September 2019 | Vol. 19 Iss. 09
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AMONGST CONSTRUCTION RUBBLE, CLASSES BEGIN IN CANYONS SCHOOL DISTRICT
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By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com
W
hen Midvalley Elementary School students returned to school this fall, their teachers may have asked them to create a journal marking the progress of the new school being built on what was their east playground and field. “It’s an opportunity for our extremely creative teachers (to) tie in the real-world experience” of witnessing the building of a new school in their curriculum for students, Midvalley Principal Tamra Baker said. At Midvalley, as well as at many of Canyons School District’s high schools where construction is underway, classes began as usual, with perhaps new parking lots, some schools minus sports fields and at all schools, attempts to keep disruptions to a minimum, said Canyons Business Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Leon Wilcox. Midvalley is the first elementary school to be rebuilt with the voters’ 2017 approval of a $283 million bond, which also will include new school buildings at Hillcrest High, Brighton High, Union Middle, Peruvian Park Elementary as well as a new West Draper Elementary, a new White City elementary and classroom and lunchroom additions at Corner Canyon High. At Midvalley, the foundation was poured and metal framing was starting as school began. Plans are to begin sheet rocking and painting after the building is enclosed in February. The construction cost of the 85,000-square-foot, two-story building is $22.5 million and is being constructed for up to 800 students, Wilcox said. The new school will open to students in August 2020. At nearby Hillcrest High, many student-athletes’ home
After a year of construction, Hillcrest High looks a little different as school begins with a field house and athletic complex nearing completion north of the football field, tearing up other sports fields to create new parking lots and starting to build in what was the main school parking lot. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
fields still are displaced, and by December, the new turf-field fieldhouse and athletic center will be home to a number of Husky sports. The athletic center will include a main and auxiliary gym, indoor track, dance room, weight room, wrestling room, locker rooms and a meeting room, which will serve several sports, physical education classes, cheerleaders, dance
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and drill teams. “It was a really wet spring, so that impacted construction by about 15-20 days, which was hard to make up in the summer,” Wilcox said. “There will be school colors and the Husky mascot all throughout the new school.” Soon after the new athletic Continued page 5
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Theatre camp teaches kids how to perform By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
Teens performed a scene during the Triple Threat Theatre Boot Camp at Midvale Main Street Theatre in July. (Photo courtesy Cassidy Ross)
H
ere’s the scene: Two strangers are eating a meal together. It’s clear from the conversation that the occasion is a blind date, and things are not going well. The situation becomes tense when an overbearing server gets involved. Then the scene ends and the three teens return to the audience to get feedback on their performance. Summer break means a lot of things, but for 32 kids it meant getting feedback on performances like the one above, practicing improv skills, learning to tap dance, and getting advice on how to audition. In July, Cassidy Ross organized Midvale Main Street Theatre’s first ever musical theatre summer camp. Ross has been producing children’s theater at the performing arts space located at 7711 S. Main St. for more than six years. The kids receive instruction while learning and rehearsing those shows, which was the theatre’s first formalized training program. “It’s fun to watch,” Ross said. “We have some kids who have performed with us be-
ournals
fore, and it’s fun to see how much they’ve grown (during the camp).” Ross said the camp’s first year went smoothly. Seventeen kids ages 5 to 12 participated in the Midvale Minis Theatre Camp where they learned skills from singing to dancing to prop making. The Triple Threat Theatre Boot Camp was offered to those up to age 18, and 15 kids accepted the challenge, including two 11 year olds. The cost to participate ranged from $90 to $175 and both camps culminated in a showcase where the students performed all choreography, songs and monologues for family and friends. “They all worked so hard. In just two weeks, these kids are learning eight dances,” Ross said. “(The 11 year olds) had never tap danced before, so they took their shoes home and practiced in the evenings.” Maddie Stensrud, age 14, was also challenged by the tap dance number. “Not only was that the hardest part, but it was also my favorite part because it was something I had
never done before and it was super fun,” Stensrud said. “My favorite part of camp was all the hands on experiences they gave us. It helped us learn so much better when we got to do things ourselves, such as physically working with the lighting and [using] the different colors.” One participant had never tried choreography before, but learned that he enjoyed designing dance sequences. Ross said there’s a value in getting a taste of all aspects of theater work and learning to work with other crew members. “This camp helps them appreciate tech people and understand how much work and thought is put into making the actors look good,” Ross said. Workshops for the older group were led by professionals with specialized theatre skills and included instruction on script analysis, stage makeup, stage combat and costume design. Crystal McKinsey flew in from New York City, where she has performed in off-Broadway shows. McKinsey focused on helping the older students perfect audition pieces. Another instructor is a hip-hop dancer and taught the older group choreography from the musical “Hamilton.” “My favorite part of camp was being able to say I was doing the same choreography as some of my broadway idols,” said Emma Stensrud, age 16. She and the older students also learned musical numbers from “Newsies” and “Mean Girls.” Both of those shows are appropriate for younger audiences, but also involve challenging concepts like poverty and bullying. “It can be hard to find material that’s appropriate for kids, but if you explain it well they latch on more than you would think,” said Kyle Esposito, one of the camp teachers. “Especially if you compare it to something they’ve gone through.” Esposito has worked in theatre full time
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for nearly 20 years. He currently directs at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre and is part of the technical crew at Pioneer Theatre Company. Esposito taught directing, character development, improv and pantomime workshops during the camp. He has experience leading youth workshops and enjoys it. “They’re so willing to learn,” Esposito said. “Adults can be stuck in their ways.” Kids can also be more candid. Esposito held a Q&A session with the teens after assigning them to different scenes to perform. “They asked if it was okay to ask a director why they weren’t cast (in a particular role),” Esposito said. “Then they asked me why they weren’t cast anyway.” All kids ended their sessions with everything they needed to audition, including a song and monologue that was rehearsed and ready to go as well as professionally-taken headshots. The kids also received advice on how to find an agent. “They’re really pushing themselves and getting out of their comfort zone,” Ross said. “(The camp) has really helped kids get better, be ready to perform and find something they love.” l
Children ages 5 through 12 practiced their acting skills during the Midvale Minis Theatre Camp at Midvale Main Street Theatre. (Photo courtesy Cassidy Ross)
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Continued from front page center is completed, the current gymnasiums will be torn down and a new classroom wing will be constructed in the next phase of the construction project. A new auditorium with a larger stage is set to be constructed, with about 250 fewer seats. “There will be state-of-the-art technology, better equipment and an updated learning environment for students,” he said. By August 2021, the new building is expected to be complete at a construction cost of $119.4 million and the following school year, all the Huskies will have their home courts and fields back on their 38-acre campus.
