Midvale Journal | June 2021 by The City Journals

June 2021 | Vol. 18 Iss. 06 factory seconds blowout!

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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

illcrest High senior Anthony Davies is a racer. He’s out to beat the other runners, not to try for a certain time. “I do better when I race people,” he said. His coach, Scott Stucki, agrees: “He’s a lousy ‘time trialer.’ He can run a pace and hit repeats in practice, but he’s the kind of runner who wants to beat people in the meets.” At the April 17 Davis High Invitational, Davies raced against some of the state’s top competition in the 3200 meters. “I wanted to just go for it,” he said. Stucki was clocking most of the early 400s of the eight-lap race at 70 and 71 seconds. Then, when others in the race picked it up around lap five, Davies didn’t. He dropped to fourth place, which worried Stucki. “I knew the quality of runners in the race and knew Anthony likes to race them. He was 20 meters back with a lap to go. I was thinking he had to run a 60 for the school record, when he actually needed like a 63,” he said, thinking it might be another missed attempt at the 43-year-old school record. Davies had run an indoor track time faster than

Hillcrest High’s Anthony Davies broke the long-standing school mark in the 3200 meters, which was set in 1978. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

the record before COVID-19, but indoor school records are kept separate from outdoor records, Stucki said. The coach had expected Davies to get the outdoor 3200 record last spring, but with the pandemic, the UHSAA canceled the spring sports season. Earlier this season, Davies competed at a meet at Snow Canyon. He ran well in the 1600 on the first day, but the lack of training after an Achilles injury proved to be an issue on the second day of the meet when he raced the 3200. At other meets, he didn’t have much luck inching toward the 9:27.63 record that was set at the state meet by Dave Griffin in 1978. However, Davies wanted to beat that pack at Davis High, and he needed the time to do that. “I just decided to pass as many of the runners as I could,” he said about laps seven and eight. “It didn’t seem like I’d get the record until that last lap. I felt good.” So good, he ran that split in 58 seconds and got the win and the record. His time was more than six seconds faster than Griffin ran. “It’s a really cool experience,” he humbly said. Stucki knew Davies can run fast. At his indoor meet, he had a “huge kick” to set that record at 9:37, six seconds faster than the previous mark. “I knew he could run fast; it was pretty cool to Continued page 8

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How Midvale funds its Main Street updates By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

ave you seen the construction on Main Street? Midvale’s Redevelopment Agency (RDA) is fanning the flames of change. The RDA board is the same as the current city council, but operates under a separate budget than the main city budget. The RDA is investing and cooperating with businesses to revive the area. The agency’s budget comes from Canyons School District, Unified Fire Service area, Midvale City, South Salt Lake Valley Mosquito Abatement District and a few other neighboring taxing entities. “Why would they redirect their tax dollars to support an art center on Main Street?” asked Cody Hill, the Redevelopment Agency manager. “The basic philosophy is you have an area that is not growing for whatever reason. It's been stagnant for 11 years. We can do nothing and we’ll get the same tax dollars.” The property is currently worth $53 million. Each taxing entity that is diverting some of their future funds will benefit from the revival of the area. “If [they] will funnel 60% of the increased value over $53 million, we can increase the total taxable cost in this area,” Hill said. “They’ll get 40% of the increased value, which is projected to cover growth. Once that cap is hit, the school district will get 100%.” This is an old process commonly used in Utah since the 1960s. However, “You should not do this unless development will not occur without that help. Otherwise you’re just subsidizing something that’s going to happen anyway,” Hill said. The Midvale RDA can provide “loans of up to $250,000,” said Kate Andrus, Midvale community development executive assistant. There are also other incentives the city can offer to entice businesses to invest in the area. “We want to be able to approach these developers and say, ‘We want to work with you,’” Hill said. “We want you to go vertical. You can do your small boutique on the first floor and we’ll support half of the project for the second floor, the third floor...and priced for affordable housing.” Buildings are not just getting renovated on the inside, the whole area is getting new parking, taller buildings and buried power lines. This overhaul is made possible by the form-based code

Journals T H E

Midvale Redevelopment Agency is partnering with other local taxing entities to fund the revival of the Main Street area. (Erin Dixon/City Journals)

Midvale adopted for the area. Rather than designating Main Street as solely commercial, the form-based code allows for mixed commercial and residential. “Form-based code is the balance of form and function (the look and the feel),” Nate Rockwood, Midvale community development director, said. “It’s the way we shape the area. If we let the market go to town on Main Street, and we incentivized it, we could very easily destroy what makes Main Street feel like a Main Street which we don’t want to do.” “This can be a very special place in the valley,” Rockwood said. “This is where you come to experience art, cul-

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ture. When you have those draws that’s when you start to get those restaurants and you get that unique feel. I think we can get there in a short amount of time.” Existing houses next to Main Street are within the project area, but nothing will change for them. “We don’t force anyone to do anything,” Matt Dahl, city manager said. “We can incentivize people to do something but if they don’t want to, they don’t have to.” “That neighborhood provides a type of housing that is kind of unique (small yards, small house, single family). If that is a successful neighborhood, it will help, he said.” l

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Ranked choice voting coming to Midvale By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

idvale is joining Sandy and other cities with ranked choice voting in city elections. Instead of having a primary election in August and a general in November, there will be one election in November. The ballot can hold up to 10 candidates per position. “It allows you to rank your candidates,” David May from Utah Ranked Choice Voting said. “It helps the first candidate reach 50% of the votes.” The Utah Ranked Choice Voting site outlines the basic process: “Instead of choosing ONE candidate, ranked choice voting allows voters to rank all candidates according to their preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). In each round of ranked choice voting, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated. When a voter's number one choice is eliminated, their second choice is included in the count for the second round. This process continues until the final round.” “Abraham Lincoln would not have gotten the Republican nomination for the United States [with typical voting] because he was the third or fourth down,” Councilmember Bryant Brown said. During Lincoln's nomination, the candidate was required to have 50% of the vote, not just have the most votes.

“Fifty percent seems like a noble goal,” Brown said. “I think I got 35% of the votes, the next person down I think was 34%. Sixty-five percent didn’t vote for me, that doesn’t sound democratic to me.” Payson and Vineyard piloted the program with some success. “The issues were being debated a lot more,” May said. “Negative campaigning wasn't really an option, if they weren’t a person's first choice they want to be someone’s second.” “You can get someone who is a consensus builder,” resident Sophia Hawes-Tingey said. “Less people will be less locked into one candidate.” Hawes-Tingey has run for office three times and also sees this as a good move for candidates, not just for voters. If a voter has decided on a candidate, they are less likely to care about other candidates. Residents are then less likely to talk to prospective leaders. “I don’t get to hear any needs I’m not aware of. If I were to win, they wouldn't have given me crucial information. It would have meant more opportunities to talk to people,” Hawes-Tingey said. “I feel like it’s a step in the right direction in order to truly represent the people of our city,” resident Nikki Marie said on the Midvale Residents’ Facebook group.

Residents will be able to select their preference of candidates in order, their top choice being No. 1, and so on. (image/pixabay)

“That being said, I feel like the first step along with RCV (Rank Choice Voting) is voter education.” “At first glance, it seems nice,” resident Malorie Napton said in a public hearing. “The more complicated you make something the more risk you have of something going wrong.” She was also concerned that the city adopted the change and then is educating them. “If my man were to go out and buy a car and educate me afterwards I’d be very unhappy with him.”

In the future, election costs for the city will be lower. With the change this year, however, the city plans to do a lot of outreach and education which will cost several thousand dollars. Midvale has 17,000 registered voters. Communications officer Laura Magness plans to spend several thousand dollars on ranked choice voting education. To learn more about ranked choice voting visit, utahrcv.com/. l

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Dancing, dining and learning are back at the senior center By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com

n-person programs and dining at the Midvale Senior Center are back. COVID-19 is the most dangerous for individuals over 65, so it makes sense that the Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services has been cautious about restoring programming at the senior centers. But with COVID-19 cases going down and immunization rates going up, activities have slowly been coming back to the center located at 7550 S. Main St. Access to the computers, individual fitness equipment, billiards tables, pickleball courts and sit-down dining in the cafeteria resumed on April 19. In-person classes started back up on May 3. “We’ve had quite a few people coming in,” said Loriann Warner, manager of the center. “The exercise rooms and computers are our most busy areas.” Every precaution is being taken to keep staff and seniors safe. Anyone who enters the building must be registered for a specific activity and is required to wear a mask at all times except when actively eating, drinking or exercising. Social distancing inside the building is encouraged. Warner recommends calling ahead to make reservations. Online registration is also an option when signing up for group classes. One group that’s back in full force is the “Time” Steppers, a senior tap and jazz dancing troupe that formed in 2009. The dancers, who range in age from their 50s to 80s, know over 100 different numbers and design and make their own costumes. Prior to the pandemic, the Steppers were performing more than 50 shows a year at senior residences, schools and private parties. The group is back to practicing three times a week at the senior center and is currently working on their newest program, a “Welcome Back 2021” jazz show. For seniors looking for less theatrical ways to stay active, tai chi and yoga classes have returned, as well as Zumba Gold and line dancing. “A lot of them have missed the exercising,” Warner said. “They said at home it’s just

The “Time” Steppers are back to practicing three times a week at the Midvale Senior Center. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

not as fun because you don’t have that social aspect.” Use of the exercise room is scheduled in one hour increments, allowing 45 minutes for exercise and 15 minutes for staff to clean the equipment. The book club, bingo and social hours started back up in June, and new arts and culture classes include creative writing, paper folding and learning to grow your own ornamental Bonsai tree. “The volunteer who taught photography in 2019 will be teaching photography with cell phones,” Warner said. “So many people have cell phones with new camera features, so we’ll be helping them to learn that.” To help with social distancing, the daily sit-down lunch is divided into two sessions, one at 11:30 a.m. and the other at 12:30 p.m. The salmon lunch offered the Friday before Mother’s Day was a big draw, more than

The “Time” Steppers, a senior tap and jazz dancing troupe practices at the Midvale Senior Center in May. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

doubling the 20 or so people who had begun dining in the cafeteria. A special lunch is also planned for Friday, June 18 in recognition of Father’s Day. For those not ready to eat in a restaurant setting, pre-packaged meals to go can be picked up inside the center from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. All meals are free, with a suggested donation of $4. Virtual programming will also continue in several different formats and cover topics like healthy eating and dealing with chronic pain as well as live and pre-recorded exercise classes. “One silver lining during the past year was the development of online programming,” Warner said. “It was always some-

thing they talked about, and with the pandemic the need became so great. The goal was for seniors to have something new to do without having to leave their homes. We always have a segment of the population unable to get out of their homes, so it’s a good resource for them.” Transportation to and from the center is still in the process of being reestablished by Midvale City and the senior center will continue to slowly release restrictions. Updates and class schedules can be found at the center’s website: slco.org/midvale-senior-center/. “We’re just figuring out how you deal with what was going on last year,” Warner said. “How do you start feeling comfortable again?” l

