Midvale Journals | May 2022 by The City Journals

May 2022 | Vol. 19 Iss. 05

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SOCCER THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE FOR HILLCREST HIGH BOYS TEAM By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

illcrest High freshman midfielder Salim Mohammadi knows Dari, Pashto, Persian and English. His teammate sophomore center back Mohammed Kareem speaks Arabic, understands Turkish and knows English. Dozens of languages are known by Hillcrest High’s boys soccer players, but one is common: soccer. That is what Adam Miles, founder of Refugee Soccer, loves about the sport. “Soccer itself is actually a very beautiful language where you can bond and build teams to build belonging,” he said. Hillcrest co-coach Gilbert Rojas agrees and appreciates that about his 19-member freshman-sophomore team that includes refugee student-players. “There’s a certain humility and life experience that they bring, just a perspective that many of these boys don’t have and may never experience. Some of these students have experienced war in their country. Salim, for example, he’s just so grateful for all the opportunities he’s been presented with here,” he said. Mohammadi came to the United States from Afghanistan in 2020. “My dad was fighting with the United States Army against the terrorist group, the Taliban,” he said. “We were receiving a lot of bad letters from the terrorist groups. They put a price on our head. My dad didn’t want to move to the United States. The United States Army told my dad Continued page 5

Hillcrest High freshman Salim Mohammadi chases down the ball; his teammate sophomore Mohammed Kareem is back, ready on defense. They are two of the multi-lingual players on the team. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Recovery advocates from Flourish Bakery talk with Utah’s senators about the NOPAIN Act By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

ith hundreds of Utahns dying from opioid overdose each year, Aimee Alitzer and Sam Ball of Midvale’s Flourish Bakery (752 W. Center St.) spoke with Sen. Mitt Romney’s and Sen. Mike Lee’s offices in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the NOPAIN Act. The legislation is intended to increase a patient’s access to non-opioid pain management. “Romney’s and Lee’s staff are aware that Utah is not immune from this issue,” said Sarah Vogel, communications manager at Flourish Bakery. “Last year, 700 people died of drug overdose and three-quarters of those are related to opioid addiction. We want patients to be able to advocate for themselves.” The bill applies to pain management treatments that could replace or reduce the number of opioids prescribed by doctors. It would amend the Social Security Act to promote access to non-opioid treatments in an outpatient setting. Flourish Bakery program manager Sam Ball has his own experience with addiction. After knee surgery, he became addicted to opioids but is now in recovery. He understands that millions of people deal with chronic pain and have limited treatment options. “Pain is an important part of life,” Ball said. “We don’t go through life without feeling pain. Pain is our body’s warning system. But we need to figure out new ways to deal with pain. This [legislation] will give [people] other options.” When Flourish Bakery opened in 2017, it was the only “second-chance” long-term recovery and workforce reentry program in Utah. Many employees at the bakery are people with felony convictions who worked in the state prison’s culinary

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Melissa Kelly, Sean Oviatt and Dennis Sisneros work at Flourish Bakery, a workforce reentry business in Midvale. (Photo courtesy of Flourish Bakery)

program. Over the last three years, 100% of Flourish Bakery interns have not recidivated and 85% remain in long-term recovery. The company’s success is a highlight because for people outside the program only 24% of previously incarcerated individuals in Utah do not recidivate and 24% remain sober. Ball also coaches at Warrior Strength,

a space that helps people in recovery through physical health and wellness programs. It’s another way to learn how to deal with pain without a prescription. “At Warrior Strength, I teach breathwork and how to oxygenate the body,” he said. “It’s about making minor tweaks, like addressing inflammation, that can make a difference.” The public can support Flourish Bak-

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ery by purchasing tickets to The Kinsey Sicks concert at The Salt Lake Masonic Temple (650 E. South Temple) on Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m. All proceeds go to the bakery and support people trying to get back on their feet. Visit FlourishSLC.org for tickets and more information. “Stop in and try out our goods,” Ball said. “It’s a great way to support a good cause.” l

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Continued from front page it’s not only for you, but it’s also for your family. We moved to Midvale, Utah, because it’s a lot like where we lived in Afghanistan with the weather and the same climate. Here we can have a lot of good opportunities. We can make better goals. We can be better people in the United States.” It wasn’t an easy transition. With only knowing common English phrases he learned in school and being quarantined for months after the move, it wasn’t until he was able to go to school last year at Midvale Middle where he could improve his English. He also played volleyball in his homeland, but here, more kids played soccer. “I didn’t know anything much about soccer. I knew how to shoot the ball (playing with his volleyball). I thought it was boring, but when I started playing soccer, I knew I was wrong,” he said. Mohammadi met East Midvale Principal Matt Nelson when he brought some donated soccer equipment to his apartment complex last summer. After receiving some soccer cleats, he asked Nelson about playing on a team. Nelson arranged tryouts for Mohammadi on Cottonwood Football Club with Tim Normand. “Salim is just a naturally gifted athlete; he is so kind and so gracious and he’s all about helping others,” Nelson said. Mohammadi joined two others to get a ride. Miles, who had never met him before, had him check with his mother that it was OK. He made the team and Miles found finances for him to play. “Two weeks later, he’s playing the finals of this tournament and contributing to his team,” Miles said. “I was thinking, ‘this is how it should happen.’” Rojas said that’s something some of Mohammadi’s teammates may take for granted. “Not everybody has the finances to pay, but he has been sponsored and plays on an organized team to help him develop, and that has helped to immerse him in his community. I think the game of soccer and the sport itself transcends language barriers,” he said. Mohammadi credits Normand for giving him a start. “Everything I knew then was from the coach. He helped me a lot. He taught me how to have confidence. He told me how to dribble the ball. He taught me how to think before I’m receiving the ball. He taught me everything,” he said. Now Mohammadi plays for La Roca Futbol Club under Ahmed Bakrim in the offseason. “Salim came to me and said, ‘Adam, I want to be semipro,’” Miles said. “I told him, ‘Great, I think you have great skills and certainly the desire to do that.’ We talked to both coaches and the next thing is he’s on La Roca. Salim shows that hunger, a striving you don’t always see in established soccer club players. I love his hustle. I love his heart. He has skills that are continuing to develop. He has a shot at going pretty far at soccer. Many of these refugee kids have nothing. Kids in almost every country plays soccer, in the street, or small field, and it’s fun to watch them get on the big field. They often play with energy and playing dynamic you don’t see in the U.S. We have the opportunity to share with one another and have that connectivity to help them and in return, they help us.” Miles, who helps many refugees locally as well as globally, said the community can benefit from embracing one another. “Refugees live in our communities and contribute more than I think they get credit for and they’re not going back. Many of them may be driven from their homelands. Nobody chooses to be a refugee from combat. They’re seeking refuge. They’ve learned resilience and overcoming challenges and taking on hard things,” he said. “I realize that I’m lucky to hear their stories, to be able to meet the families, to smile and laugh and learn more. It enriches my life.”

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Hillcrest High midfielder Salim Mohammadi and center back Mohammed Kareem are two multi-language student-athletes on Hillcrest High boys’ soccer team. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Rojas said Hillcrest’s team aims to embrace each other. “Culturally speaking, we can learn more about where they’re from and we’ve learned in practice a little about their faith practices, their nutrition practices. We had a barbecue and I specifically made chicken for the boys who don’t eat beef and so we had a conversation come out of that. We learned and respect that Muslim teammates don’t eat pork; we have a team manager who is from eastern India and he doesn’t eat beef. We can learn a lot about the world through these boys,” he said. Mohammadi also has learned from his American teammates and freshman-sophomore coach Christian McVey. “I try as hard as I can. I try to make my teammates work hard so we can have a better team and they teach me too,” he said. “Coach Christian taught me that we have to be a family, everyone. We’re working all as a family and that’s the best thing and the most important thing I learned. We’re all connected and supporting each other.” Rojas agrees: “There’s an excellent camaraderie here already. They tease each other, but they support each other too. They don’t hang their heads; they don’t give up. Together, they can lift each other up and they know they’re all leaders on the field and demand the best of each other.” Mohammadi’s teammate, Kareem came from Iraq and Turkey. Kareem has played soccer since middle school; last year, he played alongside his brother Abdullah, a junior. “When people are really new, they’re at a disadvantage because they don’t understand what the coaches are trying to tell you,” Kareem said. “You’re new, you don’t know the language, the system.” He uses that understanding when helps teach youngsters in his community how to play. “When they don’t speak English, I can play with them

and use words they can learn and show them,” he said. “I can help out with that.” Kareem, who hopes to play soccer in college, said not only does he practice with the team two hours per day, but he also will practice dribbling around cones at home or jogs for endurance. “The coaches and players here treat you fairly, but they demand excellence. They don’t want us to give up, but to keep trying and do our best,” the honor student said. “I just love the hype of it all, when you score, when your teammates score, and you cheer for your team.” McVey, who has coached the team for five years, said the team will watch the varsity play so they can support and learn from one another, but demanding excellence extends to being best in every aspect of their lives. That is something Rojas hopes will have an impact on their academics and future. “We have an opportunity through the game of soccer at Hillcrest…to reach kids and help give someone the right motivation to continue to focus on education, to focus on the skills outside of sport that can help develop career opportunities and different pathways for the future. These boys help each other, hold themselves accountable on the field and in their academics. They need each other and if not, they’re not eligible. They don’t want to bring the whole program down,” he said. “I think from the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion, it shows Hillcrest and our program is welcoming to everyone. It doesn’t matter where you hail from, if you bring the right skills, the right attitude and you’re coachable, then definitely, you can compete for a spot on the team. There’s a place where you can belong.” l