Construction of more offices at the Canyons School District administration building will mean centralizing almost every department near schools on the east side. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
At Brighton High, much of the construction will continue around the athletic center and fieldhouse, career and technical education shops and auditorium. The new field
house is expected to alleviate some of the use of the current basketball courts. Dance, drill, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, physical education classes and other activities and sports can use the multi-use field house with artificial turf, an indoor track and baseball batting cages. The updated auditorium will have a full fly system and improved acoustics as well as lightning and sound. There also will be updated dressing rooms adjacent to the theatre and storage for props. After these are complete, classrooms, the media center and offices will be rebuilt. “Before we tear down any of the old buildings, we certainly will have final open houses and we will create alumni rooms at the schools, which can double as conference rooms,” Wilcox said. The new $113.5 million school is expected to open in 2021. Alta High also is getting a new 1,400seat auditorium, with interior highlights of red, black and gray, as the walls and ceiling were nearing completion on the northwest corner of the 27-acre campus as school began. New heating, ventilation and air conditioning also was installed over the summer for the north upstairs classrooms. Construction of the new fieldhouse, with artificial turf and training rooms as well as an upstairs banquet and meeting room, was expected to be completed near the start of school. Sports teams, cheerleaders, drill team, marching band and physical education
At the main entrance of the current Hillcrest High, on the left, students can witness the new school being built in what was the main (south) parking lot. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
classes all will be able to use the new facility. Also on the agenda will be to put in 120 skylights to give more natural light and to fill in the commons area pit and update it with charging stations. Several offices and classrooms will be relocated, including the main office being moved next to the main entrance, a green room will be added for video broadcast, and windows will be added for more natural light. A security entrance will guide visitors to the main office before they can gain access to the hallways. The updates at Alta are projected to cost $53.5 million, Wilcox said. When students returned to Corner Canyon High, they may be attending class in one of the two new classroom wings that have been built over the past year. The second classroom wing is projected to be completed by October. Until then, teachers are expected to hold class a few weeks in portable classrooms until the transition can be made, he said. An additional 4,700 square feet was built onto the lunchroom so students could
eat in the designated area instead of on steps and in the commons. These additions of 24 classrooms and the lunchroom were constructed to accommodate the enrollment of 2,300 students. The total cost for additions to Corner Canyon are $10 million, Wilcox said. Wilcox also said that some projects are costing more than earlier projections. “There has been inflation in construction and tariffs, but we still plan to do all of them. We are just adjusting the timing of the projects,” he said. A new Canyons administration building is nearing completion by the east district office, after selling the west office for $9.5 million, and using those funds to centralize all departments, except for maintenance. “It will be great to have everyone in one location to improve communication and operations and with all the schools on the east side, this will reduce time for those in the west office to get to our schools,” Wilcox said. “I’m proud of what we’ve been doing, and we have more good things yet to come.” l
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Canyons School District celebrates 10 years, has plans for more progress By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com
Canyons Board of Education members Steve Wrigley, Nancy Tingey, Mont Millerberg and Amber Schill cut the cake July 1 after about 700 students, parents and guests sang happy birthday to the decade-old school district. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
R
idgecrest third-grader Isaac Christensen wasn’t born yet when Canyons School District formed 10 years ago, but he was the first person to have a piece of the district’s 10th birthday cake when Canyons Board of Education members cut the cake for about 700 students, parents, volunteers and guests. “When we created Canyons School District, it was for the students we were serving as well as for our future students,” board member Mont Millerberg said. On July 1, 10 years to the date after board members paraded through the district in a school bus, current and former students and employees gathered at Sandy Amphitheater with community members to celebrate the school district and its efforts, including 13 construction projects approved with a 2010 bond and five already underway with a 2017 bond, as well as back-to-back salary bumps for teachers. Canyons also has created a new response service team, which provides services to help students be safe and healthy and ready to learn, said director BJ Weller. “It’s been amazing to see the innovative collaboration in the district leadership to cohesively provide resources and support for the schools and students,” he said. Career and Technical Education Director Janet Goble also said partnerships with the Governor’s Office of Economics and Silicon Slopes are providing more opportunities for students with career interests. While many departments and schools could boast about successes for students, it was the cohesiveness of board members under the board’s first president Sherril Taylor working with the community that made the transition from becoming a school district to opening the doors for students six weeks lat-
Page 6 | September 2019
our communities. People were not wanting to live in Cottonwood Heights (then) because of the school conditions. Many of them needed new roofs and repairs, but the (Jordan) district wasn’t fixing them.” Canyons Public Engagement Coordinator Susan Edwards remembers not understanding why a new district was needed 10 years ago. “Mayor Cullimore invited me (and others) to his office and took the time to explain why and answer my questions,” she said. “Three hours later, I walked out, knowing everything and was fully on board.” That means Edwards has done any task needed for the district, from waiting for delivery of the district’s first computers to maintaining relationships between city, community and district leaders. “We couldn’t fail,” Edwards said. “If we knew then what we know now, I’m not sure we would think we could do it. But we didn’t know, and we had 34,000 students counting on us so we had no choice not to succeed. We worked our guts out, but the mayors’ transitional teams and our Board of Education members had laid out great work for us to follow.” However, not everyone was on board with the new district. One of the district’s current biggest supporters, Utah PTA Student
Involvement Commissioner Betty Shaw, who served as region 17’s director, said she didn’t think it was necessary at the time to split Jordan District. “I thought it was running well enough then, but maybe I didn’t get the big picture,” she said. “What has happened is a good thing and as soon as it was decided there would be two districts, PTA decided to move forward with it and make it a welcoming place.” That warm, welcoming feel is part of what board member Steve Wrigley appreciates about the new district. “Canyons has become a family and that is what was envisioned with it being a smaller district,” he said. “People care about each other, about their students, about their teachers, and it’s apparent with patrons being so gracious to trust us with two bonds being approved to build new buildings and fix schools in disrepair as well as support for teachers raises so we can retain and attract quality teachers.” Wrigley said much credit needs to be given to the four former mayors: Cullimore, Midvale’s JoAnn Seghini, Sandy’s Tom Dolan and Draper’s Darrell Smith, who continued to fight the battle for the school district, for better schools and building new ones in their communities, even when it was threatened with a possible lawsuit. l
er, Millerberg said. “We were at the buses at 11:30 p.m., June 30, 2009, and Jordan District wouldn’t allow us to put the stickers with the Canyons name on them until 12:01 a.m., July 1. It was a difficult split. We had voter approval at 52 percent, which in English meant, we had almost as many against wanting a new school district as we had for it,” he said. The voting of a new district was exciting for Canyons, but for Jordan, Millerberg said, he was sure it was “like picking up pieces after an ugly divorce settlement.” That feeling lingered for years, and even today people talk about before and after “the split.” Millerberg credits David Doty, the district’s first superintendent who was not able to attend the decade party, with the organization of the new district. “He had the vision of organization and could put programs in place to help make the district a leader in the state,” he said. “(Current Superintendent) Jim Briscoe now has the love of employees and patrons around the district and is moving us forward. After 10 years not only are we better off, but Jordan School District is better off serving their students with the growth they have on the west side.” One of the earliest supporters of the new district was former Cottonwood Heights Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore Jr. “I’m thrilled with the progress over the decade and Canyons becoming a trend setter in public education in Utah,” Cullimore said. “Early on, I was told my name was being printed to head a committee to become a district and I said great. I wanted it known that I During the May 13 celebration of Canyons School District’s 10-year birthday, patrons were able to view mewanted a new district with better schools for mentos of students’ accomplishments during the decade. (Julie Slama/City Journals) Cottonwood Heights. Schools are the heart of
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“It was the district that almost wasn’t,” Wrigley said. As part of the split, Canyons continues to pay on a 2003 bond, where “nothing from it is benefitting our schools,” Wrigley said. Canyons Chief Financial Officer and Business Manager Leon Wilcox confirms that “We inherited issues with the split and
divorce settlement where one has to pay all the mortgage, but doesn’t get the house or the kids. “Still, we’ve made tremendous progress from 10 years ago, fixing desperate needs in some schools and building schools in Draper where there was huge growth.” There also has been safety vestibules added to schools, updated camera systems
ing in school children. Midvale already has two new schools — Midvale Elementary and Midvale Middle — and two are underway — Midvalley Elementary and Hillcrest High. “Kids are our future and Canyons is putting a big investment in them,” he said. “It’s exciting to benefit from these 10 years of a new district; we’re moving in the right direction.”