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Continued from front page watch. I think he can run a 9:15 at state,” Stucki said about the 5A meet scheduled for mid-May at Davis High School. “He’s so great, talented; he produces fast times. The boys just love him. Nobody holds his successes against him; his wins are like their wins. They all want to see him break the records.” Davies, who would like to beat some of his cross country rivals from other schools at state, also hopes to better the 1600-meter record of 4:13.44 at this year’s state meet. It was set by Griffin’s teammate, Blaine Anderson, in 1976. Early this season, he ran about two seconds off the time with a 4:15.38. Anderson came to watch Davies run the 1600 recently at BYU. Anderson’s time “is a good time. It was hard to get back then and it’s hard to get today,” said the previous 3200 record-holder, Griffin, who went on to run on a scholarship at Weber State after he graduated from Hillcrest. “Blaine was in a class of his own.” When Griffin learned his record was broken, he wasn’t sad. “It’s just like, kind of a relief, a little bit,” he said. “Somebody’s able to do that. That’s awesome. I was excited for him.” Griffin remembers his race had per-

fect weather at state, which was held at Brigham Young University. “It was really kind of unexpected because I hadn’t been that close to the record,” he said. “The way I run is just to go out and win, whatever it takes. It happened to be that day that we ran a good, fast pace and a kid from Bingham High and I went toe-to-toe on the race. I happened to break the school record. The coach came up and told me afterwards that I had broken the school record. I was kind of in awe, thinking, I didn’t think I was that close, but that was kind of fun.” Griffin finished second to Farley Gerber in that race as well as the 1600, which again, they alternated taking the lead in the final 400 to a photo finish. “The funny thing is we happened to be roommates in college,” he said about his college teammate who went on to become a NCAA champion and world-class 3000-meter steeplechase athlete who was named to the Utah Hall of Fame. “I was kind of a young, inexperienced kid. My coach didn’t talk to me a whole lot about who was out there, and I haven’t had a lot of competition except for that kid, and he was in my region. The only thing I went into a race was, I wanted to win. I didn’t care what my time was. I just wanted to win.” Griffin, who plans to be at the state

meet this year to meet Davies and the team, said he didn’t think of his time as one that would stand up all these years; he knew Anderson was the star of the team. “I never thought of myself as a great runner because I had him. I couldn’t come close to his mile time. I’m thinking I’m not very good when on any other team, I would have been the star,” Griffin said, adding that Anderson preferred the middle distance races. It wasn’t until Griffin, who had been named outstanding track athlete his senior year, became an adult and was coaching track at North Davis Junior High and Clearfield High, that he realized he was fast. “It’s a good time. For years, I didn’t realize how fast it was until I started coaching, and I realized it was a fast time,” adding that he later learned it was one of the fastest ever run in Utah. “I didn’t realize that.” Griffin said his training methods didn’t mirror those of today (Davies estimates he runs about 50 miles per week). He said they’d run distance and interval days, but it wasn’t as intense or organized as athletes now. It wasn’t until Griffin’s senior year when he and six others on the cross country team started running about three miles each morning.

“After two weeks, I was the only one left running in the morning,” he said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of training. We didn’t train like they do today. I rarely ran over five miles, but I would ride my bike. It was my brother who pushed me in high school (track).” Griffin’s older brother got him into running at Midvale Junior High. Griffin didn’t make the team in seventh grade and was an alternate in eighth grade. So as a ninth grader, he asked his coach what he would get if he broke his brother’s mile mark, which was “5 minutes or 5:01, something like that.” “He said, ‘anything you want,’” Griffin recalled. “So, I broke the school record that year. It was a 4:59.9.” Griffin didn’t get the pair of sweats he wanted and had worn that season, instead the coach gave him a trophy. Nowadays, Midvale Middle students don’t have track as a sport so his mile record, as well as the 2-mile Hillcrest track record, still stand. “Records are there to be broken and to strive for; it gives us something, a goal. I’m happy for him (Davies),” he said. “And I’ve rationalized it a little bit. I’m always going to have the mile and two-mile record since they don’t run those anymore.” l

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Midvale City Journal

Summer concert series is back featuring Utah artists

fter a quiet year, the Midvale Summer Concert Series is back. Nine free concerts will be held every Friday at Midvale City Park from June 18 through Aug.13. The series will open with James Romero y Los Amigos Three Generations, a traditional Latin band with a twist of rock, country and pop. The rest of the season is as follows: • June 25: The 23rd Army Band • July 2: Vocalocity, an a cappella group • July 9: Channel Z’s ’80’s Night • July 16: The Walker Brothers, Midvale’s homegrown trio • July 23: The LaBarons, a family vocals group • July 30: 9021YO!, taking a trip back to the ’90s • Aug. 6: Exit Strategy, a rock trio, kicking off Harvest Days • Aug. 13: The Bird Watchers, an acoustic trio featuring ukuleles All concerts start at 7 p.m. With the pandemic still around, the arts council asks that attendees maintain social distancing. Sanitation stations will be made available for patrons and other measures will be taken, following the mandates of both county and city governments. One thing to keep in mind this year is that there will be no food sold during the events. The arts council recommends planning ahead and bringing food and drink with you. Even better, they say, make sure you visit one of Midvale’s great restaurants and get your food from them. “This was a wild ride, putting the series together,” said board member Bob Bedore. “In the past Melanie Beardall was in charge of the festival, but she stepped down after many great years of service and we all knew we had big shoes to fill. We wanted to come up with a

By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com

Based in Provo, The Bird Watchers have performed at ukulele festivals around the globe. (Photo courtesy Midvale Arts Council)

series that she would be proud of, and we had to do it quickly.” The concert series has been a big part of Midvale summers for years but had to be canceled in 2020 due to COVID restrictions. Instead, the arts council worked hard to produce a steady stream of interactive, online content, including a Fourth of July program and a virtual winter holiday concert. The council got the green light to go live

The Bird Watchers will perform their unique combination of ukuleles and vocal harmonies on Aug. 13. (Photo courtesy Midvale Arts Council)

MidvaleJournal.com

and in person again in March and worked quickly to put together a lineup. Past years have featured bands from throughout the West, but this year’s talent all hail from Utah. Bedore and fellow board member Jason Wild knew that they’d not only have less time to put the series together, but also a smaller budget. Their plan was to go through the great local bands in Utah and find a good mix of styles. It was quickly called “The Best of

Utah” series and Bedore and Wild are excited with the talent they were able to book. “I was so happy when one of the groups I really wanted signed on,” said Bedore, referring to The Bird Watchers, a band that auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” under their old name, The Naked Waiters. “The first time I heard their unique style of ukuleles and harmonies I had to bring them to Midvale. The crowd is going to love them.” l

Exit Strategy brings energy and fun to familiar hits. (Photo courtesy Midvale Arts Council)

June 2021 | Page 9

2021 EVENING S ERIES Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov June 4 ................................. Les Miserables, Movie Sing-Along June 5 ................................................... Murray Concert Band June 17-19, 21-23 ........................ Disney's The Little Mermaid June 26 ...................................................... Murray Symphony

LUNCH CONCERT SERIES * Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE June 1 - BD Howes ...................................................... Acoustic June 8 - Vaudeville Nouveau ................................... 50's - 80's June 15 - Wasatch Jazz Syndicate ........................ Jazz Quartet June 22 - Riding Gravity .............................. Surf & Rockability

LIBRARY SUMMER SHORTS

Garrett Metcalf made his professional debut with the Utah Grizzlies. The Salt Lake native is glad he could make the Maverik Center his home for this short time. (Photo courtesy of Robert Church/Utah Grizzlies)

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* Wednesday at 1 PM in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE

June 2 ............................................. Magic Show, Paul Brewer June 9 ........................................... Scales & Tails Animal Show June 16 ................................................................ Mad Science June 23 .......................................... DJ Juggling & Magic Show June 30 ......................................... Woody & Jessie, Characters

CHILDREN MATINEE SERIES * Thursday at 2 p.m. in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE

June 3 - Just Jumpin' .............................................. Jump Rope June 10 - Spiderman ...................................... Karate & Photos June 17 - Ballet Folklorico ................................... Las Americas June 24 - Ballet Center Utah, Inc .......................... Ballet Dance

FAMILY NIGHT S ERI ES Bring the Whole Family Young and Old! The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Murray Senior Recreation Center (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 block west of State) June 14 – Pick'ee Out the Stingers .................. Bluegrass Music

STOP IN FOR STORIES * Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at 11 a.m. in Murray Park White Gazebo, FREE Murray City Library sponsored Storytelling * Location may change This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Museums & National Endowment for the Arts.

Page 10 | June 2021

etcalf is a household name amongst Utah hockey fans. Garrett Metcalf has made the Utah Grizzlies his first stop in what he hopes is a long professional career. “I was like two or three when I started skating,” Metcalf said. “Then I think my first organized games came when I was five or six. I started playing in the Salt Lake County lightning program until I was about 14 years old.” His father Steve played on the Highland High School team and by his own admission was not very good so he turned his love of the game into more than 25 years of hockey refereeing. Many remember him as someone who gave his all to hockey. “Steve trained me as an official,” current ECHL linesman Jim Mckenna said. “He was the top guy in the IHL (International Hockey League). I asked him for pointers and he was always willing to give, anything he did, he did with a love for hockey. He was willing to give back.” Metcalf recalled memories of his dad refereeing. “My brother and I grew up going to the games with our dad and I spent many years at the Maverik Center. It has now come full circle and for me to play my first year of pro hockey there is pretty special,” Metcalf said. His hockey career started at home, on the driveway. “We had a net and my brother

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

started taping pillows to my legs and gave me a helmet and glove. He told me to stand in front of the net,” he said. “One time in Phoenix I ran across some equipment in a store. I begged my dad to buy them. I knew he would not pay full price, but it was on clearance. I told him they were on sale. He called my mom and they knew that I was never going back.” He has logged lots of years on the ice to get to this point in his career. “I spent a lot of summers early at the rink. My dad and I would get out to the oval (Kearns Olympic Oval). I would be on the ice at 4:45 in the morning before school. I did that multiple times a month. I had the support of my parents to get me there and they took me all across the country. I have been very blessed,” Metcalf said. Metcalf was drafted by the National Hockey Leagues Anaheim Ducks in the sixth round of the 2015 amateur draft. “It was a special moment to be drafted. It is something I will cherish the rest of my life,” Metcalf said. His player rights are still owned by the Ducks. He is under a professional tryout contract. Those contracts are short-term deals that generally only pay per diem. After his draft rights expire in August he can actively pursue a player contract and may end up in the American Hockey League or East Coast Hockey League.