May 2022 | Page 5

First state unified coed basketball tournament provides inclusion, belonging in high schools

n its first unified basketball season, Brighton High Bengals brought home the gold. But it meant more than that. It was an opportunity for inclusion, partnership and belonging, said First Lady Abby Cox, who supports unified sports through her Show Up initiative. “Every student has a chance to be included and every student gets the chance to compete,” she said at the opening ceremony of the state unified basketball tournament where 32 teams played against— and sometimes, played together—for a chance to represent their team and school for a ribbon or medal. “We clapped when the other team makes a basket—absolutely—but there is some competition because that’s part of life,” Brighton unified basketball coach Jared Denslow said. “What Special Olympics is trying to teach us is we’re helping kids with special needs to get equal opportunities. We want to treat people equally and to make it an even playing field.” The tournament included coed athletes from 25 high schools running through a gauntlet of Utah Jazz and Weber State cheer squads and professional teams’ mascots, all there to support unified sports. It is the first high school state tournament, said Unified Champion Schools manager Courtnie Worthen, since during pre-COVID-19 years, the tournament was held for community teams vying for the state title. The 2020 tournament, which was planned to be a statewide event, was canceled because of the pandemic, and last year, regional competitions were held to reduce the numbers and possible spread of the pandemic. Worthen said after the statewide soccer tournament last fall, which was held at Rio Tinto stadium and had the support of Real Salt Lake, interest in unified sports grew. “A lot of it was thanks to the First Lady’s initiative, Show Up,” she said. “More schools started to see what unified sports could be and wanted to be a part of it, so we saw a lot of growth. This was an incredible event.” That included eight of the nine high schools in Davis School District competing as well as Jordan Education Foundation pledging to support 10 new teams. Wasatch High’s team will even represent Utah at the national Special Olympics games. Since Worthen began overseeing unified sports four years ago, the competition has more than doubled from 22 to 50 teams involved in soccer, basketball and track. “A coach told me that this whole

Page 6 | May 2022

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Hillcrest High senior Michael Houchins wins the jump against Murray High in the first state unified high school basketball tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

week they have seen inclusion, that their students have made friends with unified partners and even students who weren’t participating. They talk to each other and the students on the unified team feel like they’re a part of the school for the first time,” she said. It’s not just high schools. Worthen said that by the end of the school year, unified sports activities will have quadrupled in the past year, bringing participation up to 160 elementary and secondary schools. In May, unified golf will be introduced at the middle school level. Unified sports also gained the community’s support.

The basketball tournament, which was supported by the Utah Jazz, had four sections: two developmental and two competitive divisions. The winners of each division were invited to be recognized at the Utah Jazz game April 6, where a highlight reel of the tournament was shown. However, the focus at the tournament was on basketball. A maximum of two partners or peer students could be on the floor with its athletes, or special needs players; the rest of the team regularly rotating in and cheering for both teams on the sidelines. Several schools had banners and families and friends cheering. One of Brighton’s teams won its com-

petitive division at both region and state, the developmental team placed third at region and sixth at state. They had a total of 12 players and 12 partners on the teams. “I got a call from one of my students’ parents who said, ‘Hey, would you be willing to do this?’ It just gives the kids an opportunity to go out there and have some fun,” Denslow said, adding that quickly the school community came to support the team from taking their photos to show on the school’s televisions to providing team members’ free physicals so they could play. “It has really helped to unify the school.” He said that it helped teach some partners “to put aside their ego and realize, this isn’t about me,” and “see the smiles on the kids’ faces who were proud to represent their school and community; that was what it was about.” Brighton’s practices began in February, working on basic dribbling to learning how to move and communicate on the court. Players saw one another and learned they could do hard things, so “not only does it help them with physical attributes, but it also helps them in many mental ways,” he said. “We also learned how to win with dignity and how to lose with dignity, just to be good sports and to be kind and to help other people.” Denslow said that it also allowed them a different social skill activity and they made friends with their peers. The school now plans to host a special needs prom at the school. Canyons School District, thanks to a Hillcrest High student who received a $1,000 Youth Innovation grant, will also hold a unified dance this spring. Hillcrest, which finished third at region and fifth at state in their competitive division, was excited for the chance to play ball. Huskies senior player Raymond Bryant was ready for his opportunity. “I play like 24-7,” he said. “I’ve learned how to take better shots, have better ball handling, and pass the ball when my teammates are open. I like how my team works together. It’s been so much fun learning more about basketball, but also making friends with my team.” His teammate sophomore player Dax Bowen said it has been fun. “We’ve learned how to throw the ball, how to move to an open spot on the court, how to block by having our hands up,” he said after playing in front of his extended family. “It’s just getting a chance to play, play with my friends at school and have fun when we’re playing basketball together.” That’s how Jordan High freshman

Midvale City Journal

At the home regional qualifying unified basketball tournament, a Jordan High player takes a shot against Murray High. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Tegan Mast felt. “I like that we’re getting challenged to play basketball,” Mast said. “We’re really learning new things and getting to meet friends and getting to play; it wasn’t canceled this year because of the pandemic.” Mast’s teammate, freshman Kaitlyn Unzaga agreed. “It’s been so much fun and we’re getting to play basketball and learning a lot with our friends,” she said.

The Beetdiggers placed fourth in region and sixth at state. Denslow said the best thing was a compliment he received when another coach said this team was “the kindest; they showed the best sportsmanship and for me as a teacher and as a father, that meant the most to me. That meant that as a team, people thought we were kind and accepting and that was the best compliment, better than the gold.” l

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A Brighton High player gets a fist bump from Leo, RSL’s mascot, and one of about a half dozen who came to cheer on the unfiled basketball players at the first state high school unified basketball tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Midvale launches public engagement website

idvale City communications launched a new website, Engage Midvale, geared toward resident communication and education. Communications Director, Laura Magness, is the driver behind the project. “My goal is to make the city as transparent as possible,” Magness said, “and include the community in decision making.” The website includes surveys about upcoming projects, like redistricting and State Street renovations, information about bulk waste and a forum where city employees will answer questions from the public. Two of the residents who took surveys on Engage Midvale had mixed responses. “It was OK, not overly fantastic,” Kelley Cantrell said. “There were spelling and grammar mistakes and…I don't like surveys where the only answers are what they want you to answer.” “As for the effort to get input

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com in an easy convenient manner, I applaud the intent,” Cantrell said. “I think outreach is good,” Lexi Lumen said. “I don’t think people can complain if they don’t try to do anything.” “I think there’s easy access to city outreach but in cases where I’ve had questions it’s been easy to find or resolve/be pointed in the right direction,” Lumen said. “City Speak” and “Citizen Agenda” is aimed at educating residents about the lingo, the tough terms, used in council meetings. “City Speak” is a glossary of terms, “Citizen Agenda” will be updated every council meeting with a clear, unencumbered agenda for residents. Other ways Midvale is working on outreach is putting events on a public billboard, paying for Facebook ads that target residents, and including information in the City Journal and in utility bills. l Midvale City increases effort to connect with residents. (Photo Midvale City)

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Many mental health emergencies now meet with health professionals instead of police By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

olice are called for more than just criminal matters, but also for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Unified Police Department (UPD) Midvale Precinct Chief Randy Thomas told Midvale City Council in April how passing mental health cases to other professionals saves money, time and prevents further harm. “Some [people] call several times a day,” Thomas said. “We try to get them to a hospital or they get an assessment, then they often get released back within our grid within hours.” “[At] $72/hour, a two officer call [is] $220/per call,” Thomas said. Police officers are receiving more education about mental health, but their work load is dominated by preventing and solving crimes. Multiple calls from the same person means other people aren’t getting the help they need. Sgt. Jodie Sampson, head of the Metro Mental Health Unified Police told the City Journals that “When a patrol officer gets a mental health related call actively threatening suicide or violence, patrol doesn’t know what to do.” UPD is building a Metro Mental Health Unit that can focus on mental illness cases and not only help in immediate crisis but provide resources so people can get better. “The patrol officers will defer that to the mental health officer,” Thomas said. “If the

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mental health unit gets involved and does a follow-up, oftentimes I don’t hear from them.” Metro Mental Health’s goal is to “keep them away from jails and hospitals,” Sampson said. “Someone who is suffering from mental illness doesn’t need to be put in jail.” If someone has a mental illness, it doesn’t erase the crime. But, the person is less likely to commit a further crime if they also get help when they are prosecuted.