from across the district and mementos of students’ success during the past decade. “It’s good to look back and see the great improvements we’ve made,” he said. “It was very rewarding to work with a lot of good people doing a lot of great work that will benefits kids a long way into the future.” Current Board President Nancy Tingey agrees.
“It’s our time to look back and reflect as well as to celebrate and recommit to our ideals in Canyons School District for our families now and in the future.” – Board President Nancy Tingey Alta High School’s ballroom dancers were one of several school groups that performed May 13 in celebration Midvale Middle Assistant Principal Bryof Canyons School District’s 10th anniversary. Other performances included Brighton High drill team, Sunrise (Elementary) Singers, Jordan High acapella, Corner Canyon jazz quartet, Hillcrest High theater students and an Rudes, who joined the July celebration, agrees. films made as part of the district’s film festival to celebrate the decade. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
have none of the good things from it, just all the bad,” he said in reference to paying $216 million in principal and interest. “We still have about $32.4 million to pay in the next three years. We’d like to do more for our district and faster, but we need to pay off the great debt,” he said, comparing it to a
in school buses and schools, air conditioning and heating upgrades and several other projects from turf to parking lots around the district. Current Midvale Mayor Robert Hale, who was at the July event, said he appreciates the district keepings its word and invest-
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“My favorite thing is all the support Canyons School District provides — instructional for both teachers and coaches, academic, social and responsive services for students, inclusive as a community school, all with the effort of best serving our students,” he said. Former board president Taylor attended the May 13 10-year celebration at Jordan High, which featured student performances
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“It’s important to celebrate our achievement and reflect on our accomplishments,” she said. “Our district was born by a community effort and they came together for a common goal: a high-quality school system. We thank everyone associated with the district in making a huge difference. It’s our time to look back and reflect as well as to celebrate and recommit to our ideals in Canyons School District for our families now and in the future. We celebrate our excellence and strive for excellence.” l
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September 2019 | Page 7
Three impactful residents inducted into Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors
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Mayor Robert Hale (right) congratulates Allen and Jan Litster as they are inducted into the Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors on Aug. 7. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
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rom Harvest Days to the “Messiah,” each of the three 2019 inductees to the Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors has made a lasting mark on Midvale. Allen and Jan Litster and Albin “Mickey” Ross were inducted in a ceremony held at the Midvale Performing Arts Center on Aug. 7. Ross was inducted posthumously, having passed away in 1977 at the age of 64. But Midvale residents still enjoy his legacy each year at the annual Harvest Days festival, which he helped grow as a member of the Midvale City Council and the Kiwanis Club. Ross was an entrepreneur who founded many businesses in Midvale at a critical time in the city’s development. He was active in the Midvale Volunteer Fire Department and involved in completing the landscaping at the I-15 interchanges at 7200 South in Midvale. Ross is also remembered for his portrayal of Santa Claus at local schools, churches and community celebrations. “As his children, we got to chauffeur him around during the Christmas season and see the joy he felt seeing the donations that others had made,” said Mike Ross, speaking on behalf of the family. “He was always willing to help anyone in need.” “When I first came to Midvale, Mickey was one of the first people I knew,” said Allen Litster during his remarks at the ceremony. “He was so kind to me and so easy to like.” Litster came to Midvale as a young man to learn the trade of undertaking. During his remarks at the Hall of Honors induction ceremony, David Litster recalls asking his father why he chose that profession. “He said (he chose to be a mortician) because when someone’s loved one passes, they’re in need
Mayor Robert Hale (left) congratulates Mike Ross as his father, Albin “Mickey” Ross, is inducted posthumously into the Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors on Aug. 7. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
Members of the Litster family perform during a ceremony to induct Allen and Jan Litster to Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors on Aug. 7. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
of comfort and he wanted to give that peace and comfort,” said David with emotion in his voice. “The thread of service is woven throughout his life.” Allen Litster later changed his line of work and spent the rest of his career employed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in addition to his volunteer work with the church. “With these callings he seeked to serve anyone in the community who was in need, not just members,” David said. “He taught us to pray for others and he taught us to go out and work to help those we had prayed for.” Allen has an impressive history of community service, including serving as chairman of the Midvale Police Department Citizens Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Citizens for a Safe Future for Midvale (monitoring the EPA’s cleanup of the tailings sites), and participation in the Midvale City Council, Midvale Planning and Zoning Commission, Salt Lake County Community and Economic Development Advisory Council and the Utah State Board of Education. But, according to his son, Allen’s greatest service was as a husband and father. Allen and Jan Litster raised seven children in Midvale. While Allen was a transplant, Jan is a Midvale native. “I thoroughly enjoyed growing up in Midvale,” said Jan during her remarks at the ceremony. “I love the diversity of this community. The friends we had, the people we met.” Jan’s many contributions to the community include instilling a love of music in others. She began teaching orchestra as a volunteer at Copperview Elementary School
in 1986 and her efforts led to an elementary school orchestra program being adopted throughout Jordan School District. She organized a community orchestra to play with the Midvale community performance of Handel’s “Messiah” and has co-directed the annual event for more than 20 years. Jan has also served actively in her church and in leadership roles as a member of Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. She is currently spearheading renovation of the DUP’s Drown cabin, the oldest existing structure in Midvale. At one point the Litsters were on the verge of outgrowing their own house in Midvale and began shopping for another place to live. “We looked from Bountiful to Draper, but kept saying to ourselves that we really like Midvale,” Allen said. “Where can we be of most help? Where can we serve people? We settled on Midvale and never looked back.” All three of the 2019 inductees to the Hall of Honors exemplified service in everyday life. “It is our duty to serve others, but it’s also a labor of love,” Allen said. “We have reaped far more than we have sown. May all of us link arms and do good.” Applications to nominate individuals for the Hall of Honors are available on the Midvale Arts Council’s website at the beginning of each year. “This is an honor to have such wonderful citizens in our city, past and present, who have made Midvale a great place to live and work,” Mayor Robert Hale said. “This city needs the best leadership to keep it moving forward.” l
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were because of speeding, according to Utah Department of Public Safety’s crash data. Slowing down isn’t going to kill you, but flying past others just might. 3| Distraction. Stay focused. Keep your guard up. Though you may be a phenomenal driver, others aren’t. Be aware of your surroundings by paying attention to what’s in front of you and checking your mirrors. Knowing where everyone else is helps avoid collisions. If you’re distracted by your phone, music, or billboards with cows writing on them, it limits your response time to what another driver may being doing in front of you. 4| Defense. This was one of the first concepts taught in driver education and one of the first we forget: drive defensively. Failing to yield caused 12% of deaths from 2012-2016 in the same data mentioned before. That comes to 154 people who died because they didn’t let someone else go first. This also applies when driving in poor weather conditions. Heavy rainfall and snowstorms blot windshields and make roads slick, adverse circumstances to traveling safely. Basics become even more vital like keeping your distance from the vehicle in front of you.
