Gillian said. “It’s a great opportunity.” l
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that drive our economy. Tech workers make an average of 81% more than those who are working in other industries in the state. We’ve seen with this disruption in the economy that these jobs have the ability, many of them with people working from home, been able to keep generating revenue and keep expanding the economy.” Several leaders in the STEM field also held workshops, including those by Adobe and Vivint Smart Home, that were designed to show high schoolers how they create, innovate and problem-solve. Gillian, who took part in a three-week summer intern her sophomore year, visited many of those technology companies and learned the leaders’ pathways and what careers are available. “The Summit was initiated by the leaders, but the girl board supported it. It made sense to hold it virtually since after all, it’s a technology conference. The student board helped to troubleshoot and pitch ideas,” she said. Gillian’s favorite part of the Summit is the tech challenge. This year, it was on reducing the carbon footprint. Previously, Gillian has taken part in challenges that addressed traffic problems in the canyons, pollution and
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Midvale City Journal
Take It Outside
Life
Laughter D ND AN A by by
PERI KINDER PERI KINDER
For the last five months, we’ve been locked up with our families for 17 years. Each day is another long, hot trek to bedtime. Parents break their brains thinking up creative ways to entertain their kids during this “summer vacation” that started in March and threatens to continue through fall. The phrase “Families Can Be Together Forever” is now a terrifying prophecy. Here’s what we’ve learned: Sometimes video games ARE the answer. Celebrities share Tik Tok videos about being “stranded” in their $6.5 million log cabins where everyone has their own TV, floor, masseuse, trampoline and personal chef. I’m not belittling their suffering, I’m just . . . well, I guess I am. For common folk, trampolines are as hard to find as Lysol wipes. Puzzles, board games and sidewalk chalk are valuable commodities on the black market (along with livers, since we’ve been day- drinking for
months). Everyone is heading outside to escape. Extended families stretch the “No large gathering” rules to the max because COVID wouldn’t ruin the annual family reunion, right? Lakes, canyons, national parks and camp sites are packed with people who thought they were the only ones who needed a break from looking at the same dirty carpeting for one more day. I’ve been on several hikes this summer, sometimes with the puppy, sometimes with the grandkids. Not necessarily relaxing, but at least we take the fight to a different location. My latest hike was tackling Bell’s Canyon with my daughter and three of my grandkids, including a 3- and 4-year-old. If that sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel, you are correct. Before we even started up the trail the complaining began. “I’m so hot.” “The trail is too steep.”
“The dirt is too dirty.” “I’m so thirsty.” My daughter told me to shut up and set a better example, but it was too late. The littles were soon echoing my whines at super-high decibel levels. I ended up confiscating water bottles after a good portion was dumped onto the trail to make mud. I explained to the toddlers what happens when you dehydrate. They didn’t care. It took roughly five days to make our way to the reservoir where the kids splashed in the cool water, tossed wet sand at each other, threw crackers at the ducks, slipped on the rocks and screamed at the dragonflies. I considered calling in a rescue helicopter, figuring the expense was worth not having to walk back down the trail. Instead, we bribed the kids with McDonald’s, promising processed chicken parts if they’d walk faster than a drugged porcupine. We made it back to the car exhausted, sunburned and
grumpy – just like a normal summer hike! Backyards are also being used to their fullest. Our luxurious backyard pool (a 6’ wading pool from Walmart) is usually a weird shade of green and full of dead bugs, but that doesn’t stop us from soaking in the probably dangerous water, eating popsicles. If I don’t get sick from COVID, malaria might be another option. The grandkids set up a tent a couple of weeks ago, hoping to have a backyard campout. They roasted marshmallows over the grill and climbed into their sleeping bags only to be shaken awake two hours later by a microburst that threatened to carry them to Oz. Everyone was safe, but traumatized, which seems to be the status quo in these crazy times. Returning to school is the big debate right now, followed by what should be a strange Halloween and holiday season. Sure makes eternity feel like a really long time. l
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MidvaleJournal.com
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August 2020 | Page 19
Is Your Retirement Secure? Š 2020 Wealth Management CPAs
Given the current political & economic environment, many Midvale residents are worried about their future. Two
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Learn how to avoid being taxed on your social security benefits.
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Lessen the chance that you outlive your retirement income due to taxes or inflation.
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Discover the pitfalls of probate and the steps you can take to avoid it.
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Learn why a living trust may be more effective than a regular will and why you may need one.
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Learn when you should not put your children on your bank accounts and property titles.
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WealthCPAs.com
Investment Advisory Representative and advisory services offered through TownSquare Capital, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor 5314 River Run Drive, Provo, UT 84604. Not affiliated with any government entity. All named entities are unaffiliated.