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“We connect them to resources to help the families,” Sampson said. “If they need to be charged with anything, we walk them through the court system. “ Sampson says in the three years the Mental Health Unit has been around the mental health call rate has dropped by 85%. “We have people who call several times a day,” Sampson said. “We build a relationship with them and it stops the constant calling.” l

Union students step into adult shoes for reality check

Union Middle School students go the mock dentist’s office, staffed by Hillcrest High students, during their morning exercise in Reality Town. (Photo courtesy of Cher Burbank/Hillcrest High)

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Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE

Instead of leaving mental health crises to police officers, mental health professionals are sent in with resources to help people not only in the moment, but to get better. (Image courtesy UPD)

nion Middle School students recently had the chance to step into their parents’ and guardians’ shoes for a morning as they participated in Reality Town, an opportunity that can stretch from writing a resume to balancing a family budget. Students practiced “real life” in terms of earning a salary to get housing and transportation, take caring of children, paying bills, making donations, and planning for entertainment or vacations. “Their job is determined by their grades, so there is an ‘ah-ha’ moment when they realize, the better in school they do, the better chance of getting a better job someday,” work-based learning facilitator Cher Burbank said. “They also realize they can’t put everything on a credit card, but instead they need to plan and spend wisely. If they learn now to pay now and play later, they’re learning a good life skill.” The experience was made possible with help from numerous volunteers, including more than 20 Hillcrest High international baccalaureate, National Honors Society and careers club students. l

*Thursday Thursdayatat22p.m. p.m.ininMurray MurrayPark ParkPavilion Pavilion#5, #5,FREE FREE June 2 ............................. Two Shields, Native American Dance June 93 -.............................................................. Just Jumpin' .............................................. Jump Rope June Noa Polynesia, Dance June 10 - Spiderman ...................................... Karate & Photos June 16 ................................. The Puppet Players, Puppet Show June 17 - Ballet Folkorico .................................... Las Americas June Viva Mexico Ballet, June 24 24 ................................................... - Ballet Center Utah, Inc .......................... BalletDance Dance June 30 ......................................... Ballet Center Utah, Inc., Ballet

F A M I L Y NIGHT N I G H T SERIES S ERI ES FAMILY

Bring Whole Family Young The 2nd the Monday of every month at 7and p.m.,Old! FREE The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Murray Senior Recreation Center (10Murray E 6150 Senior S – 1/2 Recreation block west Center of State) (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 block west of State) June 13 ......................... The Flashback Brothers, Classic Rock June 14 – Pick'ee Out the Stingers .................. Bluegrass Music

STOP IN FOR STORIES S TEvery O P Tues/Wed/Thurs I N F O R atS11:15 T Oa.m.R IinE S

Murray Park White Gazebo, FREE * Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at 11 a.m. Murray City Library sponsored outdoor story time full of in Murray Park White Gazebo, FREE books, songs and action rhymes for kids ages 2-7 and Murray City Library sponsored Storytelling their families. Bring your blanket or lawn chair.

Location mayfunding changesupport from This program*has received residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts & This program has received funding support from Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts and Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, Utah Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Humanities, NationalEndowment Endowment Arts. Museums and & National forforthethe Arts.

May 2022 | Page 9

SheTech encourages females to enter STEM field, bring diversity, fill jobs By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

tah Gov. Spencer Cox isn’t shying away from the numbers nor his goals when it comes to closing the gender gap in women working in the STEM field. “We want to close the gap when it comes to STEM careers,” Cox said. “We would love to get to 50% and we’re working hard. There is a huge gap in not every part of STEM, but in most parts of STEM.” Cox has been a long-time supporter of the annual SheTech Explorer Day, now in its eighth year. The STEM career exploration day brought in about 2,000 high school girls from 150 high schools and attracts 1,000 mentors and volunteers from 250 tech companies to teach hands-on workshops in programming, engineering, aerospace, robotics, product invention and entrepreneurship, biomedicine, digital marketing, ecommerce, gaming, esports, virtual reality and more fields. “The world is changing right now, every single career, every single industry in the world is being influenced by technology,” he told participants. “The connection to tech is so important and there’s a huge gap in STEM more than anywhere else. We desperately need more women in STEM for lots of reasons. We have the best economy in the nation. There are only four states in the country that have more jobs now than they did before the Coronavirus pandemic started two years ago. In the state of Utah, our unemployment right now is 1.9%. That’s the lowest in our state’s history… but with that, it also means right now we have thousands of jobs available that are going unfilled; there are really good jobs and most of those are in STEM-related fields.” Cox said the need to fill those is real for “people who see the world differently in these jobs. We don’t need a whole bunch of guys in these jobs; we need creativity. I hope you bring that creativity to whatever it is you want to do.” Cydni Tetro, president and one of the founders of Women Tech Council, said that the SheTech Explorer Day was created to help target young women to enter the STEM pipeline. “We need the diversity,” Tetro said. “We have 4,000 open tech jobs. We need (women in) them in every field—computer science project managers, UX designers, data scientists, all of them.” The goal of SheTech to show girls technology in a fun atmosphere while meeting STEM role models to learn about opportunities in the fields. The high schoolers have access to internships, college pathway information and other opportunities. Hillcrest High ninth-grader Angelinne Guiterrez was exploring the TechZone, which showcased aerospace programs, technology in soft drink distribution, museum and aquarium careers and working in local and worldwide software companies. “I was really interested in how math probability works,” she said after learning more

Page 10 | May 2022

Gov. Spencer Cox learned about several companies’ new technology and products, including a new flavor of Coca-Cola, which after sampling, he said it tasted like cotton candy. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

about it at an exhibit. Her friend, sophomore Samantha Erickson, felt weightlessness while trying out a bicycle gyroscope. “The force of it was moving me in that direction, which was really cool to experience,” she said. “I’ve checked out every science— biology, aerospace, physics. Marine biology interests me.” Hillcrest sophomore Elena Parker was investigating future job opportunities, including working at a museum. “I love being surrounded by history and making exhibits would be really cool,” said Parker, who would like to work at a museum through college before creating her own cartoon series. “My dream is to inspire people to find their passion.” Cottonwood High sophomore Keian Flake was checking out exhibits in her first SheTech visit. “This is all very cool; I’ve seen everything from computer science to robots,” said the future architect designer. Jordan High juniors Kat Marshall and Alicia Appleton learned about technology in video game development and 3D modeling. Both may pursue a career in forensic science. Alta High freshman Nariska Clement, who wants to be a mechanical engineer, was looking at some robotics and CAD opportunities while her friend Mariam Ilaha Mujadidi was learning more about coding as she may want to enter the IT field as a software engineer. American Preparatory Academy students Camille Liebsch and Natalia Gutrierrez were coding Ozobots.

“This is a real opportunity to learn a lot of cool things in tech and to make the world better,” Liebsch said. “It gives women a chance to step it up.” Gutrierrez said that the atmosphere was inviting. “It’s a safe space where everyone is supporting the learning that is going on here,” she said. Business leaders also prospered from the interaction with the girls. “At Oracle, we’re the world’s largest database management company and we have women in our leadership so empowering girls in STEM education is important,” said Catherine Hammond, fusion cloud ERP customer support manager. Caroline Lamph, director of product management at Entrata property management software, said that it’s important to get girls in the predominantly male-oriented tech industry. “We need the diversity of women in technology,” she said. “It makes us holistic. We want more opportunities for women so we’re actively looking to find more women leaders.” Maple Mountain senior Victoria Parrotti is one of about 30 girls who make up the SheTech student board which helped plan the event. “I like seeing other women who have similar interests as I do,” she said. “This is an important day. We’re making female connections and are finding opportunities through SheTech.” At the end of the day, the high school students participated with adult visionaries and mentors in a 45-minute Tech Challenge where they ideate, solve and pitch solutions. l

A high school student tries out feeling weightlessness during the SheTech Explorer Day, which resumed being in-person after going virtual during the pandemic. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Midvale City Journal

Government 101: Types of zoning By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

ieces of land, or parcels, in a city are divided into zones. The zone is a description of what is allowed—buildings, open space, parking, etc.—on that property. Property owners can only build what is allowed by zone, though they can always appeal for a zone change. Usually, if two neighboring zones are different, they must complement each other in some way. It is unlikely that a single-family residential zone will be next to a large manufacturing zone, unless divided by a major road or landmark. Who is responsible for zoning? Each city has a master plan map that shows the borders of the different zones in the city. To begin making a zoning map, the city planning department will host “charrettes,” public workshops and meetings with the public to decide the best use for each zone. The zones are recorded on a Master Plan. How to change zones? If a property owner wants to change the zone, they must get approval from the city. First, they submit an application to the planning department. The application will be reviewed by city staff, then passed to the

Planning Commission. (The commission is a group of volunteer residents that are the front lines of city plan proposals before it goes to the council.) The final say comes from the city council, the elected legislative body. However, the council usually takes advice from the city planning employees. There is always a public hearing if a property owner requests a zone change. Residents can talk to their city representative if they have concerns. Common zones in Salt Lake County The exact labels may vary from city to city, but the basic concept will be the same. AG - Agriculture preserve and protect agricultural uses in suitable portions of Salt Lake City until these lands can be developed for the most appropriate use. BP - Business Park Offices, light assembly and warehouses. M (M-1, M-2) - Manufacturing is for making products or warehouses. These may be loud and busy. NOS - Natural Open Space protects important natural open land areas of citywide or regional importance. OS - Open Space preserves areas of public and private open space and have more rules over what the space can be used for.