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Midvale student designs new look for the police D.A.R.E vehicle By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
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leven-year-old Remington “Remi” Metzger had only been to one other parade before, the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Salt Lake City. At his next parade, he got to be part of the show. Remi designed the winning entry in a competition sponsored by the Midvale Precinct of the Unified Police Department to help its new patrol vehicle stand out. Remi then got to bring some friends and throw candy from the truck bed during the Midvale Harvest Days Parade that took place Aug. 3. After the parade, the truck was displayed at the Harvest Days celebration at Midvale City Park and is now used as Officer Ryan Jonkman’s full-time patrol vehicle. Earlier this year, the Midvale Precinct purchased the Ford Ranger pickup truck and Jonkman took the opportunity to run a design contest for his D.A.R.E students to participate in. Twelve designs came in from Midvalley, East Midvale, Copperview and Alta View Elementary in White City. Jonkman and the principals from each school reviewed all the submissions and came to a unanimous decision. “(Remi’s design) was just awesome,” Jonkman said. “When everyone saw it, there was no question.” Police Chief Randy Thomas took the de-
MidvaleJournal.com
sign to the Midvale City Council for approval and a few tweaks were made, with Remi’s permission. “The changes made it look better,” Remi said. “They added a police badge and the lion body.” His original design had featured the face of Darren the D.A.R.E lion, along with an American flag and a flame pattern. “I really liked the look of the American flag, and I also like flames on cars so I wanted to try and mix the two,” Remi said. “I also found pictures of other D.A.R.E vehicles and some had the D.A.R.E lion on there, so I thought that should be there, too.” D.A.R.E., which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a national program of classroom lessons led by local police officers. Jonkman works specifically with fifth graders in Midvale to give them skills they can use to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs and violence. Midvale is actually the second city in the valley to have a kid-designed D.A.R.E. vehicle. “We had done this before with the Herriman Police Department,” said Michael Franz, owner of Interstate Image. “(Herriman) came to us in 2018 and that caught everyone’s eye.” The design and graphics company donated its services, worth $1,500 to $2,000, to
Remington Metzger shows off his winning design, which was wrapped on the Midvale Precinct’s new patrol truck. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
both precincts. “We donate every D.A.R.E. wrap for anyone who asks,” Franz said. “It’s good to give back. Police departments, they have their budgets pretty tight. (If we donate the service) they don’t have restrictions and can get exactly what the kids draw.” In this case, it meant reproducing Remi’s design of stars, stripes, and the D.A.R.E. mascot wrapping around the hood and both sides of the truck. “Interstate Image not only printed and installed (Remi’s image), but their design team took the draft and made it awesome,”
Jonkman said. The truck has also been outfitted with police lights on the roof and LEDs on the running board. Remi, then a fifth-grader at Midvalley Elementary School, likes to learn about history and do science experiments at school. He also likes to run and even ran a 10K race down Emigration Canyon before he participated in the Harvest Days parade. What’s the coolest thing about the truck according to Remi? “I think (kids) might be inspired to learn about the D.A.R.E program.” l
September 2019 | Page 9
Volunteer director hands over reins of successful Midvale Ambassador Program, youth city council to begin By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com
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ever one to be in the spotlight and quick to give others credit, Midvale Youth Ambassador Volunteer Director Candy Tippetts quietly turned over the advising this spring and summer after seeing her 15th set of ambassadors complete the program. “Former Mayor (JoAnn) Seghini started the program with the Midvale Arts Council and gave it to me as an assignment,” Tippetts said after her 2018-19 ambassadors, Kosha Hansen, Morgan Miller and Amelia Slama-Catron successfully completed projects for the Midvale community. “I’ve loved working with kids in this program. They’re amazing, intelligent, gifted and while I’ll miss working with them, I won’t miss the parades. Every summer, it’s a huge commitment for our ambassadors to be in nine parades, every weekend of the summer, and after 15 years of coordinating that, I’m about paraded out.” Tippetts, who will still stay involved with the planning and zoning commission as appointed by the mayor, said the city used to hold a Miss Midvale contest, but former Mayor Seghini decided to start the youth am- Pictured along with the Midvale City Council and Mayor Robert Hale, Midvale Youth Ambassadors for the 2019-20 school year are Zay Salih, Yovanni Valdez, Kathbassador program to benefit both males and eryn Lopez, Adamaris Gonzalez, Autumn Thelen and John Zhao. (Photo courtesy of Midvale City) females and to emphasize service. “It’s been very beneficial to allow the kids to serve,” said Tippetts, who sets an ex- taught our ambassadors valuable lessons that ample for the youth ambassadors as she reg- will carry them through adulthood,” she said, ularly volunteers with the Ronald McDonald adding that after their year of service, youth House, Columbus Center and Best Seat in the ambassadors receive $1,000 from the scholHouse. “Not only does it say a lot on their arship program. resumes for jobs and college, but it benefits This year, the program is under Midvale the city and citizens as well.” City’s communications director Laura MagThrough the years, ambassadors age 16 ness, who after interviews, invited Zay Salih, to 24, who either live or attend school in Mid- Yovanni Valdez, Katheryn Lopez, Adamaris vale, have created platforms of awareness Gonzalez, Autumn Thelen, and John Zhao as and projects that impact several areas such as youth ambassadors for the 2019-20 school diabetes awareness, recycling efforts, mento- year. This past summer, they’ve waved on ring and tutoring youth, outreach for seniors, parade floats and helped with Harvest Day vaccination programs, suicide awareness, activities. During the school year, they will teen pregnancy, skin cancer awareness, arts be ready to assist during the year with riband music education, helping Latino youth bon cuttings, and in addition to working on achieve higher education, and science and their platforms, Magness said they will help technology education. spread the word about Census 2020 and the Tippetts, who until now has been Mid- importance to complete it as well. vale Youth Ambassadors only director, can They also will have the special task of recall stories about every youth ambassador giving input on the formation of a youth city Call or text today to and lessons they’ve learned. council, which Magness said may debut this “The first year of the program, one amfall. schedule a tour! bassador wanted to brighten our community “Our youth don’t always understand and held a holiday light contest after helping how local cities work, so we’ll have speaker www.AbbingtonSeniorLiving.com the city decorate for the season. We’ve had and departments from each agency explain students who have become doctors, nurses, their part and discuss what they do,” said attorneys, entrepreneurs and continue to pro- Magness, who oversaw a youth council when vide service. We’ve had former ambassadors she worked previously in California. “We go do service in Africa or do groundbreak- can talk about impacts of our city, such as ing work to develop medical devices. Every Jordan Bluffs, and while they learn how the one of the ambassadors have completed their city works, they can provide us with youth projects in the 15 years of the program. It has perspective. It’s an opportunity to empower really benefitted our community and it has our youth.” l