He has enjoyed his time with the Grizzlies. “It is very special to be at home. I moved away from home when I was 15 and have not spent more than five days at home since then, but we are cherishing this time we all have together. I have stayed in touch with friends. It has been cool to have all of the support. At games I see familiar faces in the crowd,” Metcalf said. As a goalie he is competing for playing time with contracted players already on big league clubs. In his first two games with the Grizzlies he went 2-0, saved 94% of the shots against him and had a sparkling 1.5 goals against average. He has learned new things playing professional hockey and playing with the Grizzlies has been difficult at times. “We have struggled to score goals, but the guys have worked hard. For my first taste of pro hockey I have seen some success from my work habits and playing with an unbelievable group that has been nothing but supportive,” he said. The Grizzlies are scheduled to close the regular season June 5-7. At press time they stand in fourth place and could be in the ECHL playoffs. l

Midvale City Journal

Salt Lake County marks 75 years of Parks and Recreation with tree planting By Lindsey Baxter | l.baxter@mycityjournals.com

eighbors, elected officials, and community members joined together on a sunny day to kickoff a summer-long celebration at Evergreen Park May 14. Mayor of Salt Lake County, Jenny Wilson recognized Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation’s 75th birthday. Evergreen Park was chosen because it was the first in what is now over 100 park spaces across the valley managed by Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. The acquisition of Evergreen Park 75 years ago on May 11, 1946 launched what has now grown into one of the largest parks, trails, recreation, and open space management organizations in the region. Evergreen Park, located at 2230 E. 3425 South, is a beloved jewel of the community that had many members in attendance reminiscing about their childhoods. Wilson had fond memories of playing at Evergreen Park. She said, “I think the 75-year history of Parks and Recreation is to be noted. I have a particular love of this park because I remembered it from my childhood. I mentioned the pumpkin Cinderella-esque playground round item, and I remember when we came in here to update the park with the building of the community rec center, there was a lot of love for this park but also for that sculpture.” Jeff Silvestrini, mayor of Millcreek, said, “The pumpkin is really beautiful, and it has a lot of memories for people that grew up in this park like Mayor Wilson, and for our kids who still play on it.” Amy May, executive director of Tree Utah, explained that

Murray 2021

FUN DAYS SATURDAY, JULY 3rd ROTARY CLUB COMMUNITY BREAKFAST 6:30 - 10:00 am - Murray Park $6 Adults/$4 Child (12 and under) SUNRISE SERVICE 7 am - Murray Park Amphitheater Patriotic Address Sgt. First Class, Retired Layne Morris Music by Murray Concert Band CHALK ART CONTEST 6 am-2 pm 5K AND KIDS RACE Both races begin and end near Constitution Circle, Murray Park 8 am - 5 K Race, 9 am - Kids Race Ages 4-9 $20 early registration until June 18 $45 registration June 19-25 $10 for Kids Race by June 25 Register online at mcreg.com by June 25 - No day of registrations! CO-ED DOUBLES OUTDOOR VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT 8 am- 5 pm - Softball Field in Murray Park $30 per team - Adults, Youth, Parent/Child Divisions Register online at mcreg.com by July 1 - No day of registrations! PARADE 8:30 am - Begins at Fashion Place Mall - ends at Murray Park Grand Marshal, First Responders

Mayor of Salt Lake County Jenny Wilson, Amy May, the executive director of Tree Utah, and Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini at the 75th birthday celebration of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. (Lindsey Baxter/City Journals)

Trees ready to be planted in Evergreen Park. (Lindsey Baxter/City Journals)

MidvaleJournal.com

the collaboration between Ivory Homes, Tree Utah, Salt Lake County Park and Recreation, and the county started in fall 2020 after a major windstorm. May said, “Ivory homes, to help the community address the loss of numerous trees, the replanting efforts began. We also actually planted a bunch of trees with the Jordan River Commission in Millcreek on the Jordan River this spring with students from major high schools as well.” Silvestrini added, “I just think that this is a terrific public-private partnership that we have great private sponsors with Ivory and others and Tree Utah and the county. It’s really nice to see us working together on something that’s worthwhile that not only beautifies this park and replaces some of the trees that were taken by the…storm, but it helps with air quality, it helps with keeping our environment cooler, it helps with climate, it’s really important work.” May said, “I was doing a walk-thru last week and noticed there wasn’t a single evergreen in Evergreen Park, and I wanted to make sure we planted evergreens.” Silvestrini added, “It’s Evergreen Avenue, that’s where it got its name from.” Wilson said, “This is a great small park, and one of the jewels in the county park system. It’s just great to be here on the 75th anniversary in a great community, in a park that’s quite loved.” Check slco.org/parks-recreation/ for a schedule of commemorative celebrations this summer. l

ACTIVITIES 10 am-4 pm - Car & Bike Show (behind swimming pool) 11 am-4 pm - Food Trucks & Game Booths 1 pm-2 pm - Bingo 12 pm-4 pm - Park Center Hours 12 pm-6 pm - Aquatic Center Hours ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS Near Children’s Playground 11 am-2 pm - Games: Money Scramble, Balloon Toss 11 am-2 pm - Fishing Booth, Face Painting (minimal fee) 12:00 pm - Strider Bike Race 12:30 pm - Firemen Squirt (free) DAYTIME ENTERTAINMENT Murray Park Gazebo 10:30 am - Superheroes vs. Villains Characters 11:15 am - Puppet Show "The Dinosaur Egg" 12:00 pm - Arts in the Park Musical Reviews 12:30 pm - The Flashback Brothers, Classic Rock EVENING ENTERTAINMENT Murray Park Softball Field 8:30 pm – High Society Party Band (pictured below) 10 pm – Fireworks (leave personal fireworks at home)

June 2021 | Page 11

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Midvale named one of top 10 best small cities to start a business By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com

idvale is the seventh best small city to start a business in the U.S. according to WalletHub, a personal finance website. The website evaluated cities on 20 relevant metrics, including access to financing and labor costs. Three other Utah cities made it to the top 10—St. George, Cedar City and Logan were ranked first, second and fifth, respectively. The next highest-ranking city in Salt Lake County was Draper, which came in at 32nd out of more than 1,300 cities across the country with a population between 25,000 and 100,000 residents. Of the categories used to evaluate cities, Midvale’s highest ranking—18th overall— was in the “access to resources” category, meaning it’s easy to find things like financial resources and quality job applicants. Midvale is also seen as having a favorable business environment, a shorter commute, more startups per capita and higher average growth of business revenue than other cities of a similar size. Lynzi Hale Hansen has lived in Midvale for 13 years and started her own business in 2020. “I love that Midvale is unique,” Hansen said. “It’s part of a big metro area, but it’s community oriented. My bank knew me, and everywhere I’ve gone it’s people I know. It’s

the little things.” A former educator whose own children were now in school during the day, Hansen was looking for a new challenge. She was describing to a friend what her brother-inlaw does, and suddenly realized that the job might also be perfect for her. Hansen is a Medicare broker, which means she’s a licensed insurance agent with a sole focus on teaching seniors about Medicare and how to get the most out of their benefits. “Midvale is ideal, with a senior center and the VFW,” Hansen said. “The community feel leads to referral resources.” Despite challenges associated with the pandemic, Hansen reached her goal of 40 clients in the first year, partly by using her personal network on Facebook. Sarah Wells Frazier also took a leap during 2020. After working as a nail tech for over a decade, Frazier finally opened her own salon in 2017. Though she lived and had spent her career working in Midvale, she first found a storefront in Sandy. The space was nice, but Frazier realized that it was too far east. The already sparse foot traffic dried up completely with the pandemic. “The old space started to not work out, and I knew I was definitely going to come

back to Midvale,” Frazier said. “So, I got a disaster loan through the SBA and opened this space.” Frazier only had to look for two weeks before finding the ideal location at 7667 S. Center Square. “It’s so much better here—better rent, better parking,” Frazier said. “It was great to be back home in Midvale. I knew exactly what I needed to do. I knew where city hall was to get licensing. Everyone is so great and accommodating. People are just on it. It’s really easy to get that yucky business stuff done.” Lia Bliss lives in South Salt Lake and has been Frazier’s client for 10 years. “It’s therapy. It’s those relationships where someone understands you on a beauty standpoint, but also as a woman, as a person,” Bliss said. When Frazier opened her new space, it was just her offering nail services. She hired two technicians last summer and another in

January. “The best thing is that my girls are from different areas, but being centrally located, it’s easy for them and easy for their clients,” Frazier said. “Compared to Sandy, there was never any walk-in business there. Here we have walk-ins daily, which is great for my girls who are still building clients.” The WalletHub report simply confirmed what many people already know: Midvale’s central location and small town feel make it a great place to start a business. “The best time to start a business is today,” Hansen said. “I wish I had started five years ago. As a mom, your whole life is centered on other people. We forget that we can choose where our life goes. 2020 for me was when I decided where my life was going to end up and starting your own business is the best way to do that.” l

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The Heart of the Matter

MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY City Hall Finance/Utilities Court City Attorney’s Office City Recorder/Human Resources Community Development Public Works Ace Disposal/Recycling Midvale Historical Museum Midvale Senior Center SL County Animal Services 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 801-567-7285 385-468-3350 385-468-7387 801-743-7000 801-743-7200 801-840-4000 801-567-7230

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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

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As I write this article in mid-May, we are all waking up to the reality that for a major portion of our national society, we have got ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic. What a wonderful accomplishment! Humanity is never fully united in anything, but to get most adults vaccinated was a result of many people, individually or as a family, deciding it was worth a small pain to join in the movement to eradicate the opportunity of the virus to replicate and spread. I applaud all who were able to be inoculated and then chose to be vaccinated by any of the three vaccines. I recognize there are some who for a variety of legitimate reasons to themselves have thus far withheld their deltoid muscles from puncture. I only hope the balance of their healthcare will keep them from this devastating illness. Only the young children under age 12 are, at present, unable to be vaccinated. Being vaccinated has been a right-of-passage in my own life. I remember as a youth of six getting the polio shot in my shoulder. It caused in all shoulders a blister, the scar of which we all carry to the grave. It was also a “red badge of courage.” I have had mumps, measles, and rubella shots (as a youth plus a booster in early adulthood), yellow fever, tetanus, tetanus booster, malaria, gamma-globulin, and a host of others including ﬂu shots of all varieties over the years. I know this: I have never had any of the diseases the inoculations were intended to dismiss, dispel, or defeat. Flu bug strains have changed so fast though, that I must admit, I did get the ﬂu some years.

JUNE 2021 CITY NEWSLETTER By Mayor Robert Hale

Enough of that! Let’s talk about summer! With the greening of the trees, blooming of the flowering trees, bushes and bulbs, and the sound of mowers around our living quarters, the most beautiful time of the year is upon us. Let us all be sensible as we get out of doors, travel, recreate or seek solace. There will likely not be a person in this State who does not have the same desire to stretch their boundaries like you and me. We have all been cooped up enough these last fifteen months. Watch out for and assist your fellow travelers, recreationists, and vacationers. They, too, have been shut-ins, and desire to see places, things and people that have been unreachable IN-PERSON since early 2020. Be patient on the highways and byways of the State. Be courteous on the trails and waterways. Smile and welcome all to our City. Yes, our parks are more user friendly this summer. (Check out the Disc Golf Course at the Main City Park!) This fall we are going to use a modified voting system called Ranked Choice Voting. Accepted by the City Council, it precludes a primary election, and simply gives voting citizens their opportunity to decide their favorite, second-favorite, third-favorite, etc., depending on the number of candidates (up to ten). It may be easier for voters. It may be easier for candidates. It will be a less expensive use of taxpayer funds. It will necessitate an education process to familiarize voters on how the single election will work. Become informed. It has some virtues and some drawbacks. The City Council, administration, voters, and candidates will all be weighing this process this year – for reliability, validity and for value for the monies expended.