PF - Public Facility is a place for government buildings, libraries and schools. R (R-1-12,000, R-1-7,000, R-2, R-3, etc.) - Residential is for homes. The last number in the label is the smallest square footage allowed for each property. Ex: R-17,000, homes cannot be any less than 7,000 square feet. R-2 and R-3 allow homes to be closer together. The higher the number in the zone, the more homes allowed on an acre. RR - Rural Residential, space for low density properties with few residents and allows for limited farming. RMF (RMF 35, 45, etc.) - Residential Multi-Family allows for different types of homes that hold more than one family. The number restricts the allowed height of the building(s). CB - Community Business allows for mid-sized commercial businesses to be next to residential areas. CC - Commercial Corridor allows for a collection of commercial buildings and are placed along high-traffic roads and freeways. CG - General Commercial can be used for small and large retail, entertainment, offices and light manufacturing. Note on churches: A religious building is allowed on most zones, with city approval. l

Cities assign properties a “zone” which restricts what the land can be used for.

Dominic Burchett sworn in as Unified Fire Authority’s 14th fire chief

hen Dominic Burchett was sworn in as Unified Fire Authority’s 14th fire chief in the agency’s 100-year history, he took over the reins for Utah's largest fire agency, serving 15 communities from Emigration Canyon to Eagle Mountain. His appointment follows the retirement of Dan Petersen, who served as fire chief since 2017, a man Burchett has worked with and respects. “Chief Petersen taught me the value of collaboration,” Burchett said. “He helped me understand the value of working with partners and stakeholders, searching to find the best answers for the community.” Burchett, a Utah native, has extensive fire experience that stems from more than 20 years serving Salt Lake County, most recently as assistant chief of support services. He was responsible for the daily operations of fire prevention, IT, logistics, and special enforcement. He also led the seismic retrofitting of all UFA stations and helped with several station rebuilding projects. His fire career began in 1997 when his brother, Matthew Burchett, took a seasonal wildland job with Salt Lake County. “He came home dirty and stinky, and I was in,” Burchett said. “I was able to be outside and work with people I really respected.

MidvaleJournal.com

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com I was with my brother and other people who were working hard. I followed wherever he would take me.” When Matthew died in August 2018, working on a fire line of the Mendocino Complex Fire in California, Burchett lost his brother and best friend. “We grew up incredibly close,” Burchett said. “The healing process for me was a lot of therapy and people helping me through it. I think because of him I was able to step outside my comfort zone. He’s there kind of guiding me down certain roads and I feel his presence in different situations.” Over the years, Burchett has taken opportunities for growth that helped him step up the chain of leadership. He moved through the ranks as a firefighter, wildland specialist, paramedic, captain, and division chief. As the new fire chief, Burchett has three main areas of focus; the health and well-being of fire personnel, understanding the communities served by UFA, and continuous improvement for himself and the agency. He said, historically, fire departments have acted in a reactionary way to issues such as suicide, PTSD, and burnout, dealing with problems as they come up. He created a video that detailed his own struggles in the

hope it will create an open dialogue about mental wellness. “I want to look at these things more holistically and focus on prevention,” he said. “There’s a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and I want to do what’s best for my people. My focus is really providing the best service for the community and being the best fire chief.” Over the last five years, Burchett said UFA has come a long way under the previous fire chief. Building on Petersen’s foundation, he doesn’t need to do a big overhaul of the department, just implement small changes to keep moving the organization forward. “We have to be in tune with what our communities’ needs are. Our crews have to know what their communities want and how In April, Dominic Burchett was sworn in as Unified to provide that,” Burchett said. Fire Authority’s 14th fire chief. (Photo courtesy With nearly 700 employees, UFA serves Unified Fire) more than 420,000 residents in Salt Lake and Utah counties. In 2020, UFA responded to be successful.” 31,226 emergency incidents with 59,056 Burchett lives with his wife, Jillian, and unit responses from 24 fire stations. their five children. He enjoys being outside, “He has some big shoes to fill,” UFA traveling, and participating in IRONMAN Board Chair and Holladay Mayor Robert competitions, which he’s completed five Dahle said. “That said, we are certain, given times. He owns a small business and earned the full support of our board and the backing a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the of both civilian and sworn members of this University of Utah. l incredible organization, he cannot help but

May 2022 | Page 11

Hillcrest boys volleyball club looking forward to sanctioned play spring 2024 By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

he Utah High School Activities Association recently announced its Board of Trustees has voted to sanction boys volleyball beginning spring 2024, with overall enthusiasm of many in the sport, including those at Hillcrest High School. It also is the fifth sport UHSAA has sanctioned in the past six years and will join nine other sanctioned spring sports. While Hillcrest High junior Nathan Meyers is supportive of the sanction, it’s bittersweet as the current Husky club player will graduate the spring before it goes into effect. While he isn’t sure how the change will impact the sport for his younger teammates, Meyers said they likely won’t have their home games be at other sites as it is now through Salt Lake County Recreation, which sets up their double-headers twice weekly at Northwest Recreation Center, Churchill or Bonneville junior highs or Riverton High School. “The sport will be likely recognized by the school more and they’ll fund uniforms and balls and equipment because right now, we just bring our own,” he said. “Our uniforms are just cheap shirts with numbers on them that we could get really fast.” Hillcrest’s first-year club coach Amelia Watts said that with the UHSAA backing, she can see the sport continue to grow. “The last four years boys volleyball really took on momentum as the Boys High School Volleyball Association pushed to get it sanctioned,” said Watts, noting that the attempt to get it sanctioned has previously failed twice. “When I started in 2015, there were 20 to 30 teams. This year, it really blew up and we have 43 teams and 389 registered players. Utah County has a league that has as many teams as we do and Davis County couldn’t accommodate as many teams, so they may have about 100 less players.” Watts said countywide “we are outgrowing our space. We are limited on what gyms are available with equipment. A lot of high schools don’t allow outside groups, so we’re mostly using middle schools and a few rec centers. The boys are eager to play this sport at the high school level. The sanctioning will give them the chance to participate, represent their schools and let the student body come out and enjoy the games,” she said, adding that the county program will continue to offer recreational play and teach skills to serve as a feeder to high school programs. Watts said currently boys’ teams “can represent their schools in our program, but it’s not official. The hardest part is it’s different for every team and different ways they represent their schools and have access to school facilities and their support. Some schools could have six-plus teams and others barely have one.” The county program allows up to five

Page 12 | May 2022

Hillcrest High School boys volleyball team now plays as a club team, but it will become a sanctioned sport in 2023-24. (Photo courtesy of Amelia Watts)

teams to be represented by schools. There are varsity, JV and sophomore designations. It’s the first year since 2019 that Hillcrest High has had a boys’ club team; that was before Meyers was in high school. “I don’t know what happened to it, but some of the alumni from that team have come to a couple of our games,” he said adding that is about the extent of their fan base besides families. “Some of my friends and I wanted to start a team this year, so we got help to get a coach, but we pretty much made it happen ourselves.” At the same time the players were trying to form a team, Watts, a former volleyball player, was looking to form a team at Hillcrest so her ninth-grade son could play. The boys and physical education teacher Elizabeth Drake, who teaches three fundamental volleyball classes, recruited players and held tryouts one week before the season began. Watts said they had more than 20 try out, and while they had to turn away players for a spot on the team, those boys were still welcome to come to practices. “At the beginning, had a bunch of practices at middle schools—Union and also at

Bonneville Junior from 9 to 11 p.m. so it was super late. We all wanted to play, so we all showed up,” Meyers said. “Our coach was able to teach us fundamental skills, but most of our practices now are led by the four of us who mainly wanted to start the team.” Watts said she has proud of the boys’ leadership from the beginning as well as from captains Kael Fairbourn and Acintya Yoganath. “The really cool thing about this is the boys really have taken ownership of their team and they plan the practices,” she said, adding that as Drake helped make it a Hillcrest club, they’ve been able to use the school gym for practices. “They’ve made themselves accountable at practices and are working hard and taking it seriously. I love the team camaraderie. They’re helping each other learn. I’ve been super proud of that.” In late April and into May, the team, which plays at the JV level in its first year, is heading into tournament play against the other 18 teams in the league. First up is a rematch of Herriman High’s Silver team, who they narrowly lost to in the last regular season game.