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Page 10 | September 2019
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Planning Commission in Midvale: The front lines of land use By Erin Dixon | erin@mycityjournals.com
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ho is responsible for the use of the land in your city? In many cases it’s the planning commission. In Midvale, this commission is made of a group of volunteers, each receiving a mere $50 for each meeting they participate in. Midvale Associate Planner Alex Murphy explained how someone gets a place on the commission. “With the exception of residing in Midvale and having an interest in serving for the well-being of the city and community, there are no other required qualifications…Efforts are made to appoint commissioners from each of the five council districts and to have commissioners with diverse backgrounds and interests,” Murphy said. “(They) are chosen by the mayor through an application and interview process. The mayor requests the consent of the city council before the appointment is made,” Murphy said. The current Midvale Planning Commission has five members and two alternates (who do not vote unless a regular member is absent). City planning staff is also in attendance. There are many different types of land use applications, but for the Midvale Plan-
ning Commission their projects typically include adoptions to the General Plan, zoning ordinances and review development proposals. They then give their recommendations to the Midvale City Council for their review and approval. However, the planning commission is not the final decision maker. “Not all applications receive city council, or even planning commission, review. Legislative decisions, such as changes to a zoning map designation or ordinance language, or new policy plans addressing land use, receive a recommendation from the planning commission which the council considers before making a decision,” Murphy said. “When the planning commission is acting in its capacity as an advisory body to the city council it has broad discretion in making a recommendation,” City Planner Leslie Burns said. “When acting as an administrative body, it has very little discretion and must make decisions based on compliance with the law and ordinances.” For example, in April 2019 there was a plan submitted by Wadsworth Development for the building of two commercial buildings on 7131 S. Bingham Junction Blvd. This parcel was part of a larger plan that had been outlined several years before that ensured
that the surrounding land use would be appropriate. The commission reviewed the zoning requirements, the style of the buildings that would be constructed, traffic influence, public health and safety influences. Landscaping for proper water drainage was reviewed. Even the types of trees were discussed and the number of parking stalls. After deliberation, conditions were set upon their approval: sufficient emergency vehicle access, and exterior lighting and lighting changes.
New alternate commissioner
In early August, Dustin Snow was appointed as a new alternate planning commissioner. He was recommended by Matt Dahl, the assistant city manager. Snow appeared before the city council and received questions from councilmembers. “I’ve lived in Midvale since I got married in 2002. Went to Hillcrest, my kids now go to Hillcrest, it’s kinda weird. I’ve built several projects in Midvale. I just like this place,” Snow said. Councilmember Dustin Gettel asked Snow’s opinion on the large rental properties that have been built in the last 10 years. “I think the traffic would be my only concern. Other than that I think they’re
great,” Snow said. Councilmember Quinn Sperry was pleased by Snow’s application. “Given his background in development I think he’ll have some good insight on things that come before the commission.” Councilmember Bryant Brown was hesitant to approve of Snow’s recommendation. “I think he would be a good candidate for the most part. I don’t think our residential growth has been smart in any sense of the word with our disproportionate rental to purchase,” he said. Gettel was also hesitant and brought up that Snow was a candidate for city council in district one, withdrew and then appeared as the appointee for the planning commission. Dahl reassured Gettel that there were several applications that were received and interviewed, and Snow confirmed that he didn’t know about the planning commission position when he withdrew from the race. “When Quinn decided to stay on, I didn’t want to go up against him. When I withdrew, I had no idea of this position,” Snow said. Snow was ultimately confirmed as the new alternate commissioner, in a vote 4-1, Gettel being the dissenting vote. l
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September 2019 | Page 11
Husky Strong Academy students learn about high school before school begins
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awson Schmith said he was attending Hillcrest High School’s summer school for the money. “I was doing it to get enough money for a dirt bike, but the credits are good, too,” he said. “Plus, I got a head start on some high school subjects and a review of others.” Dawson learned about the Husky Strong Academy in spring of his eight-grade year at Union. Through a partnership with United Way of Salt Lake, students, like Dawson, who complete their assignments and attend daily during the six weeks of class in June and July can be rewarded $200 and with a $5 bonus for daily attendance, he received $310. “It was pretty easy and I had nothing else to do this summer. The best thing was I made new friends and I know my way around the building,” he said. Even if students miss a day, but still complete assignments, or are in attendance daily, they qualify for $100 VISA card, said Hillcrest Assistant Principal Sara Little. The program is set up for incoming ninth-graders to help them succeed as they start high school, said Little, who has overseen the program since its initiation four years ago. “We have 45 who consistently attend this year,” Little said. “We’re able to get to know the students and help them bridge to high school. We expect them to come daily, complete the program, and demonstrate their knowledge in each subject.” Many of the students are in the target audience of students who may be struggling in a subject or two and this allows them to get a “jump start for high school,” she said, adding that the program is open to any incoming freshman. Many of the teachers review skills that will be needed in high school class as well as review what they learned as eighth-graders and preview what they’ll study this fall.