Midvale City Harvest FREE vendor space now available The Midvale City Harvest Days Committee is pleased to announce that plans are underway for the annual Harvest Days Festival. The festival will take place on Saturday, August 7 at Midvale City Park. Starting in 1938, as a day-off from the harvest, Harvest Days is an honored tradition that brings a fun-filled day that residents look forward to every year. In addition to free live entertainment, fireworks, parade, and free activities, Midvale Harvest Days provides a venue for area merchants, artists, and home crafters to display and sell their products in a family-oriented atmosphere. We welcome informational booths, non-profit agencies, arts and crafts products, as well as those that offer on-site services. Vendors can participate free of charge and will be required to provide their own tent (with stakes or weights for safety), tables, and chairs. Prospective vendors can visit the Harvest Days website (www.MidvaleHarvestDays.com) to complete the online application. Spaces fill up quickly. So, please submit your application as soon as possible.

Tuesday, July 27, Monday, August 2 and Tuesday, August 3 Neighborhood Block Parties Wednesday, August 4 Midvale Arts Council Hall of Honors & Art Show Thursday, August 5 Bingo Night at Midvale City Park Friday, August 6 Midvale Arts Council Concert in the Park featuring Exit Strategy Saturday, August 7 Harvest Days Parade, Festival, Concerts, and Fireworks

In The Middle of Everything

WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

Disc on 6th @ Midvale City Park Ribbon Cutting and Disc Golf Clinics

Midvale City Municipal Election On May 4, 2021, the Midvale City Council adopted Ranked Choice Voting for the City’s 2021 Municipal election. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) allows voters to rank as many candidates as they want in order of choice--first, second, third, and so on. All first choices are counted, and if a candidate has a majority, then they win just like any other election. However, if nobody has a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those voters have their ballot instantly count for their next choice.

The following elected City positions are to be voted upon in the Midvale City 2021 Municipal Election. The open seats are four-year terms:

Mayor - At Large District 4 - Council Member District 5 - Council Member

August 10 through 17, 2021 (excluding Saturday and Sunday) 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. City Recorder's Office 7505 S Holden Street, 2nd floor

No primary election. Municipal General Election : November 2, 2021

Deadline: No later than 5:00 p.m. on August 17, 2021

If a voter’s favorite candidate can’t win, their vote counts for the candidate they ranked next; so nobody feels like they wasted their vote on an underdog. This means that more people can run, including independent and thirdparty candidates, without fear of splitting the vote. This encourages more voices in democracy, and more choices for voters.

CONTACT

Interested candidates must be a registered voter, resident of Midvale City for at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of the election; and resident of the district candidate is running for 60 days prior to the date of the election.

voices Ranked choice voting brings more ating to the political debate, while elimin the drawbacks of vote-splitting. With ranked choice voting you get real, meaningful choices while remaining the confident that the candidate with strongest support will win.

Please direct questions to the City Recorder, Rori Andreason, at randreason@midvale.com.

On Saturday, May 22, Mayor Robert Hale and the City Council hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the City’s new disc golf course at Midvale City Park. Local disc golf players, city officials, and community members participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony. Mayor Hale expressed his appreciation to Kevin Rogers, of Grip6, for designing the park and industry leading signage. Kevin reached out to the City in 2019 to offer his expertise to build Midvale’s first disc golf course. Kevin’s dedication and passion for the sport has been a huge benefit to our community. Mayor Hale also expressed his appreciation to the Public Works Parks Division for installing the disc golf course. Council member Dustin Gettel discussed the City Council’s commitment to partnering with the community to provide more recreational opportunities. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, Kevin Rogers and his sons Henry and Owen joined Justin “MigunMan” Anderson and Professional Disc Golf Association Amateur World Champion Jake LaPutka to teach new disc golf players how to play the popular sport. Disc Golf is played much like traditional golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc or frisbee. The disc/frisbee is thrown from a tee to a basket, which is the “hole.” As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw landed. Finally, the “putt” lands in the basket and the hole is completed. The object is to throw the disc/frisbee from the tee area to the target “basket” in the fewest number of throws.

The Disc on 6th @ Midvale City Park course is best accessed from the west parking lot where the practice basket is located and where Hole 1 begins in the northwest corner of the park. Some tee pads are located on the existing concrete path, while others have dedicated tee pads poured level with the grass. The industry leading signage includes a map of each hole, the par designation, and calls out any out of bounds areas as well as mando’s (mandatory obstacles) that may be present on a given hole. Some holes also include tips on how to play and score the game. This course has a variety of holes that provide a great way to learn all the throws required in a good game of disc golf, including backhand, forehand, and rollers. The course is non-supervised, and no reservations are needed. Bring your own disc. Remember, this is a short course located in a shared use park, so please be courteous to other park users, respect neighboring property owners, and always follow the Disc Golfer’s Code.

City Manager Matt Dahl and City Council Members Heidi Robinson, Dustin Gettel, Paul Glover, and Quinn Sperry.

JUNE 2021 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

Love The Arts? We Need You! —Midvale Arts Council looking for more volunteers Anyone who has gone to a theater production at the Midvale Performing Arts Center, a concert at the Amphitheater, or even just marveled at the offerings of the various festivals that happen in Midvale has hopefully not had to think about the amount of work that goes into putting on these events but trust the words of anyone who put in the hours to make them happen – It’s a lot of work. But you can also believe that all of the work is done out of love. A love for the arts and the desire to make sure that Midvale residents get plenty of chances to see, participate, and generally experience a wide variety of arts. This is goal of the Midvale Arts Council, a surprisingly small group who work year-round to make this happen.

The Council couldn’t possibly do all that happens around Midvale without the help of volunteers who share in their love for the arts and the need has come up for more volunteers. Those wishing to help and be a part of the Arts in Midvale will ﬁnd many different chances (and different artistic styles) to make their mark on the city. Volunteers help out at big events like the Summer Concert Series and live stage shows, as well as helping to organize outreach programs, various festivals (art, craft, and literary), and can bring up new ideas to the board for possible inclusion. “We love our volunteers,” said MAC Board Member Stephanie Johnson. “We are a volunteer organization, and we do what we do because we love the arts in our community. But in order to present our programs, we rely on the good hearts and willing hands of the volunteers who work with us.” The Midvale Arts Council accepts volunteers of all ages, though they ask that the youth (under the age of 16) who volunteer be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers can sign up for a regular type of stint that sees them helping out at events as needed, but they also have a chance to be a part of the Midvale Arts Volunteer Committee where they can do even more to help shape the arts in Midvale. If that is not enough, they can ask to serve on the Midvale Arts Council and really get their hands dirty. “We really do try to make sure that the volunteers have fun,” Added Johnson. “There is some hard work and there

Your Dog is Too Cool for Hot Cars! Salt Lake County Animal Services Keep your dog cool! In Utah, it can be freezing and raining in the morning and then heat up in the afternoon, making your car, yard, or patio, a dangerous place for your pet. A good rule of thumb is once it’s over 55 degrees outside, it’s too hot to leave your dog in your car. Hot Weather Do’s & Don’t to Keep Your Dog Safe HOT CARS: Once outside temperatures reach 70-degrees, temperatures in a car can exceed 116-degrees within 10 minutes. Even on a mild 75-degree day, cracking a window in your car or parking in the shade doesn’t make a difference. Temperatures inside the vehicle are deadly. Dogs can suffer from heatstroke, irreparable brain damage, or even death. If you see a pet inside a vehicle, excessively panting, non-responsive, drooling, or listless, call Salt Lake County Animal Service’s Dispatch number immediately: 801-8404000. Never break a window of a vehicle on your own to pull out a pet, you could be liable for damages. Take a photo of the pet, the license plate, and give that information to Animal Control Ofﬁcers. HOT PAVEMENT: Dogs can burn their paws on the sidewalk in the summer. When in doubt test the surface yourself: place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you CAN’T stand the heat for FIVE seconds, it’s too hot for you to walk your dog. Walk your dog early in the morning, later in the evening, and leave them at home when heading to festivals or farmer’s markets. HOT BALCONIES: Despite being covered, a balcony can get very hot, VERY fast. A dog left on a balcony may try to escape and injure themselves when they’re left alone and hot. A bowl of water is easily overturned, and the pet is left anxious, dehydrated, and in similar conditions as a hot car. If you see or hear a pet on a balcony that’s in distress call Animal Control: 801-840-4000. For additional information please visit the website AdoptUtahPets.org or email animal@slco.org.

are many hours that can go into things, but we make sure that everyone has a chance to enjoy all that being a part of the arts has to offer. For high school students, that could mean some great resume material for college applications. The Arts Council offer a few students the chance to have an unpaid internship as they work in all forms of a city arts organization. Those looking to volunteer for the Midvale Arts Council and ﬁnd all the information needed on the Council’s website, midvalearts.com. Or just talk to anyone who is volunteering at any of the Midvale events. They’ll be glad to have some extra hands to help out.

Midvale Senior Center’s Café & Father’s Day Meal We are excited to announce that Midvale Senior Center’s Café has re-opened for in center dining available to seniors 60 and over. Utah Community Action operates the café. Their chefs Julio and Mari have over 37 years of combined experience in the food industry. Everything is cut and cooked fresh daily. They do not add any salt and a dietician looks over their lunch menus to make sure they have just the right amount of fat, grains, and vegetables. We have two lunch sessions. One at 11:30 am and another at 12:30 pm. Due to social distancing, each session is limited to 34 seniors. Seniors also have the option to pick up a to go meal inside the center between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. Please call 385-468-3350 the day before to reserve a meal. The suggested donation for lunch is $4.00. Midvale Senior Center is located at 7550 South Main Street (700 West). On Friday, June 18, Midvale Senior Center will be having a special Father’s Day Meal. Please call 385-468-3350 by Thursday, June 10, to reserve this meal. All gentlemen coming to the center that day will receive a special treat.