“That will be fun; we were so close to beating them in both sets,” said Meyers, who plays his extracurricular activity to balance taking some International Baccalaureate classes. “I think if we correct our mistakes, we have a good shot at beating them. We’ve really been getting good fast. I’m excited for the tournament so we can play against the teams again and see how we do the second time.” Watts also has been impressed by her club’s progress. “Each week it’s incredible seeing how much more competitive we are becoming and coming together to play as a team,” she said. “We’ve been working on strategy and on homing in on skills and putting those into play. We’re talking about running a quick set and different options so we can be strategic out there.” After the season, it won’t be the end for the Huskies. Meyers plans to crosstrain by mountain biking and lifting and joining in on the summer practices. Watts said the team already is talking about “training all through the fall so they can be ready for tryouts for next season.” l

Midvale City Journal

In The Middle of Everything 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

MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Marcus Stevenson 801-567-7204 Email: mstevenson@midvale.com 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

WHO TO CALL FOR… Water Bills Ordering A New Trash Can Reserving the Bowery Permits GRAMA requests Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Property Questions Cemetery Water Line Breaks Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Building inspections Graffiti

801-567-7200 801-567-7202 801-567-7202 801-567-7212 801-567-7207 801-567-7265 801-567-7202 801-567-7213 801-567-7246 801-567-7235 801-256-2575 801-567-7231 801-567-7208 801-567-7228 385-468-9769

EMERGENCY OR DISASTER CONTACT Public Works Fire Dispatch – Unified Fire Authority Midvale Police Precinct or Police Dispatch Unified Police Department EMERGENCY

801-567-7235 801-840-4000 385-468-9350 801-743-7000

911

MAY 2022

City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047

CITY NEWSLETTER

Marcus’s Message

By Mayor Marcus Stevenson

It’s officially been over a quarter of the year since I’ve been our city’s Mayor. I almost can’t believe that much time has passed, but in that short amount of time, I’ve learned a lot about the interworking’s of our city and the many constraints our city has. In this month’s message, I’d like to talk about what I’ve learned so far regarding zoning laws, budgetary restrictions, and the importance of a city’s relationship with other entities.

ZONING LAWS Zoning laws are likely the most controversial area a city deals with. Though proposed development projects, such as a new restaurant, apartment complex, or office building, are likely to stir up emotions of all sorts, I’ve learned a lot about the realities a city faces when determining its future growth. Once an area is zoned for a certain type of development, such as single-family, high density, or business, the city has very little say in what exact project goes into a specific area. For a city, it can be frustrating to not have the say in a design concept as we try to plan our city, but the State of Utah and federal government have certain restrictions in place for fairness and equity reasons. As an example, if a city was able to choose each individual development that came into the city, it could put city employees and elected officials in a place to financially benefit their friends or their own businesses. Restricting a city to only being able to choose zoning creates a free market to determine how a city is shaped, which has both positive and negative consequences. It’s important to keep this in mind because even as an unpopular project goes through the city, we usually legally must approve those projects if they meet our zoning laws and other applicable ordinances.

BUDGETARY RESTRICTIONS Midvale City’s yearly general fund budget comes in at just over $20 million, which is more money than many of us can comprehend but is a smaller budget for a city. After you consider our contract obligations with the Unified Police Department, which takes about 50% of our entire general fund budget, it leaves our city with roughly $10 million to take care of most of the city’s needs over the period of a year. This money goes to essential services such as roads & sidewalks, parks, and other critical areas. I’ve now seen firsthand, as we go through this year’s budget process, just how tight our city’s budget is as we work to provide essential services while keeping taxes low. As our council, staff, and residents hope to see larger exciting projects come to fruition, such as a community pool or new recreation center, it’s important to keep in mind that our budget does not allow us to build these projects on our own, and instead need the help from other entities to secure the needed funding.

ENTITY RELATIONSHIPS In my few short months of being Mayor, I’ve had a focus of ensuring our city has strong relationships with entities that often interact with our city. These entities include our State Legislature, surrounding cities, Salt Lake County, and others. Other entities can be critical in helping to secure needed funding for large projects, collaboration on projects that may cross city boundaries, or even ensuring that impacts from outside projects either benefit our city or have a minimal negative effect. Much of my time has been spent building these personal relationships so that our city has a seat at the table, because as the saying goes, “if you’re not at the table, then you’re probably on the menu.” These relationships can help keep our taxes low, such as when working with the Unified Fire Authority or Canyons School District and can help secure funding for other projects, such as a recreation center through Salt Lake County, as I mentioned earlier.

“Name that Fire Station”

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NAME FOR THE NEW UNIFIED FIRE AUTHORITY FIRE STATION #125 Construction of a new building to replace Midvale Fire Station #125, currently located at 7683 S. Holden Street, began in the Summer of 2021. The new station will be located at 655 W. Center Street and construction is anticipated to be completed in late August 2022. The new station will include three bays and 10 dorm rooms. This will allow space for Unified Fire Authority to increase staffing as the community and call volume increase in future years. Unified Fire Authority encouraged Midvale City to solicit input from the community to name the new fire station. On March 16, 2022, the city launched the “Name that Fire Station” campaign on Engage Midvale. Twenty responses were received. On April 19, 2022, the City Council narrowed the names down to four names. The following list of finalists has been shared with the community via Engage Midvale to choose the official name of the new building. JoAnn B. Seghini Station Midvale Memorial Station

Midvale Center Station Midvale Fire House on Center

The deadline to vote via Engage Midvale is May 11, 2022. Be sure to visit www.EngageMidvale.com to vote on your choice for the new station name!

In The Middle of Everything Life Balance & Wellness Conference and Chronic Pain Workshop Midvale Senior Center is hosting a Senior Life Balance and Wellness Conference on Thursday, May 26, from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm. The conference will start with a continental breakfast and a mindfulness session. Valley Behavioral Health and Salt Lake County’s Health Promotion Team will present the following topics: Living a Happy Life, Boosting Memory and Cognition, and Create a Life Worth Living. Register for one or more classes or for the whole day. Call 385-468-3350 for more information. A Living Well with Chronic Pain Workshop will be held Wednesdays, May 18 – June 22, from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM. This six-week workshop is for people with long term pain and caregivers. Learn about self-management techniques and skills needed to manage chronic pain conditions. Call 385-4683350 for more information or to register. Special Thanks – The Midvale Senior Center would like to thank Arctic Circle and Humana for sponsoring the senior center’s Easter Egg Hunt in April. We are grateful for businesses willing to give back to the senior citizens of our community.

City Council Meeting Recap for April 2022 City Council meeting agendas are often difficult for people to navigate. Filled with jargon and legal requirements on how an item must be listed, it can be a challenge to determine what council members are discussing or deciding on. City staff prepares a summary of the agenda items in laymen’s terms. The Citizen’s Agenda is available on the City’s new engagement platform, www.EngageMidvale.com. The official published agendas and supporting materials are still available at www.MidvaleCity.org. City staff also prepare a City Council Recap for each meeting. The Recap includes updates on Public Hearings and Action Items.

WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

City Council Adopts New Council District Map Every ten years, city council districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each city council member represents about the same number of constituents. Redistricting is based on data from the U.S. Census, which was released in August 2021. The Midvale City Council is responsible (per Utah State Code) for setting the city council member districts by May 16, 2022. Using state requirements and best practices, Midvale City staff prepared several redistricting map options, which the Midvale City Council narrowed to two for public consideration. Staff sought public comments on the initial maps using the City’s online engagement platform, as well as hosting two open houses. On April 5, 2022, the City Council held a public hearing to discuss the redistricting map options and review the comments provided by the public. Following the public hearing and deliberation by the City Council, staff was instructed to attempt to prepare additional redistricting options. Due to several limiting factors, developing viable variations of the redistribution maps proved unsuccessful. The limiting factors included: • City Council districts must be substantially equal in population • Districts may not bisect voting precincts established by Salt Lake County • Districts must be contiguous and reasonably compact • Districts must be drawn to create five districts • City Council Members must remain in their district On April 19, 2022, the City Council approved a resolution to adopt City Council District Map #2.

MAY 2022 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

Midvale Arts Council thrilled to death to present uproarious musical comedy, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Love (and death) will be in the air this summer as the Midvale Arts Council is very excited to bring to the stage “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”. This multi-Tony Award winning musical will run June 3-11 at the Midvale Performing Arts Center. “We’re just so happy to finally be able to get this show on our stage,” said MAC Board Member Stephanie Johnson. The show was on the Arts Council’s schedule before COVID hit and everyone had to wait until things cleared up. “But our audiences are really going to love this show,” she continued. The show is not exactly a “who-dunnit” but rather a “how will he do it – again and again”. The plot follows Monty Navarro who finds out that he is 8th in line for an earldom. Fearing that he will never outlive those ahead of him, Monty decides to go a much darker path – and try to not get caught in the process. And don’t forget, there’s love as well. “A Gentleman’s Guide...” has been called a “murderous romp” filled with unforgettable music and non-stop laughs. The New York Times called it an “inspired and highly entertaining musical comedy.” And if that’s not enough, one actor plays all eight of the poor victims-to-be who find themselves meeting their end in some very creative ways. “A Gentleman’s Guide...” received ten Tony nominations in 2014, winning four including “Best Musical”. The show also earned several nominations and awards from Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League – taking home “Best Musical” with all three of those organizations as well. Director Kristie Post Wallace and Musical Director Kathryn Thompson are both Midvale residents and are excited to be involved in the community and bring this show to “life”. Wallace is a Theatre/Media Arts Adjunct Faculty Member at BYU and has previously directed “Hairspray” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” for the Midvale Arts Council. Thompson is a choir director and a performer for Utah Opera. Tickets and more information will be available later at MidvaleArts.com.