Page 12 | September 2019
By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com
At the end of the Hillcrest High Husky Strong Academy graduates receive a T-shirt, marking their success thus far toward their 2023 graduation. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)
For example, in English they may learn how to structure an essay before writing one; or in math, how to graph and learning sequencing. In biology, students recently completed a lab on solubility and in geography, they learned about maps and actually put their knowledge to a test by going on a scavenger hunt which allowed them to use the skills learned as well as get to know the school building and where to go for help. “We want to help the students get on board academically and build relationships with teachers and peers. It may just be one teacher who they meet so when school starts and they need help, they can go to that teacher because they know someone cares,” she said. Little said that teachers not only instruct in subject area, but they also help students navigate how to be successful such as how to organize their notebook binders, understand graduation requirements or how to approach a teacher about homework and tests. As a result, they receive 0.25 elective credit. “It does more than give them credit, it gives them the boost and confidence that ‘I
can do this,’” she said. “It’s not meant to replicate high school, but to give them a taste of it, introduce them to teachers and the building, and let them know they have to work in high school. They can’t just expect to show up and graduate.” As a result, these students are showing more progress. “Many of these students who participated in the program are more likely to make up credits and 2% are more likely to graduate than their peers at the same level who didn’t attend,” Little said. While three of the five teachers instruct at Hillcrest, the others come from middle schools, including Midvale Middle, one of the feeder schools. This helps with bridging students from middle to high school, Little said. The program also takes in consideration that some of these students may need assistance so there are bus pick-ups and drop-offs at three nearby elementary schools and breakfast and lunch provided. They also participate in a field trip to the Clark Planetarium, which ties into the study of the universe. Geology teacher Emily Nance said she believes in what the program does for each student. “It provides opportunities for all these kids, and we are proactively investing in these students,” she said. “It’s evolved in four years, but we’ve learned how to help them advocate for themselves, how to help them succeed in high school and build those relationships with peers and adults. How they’re becoming successful inspires me; it’s amazing.” For Little, there’s a personal connection. While in high school, her brother dropped out. “He felt disconnected, disenfranchised and fell into the wrong crowd. He didn’t have a teacher or any support there,” she said. “Af-
ter he earned his GED when he was 26, he said he wished he had someone at school to help him. That’s why it’s so important that we help these and every one of our students so they can be successful.” However, Little will be an assistant principal at Corner Canyon High this fall, so she is turning over the program to International Baccalaureate Director John Olsen, along with the stats she has compiled showing the success of the program. “We have 75 percent of those who attended the first year, in 2016, on track to graduate this year,” she said of the then 100 students who were invited from Midvale Middle and 30 from Union Middle. That year, 87 students came the first day and about 67 regularly attended. Forty-seven completed the program, she said. “Some didn’t like it, didn’t want to do homework, had to stay home to take care of siblings; there were a lot of reasons. Since then, we have narrowed our focus and have had fewer numbers and are able to give more attention to students and build those relationships,” she said. Last year, she had 78 apply for the program — 41 from Midvale Middle and 37 from Union Middle. Fifty-four of the 57 students who decided to participate, completed the program and attended its celebration with school and district administrators at its end. While Little acknowledges this year’s 45 students who participated is a far cry from the projected 500 incoming freshmen, it is an “impact for those who come.” “It’s huge for those who are starting their high school career. It helps them make it to their senior year. For many, they may be the first in their family to graduate,” she said. “That’s why I’m an educator. I want to teach kids. I want to see them connect with school, their teachers, their peers and take pride in their school and academics.” l
Midvale City Journal
Every kid has a role to play in Copperview Rec Center’s theater program By Heather Lawrence | heather.lawrence@mycityjournals.com
S
alt Lake County Recreation programs for sports have been around for decades. Copperview Recreation Center in Midvale has sports, but has also pioneered a youth theater program that’s giving kids of all abilities an opportunity to learn about theater and perform in musicals. The next chance to get involved is at auditions in September. “We do junior productions that are geared toward kid performers ages 8 to 18. I think we’re the only rec center that does theater. We’ve had a huge response in the last couple of shows, ‘Peter Pan, Jr.’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Jr.,’” said Eric Bonin, program coordinator at Copperview Recreation Center, 8446 S. Harrison St. (300 W.) To run the theater program, Bonin said he relies on directors Micah Taylor and Alex Kalaher. “[Taylor] and [Kalaher] both have backgrounds in musical theater and in working with kids. They put in a huge amount of effort adapting the shows so that everyone has a role—even a line or two. And that way it’s a special for everyone. We couldn’t do this without them,” Bonin said. Auditions for the fall show ‘Bugsy Malone’ are Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. at Copperview. Kids should be registered ahead of time, and
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come prepared with a few lines of a song to sing. “This is just to assess the best place for them in the show,” Taylor said. Taylor said ‘Bugsy Malone’ is based on a 1976 movie that’s “a cult classic. It’s a musical, and the cast is all kids. The setting is speakeasies and gangsters with lots of singing and dancing. Instead of using guns they shoot whipped cream, which turns out to be lots of messy fun. It’s hilarious,” Taylor said. Due to the popularity of the theater program, Bonin said they have to limit how many kids can be in the show. “The first 35 that register will be guaranteed a spot. Anyone after that can audition and see if there’s an opening,” Bonin said. They’re also moving the performance venue. In the past they’ve used the stage room at Copperview, but Bonin said they’ve outgrown it. “We’ll do one performance on Nov. 15 at Midvale Middle School. We’re excited about the quality of equipment there, the lighting; it will all help with the production,” Bonin said. “It will be great to use an actual stage with wings and a backstage and more space. In the small room at Copperview we’ve had kids make their own wings and changing rooms,” Taylor said.
Taylor said he’s pleased with how quickly the rec center’s theater program has grown. “It’s really new. [Kalaher] has been doing it probably four years, and I started two years ago. But it wasn’t fleshed out; they weren’t doing actual musicals. She made it better and helped it grow,” Taylor said. In addition to the musicals, Taylor and Kalaher ran two theater camps over the summer. They presented a musical revue, taught kids about improv and had the entire group recite a speech from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” “The kids we’ve had always come up afterward and say how much they loved it, and we get lots of repeat kids. That speaks for itself,” Taylor said. Ten-year-old Luke Summers played the role of Peter Pan in the spring show. “At the start of each rehearsal we begin with a fun game. [It] helps us feel like we don’t have so much pressure on us. It’s a good place to socialize and make new friends,” Luke said. “Also, we don’t only rehearse. The directors actually teach us about acting, singing and dancing. The directors are fun and they make you feel comfortable. The plays turn out really well done,” Luke said. Luke’s mom, Krisi Summers, said
there’s a lot to like about the theater program. “It’s affordable, it’s accessible for children of all skill levels, it’s low pressure and most of all it’s fun for the kids. I love that every child has a chance to have at least one solo or a line in the plays. The directors work well with the kids and give them individual attention,” she said. Summers said Luke has performed in two plays and attended three theater camps at Copperview Rec Center. “It’s been a great confidence booster for my son, and he looks forward to performing in the next play,” she added. Part of the niche that Copperview’s program fills is that it’s inclusive. “We open the show up to performers of all abilities. We’ll make accommodations so all kids, including those with a disability, will get a role. If that doesn’t work out, we also have an adaptive theater program,” Bonin said. Bonin and Taylor recommend registering for “Bugsy Malone” as soon as possible. People can register in person at Copperview, or online at Copperviewadaptive.activityreg. com. Search “theatre” (note spelling). The fee is $65 and includes a rehearsal CD. Rehearsals are Mondays and Wednesdays 5 to 8 p.m. There is one performance on Nov. 15.