E-scooters come to Midvale with conditions By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

hile their debut in Salt Lake City two years ago was rocky, other cities have learned from the mistakes. Electric scooters, or e-scooters, are now popping up in many cities. There is now room in Midvale City code for any scooter business to apply for a license, but with conditions. “Lights on them, forward and backward, reflectivity and bell or horn,” said Nate Rockwood, Midvale Community development director. The e-scooters will only be rideable in Midvale. However, Sandy has a similar ordinance. If the same company is licensed in both cities, potentially a rider could go between the two. If a rider passes over the city border, the e-scooter will slowly stop and power down. Each scooter company will have a downloadable app where you can pay to ride the scooter. “Every single scooter has to be equipped with GPS so they can locate them,” Rockwood said. E-scooters are meant to be used in bike lanes on roads with speed limits 35 mph or lower, and yield to pedestrians and bikes. As with cars, “Riders have to be 16 years or older,” Rockwood said. “[Riders] can’t use cell phones while riding. They have to be able to operate the vehicle with both hands. Can’t be used on private property or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Councilmember Bryant Brown expressed concern about the increased work required by the Unified Police Department (UPD). “We’re always sensitive to the UPD budget,” Brown

E-scooters like these will soon appear on Midvale streets. (Wikimedia commons)

said. “And just today alone we’ve added enforcement on multiple items. We shouldn’t be surprised if it gets more expensive for us because we’re asking them to do more.” “There is definitely a possibility of increased workload regarding enforcement,” UPD Midvale Chief Randy Thomas said. “I don’t anticipate enforcement specifically for those using the scooters but rather the potential nuisance some may feel they cause,” he said. “My bigger concern is the safety of those using the scooters. Much like motorcycles, pedestrians

and bicyclists, there will surely be injuries.” Comments from the Midvale Residents Facebook page were mostly positive. “They were awesome when I lived downtown,” resident Amy Savage said. “I’d use them for fun or a short jaunt.” “As long as there's a clear contract for who is responsible to collect them from the random places they're abandoned, it's fine,” Kaylee Blair said. “They are fun for touristy places,” Lorene Butler said. “Scary for pedestrians and vehicles.” l

Canyons School District introduces summer job partnership for students with disabilities By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

ocal businesses have a chance to be part of a pilot program that employs Canyons School District students with disabilities, thanks to a two-year $111,000 pre-employment transition services grant from the Department of Workforce Services. “We wrote a grant, a sub grant, from the Department of Workforce Services who gives grants out to a variety of community providers,” said Nate Edvalson, who is the program administrator for secondary and transition in special education and an administrator for the Canyons Transition Academy. “The goal behind the program is for right now, to provide some services to 20 students this summer, providing so many hours of career exploration with them and figure out what they’re interest in post-high school is and then hook them up with a job that is related to that interest and getting involved in that job.” He said that this will create better outcomes for students with disabilities by helping them have summer work experiences that show them how the world of work relates to their educational experiences and how education is relevant to them. Canyons will provide skill job coaching for the high school juniors and seniors while area businesses will provide work experience in the Canyons Summer Work-Based Learning Program, Edvalson said. “We’re looking at punctuality, honesty, trustworthiness, appropriate attire, hygiene,

Page 18 | June 2021

grooming and those kinds of things that make a good employee and the company will teach them the hard skills on the job, such as how to build something or how to design a computer program and those kinds of things they need to learn for that entry-level position or whatever position they’ve carved out for these students to have in work-based learning for about four weeks this summer,” he said, adding that he is looking into high school credit in career exploration for these students. Edvalson said the program is a win-win for both students and the community. “That gives students something to do and learn so once they graduate, they can contribute to the community and they’ll get paid from our partnership businesses, which many businesses are looking for summer help. The impetus behind it is trying to give students real-world experiences so that they understand the world of work and are more prepared for leaving high school, whether they go to pursue a college degree or some kind of post-secondary education or they go right into work. It’s specifically geared for students with disabilities and that is what the grant is funded for,” he said. As part of the grant, 11 staff members will be paid to run the summer program as each student will be assigned a job coach to help students, who may have “very severe to very mild disabilities,” he said. “They may need more intensive support

for the job coach to help them from doing this problem solving to maybe a student who just needs to check in. This allows them to have that someone there to watch them and work with the employer to see how this will best benefit the student and the organization,” he said. “It’s really customized to fit the student’s learning and the variety of businesses.” This summer, Edvalson is lining up businesses to become part of the program based on student interest surveys to try to match a job experience with the students’ career aspirations. The interest could range from STEM careers to business to catering to manufacturing, but the goal is to help them be prepared for meaningful employment. “We’d like to support the students and their goals, but also help our community. We’re hopeful to have some really good experiences. My eventual vision would be serving 20 to 60 students; I really think this would be an awesome experience and partnership,” he said, adding that the District has an option to renew the grant for a third year. Businesses should benefit from employing the diverse population, Edvalson said. “They’re going to benefit from different perspectives, different talents, different things to focus on making their business more friendly for employees that do actually have disabilities. They’re being more responsive to community and understanding that there’s a growing pop-

ulation of folks that they need to be sensitive to,” he said. “Eventually, businesses will want to take on more of those specific targeted groups and there are tax credits available for businesses to do that. There are some incentives there for businesses who are interested in making this a part of their mainstays.” Edvalson hopes people will embrace this program and see the benefit. “I think people look at a student with disabilities often as stereotypically with autism or Down syndrome, but we have students with disabilities that people wouldn’t know. They may struggle with a reading disability, for example, but people wouldn’t be able to look and see it. But they do impact different facets of their life if overcome or if they had different accommodations from their employer, they’ll bring great things to the table,” he said. Businesses that are interested in offering a four- or five-week job should contact him at the school district, Edvalson said. Canyons School District has about 3,000 students who have been identified with a disability, with approximately 1,000 of those being in high school. “I’m excited about starting something,” he said. “I think that’s the coolest part is that we’re trying to do something different to engage students in a different way that they will hopefully benefit from.” l

Midvale City Journal

Hartman gets hat trick, leads Huskies to silver in area unified soccer tournament By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

illcrest High senior Jaden Hartman spent hours every day on his own, practicing his footwork, his speed, and lifting weights in preparation for his unified soccer season. “I looked at YouTube videos and learned to work on my left leg, then my right and doing sprints,” said the student-athlete who has been on the unified team for four years and on the Real Salt Lake unified team for two years. “I like kicking the ball and playing with my friends, but I never played on a team before Hillcrest.” So, when Hartman put on the Husky jersey for the tournament, he realized this would be the last time he’d represent his school. “I just want to win it,” he said during the coed Salt Lake regional tournament after he had scored seven goals, including a hat trick early on in one game. “I want to be champions and put a trophy in our school’s trophy case in the new gym.” Hartman said he also enjoyed playing with friends and making new ones on the team. “I like playing soccer, hanging out with my teammates, eating food, or helping the SBOs (student body officers),” he said. “It’s been good.” While the Huskies won their early rounds, they fell to Tooele in the championship game. Hartman and his teammates received silver medals. Hillcrest High has a solid unified program, said Courtnie Worthen, Unified Champion Schools manager who oversees the unified sports program. “Hillcrest engages the school in the program by having members on the team who represent different parts of the school,” she said about some of their partners who are SBOs, Latinos-in-Action or peer tutors. “They have fans as their (boys) soccer team and SBOs came to cheer for them.” Hillcrest coach Shannon Hurst held weekly practices for the team and invited the Husky boys’ soccer team to help. Not only did they work on the basic soccer skills, but also on trapping the ball and shooting, which allowed their keeper, senior Jonah Askvig, to practice stopping the ball from his wheelchair. “The goal is to provide an opportunity for our kids who don’t get to play elsewhere and have a program similar to other programs,” she said. “They deserve the recognition, hype, praise, practice and a chance to have a coach just as our other athletes. Everyone deserves to know they are welcome, safe, loved and appreciated here.” For Hurst, it’s been fun. “We had every athlete score and when

MidvaleJournal.com

After Hillcrest High scored against Tooele High in the final Salt Lake regional tournament game, Hillcrest High peer partner Max Lapore (32) celebrates with student-athlete Jaden Hartman (28).

Jaden got his hat trick, he just lit up. He just talks soccer all the time. He gets so excited; this is his thing. He helps his teammates learn and has become a leader at practices,” she said about her captain, who proudly wore the captain sleeve. Hurst hoped not only her athletes, but her partners, bonded. “I hope the partners learn patience and it opens their eyes to being inclusive. I’ve seen them show kindness, understanding and respect,” she said. Hartman’s teammate, sophomore Ashtyn McVey, said she became better acquainted with her peers by playing on the team. “I love the community environment,” said the peer tutor who played eight years of soccer leading up to middle school. “I know the players from class, but when I’m on the field playing with them, I’m getting closer to them. We work as a team and are encouraging each other always. I’ve learned more patience and know how we can set up crosses, or make sure we’re not down with mis-passes. Jaden works hard, and he encourages others and sets them up for good passes. Everyone cares about each other and we all work together. We’re becoming better friends because of playing soccer together.” That is something that Worthen appreciates. “We hope this helps to create lasting friendships, where they see each other in the hallways and say hi, eat together at lunch and have fun,” she said. “This helps to build camaraderie. I’d love to host unified dances or see clubs that help build leadership with the students and their peers.” While those on the field had to follow

Hillcrest High senior Jonah Askvig played in goal for the Huskies, helping the unified soccer team to a second-place regional finish. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Hillcrest High’s unified soccer team brought home silver medals from the Salt Lake regional tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

the safety and health precautions as other high school teams, the tournament was set up regionally to reduce travel and have less teams playing at a site to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, Worthen said. In the week following the tournament, Hartman, Askvig and their teammate, Poa Tuitama, were honored with their own se-

nior night during the Hillcrest boys soccer home game, recognizing their contributions to the team and school before the Husky community. Next year, unified soccer in Utah will become a fall sport, allowing year-round unified sports, with basketball in the winter and track in the spring. l

June 2021 | Page 19

Canyons School District to continue its meals to go By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

hicken nuggets, hamburgers, sandwiches, carrots, raisins and more may be packaged into school lunches this summer. Area children, age 18 years and under, will be able to have free meals at select curbside school locations beginning June 1. The meals are for any youth those ages, not just Canyons School District students, and parents may pick up the meals without children present. The meals will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or until the meals run out. Families will be provided enough food to cover the week. Two breakfasts and lunches will be given out on Tuesdays, and three breakfasts and lunches will be given out on Thursdays. Daily menus can be found at canyonsdistrict.nutrislice.com. The meals are provided at these locations: • East Midvale Elementary, 6990 S. 300 East, Midvale • Midvale Elementary, 7830 South Chapel St., Midvale • Jordan High, 95 Beetdigger Blvd., Sandy • Bell View Elementary, 9800 S. 800

East, Sandy • Butler Middle, 7530 S. 2700 East, Cottonwood Heights • Sandy Elementary, 8725 S. 280 East, Sandy • Willow Springs Elementary, 13288 Lone Rock Dr., Draper • Crescent Elementary, 11100 S. 230 East, Sandy • Midvalley Elementary, 217 E. 7800 South, Midvale • Copperview Elementary, 8449 Monroe St., Midvale Students enrolled in CSD’s by-invitation Summer Boost program will be served free breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday, during the days of June 7-24, in the cafeteria of the school site they are attending. Breakfast for those students will be served from 8:30 to 9 a.m., and lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. l

Bell View Elementary will be one of the sites that will be distributing meals twice per week this summer. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Midvale City Journal

Local youth historians to compete at national competition

ike many other school activities, COVID-19 impacted Utah History Day Fair as the Canyons School District, Salt Lake Regional and state competitions were all held virtually. However, when the livestreamed results were announced, the reactions weren’t virtual. A group of Midvale Middle School documentarists were announced as winners of a special award, the Trails Prize, sponsored by the Oregon California Trails Association, Utah Crossroads Chapter. Their group documentary, created by Aeris Lau, Cody Su, Jacob Nelson, Kimiya Mavaddat and Max McFarland, was titled “The Pony Express: The Most ‘Note’able Men.” The Trojans share the award with neighbors to the east as Union Middle School’s Hannah Cecil and Maile Gonzalez also won for their group documentary, “Pony Express.” Canyons School District had several students win the state competition and will compete in the National History Day Fair in June. Amongst those are Union Middle School eighth-grade students Allie Murray, Sara Russell and Ellie Glover who researched and created a group exhibit that illustrated their findings about women’s suffrage. The online exhibit included historical background of why women could not participate in politics and how they wanted to represent their values and opinions. It showed leaders in the movement and the protests, speeches and conventions they held to gain the right to vote. Tying in the History Day theme of “Communication and History: The Key to Understanding,” their conclusion illustrated how after the 19th amendment was ratified, more than 8 million women voted and had influence in determining the outcomes of issues and who holds office, including electing the first female U.S. vice president. The group won their school competition, Canyons School District’s history day contest and the Salt Lake regionals to advance to the state history day contest. Competitions were held virtually to ensure the safety and health of student competitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We worked on it preparing for each level as we advanced,” Allie said. “The hardest part was after we fixed it, we had to edit out words to fit to the word count or parts that weren’t as focused on our topic.” Ellie said that they hoped to make their project even stronger before nationals. “We want to make our conclusion and thesis statement stronger and then, connect some of our ideas to the theme more,” she said. While the girls knew it took the women 72 years to gain the right to vote, their research gave them more insight to the hardships and movement behind the privilege. “I learned about it a little in seventh grade,” Sara said. “We wanted to focus on