Join the “We Foster Challenge” Salt Lake County Animal Services Foster and WIN! Foster a pet for Salt Lake County Animal Services May 1-31, and you will be entered to win fun prizes as part of our “We Foster Challenge!” Throughout the year, Animal Services sends hundreds of pets to loving foster homes. The foster home environment helps pets thrive and show off their personality, while giving them a quiet place to relax until their FUREVER Family adopts them. Fostering a pet can last from anywhere from a weekto even longer. You decide what works for you! Anytime a pet can spend outside of the shelter in a loving home, there’s a better chance of them getting adopted quickly. Visit “get involved” at AdoptUtahPets.org or email fosters@slco. org for more information.

Water Conservation Programs Midvale City purchases our water from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD). Therefore, Midvale businesses and residents qualify for the programs offered by JVWCD. These conservation programs are designed to ensure a sustainable water supply: UTAH WATER SAVERS Ready to start saving water on your landscape or in your home? Visit www.UtahWaterSavers.com to create an account to view cash rebates and programs available to our community: • Toilet Replacement - Old toilets are a leading cause of wasted water in Utah homes. Rebates will only be given for replacing toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons per flush and were installed in homes built before 1994. • Smart Controller Rebates - Smart controllers can help save water by automatically adjusting watering schedules based on local weather and landscape needs. Ready to stop worrying about turning your sprinklers off after it rains? Rebates for smart controllers are available throughout the state. • Localscapes Rewards - Localscapes Rewards makes getting a landscape that thrives in Utah easier than ever. If you are looking to install or renovate a landscape, you may qualify for cash rewards and a free review of your landscape plan! • Landscape Consultations - Want to improve your existing landscape? Sign up for a free consultation to get expert advice about your watering practices, landscape, and sprinkler system. • Flip Your Strip - Park strips are one of the most difficult places for grass to thrive and for us to maintain. This program offers cash rebates to “flip” your park strip to be water efficient and beautiful. LOCALSCAPES The Localscape approach is a series of landscaping patterns and practices that considers Utah’s unique climate. It’s good landscape design, simplified. Now you can have a landscape that works for where you live. Localscape classes are taught at Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan. CONSERVATION GARDEN PARK, WEST JORDAN The Conservation Garden Park model’s the best use of water in Utah landscapes and empowers communities to make the most of our shared water resources. Jordan Valley Water’s Conservation Garden Park showcases landscapes suited for Utah’s unique climate that is not only beautiful and easier to maintain but are also designed to efficiently use water. Here you learn how simple changes can result in big water savings. With more than 8 acres of exhibits, pathways, and plants, Conservation Garden Park is Salt Lake County’s premier destination for learning about Utah’s unique climate and the role each of us can play in protecting our water supply. During your visit take a walk through a water pipe, explore a full-scale Localscape, see thousands of Utah-friendly plants, and learn how to create and maintain your own water-efficient landscape. EVENTS AND CLASSES Classes at Conservation Garden Park allow you to learn directly from experts in horticulture and waterwise landscaping. Topics range from landscape design to yard maintenance and upkeep. View the class schedule for details and registration. Search their database of more than 1,000 waterwise plants tried and tested at Conservation Garden Park. Learn about maintenance requirements, blooming seasons, and water needs before you make picks for your personal landscape. SOURCE: Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (www.jvwcd.org)

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Children receive free or reduced cost glasses through EyeCare4Kids, a nonprofit in Midvale dedicated to bringing the gift of sight to children around the world. (Photo courtesy EyeCare4Kids)

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McDougalFuneralHomes.com Page 16 | May 2022

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

oseph Carbone tells the story of a young boy who came to him for a pair of eyeglasses. Once they were ready, the boy put them on, looked out the window and said, “I didn’t know trees had leaves.” The boy’s words hit home and Carbone made it his mission to provide glasses for children all around the world. “It’s just such a happy experience,” he said. Carbone is a board-certified optician who opened his own clinic, The Eye Doctor, in 1978. In 2001, he started EyeCare4Kids, where he provides eye education and exams, vision screening and new glasses for children. The nonprofit headquartered in Midvale has given out hundreds of thousands of eyeglasses. “While in my practice I saw many kids went without professional eye care because of lack of access or their parents couldn’t afford it,” he said. “Last year, we presented our 400,000th child with a pair of glasses at the Boys & Girls Club with our mobile clinic.” After more than 20 years, Carbone has expanded his nonprofit into Nevada,

Arizona, New Jersey, and soon he’ll open a clinic in Kenya, in cooperation with a Catholic hospital in the area. Each year, he spends a few weeks at the Navajo Nation, providing exams and glasses to children. Children living in poverty don’t usually get new items, receiving hand-medown toys, clothes or shoes. Often, these children get eyeglasses handed down from an older sibling because the family can’t afford a new pair. But the used glasses don’t fit the vision needs of the child. “They rarely have something that’s their own and kids can become self-conscious,” Carbone said. “When they receive a pair of glasses from EyeCare4Kids, they get to choose their own frames from a vast selection of options. They get glasses to call their own. They love the glasses and they love to wear the glasses.” Children are often referred to EyeCare4Kids through educators who notice a student isn’t improving academically. Other referrals come from service providers and church organizations. Through donations, Carbone continues to fund new

glasses, which usually cost $90 per pair. People living in poverty receive the glasses for free. If a child has Medicaid, the insurance covers the cost. For those who don’t qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford to visit a private optician, a pair of eyeglasses is $35. “It’s so meaningful when a mom just takes your hand and says thank you,” Carbone said. “She knew her child needed something but she couldn't provide it.” With his mobile clinic that travels to rural areas, and his goal to have a clinic in every major city across the United States, Carbone said there will be no reason for a child to go without professional eyecare services or glasses. For more information, or to donate to the cause, visit EyeCare4Kids.org. “I’m the most blessed man on earth,” Carbone said. “I have the greatest gift. I’ve retired from my regular practice and I’m 70 years old. I hope my wife and I get to do this for 10 more years.” l

Midvale City Journal

Midvalley, school district says goodbye to beloved custodian, others who will retire By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

or nearly 40 years, third head custodian Jim Sheely carried around 136 keys for Midvalley Elementary. Since the new building opened in 2020, he had only 10 keys, which he turned over April 15 upon his retirement. During his 41.5 years as a custodian, he remembers watering saplings in front of the former school building’s entrance with five-gallon bucket since there were no sprinklers, then watched them grow into mature trees to being pulled out with the construction of the current building. He constantly fought rusted galvanized pipes, refinished floors removing more than 20 years of built-up wax until carpeting went in, replaced tiles and fixed leaks, and nursed the “Great Dragon,” a nickname given to the old school’s boiler, until it finally quit in 2015. He climbed the metal rod ladder to the roof to throw down countless balls, cleaned up from thousands of school lunches and knew “every brick

in the old building,” according to a former colleague. Sheely, who had mounted a framed Intermountain Contractor magazine cover featuring the old school building as well as a 1958 dedication ceremony program to then the “Home of the Chipmunks,” now Junior Huskies, in both his old and current office, was on hand for the school’s 60th anniversary, the forming of the new school district and the ribbon-cutting of the current Midvalley Elementary. On his final day, he managed to keep his eyes dry despite the numerous hugs and high-fives he received from students during his clap-out. “I did it for the kids,” he said. “They’re all good kids.” Now, Sheely and others school district teachers, staff and administrators who are retiring can hang up there “gone fishing” signs after being honored at a Canyons School District dinner on May 12. l

Midvalley’s long-time custodian Jim Sheely said he felt “like a rock star” as students gave him high-fives and hugs during his final walk-out of the building. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Above: Midvalley Elementary custodian Jim Sheely leans on a shovel after the new Midvalley Elementary’s groundbreaking; he retired April 15 after more than 40 years. (Julie Slama/City Journals) Left; Midvalley head custodian Jim Sheely turned over 10 school keys on April 15 upon his retirement, which were just a few compared to the 136 keys for the former school building he carried for decades. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

MidvaleJournal.com

May 2022 | Page 17

Hillcrest embraces Earth Day with recently retired teacher By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

illcrest High School students had a chance to embrace Earth Day through song and poetry, thanks to the performance of recently retired English teacher Mark Doherty, who played his guitar and read his book, “Creativity, Teaching, and Natural Inspiration.” The nonfiction book highlights how he developed a creative and innovative teaching style bringing in his love of music, poetry and the outdoors while teaching 30 years in the public education system. He also gave students a sonnet and a bulb to plant. (Photo courtesy of David Veenstra/Hillcrest High)

to Honor Military Veterans for Their Service to Our Country. Monday, May 30, 2022 at 10:00 am.

At Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy

Jordan Valley students, Hillcrest High seniors to graduate By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

The featured speaker is Congressman Chris Stewart. Program will include: Hill Air Force Base Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet and Refreshments Courtesy of Cedarwood at Sandy. OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. Page 18 | May 2022

ordan Valley students and Hillcrest High School seniors will turn their tassels at commencement exercises this spring. At 3 p.m., Friday, May 20, Jordan Valley will celebrate its graduates in a ceremony at Midvale Middle School’s auditorium, 7852 Pioneer St., Midvale. Honoring Jordan Valley students will be Canyons School District Superintendent Rick Robbins and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and School Performance Bob Dowdle. Dowdle also will speak at Hillcrest High’s commencement exercises, which will be held at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 25, in the Maverik Center, 3200 Decker Lake Drive, West Valley. About 450 Hillcrest High seniors will turn their tassels in a rite of passage at graduation in front of invited families, friends and guests. Graduating seniors will be given ticket information. The graduation theme comes from human rights activist Malcolm X: “Education is our passport for the future; for tomorrow

belongs to the people who prepare for today.” Also, to commemorate Canyons School District’s first graduating class that will include students who have spent their entire K-12 school years in the district, each graduate will receive a gift from the Canyons Board of Education and Administration signifying their place in Canyons District’s history. l

Midvale City Journal

Former NBA coach hosting camp

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

tah native Barry Hecker, who coached in the NBA for more than two decades, continues to teach the game of basketball to young players. At the beginning of summer, he will host a camp June 7-10 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Sandy (location still to be determined) for boys and girls in third through ninth grades. “These camps are all about the basic fundamentals of basketball,” Hecker said. “We focus on quality fundamental instruction, we work hard with a lot of discipline and structure and we have a lot of fun. When these kids walk out of there, they know they’ve been taught and improved.” The cost of the camp is $85. Registrations will be open soon online by visiting www.sandy.utah.gov/735/Barry-Heckers-Basketball-Camp The veteran coach, who lives in Murray, said the values he has learned from his basketball coaching journey—beginning at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland and spanning through Salt Lake Community College and stints with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies—are invaluable. Being able to share those principles of hard work, teamwork, unselfishness and persistence, along with the physical skills of the game itself,

with others thrills him. “I don’t care who I coach or when I coach,” Hecker, who has worked with current Jazz players Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, said. “I simply enjoy teaching the game. It’s great to see a smile on someone’s face as they experience success. If you help somebody, you’ll be somebody.” Hecker has conducted clinics all over the world for more than 40 years, including many since his retirement from coaching in the NBA. He said he particularly enjoys working with the youth. “If you teach skills, that leads to confidence and that confidence can allow anyone to do anything they want,” he said. “I have more fun with young kids than with the pros. In the NBA, you have guys who are making millions and they don’t listen. These kids are making nothing and they’ll listen to you.” l

Former NBA coach Barry Hecker has been teaching the game of basketball for more than 40 years. (Catherine Garrett/City Journals)

Investments of $30 million-plus tackle affordable housing, jobs and water conservation By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

n a response to the state’s housing crisis, the Salt Lake County Council recently approved $20 million in funds to build and preserve nearly 1,200 affordable housing units. The housing will be near childcare resources and jobs, with access to broadband, transportation and schools. “More affordable housing is desperately needed,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said. “There are way too many hard-working households that are left behind because of skyrocketing home prices, rising rents, and fewer options to choose from. Salt Lake County is listening to residents and responding with significant funding to build and preserve housing.” Funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act with an additional $12.1 million earmarked for water conservation and workforce development. With the steady increase of rental and home ownership costs, and stagnant wages, the council approved the ARPA funds in the form of grants to community housing organizations, nonprofit housing providers, municipalities, and private developers. In 2021, rental costs increased by 12% and homeownership costs increased by

MidvaleJournal.com

28% or more in the county. In March 2022, the median price for a Salt Lake County single-family home sold for $580,000. “Housing is one of the things that keep us up at night,” said Dina Blaes, director of Salt Lake County’s Office of Regional Development. “But, fortunately, the county has a lot of expertise in affordable housing. So, we’re going to leverage our expertise with this new funding to enable thousands of families to remain living and working in Salt Lake County.” Workforce development will receive a $10 million boost for the new Workforce Inclusion and Successful Employment program. Through grants, WISE will help nearly 2,000 students complete trainings that lead to higher-paying jobs. Students will also be connected with childcare, mental health and mentorship services. “I think this is an awesome opportunity for Salt Lake County residents who might be working two or three jobs. We’re making it easier for them to succeed with career goals that really help themselves and their families,” said Jevon Gibb, Salt Lake County economic development director. Water conservation receives the final allocation of ARPA funds, with $2.1 mil-

In a response to the state’s housing crisis, the Salt Lake County Council recently approved $20 million in funds to build and preserve nearly 1,200 affordable housing units. (City Journals)

lion going to a regional water conservation program. By collaborating with cities and unincorporated areas in the county, the development of water conservation and landuse action plans will address the state’s

current drought, the worst in 50 years. As growth in Salt Lake County is projected to add 600,000 residents by 2065, water for current and future populations is a top concern for the region. l

May 2022 | Page 19

Middle school basketball tournament gives student-athletes chance to develop skills By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

wo Albion Middle School teams took first in the middle school 3-on-3 intramural basketball district championships. Albion’s eighth-grade girls’ team and its seventh-grade boys’ team, coached by Nate Foster, took home championship trophies. Midvale Middle won the eighth-grade boys’ trophy and Draper Park Middle won the seventh-grade girls’ top place. Indian Hills sixthgrade girls team won as did Mt. Jordan sixthgrade boys. At Midvale, coach Mitch Edmonds held practices Mondays and Wednesdays after school, but he often would find “some of the boys would get up and go to the gym to practice as early as 5:30 a.m. or as late as 10 p.m.” He said the eighth-grade boys’ leadership with the younger teams and communication on the floor helped them in their overtime win against Albion, beat Mt. Jordan and then knock off Draper Park in the semifinals. Their win against Union in the finals sealed their victory. Draper Park’s winning seventh-grade girls’ team also were champions as sixth-graders so they “repeated as champions this year,” Draper Park coach Rhodes Baker said. Draper Park’s teams practiced three days every week leading up to the tournament. Baker said there was so much interest at the school, they held their own tournament to determine

Midvale Middle School eighth-grade boys basketball team, coached by Mitch Edmonds on the right, won the district title over Union Middle for the championship trophy. (Photo courtesy of Mitch Edmonds/Midvale Middle)

which teams would represent Draper Park in the district tournament. “Most of the kiddos have played basketball for a few years and know how to play, but I tried to teach them the basics so they could do

well at the district tournament,” he said. “On offense we worked on the ‘pick ‘n roll’ and ‘give ‘n go.’ On defense, we worked on boxing out and going to the boards to get the rebound. Overall, I thought the kids played great.” l

Draper Park Middle School seventh-grade girls basketball team, coached by Rhodes Baker, won back-to-back district titles. (Photo courtesy of Rhodes Baker/Draper Park Middle)

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Midvale City Journal

Hillcrest students challenged with today’s trivia in inaugural Academic Olympiad By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

here was clapping and sighs of relief after the correct answers were announced following each of the seven rounds of the inaugural Hillcrest High Academic Olympiad. The teams of four to six players, representing all four high school grades, sat at round tables that filled a meeting room. Some represented clubs or school organizations, such as art club, FBLA, band, mock trial, Key Club and HOSA; some were made of friends; and yet others were individuals who wanted to participate and were matched with teams needing more teammates. Each table’s participants barely whispered their answers to one another after a question was posed, hoping the other teams wouldn’t hear. Then a team-designated scribe wrote their agreed-upon response to each of the eight questions per round. Questions, which were solicited from each subject area in the school, ranging from naming who wrote “Silent Spring,” considered one of the greatest science books of all time, to knowing the different types of car motors. Students needed to know the top three Allied leaders of World War II to paintings by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. There were even questions quizzing students on the names of the four Beatles to identifying Hillcrest’s four vice principals. “It was a healthy competition of knowledge,” said science teacher Alex Mettler, one of the judges as well as a contributor of questions. “It’s not the typical athletic competition where we see who is fastest or jumps the highest, but it’s one like athletics that involves teamwork and contribution from every team member. These questions are well-rounded and cover every subject and more at Hillcrest.” It’s not a unique competition. In fact, social studies teacher David Veenstra, who organized the event, said he got the idea from other schools, but tweaked it for the Huskies. “I made sure it was cross-grade so students not only met, but worked together,” he said. “It provides the opportunity for there to be legacy teams. Sure, the seniors will age out, but the rest of the team can return with some freshmen to compete. It’s inclusive and it’s a great academic competition so the ‘school nerds’ could get into it, and we could all celebrate academic knowledge.” Veenstra said half the questions were from core subjects and half from electives. “We aimed for questions that good students who attended and participated in class could answer, but what made it challenging was the vast knowledge they needed from electives and that’s where it was beneficial to work together as a team,” he said. Leading up to the March 24 Academic Olympiad, Veenstra posed weekly trivia on the television screens around the building. Students could write their answers and submit them. Later, he posted those who got the