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Midvale student designs new look for the police D.A.R.E vehicle | PG9 The new patrol truck will be used to help educate Midvale youth on how to avoid gangs, drugs and violence. Remington Metzger (left) and his friends Davin Sharp and Brandon Metcalf get ready to ride the police truck decorated with Remington’s design at the Midvale Harvest Days parade. (Sarah Morton Taggart/City Journals)
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September 2019 | Page 13
Ratings index will now deterimine high school playoff seeding By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com
State high school playoffs will have a revamped seeding system this season. The change will give every team the opportunity to be part of its state tournament. (Greg James/City Journals)
T
he Utah High School Activities Association will determine seeds differently this year for its team sports. The impact of the change and its perception is still to be determined. “It will begin with team sports this fall,” UHSAA Assistant Director Jeff Cluff said. “The RPI will be revealed after the season
begins and be open until one week prior to the postseason. As the tournament approaches, we will reveal the final RPI and tournament bracket together.” The RPI is a performance-based rating dependent upon the teams’ winning percentage, the opponents’ winning percentage and the opponents’-opponents’ winning percentage. A mathematical equation will be used to determine the teams’ seeds for its upcoming state tournament. The RPI will be used in team sports such as football, soccer, volleyball, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, softball and drill. It is a system successfully used in several neighboring states like Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. “Each sport will have its own reveal date and bracket release,” Cluff said. Every classification team will be part of the postseason tournament. Teams will be seeded into the bracket, with lower seeds playing higher seeds in the early rounds. Several teams that were left out of postseason tournaments will now have the opportunity to win a state title. The official RPI rankings will be available on uhsaa.org. The MaxPreps power ranking and Deseret News rankings are different than the RPI used by the UHSAA. “Those are more of a power ranking
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Page 14 | September 2019
rather than a rating percentage index,” Cluff said. “It is completely different; our RPI is based on this particular year only, whereas the max preps takes into account the history of the team.” In theory, a weak schedule could affect a team’s placement in the state tournament bracket. Also, region championships and standings will have no bearing on the state tournament pairings. “You will definitely need to look at the big picture,” Cyprus head boys basketball coach Tre Smith said. “You will need to climb up the rankings throughout the year. I am interested to see how much respect our region gets and if winning region games will matter as far as rankings go.” “We have a lot of inquiries,” Cluff said. “I think people are anxious to see how it is going to work and how it will affect scheduling. I think they are most anxious because of the disruption from the norm. It is completely different than what we have done before. Teams knew that if they won their region, they would compete here in the first round. A Region 1 school could be matched up with Region 4. It was all predetermined and now it is not the case anymore.” One example was the 6A football championship last season. The four and five seeds
(Pleasant Grove and East) matched up in the first round. That should not have occurred in theory until later in the tournament. Region games will more geographical. “The new RPI system did give us reason to change a couple preseason games,” Riverton head basketball coach Skyler Wilson said. “We ended up changing four games against opponents that I think will be ranked higher. I’m excited for this change because our path to the tournament will depend on how we play our whole schedule.” Another aspect of the rating is the classification adjustment. A large school scheduling all small schools will be penalized slightly. A schedule overloaded with small school powerhouses is discouraged by the UHSAA, but teams are still encouraged to schedule rivals. “I think the classification adjustment is important,” Cluff said. “A lot of people do not understand that a bigger school playing a smaller school— it became necessary for us to throw in a classification adjustment. We do not think scheduling will be done any differently. There is a misconception that if you only play the good teams your rating will be higher.” l
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In The Middle of Everything City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047
The Heart of the Matter
MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY City Hall Finance/Utilities Court City Attorney’s Office City Recorder/Human Resources Community Development Public Works Ace Disposal/Recycling City Museum Midvale Senior Center SL County Animal Services Midvale Precinct UPD Police Dispatch Unified Fire Authority Fire Dispatch Communications
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MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Robert Hale Email: Rhale@midvale.com
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CITY COUNCIL District 1 - Quinn Sperry Email: qsperry@midvale.com District 2 - Paul Glover Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Paul Hunt Email: phunt@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
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SEPTEMBER 2019 CITY NEWSLETTER
By Mayor Robert Hale
We made it! We have survived one of the hottest summers ever in Midvale. I know your electric bill is higher than you have seen in a while. On the other hand, I am glad that our combined and individual tempers were very cool this summer. That is a real testament to the desires we all must live compatibly with our neighbors even when the heat gets to be intolerable. But we made it. With cooler temperatures and some precipitation ahead, I’m hoping our yards can return to life and becoming green. It has been really sad to see so many turning gray-green and even yellow due to lack of watering. I hope you have kept your fruit trees watered, not wanting to miss the sweet juicy bites into pears, peaches and apples that will be available this month. Ever notice the white pickup trucks driving our streets? Inside is at least one Midvale employee going out to or coming back from a job assignment who was hired to serve your City. Water Works, Parks, Streets, Sewers, Inspections, etc., are out everyday to see that our infrastructure is safe, useable and functioning properly. These Public Work employees have worked out a system where they can work four days each week, ten hours straight, to get everything done. This will reduce some vehicle traffic on our streets one day each week, Friday. This isn’t to say that there would be no help from Public Works when needed over the three-day weekend, oh, no! There is a schedule for employees to be on call seven days per week. If there were a watermain break, a tree limb blown down into a street, a three or more-inch snowfall (that sounds refreshing right now, doesn’t it?), or anything else, residents can call 801-567-7235 and a response will be made. With our elementary, middle school and high school students now in session, I ask that you watch for and protect those that
use crosswalks, sidewalks, bus stops and adults driving these to school. The young lives are often untrained as to the dangers posed by vehicles. Stranger-danger is also a watch word as the days get shorter and twilight stays longer in the morning and comes earlier in the evening. The orange barrels we have seen all summer on our streets are a sign that we are moving as quick as possible to upgrade or fix streets and infrastructures under the streets to meet the ever-increasing needs of our city. Continue to be safe and mindful of different traffic patterns these barriers produce. If you haven’t seen the progress and changes in different parts of our city, you should. Hillcrest High School (on 900 E) and Midvalley Elementary (on 7800 S) are in the middle of complete rebuilds. Both should be completely ready for the 202021 school year about eighteen to twenty-four months from now. (Kind of makes me wish I was the age of my grandchildren.) There is noticeable progress in the Jordan Bluffs development west of Main Street and south of Center Street. Interstate 15 Northbound and Southbound have undoubtedly caused you to notice the altered sides of the freeway going through Midvale. This work will also continue for at least another year with sound walls and new traffic patterns. Be careful! Take a deep breath! Soon these projects will be complete, though there will be something else coming along behind them. There always is! Afterall, we are in the “Middle of Everything!”