MidvaleJournal.com

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Union Middle School eighth-graders Allie Murray, Sara Russell and Ellie Glover, who researched and created an exhibit that illustrated their findings about women’s suffrage, recently earned the state title in group exhibit in the state History Day Fair. (Ellie Glover)

that they secured women the right to vote now and also that women have roles in the government and in politics.” Ellie said that the 19th amendment wasn’t easy to pass. “I learned that they had to go through a lot of hardships to even get the right to vote and be understood,” she said, adding that with Kamala Harris as vice president, she wanted to delve deeper into the subject. “I wanted to see what they had to do in order to lead up to this point.” Sara said they were able to find some of the original speeches from women’s suffrage leaders like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton for their virtual poster board. With COVID-19, the group had to learn how to make a virtual board in Google Drawing and communicated over Zoom to work on the project together when they weren’t at school. “My favorite part is getting to work with my friends,” Allie said. “We went off a list we got from our teacher and decided to write certain parts first and divide up the sections. Before our research, we didn’t realize how many were opposed to the women’s suffrage movement, even some women, and included that as our counter argument.” The Union trio weren’t the only state champions who will advance to nationals from Canyons School District. Their class-

Union Middle School’s Isabella Toledo will compete in the individual performance category at nationals with “Quipus,” a way Incas communicate in South America. (Screenshot)

mate, Isabella Toledo, will compete in the individual performance category with “Quipus,” a way Incas communicate in South America. From Draper Park Middle, William Harrison will present his paper, “The Power of Television: How Televised Presidential Appearances Have Shaped American History” in the junior division.

In the senior division, Jordan High’s Elsie Grow will present her paper, “For the Advancement and Betterment of Humanity: The Fight for Women’s Suffrage at Utah’s Constitutional Convention.” Grow was honored with special awards at state, including the American West Prize and the Glen & Caroline Miner Prize in Utah History. l

June 2021 | Page 21

Dive into summer fun at Salt Lake County outdoor pools By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

f you needed another sign that things were returning to normal, here’s a good one: the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation outdoor pools opened Memorial Day weekend! The pools are scattered throughout the county and will stay open through the summer. The county advises patrons to check their website at www. slco.org for updates on COVID restrictions including mask requirements. In general, those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks. Most of the pools have fun features like lap lanes, leisure areas, zero-depth entry, ADA accessibility, kids play areas, diving boards, sunbathing areas or slides. All have lifeguards on duty during operating hours. Opening hours, times and prices differ slightly for each location, so it’s wise to call ahead. And for an extra fun and exclusive event, many of the pools are available after hours to rent for private parties.

POOLS IN YOUR AREA • Crestwood Pool 1700 E. Siesta Dr. (7485 S.) 385-468-1683 • Draper Pool 657 E. Vestry Road 385-468-1995 • Liberty Park Pool 900 S. 650 East 385-468-1564 • Magna Pool 3270 S. 8400 West 385-468-1826 • Redwood Pool 3060 S. Lester St. (3100 S. Redwood Road) 385-468-1870 • SLC Sports Complex Pool 645 S. Guardsman Way 385-468-1925 • South County Pool 12765 S. 1125 West 385-468-1362 • Taylorsville Pool 4914 S. 2700 West 385-468-1740 • West Jordan Pool 8125 S. 2200 West 385-468.1941

Crestwood in Cottonwood Heights is one of nine Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation outdoor pools that opened Memorial Day weekend. (Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation)

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Midvale City Journal

Midvale Middle play intramural soccer against other middle schools By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

M The Ruth Vine Tyler Library was built in 1966. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)

Architect of notable Midvale buildings dies at 98

idvale Middle’s eighth-grade Trojans were dribbling, passing, playing defense and making all the right moves in Canyons School District’s coed middle school soccer tournament, but ended up in a tie in the first round against Albion Middle (pictured here). The game went into penalty kicks, where they lost to the Knights, who became the eventual eighth-grade 2021 champions. Union Middle won the seventh-grade bracket and Draper Park took the sixth-grade title. Last year’s event didn’t happen because of the soft closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indian Hills eighth-grade team member Zach Lovell said, “The best part is that everyone can join. I got a couple friends, some who didn’t play, and we were passing the ball, laughing and just having fun.” (Julie Slama/City Journals)

By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com

“I

’ve always enjoyed the light and openness,” said Melinda Tooley, a librarian at the Ruth Vine Tyler Library since 2013. The Tyler Library, located at 8041 S. Wood St. and built in 1966 was one of three Salt Lake County libraries designed by William Wing Louie. Louie died on April 21 at the age of 98. Louie was the first Asian and the first minority to be licensed as an architect in Utah. He designed two other Salt Lake County libraries—the recently renovated Holladay branch and the recently replaced Kearns branch—as well as churches, schools

and commercial buildings throughout Utah. Louis also designed the St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church on Lennox Street in Midvale. Louie was born in Ogden in 1923 after his parents immigrated from China. He worked at Hill Air Force Base and served in World War II before graduating from the first class of the University of Utah’s School of Architecture. The Tyler Library extended its operating hours in April and is now open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. l

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Google Fiber coming to Sandy City By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

ood news for Sandy households that struggle to share their home’s bandwidth among family members: Google Fiber is coming to Sandy city. On May 5, the city announced that it had reached an agreement with Google Fiber to “provide high-speed, high-bandwidth internet service to residents of the city.” “The residents of Sandy City have long needed additional options when it comes to high-speed internet service,” said Mayor Kurt Bradburn in a Sandy City press release. “This partnership with Google Fiber will fill the gaps in service and provide a highly competitive choice for homes and small businesses in Sandy. Spending the last year working and going to school from home has shown that having reliable internet service is no longer a luxury but a fundamental need to live in society.” Google Fiber, as the name suggests, is an internet service that relies on fiber-optic cables, which boast higher bandwidth and transmission speeds. Jacob Brace, a Google Fiber employee, visited the Sandy City Council on May 11 to help explain what the service means for Sandy. “Our internet is symmetrical, so one gig

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download and one gig upload,” he said. “That means that while we’re all on this important and critical virtual meeting, all our family members can enjoy their streaming and other family members can play video games and other family members can download pictures

from a family album, all at the same time uninterrupted.” Google Fiber’s expansion into Sandy isn’t surprising, given the company’s history of involvement in Utah. When the service first launched around 2012, one of the first

cities announced was Provo. Salt Lake City soon followed. Now the city is working to add South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Holladay and Taylorsville to their expanding network. So what will it take to bring the service to the residents of Sandy? Because the service requires the installation of new fiber optic cables throughout the city, the actual planning, engineering and construction process may take up to two years to complete. However, residents can sign up for the service when their neighborhood is connected, even if the rest of the citywide network isn’t complete. So according to Brace, they expect to have their first Sandy City customer by the end of this year. The offer extended to those customers: 1 gig internet speeds for $70/month. That’s a price point which Brace said the company hasn’t changed since they started business. “We’ve never raised our price on it since it was released. So we have stability in pricing, we have transparency in pricing. We don’t have any add-on fees or rental fees,” he said. Additionally, customers can double their speed for an extra $30/month, to really “give their kids an edge when it comes to online gaming,” Brace added. l

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Midvale City Journal

Zombies recruited to help Murray Fire Department By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

eally, Murray City Fire Department recruited zombies to train their Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). The training has been so successful that Murray FD wants to do it on a regular basis. It seems unusual for a fire department and a haunted house amusement attraction to join forces. But, when you consider all the fake blood and existing space filled with devastated scenery and dark-lit rooms, then a haunted house makes a natural place to train Murray residents to support emergency responders in a real-life disaster. The idea of using Dead City Haunted House (5425 S. Vine St.) as a CERT training venue happened, quite literally, on accident. “It only took one fire inspection to realize what an amazing environment this could be for CERT training,” Murray City Fire Department Assistant Chief Joey Mittelman said. Of course, the zombies/pretend victims were Dead City performers, who are well-practiced in the art of dramatic suffering. The performers were placed in specific scenarios that simulated disasters. Dead City’s costume and make-up department provided fake gashes and torn outfits to replicate certain conditions in which a CERT member might find a person who survived a calamity. According to CERT instructor Tom Roberson, Fire Inspector and Safety Education Coordinator George Zboril came up with the idea. “During his fire department responsibilities, George has developed a relationship with the owners of Dead City. He asked their permission to use the facility and they recruited volunteer ‘victims’ for us. They moulage (apply mock injuries) them to enhance the effect,” Roberson said. Murray City FD began offering CERT to Murray residents 14 years ago. Over the past two years, Murray has been developing extended community relationships and reaching out to local neighborhood emergency

Dead City performers, complete with fake wounds and real bandages, relax after being treated in a Murray FD mock drill. (Photo courtesy Tom Roberson)

MidvaleJournal.com

Dead City performers prepare for mock scenarios involving Murray FD’s Community Emergency Response Team training. (Photo courtesy Tom Roberson)

preparedness groups and other organizations to offer this instruction. CERT training provides a base understanding of potential disasters such as earthquakes, windstorms, fires, HAZMAT, medical emergencies and more. The goal is to create Murray resident teams that can assist during those kinds of disasters. The training comprises four classes, each two to three hours, mainly in the classroom, with some hands-on practice. The fifth class is a comprehensive hands-on learning experience. Practice situations include fire hazard awareness, fire chemistry, use of a fire extinguisher, hazardous materials awareness, natural gas emergencies, first aid and patient transport. “The classes in this course are essentially the same as previous ones. The real bonus is the excellent facility and the make-up and acting by the Dead City staff,” Roberson said. In the past, the hands-on training took place at a Murray FD firehouse or the emergency training base at the Salt Lake City Airport. Dead City, which spends most of the year prepping for their annual haunt fest (September through November) agreed that helping the fire department with training was a good use of their off-time. “We just utilize a couple of existing hallways and rooms [in the haunted house]; these were lights-out to encourage the students to work with headlamps and flashlights. We also used the entrance area for lifting and cribbing and the parking lot for fire extinguisher practice,” Roberson said.