MidvaleJournal.com

First-place team, Anemone, converses during the competition about their answers to questions at Hillcrest High’s Academic Olympiad. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

answers correct. “I had candy bars for the winners, but most of them passed. They were more excited to get their names on the wall,” he said. As was the winning team, who will have their name on a plaque that will hang in the school’s fourth-floor commons. After judges, Mettler along with math teachers Matt Snyder and Carrie Anderson, tallied the final round of scores during the 90-minute competition, Veenstra announced the winners. They were: fourth place, the Legal Beagles; third, Lorem Ipsum (created by a random name generator); second, Somewhat Spectacular Six; and in first place, Anemone. The winning team—Laurel Gutierrez, Priyanka Mathews, Munashe Tanjani, Angelinne Gutierrez, Amber Parker and Lenny Beddoes—erupted in cheers of celebration. “It was fun to gather the team to do this competition,” senior Gutierrez said. “It wasn’t a lot of work; we only met once to prepare. It’s a lot of fun trying to win.” Beddoes was a last-minute addition to the team. “It feels great,” he said. “There was a lot of random-based trivia from cars to Chinese, but I’m so excited we won. I have a lot of energy; I’m just pumped.” l

Dozens of Hillcrest High School students competed in the inaugural Academic Olympiad competition that quizzed teams on both academic and elective classes’ material. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

May 2022 | Page 21

Q&A Business Spotlight Desert Star has another rip-roaring musical mash-up ready to make you laugh your abs off with the show “Hunk-cules: I’m Too Sexy For My Toga.” The laughs will keep going with this musical melodrama for the whole family. Written by Beth Bruner and directed by Todd Michael Thompson, the story opens with our hero Hercules battling a fiendish lion which wins him the hand of the princess Meg. But the King wants someone else to marry his daughter, so they give Hercules three supposedly impossible tasks. Much to their chagrin, Hercules begins to breeze through them so they send Prince Diaredes to foil Hercules and steal the girl. Jump in your chariot and ride on down to Desert Star to find out if love prevails. “Hunk-cules: I’m Too Sexy For My Toga” runs April 21 through June 4. The evening also includes one of Desert Star’s comical musical olios, following the show. The “Mountain Music Olio” features the backwoods, mountain music to bring out the granola inside, mixed with Desert Star’s signature comedy. Food is available from an á la carte menu and is served at your table. There is

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Page 22 | May 2022

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X marks the spot

e might not have a parrot or an eye patch, but my dad has found more buried treasure than any pirate. Inside his mild-mannered dad costume lurks the heart of Captain Jack Sparrow, ready to tackle any adventure with dashing flair and comic grace. On a blustery day in April, he took a pickaxe and hammer to help his great-grandkids find fossilized shells and pieces of quartz on the side of a mountain near his home in central Utah. He was excited about every discovery, and everywhere he looked, he saw treasure. He pointed to the west and said, “That mountain is full of blue agate.” He pointed down and leaned in to whisper, “We’re standing on the biggest gold mine in the state.” He pointed east to where dinosaur bones hide in the hills and pointed south to Native American sites where he’s examined petroglyphs and rock paintings. I’ve explored with Dad many times, usually only finding spiders, cacti and the occasional rattlesnake. He can stick his hand in a hole in a rock and pull out gemstones, old coins and a jackalope skull. Dad’s always had a sense of adventure. If he could make a living exploring

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

ghost towns and spelunking in caves for lost treasure, à la Indiana Jones, he’d be the happiest man on earth. With his keen, scientific mind, he built model airplanes and assembled rockets that exploded in midair, not always on purpose. He’d ignite a mini cannon on the Fourth of July that freaked out the neighbors, cracked a basement window and set off car alarms. We’d run inside and hide like the Feds were after us. They probably were. For him, life has been one big treasure hunt. He often takes his metal detector to parks and always shows up when a road is being dug or a house demolished. You never know what he’ll find; sometimes a rare penny, sometimes radioactive marbles. He once discovered a class ring and

used his Hercule Poirot-level detective skills to return it to the family of the man who’d lost it decades earlier. Even with his work, he stood on the leading edge of discovery. In the ’60s, he helped build the first communications system for Air Force One. Later, he created cameras that flew on the space shuttle, were installed in telescopes and helped aerial refueling tankers. A camera he designed took the first pictures of the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean. Never one to pass up a good conspiracy theory, Dad talks about his close encounters with UFOs, ghosts, the Illuminati and home teachers. He also plays the accordion, although how can you tell if someone does that well? He’s a master woodworker, making toys, banjos, ukuleles and violins that he donates to teens. He cuts and polishes the stones he finds to make necklaces, and he’s been known to set a trap or two for Santa Claus. He’d frighten us with scary stories before bedtime, stories he insisted were true, which made it worse. If Dad had the chance to take a rocketship to the moon, he’d already be packed. He’d love to fly in a fighter jet

or visit the space station. He’d gladly sail the Seven Seas under the Jolly Roger and swashbuckle through hidden caves looking for gold doubloons and diamonds the size of cantaloupes. But through all of his adventures, misadventures, escapades, quests, deeds and feats of reckless abandon, Dad knows the biggest treasure is the one in his own backyard.

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De-icing and leaf protectors Call or text Jack

Flat work, Driveways, Patios, RV Pads, Sidwalks, Etc.

Jack’s Pro Gutter and Cleaning 85% of gutters are repairable! SENIOR DISCOUNTS

801-865-6382

YARD SERVICES

Affordable Yard Care / Tree Trimming & Removal Flower Beds, Hedges, Railroad Ties, Mulching, Sod, Mowing, Concrete Senior Discounts

Call Dan:

801-518-7365

VEHICLES WANTED

We’ll buy your running & non-running, wrecked or broken car, truck or van.

Call Dan: 801.518.7365 RAIN GUTTERS Gutter Cleaning, New Gutters, Leaf Guard, Siding Sofﬁt & Fascia, Permanent light. Call Luke for Free Estimate

801-872-4590 Senior Discount

PROFESSIONAL PAINTING

NobleOne Professional Painting

(801) 506-6098

Residential, Commercial, Interior, Exterior Reliable, Dependable, and CLEAN 25 Years of Experience

A Local Utah Company

www.nobleonepropainting.com

CarSoldForCash.com SIDING

Call: 801-750-0977 ROOFING

Capitol Exteriors

801-272-7000

Call NOW For SPECIALS

$650 OFF any reroof over 2,000 sq. ft.

Siding – Sofﬁt – Fascia – Raingutters (801) 253-2566

All types of roofs

TREE SERVICES

INTERMOUNTAIN TREE EXPERTS

Removals . Trimming . Pruning Licensed and Insured / 15 Yrs Experience

801-244-3542 FREE ESTIMATES

PATIO COVERS & HANDRAILS ENJOY THE OUTSIDE THIS SUMMER

• Steel Covered Carports, Patios & Porches • Steel Handrails • Quality Decks

Call John today for a FREE estimate.

801-205-5999

Quality and Integrity for over 25 Years

LEAFGUARD RAIN GUTTERS

Guaranteed not to clog for as long as you own your home. If it clogs, LeafGuard will come out and clean it for you.

One-Piece System, Professional Installation

CALL AND RECEIVE A $200 VISA GIFT CARD WITH YOUR LEAFGUARD PURCHASE!

Free Estimate - 385-300-0869

APPLIANCE REPAIR

Glen’s Appliance Repair Major Appliance Repair & Installation REASONABLE RATES 38 Years Experience

Call Glen at 801-510-3513

WATER SOFTENER RELIABLE SOFT WATER without the typical water softener problems

• Zero maintenance • No breakdowns • 2/3 LESS salt

For free in-home estimate:

visit www.KineticoUtah.com or call 801-890-5344

LANDSCAPE MATERIALS

REPLENISH LANDSCAPE

Barks, Colored Mulch, Compost, Soil Blends, Playground Chips, Sand-Gravel, Landscape Fabric & More

801-252-5962

4660 S 200 W Murray

Mention this ad for 10% Off FLAT ROOF SPECIALISTS

OLYMPUS ROOFING

801.887.7663 SERVING WASATCH FRONT SINCE 1973

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

Apex Clean Air

Installations & Repairs Call today for a free in home estimate.

801-449-1939

May 2022 | Page 23

Given the current political & economic environment, many retirees are worried about their future. Two complimentary consultations & personalized retirement plan with registration ($1,000 Value)

10 Reasons You Should Attend This complimentary Seminar 1.

Learn strategies to protect your estate from long-term care expenses.

Learn how to avoid being taxed on your social security benefits.

Lessen the chance that you outlive your retirement income due to taxes or inflation.

Discover the pitfalls of probate and the steps you can take to avoid it.

Learn ways to avoid being forced to sell your assets or surrender your money to Medicaid.

Learn why a living trust may be more effective than a regular will and why you may need one.

Learn how to receive long-term care benefits while remaining in your own home.

Learn when you should not put your children on your bank accounts and property titles.

Learn how to decrease the tax on your IRA or 401(k) for a more comfortable retirement.

10. Learn about best practices to investing and safer alternatives to the stock market. Attend Either Evening May

19th

Robert J. Beck CPA

Tamra Williams

Kelly G. Purser CPA

May

25th

6:00 - 7:30 PM

(Thurs.)

(Wed.)

Complimentary to the public | Seating is limited

Advisory services are offered through Wealth Management CPAs, LLC, an SEC Investment Advisor. Kelly Purser and Tamra Williams are not securities licensed. Tax services offered through Wealth Management Tax Solutions, LLC, an affiliated company. Insurance products and services offered through Wealth Management Insurance Solutions, LLC, an affiliated company.