Dead City applied spirit gum and plastic wounds, and the performers acted as though injured or in shock. Dead City’s talent for scares has been honored as one of the 2020 “Haunters to Watch” winners by HAuNTcon and Haunted Attraction Network. “Each time a CERT class is taught, they become better. We are learning what is crucial for our citizens and how to best test their knowledge of the skills learned throughout the course. Dead City has provided these advancements through hands-on practicality,” Mittelman said. CERT training is free for Murray residents. For $25, an emergency response backpack is available for participating students. Residents can find more information about Murray FD’s CERT program online at www. murray.utah.gov. l

A Dead City actor is led out of a structure by CERT trainees during a mock drill. (Photo courtesy Tom Roberson)

June 2021 | Page 25

Opportunities, advice come to Huskies from career day, job fair By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

illcrest High students may have an edge up on their peers this summer, thanks to the school hosting both a job fair and a career day. “There is a shortage of workers for the available jobs out there,” said Cher Burbank, Hillcrest work-based learning facilitator and careers club adviser. “Schools have been putting out job fliers on job boards all this year. We are trying to help the community in this dilemma while helping our students.” The job fair was held in-person the week before school was out while the career day hosted alumni who spoke to a small audience in the auditorium as well as livestreamed to students throughout the building, keeping in accordance to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. While the job fair may help with summer positions or even an after-school job, the career day was aimed for a long-term career path, Burbank said. The four speakers—Pilar Shortsleeve ’74, Brian Duncan ’86, Mitch Price ’11 and Helen Schroeder ’16—each shared highlights of their careers as well as what they did in high school. “We hoped our alumni career speakers would be able to relate to our current students at Hillcrest,” Burbank said, adding that it was made fun by having a masked alumnus, Hillcrest counselor Kim Rueckert Walters, share stories about her days at the school before graduating in 1993, and how she changed her major four times before she found her career. Shortsleeve, who recalled saying three lines in the school play, “Matchmaker,” on the stage where she spoke to students, said that she had planned to be a clinical lab scientist when an opportunity came up to enter forensics. She said she first discovered her love of biology while at Hillcrest, when she wasn’t on the volleyball court with her teammates, who won the first girls state title in Utah. “It was a career I hadn’t thought of and didn’t know much about, but I wasn’t afraid to take a chance,” she said. “That’s the advice I have to share with you. Don’t be afraid to talk to people, to take a chance. It may lead you to somewhere you may not even know you want to go.” Shortsleeve, who has worked 30 years for the state, now is the chief forensic scientist and deputy director of the state crime lab, having first set up the state’s DNA crime lab. Brian Duncan, whose fond memory of Hillcrest was being thrown in a garbage can when he was “a short nerd in ninth grade,” advised students to “take joy in the journey you’re on. Count your blessings every day for every little bump in the road and don’t be afraid or worried if you don’t have it all put together. Don’t do it alone; ask for help; and ride the highs and lows of the rollercoaster of the unknown.” While he thought he might want to pursue a career in journalism after being editor of the school creative writing magazine, he took a science class his sister recommended and instead found a new love. He became a dentist and joked he got his revenge when the former student who put him in a trash can sat in his dentist’s chair. Price, who ran track and cross country and played in several school music groups as well as his band outside of school, said as a student, “I had no idea where I was going. I was not a good student, I just got by.” He soon learned “getting by” wasn’t enough and dropped out of BYU. He got another chance at the U, but again, it wasn’t a good fit. A third time studying computer science at Utah Valley was his answer.

Page 26 | June 2021

Hillcrest High students livestreamed the career day to classmates throughout the school to share words from alumni (Brian Duncan ’86 seen at the podium) while ensuring social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

It was a career I hadn’t thought of and didn’t know much about, but I wasn’t afraid to take a chance,” she said. “That’s the advice I have to share with you. Don’t be afraid to talk to people, to take a chance. It may lead you to somewhere you may not even know you want to go. Pilar Shortsleeve

“I learned from my mistakes,” he said, adding that when he wasn’t offered a job initially, “I learned to be persistent and because of that, I was hired. I also learned to lean on those around me and to learn from them.” That included his high school composition teacher who caught him cheating in class. “‘One mistake doesn’t define you,’ he told me. I ran into him a year ago and he said, ‘you made it’ saying he always knew I would when I didn’t,” Price said. The final speaker was Schroeder, who had participated in Science Olympiad as a Husky and took EMT classes at CTEC. She also was an English Sterling Scholar who took international baccalaureate and advanced placement classes. “There was a lot of pressure to do IB and AP, but you shouldn’t feel pressured to do it,” she advised. “If you have book smarts and good common sense, that will get you far.” She said her strong writing skills helped her graduate

from West Point last May and will help in law school she plans to attend. She said part of her success was to go outside of Utah. “Don’t hold yourself back from succeeding; reinvent yourself and start fresh,” she said. Ninth-graders Ana Salinas and Emma Montiel were part of the career day live audience. “It was fun to hear about their experiences,” Ana said. Emma, who hasn’t decided what career she’d like to pursue, could appreciated learning from the speakers who said they changed their careers multiple times. “I like hearing the stories of how they got to where they are now,” she said. Emma was one of four student ambassadors who greeted and welcomed the alumni back. She was joined by senior Beth Pace and sophomores Sam Fisher and Aiden Reid.l

Midvale City Journal

Hillcrest’s debate team makes its marks virtually at state By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

illcrest High School sophomore Sofia Moeinvaziri realizes she had a slight advantage over some of the other competitors in the Utah High School Activities Association’s state high school debate tournament. That’s because she partnered with her sister, Sara, and they were able to research and prepare their arguments in public forum together, not having to worry about COVID-19 restrictions or syncing their schedules. When it came time for virtual competitions, they could sit next to each other at their dining room table, not having to look at one another over Zoom on a screen. That may have worked to their advantage as they won the five preliminary rounds at the virtual state tournament. “We were 5-0, but we lost in the quarterfinals to a Bonneville team, which eventually won,” Moeinvaziri said. “They had four teams, three of them in the quarterfinals and then us. They’re a pretty good team.” So is the sister team as they placed third at the Hunter Haunting tournament in October; were finalists in the Copper Classic in January; and placed second at region. Although both girls have debated before, this was the first year they’ve teamed up. “I told her ‘I’d write the case, you get evidence’ and I’d throw her into it. But I wasn’t prepared myself. There were different debaters and we learned from the feedback from our judges to make sure our evidence flowed,” she said, adding that she also made sure the technology worked. The duo helped to lead Hillcrest’s team, which was rebuilding with about 10 members. “Many of our usual debaters didn’t want to compete or

deal with online tournaments,” she said. “Our team is very young. The more we participated, the more opportunities we had to hit better opponents and have better experiences. It was easier for my sister and I to be able to talk and compete; we just hit mute while others had to deal with technology. And in between rounds, we could relax in our home.” The team also was coached by first-year adviser Ron Hill, who is new to debate, said sophomore Michael Chen, who was a quarterfinalist at state in Lincoln-Douglas debate. “There were 47 entries and I hit someone from prelims who I lost to and lost again in the quarterfinals,” he said. “That debater from Farmington is really good, but it was fun.” Fun, but Chen prefers to debate in-person. “It’s definitely a different experience virtually. Part of the tournament in real life is a social event, where we have fun and hang out. Being virtual and isolated in your home isn’t the same and if you have a bad connection, you can’t hear or understand what they’re saying, then you need to figure it out. Sometimes when a computer isn’t working, it ends up as a forfeit and that’s kind of unfair. It can be a bad situation for everyone. Luckily, it didn’t happen too often,” he said. Earlier in the season, Chen teamed up with junior Ryan Chen (no relation) as a policy team where they won the Westlake Invitational in October, but Michael Chen preferred the individual aspect of Lincoln-Douglas. “This year with virtual competitions, being part of a team is more difficult,” he said.

The family dining room became the Moeinvaziri girls’ debate headquarters this year as Sofia and Sara competed virtually. (Photo courtesy of Marianoosh Ghodrat)

Chen said that the team did well, with strong leadership from seniors Rush Meen and Anna Hsu, who mentored new debaters. Hillcrest had three other policy teams to round out the team. “It’s hard to recruit members when it’s all virtual, so I hope next year, it will be in person to offer the experience of debate and speech to everyone,” he said. “For those who want to compete on the national circuit, virtual competitions do make it easier.” l

City Journals Economic Overview

Utah Employment Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

Car runs into Hillcrest sports complex By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

illcrest High’s sports complex, which is less than one year old, will get an unexpected update after a driver lost control of a car and crashed through the west glass entrance late on Saturday, May 1. The north doors of the double entryway were boarded up for the end of the school year as it will take six to eight weeks to complete $35,000 in repairs, Canyons School District Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer Leon Wilcox said. He added that the damage is covered by state risk management. (Julie Slama/City Journals)l

MidvaleJournal.com

ne year after the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic began, Utah’s economy has emerged as one of the strongest in the nation. Utah’s unemployment rate in April was 2.8%, down from 2.9% in March and nearly as low as it was before the pandemic. Utah is now tied with South Dakota and Nebraska for the lowest unemployment in the nation. Utah also has the second-highest job growth in the nation, ticking up 2.5% in the last 24 months. This is just behind Idaho’s job growth of 3.9% in the same time period. In fact, Utah and Idaho are the only two states that have added jobs in the last two years. Utah added 35,600 jobs over the past two years, with professional and business services (+15,700) leading the growth. Other sectors that saw notable gains were construction (+11,900); trade, transportation and utilities (+9,800); financial activities (+8,800); and manufacturing (+6,900).

However, the government (-10,500); leisure and hospitality (-7,600); and natural resources (-1,400) sectors have all lost jobs in the past 24 months. While the strong job market and low unemployment are very positive for Utah, our state is once again struggling with a labor shortage. Simply put, there are not enough people in the Utah labor force to meet demand for workers. If this continues for too long, it could constrain potential economic growth, especially for smaller companies that must compete with larger employers for these workers. Robert Spendlove is senior economist for Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

June 2021 | Page 27

Hillcrest High’s First Tech Challenge robotics team advanced to state semifinals

t took the Canyons Board of Education to grant Hillcrest High FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team permission to travel to Cedar City to the April 10 state competition’s Ultimate Goal during COVID-19, and the Huskies are glad it was approved. Their team, nicknamed Toaster Medics, was chosen from 20 teams at state to be part of the end games, competing in the semifinals with an alliance of two other teams. The team also won the Collins Aerospace Innovate Award for “bringing great ideas from concept to reality by celebrating a team that thinks outside the box and has ingenuity, creativity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life.” After qualifying for state at an earlier tournament, the Toaster Medics competed in preliminary rounds. Based on their performance, the Toaster Medics were selected for an alliance. The Huskies and their partners’ robots faced their opponents for the best two out of three matches, where the winner advanced each round. The two teams on each side had their robots ready in the 12-foot by 12-foot playing surface; the four robots were ready to battle to see which alliance could get the most points. The robots began with 30-second autonomous period where teams had preprogrammed or used sensors to have their robots move a wobbly goal to a certain place on the playing field or launch rings into goals stacked at different heights to earn points. They also could gain points for each power shot that was knocked down from the launching zone. Then, the teams’ two drivers picked up their controls for a two-minute period where, again, they battled for points by getting rings in the goals. At the end, they could also put rings on the wobbly goals and move those goals over the edge of the field for points. Sophomore Konrads Lubavs is one of a dozen members on the semifinalist team; Hillcrest’s overall robotics program has upward of 30 or more students. “We went through a lot of CAD designs and printed 3D pieces to piece the robot together,” Lubavs said. “What’s unique is that we had a third-wheel drivetrain. We used prototypes of our shooter and machinery.” He said that his teacher and robotics adviser, Clief Castleton, taught several teammates CAD and had help from mentors as well. “A lot of it was trial and error,” he said, adding that the team changed the coding several times to ensure the robot, nicknamed “The Headbanger,” drove straight. “We improved it all along, between every tournament. We gave it a wobbly goal arm and a skirt. Our drivetrain originally was damaged and we improved our shooting. It’s a lot more involved than the last time.” Lubavs became involved after his older sister had a good experience in robotics. He then took a robotics class last year and at one point, the class divided to compete against one other, and he was hooked. “I like building and improvising on designs to see if it will work,” Lubavs said, adding that he helped build the arm and drivetrain. Toaster Medics is one of two teams and the newer one at Hillcrest beginning in the 2018 season. The team was named as an antonym of the other school team, which is nicknamed Die Toaster Die, inspired by the TV show, “Big Bang Theory,” he said. Junior AJ Healy oversaw the “Jank Tank” on the Die Toaster Die team, who supported the other FTC team at state.

Page 28 | June 2021

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

At the state FIRST Tech Challenge in April, Hillcrest High robotics students brought home the Collins Aerospace Innovate Award for their ingenuity in their robot design where they advanced to the semifinals. (Photo courtesy of Hillcrest High robotics)

In March, Hillcrest’s Toaster Medics team competed at the Freedom Prep regional qualifying tournament, where they were invited to compete at the state tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“We’ve had a lot of issues during our competitions,” he said. “First, our controller broke so we borrowed one. But it wasn’t updated so that configuration screwed it up. We got it up and running, but then our red hub or ‘brain’ wasn’t working. We got that fixed. Then, our drivetrain was too tight, so we fixed that and fixed our code.” Earlier in the season, after the West High competition, about 10 members of the team spent 30 hours fixing the chassis. “It’s been a lot, but we’re able to problem solve and there’s a lot of trial and error,” Healy said. “We’re learning about mechanical engineering, mechanical manufacturing, business and marketing, and being in leadership roles.” He became involved after his brother took a robotics class from Castleton. “I thought, ‘This looks like fun,’” Healy recalled. “There are great people on the teams. We use our hands and build robots with our own ideas and if we need help,

In February at the West High regional qualifying tournament, Hillcrest’s Toaster Medics team members senior Luke Mower and sophomore Nicholas Jacobs work on their robot between matches. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

there’s someone to ask. We all help one another from bouncing ideas off each other to using the same tools. It’s a great group to hang out with and chill, but it’s fun when we solve problems and make things work.”l

Midvale City Journal

Midvale looks to familiar face as its new city manager

att Dahl succeeds Kane Loader as Midvale’s city manager. Loader worked in the position for 14 years before he retired earlier this year. “My choice for the new city manager was to choose someone who could help maintain the inertia and direction the city has,” Mayor Robert Hale said to city councilmembers. “It has developed a cadre of staff that is second to none. It’s not our job to be on the forefront but it’s to learn what will work best...in these conditions we’re in.” “[Matt has] had sufficient experience to know when to put the brakes on something and when we need to forge forward with evermore clarity in what we want.” One Midvale resident had positive things to say about Dahl’s follow-through. Stacey Phillips lives on the northeast end of Midvale. Since she moved in, large trucks leaving the freeway shook the whole neighborhood. Phillips says she spoke often with the former city manager over a two-year period to solve the problem. Her neighbor worked for eight years prior on the same issue. The shaking became worse as the road degraded over time. In 2020, she voiced her concerns at a city council meeting. “Matt Dahl followed me out after I spoke to the council…,” Phillips said. “He said he had seen some of the emails and would work to get this fixed.” “In the next few weeks Matt kept his word, he emailed and called frequently to keep me updated and finally, after three years, on Aug. 30 the transition was paved. He literally saved my sanity; he saved our homes from more damage,” Phillips said. After 13 years in Salt Lake City with the redevelopment agency, Dahl moved to Midvale City as housing manager. Nearly every year he worked for Midvale he was promoted to a new position. From housing to RDA director, to community development to assistant city manager and now manager. “I’m excited to work every day,” Dahl told Midvale City Journal. “There’s a lot of opportunities in Midvale. I look forward to working with the residents and businesses to keep Midvale a great city.” His goals are: High-quality development that supports strong, stable neighborhoods; maintain infrastructure (aging water pipes, above ground power lines); maintain park space; and increase public communication. Jordan Bluffs development will continue. There is a master plan that dictates the general direction of the area, but the individual pieces will need fine tuning. “Figuring out how roads connect, phased park construction, making sure it all fits together,” Dahl said. He has a different approach to tradition-

MidvaleJournal.com

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

al city planning. “[Previously], we made very clear, here’s the residential area, here’s where the new [construction] is going,” Dahl said. “We have disjointed development. One of the big things I would like to work on…is trying to find ways to make those areas connected so they transition well between different types of neighborhoods.” “Council has expressed interest in bike lanes and pathways,” Dahl said. “Not every neighborhood needs to be connected but we have a lot of opportunities to improve where it makes sense.” Staff, elected officials and residents need to consider if their “...community is built for people or cars? At some point it’s going to be really hard to be a three car family in this valley,” Dahl said. “We’re moving in that direction with form-based code that’s more about how people feel in that environment.” Form-based code is what overlays the Main Street area, where instead of designating a zone as residential, commercial, industrial, etc., the code allows for many of these at once. “[We want to] make a mixed-use community and have access to quality education,” Dahl said. “In large parts of the cities we have stable neighborhoods and support those and look for opportunities for [blended] uses.” “During public hearings, there are often resident comments that they are nervous about increased density, but the state is enforcing increased density in all cities,” he said. “How do you mesh long-term planning with current needs? [We] try to incorporate solutions that address neighborhood concerns,” Dahl said. Like with an iceberg, “The public has a general understanding of what goes on above water in regards to what the city does,” Dahl said. A lot of work goes unseen below the surface. “I can go from issues of enforcement in regards to roosters to talking about multi-million dollar developments,” Dahl said. “How do we help everyone understand and appreciate everything that we have going on?” For example, the city has many employees who do a job that is invisible to the public. “People say they’re concerned about our water,” Dahl said. “We’re taking hundreds of samples a month and sending it to the state and showing that the quality of our water is great. But no one thinks about the person who is doing that job.” Some cities struggle with relationships between elected officials and staff. According to Dahl, Midvale is lucky and doesn’t have that struggle.

Midvale new city manager: Matt Dahl takes the oath of office in front of Midvale City Council in May. (Photo courtesy Midvale City)

“We cooperate with the city council very well and we’re privileged to be in that environment,” Dahl said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have disagreements or there aren’t split votes.” “We all can see that everyone is handling

everything in a professional manner and we move on and look for better solutions. Not every community is as fortunate.”l

June 2021 | Page 29

Workforce is vital as we push for a strong economy

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3

There is great satisfaction in successfully providing for oneself and one’s family, but when someone falls upon hard times, shortterm government assistance can be helpful to get residents back on their feet. We must recognize, however, that government assistance shouldn’t be relied upon forever, and that helping people find jobs and contribute to their community is vital for them and the rest of us. We need the expertise and skills that our Salt Lake County residents have to offer. In the midst of the pandemic, when joblessness was on the rise, the federal government took measures to subsidize state unemployment payments across the nation. This was intended to keep jobless individuals and families afloat during a time of economic uncertainty. While some states are still struggling, Utah is performing exceptionally well. Our unemployment rates are among the lowest in the nation, and we are one of two states that actually had a net gain in jobs in 2020. In fact, many businesses are struggling to find employees to fill their open positions as they reopen and strive to return to pre-pandemic levels of business. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many “Help Wanted” signs and advertisements before. Because of the economic trajectory of

our state, Governor Spencer Cox recently discontinued Utah’s participation in those earlier mentioned federal unemployment subsidies. This was done, in part, to combat what are called “perverse incentives,” meaning incentives that attempt to solve a problem but actually prolong or worsen the problems they are meant to solve. In this case, federal unemployment subsidies were intended to help those who could not find employment, but by continuing these benefits in good economic times, we would be disincentivizing those who are unemployed from finding gainful employment in a strong job market. We want government to avoid perverse incentives, and instead encourage people to find a long-term path to success. There are certainly extenuating circumstances that make it difficult for people to work, but for those who can work, please know that there are plenty of people hiring and you are most certainly wanted! If you are looking for a job, I encourage you to check out any number of job posting websites. You can visit the state’s employment website at jobs.utah.gov and see if there’s a good fit for you. Our workforce is better with you in it. Our quality of life is better when we take an active role in contributing to our families, neighborhoods and communities.

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Before COVID, when the hubbie and I used to travel, I’d book us in places that provided breakfast, because I love me a good breakfast buffet. At one hotel, the breakfast bar offered freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and I couldn’t resist. I don’t usually drink fruit juice because it has so much sugar, which is hilarious because I have no problem downing an entire box of Milk Duds. Anyway. I poured myself a cup of beautiful, pink grapefruit juice and was walking back to our table when a herd of unruly children came dashing around the corner and crashed into me, spilling grapefruit juice all over my shirt and the floor. I stood there dripping and waiting for an apology that never came. The monsters ran past me to fill their plates with bacon. I eyed them scornfully, poured more juice and put on my Hat of Judgement. What kind of mother lets her kids douse perfect strangers with grapefruit juice? What heathen had failed to teach these kids manners? I got back to my table and told my husband to move so I could take his seat because he had a better view of the dining room. I needed to see the parents of these miscreants and judge them accordingly. If anyone can sip grapefruit juice with disdain, I can. I sipped and glared with ma-

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doesn’t like to cause trouble. “Perhaps you’re being a bit harsh.” “Shut up, brain. I’m busy.” Instead of shutting up, my brain brought up a memory of my daughters. We were at an all-you-can-eat-buffet and the girls were not sitting like civilized humans. They were fighting, dropping food all over the floor, running back for seconds and thirds, and taking every single brownie from the dessert bar. They were animals. And I just sat there, so happy for the break from making dinner. I’d been that mom I was judging. My daughters had often run amok. If I’d had a cell phone when my kids were little, I would have been on that phone all the damn time. I slowly removed my Hat of Judgement and reevaluated the current situation. I turned to my husband and said, “It’s just juice. They’re just kids. She’s just a mom.” He didn’t know what I was talking about, but he chewed his bacon, nodded, and said, “That’s good.” Suddenly, I was teary-eyed and felt a camaraderie with this mother. She was in the trenches, doing her very best. Aren’t we all? The more I practice dropping judgement, the easier my life is. It’s exhausting calling out everyone’s behavior. There are better ways to spend my time, like drinking fresh grapefruit juice and remembering when my kids were wild animals.

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June 2021 | Page 31

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June 2021 | Vol. 18 Iss. 06 factory seconds blowout!

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Hillcrest High’s Anthony Davies broke the long-standing school mark in the 3200 meters, which was set in 1978. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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