Community Council of Midvale City By Sophia Hawes-Tingey, Chair On August 3, the Community Council served up pancakes and eggs at the traditional Harvest Day breakfast. At the August meeting, the Community Council had a presentation on our Latino Community by Dolores Pahl of the Cinco de Mayo Committee. The Community Council will be hosting Active Shooter Training with the Unified Police Department on Wednesday, September 4, and ask that you RSVP via the Community Council’s Facebook page so we know how many people are attending. The training last year was quite informative and a bit exciting. The Community Council is also planning the annual candidate forum on October 2, looking forward to inviting the candidates running for city council in districts 1, 2, and 3. The Community Council is focused on community engagement and dialogue, and is open to the public, with the business portion of the meeting at 6:15 p.m. and community engagement with community watch and presentations starting at 7:00 p.m. We are looking for new members, especially if you live in Midvale City Council District 3. Follow us on Facebook (@MidvaleCommunityCouncil) and come check us out. We’d love to see you there.
In The Middle of Everything
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Where Do My Property Taxes Go? Bryce Haderlie, Assistant City Manager/Administrative Services Director How much of your property tax payment actually goes to Midvale City? About 8% actually. To put that in perspective, all of the property tax that is aniticpated to be collected by Midvale in the fall of 2019 (estimated $2,740,000) is only a fraction of what it costs for our police services ($8,626,752). The table below shows the 2018 property taxes paid on a home valued at $384,500 market value. You will see that Midvale only receives only $246.58 of the $2,887.06 property tax paid.
You will see that the taxes paid to the independent Unified Fire Services Area are nearly $400 for the year and the County Library costs $118.21. While Midvale citizens pay other taxes retail sales, and utility bills; many departments in the city are self-sufficient and paid for directly by the people that use the service such as the court, building inspection, development services, water, sewer, storm water and garbage.
How do the costs of these City services stack up? The following are the annual costs of common goods and services purchased by many households:
So where would that $246.58 be spent based on the percentage of the services paid for by property tax? Police/Animal Control/Code Enforcement (63%) General Administration (24%)
$155.34 $ 59.18
Streets & Parks (13%) Total
$ 32.06 $246.58
(City Council, City Management, HR, Finance, Legal, etc.)
Cell phone Dinner for two “out” once per month Internet service
$600 $270 $540
On average, a Midvale homeowner would spend more annually on internet service or dinner for two out once per month than on the combined cost of police, public works, sanitation, parks, animal control, code enforcement and general City administration.
Tips To Ensure Your Home Address Is Visible During An Emergency The primary responsibility of the Midvale Building Department is to monitor and implement all building codes to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community. Additionally, the department issues permit’s and inspects all new construction, alterations, additions to existing structures, and commercial building. One of the lesser known rules of the code is that a property needs to be identified during construction and have permanent addressing at the time of final inspection. Each city or county may have a different standard. However, the intentions are the same - to ensure your address is clearly visible from the street so that the police, paramedics or fire department can respond to your home in an emergency. The numbers do not have to be on the house itself. They can be on a mailbox, fence or post in front of the home. Your address should be at least four-inches tall, half an inch wide and mounted on a contrasting background visible from the street. Sufficient contrast between the address and the background is important because it makes them more visible. We recommend against using polished brass numbers on wood siding or silver numbers on white posts.
SEPTEMBER 2019 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG
Officer of the Month – July Officer Joshua Stilson Officer Joshua Stilson has demonstrated exceptional dedication to not only the Unified Police Department, but also the Midvale Precinct, and in particular his graveyard crew. Officer Stilson has exhibited leadership qualities and mentorship that are indicative of a great officer and a supervisor. Over the past couple of months, he has been tasked with assuming the load and responsibility of being the lead officer of the graveyard crew in the absence of a full-time sergeant. The graveyard shift has relied on him heavily to handle the day to day operations of patrol work. He has not been “forced” to do this, but rather has done this task without complaint or compensation. Officer Stilson is an outstanding veteran of police service, that can always be counted on to provide professional service. The Midvale Precinct very much appreciates his straight forward approach to problem solving and his ability to make patrol operations run smoothly, even when faced with short staffing situations. For his hard work and dedication, we recognize Officer Stilson as the July Officer of the Month.
Participating in the 2020 Census is a Civic Duty and Good for Your Community The very first responsibility of the federal government under the U.S. Constitution is a count of all persons living in the United States to allocate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states. But your participation in the census impacts a much broader range of decisions, from how legislative districts at all levels of government are drawn, to where roads and transit are built in the future, to how more than $800 billion in federal funding is distributed annually across the country. “THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO BE COUNTED IN THE 2020 CENSUS.” In mid-March 2020 most addresses in the United States will receive a postcard with instructions to participate online, but you will also have the option to respond via phone or mail. Through spring and summer 2020, Census Bureau employees will follow up in-person at addresses that have not yet been counted. “YOUR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII) IS PROTECTED BY LAW AND CANNOT BE SHARED OUTSIDE OF THE CENSUS BUREAU.” Census Bureau employees are sworn to uphold the confidentiality of your data for life. Your responses can only be used to produce statistical information, and your personal information cannot be seen or used by other government agencies or the courts. Title 13 of the U.S. Code imposes steep penalties for anyone who shares personally identifiable information (PII).
“ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IS NOT REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2020 CENSUS.” The complete online census questionnaire will be available in twelve languages other than English. Telephone responses will be accepted in the same additional 12 languages. Paper forms will be printed in English and Spanish. Language guides and glossaries will be available in 59 non-English languages, plus Braille. “IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET IN YOUR HOME, YOU CAN STILL BE COUNTED.” The online questionnaire can be completed on a smartphone and desktop internet kiosks may be available at local post offices, libraries and other community centers. Households identified as having limited internet access and households that do not respond to initial census mailings will also be given the opportunity to complete the census through the traditional paper questionnaire. A telephone response option will also be available for the first time.
In The Middle of Everything Back to School Safety Tips With summer coming to an end and the starting of school, Safe Kids USA reminds parents and drivers to do their part to keep kids safe as they walk to school. Parents should be proactive and take the time to talk about safety with their kids before they head back to school. Safe Kids USA recommends that parents walk the route to school with students before the start of the year to assess hazards and select a course with the least number of traffic crossings.
REMINDER FOR YOUR KIDS: • They should cross the street with an adult until they are at least 10 years old • Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks, walking injuries happen mid-block or someplace other than intersections. • Never run out into the streets or cross in between parked cars • It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. • Have your young kids practice looking left, right and left again before crossing the street, and keep looking and listening while crossing. • Make sure they always walk in front of the bus where the driver can see them • Discuss the dangers of driving/walking and texting with their children • Distraction among drivers is at an all-time high today, so try to make eye contact with the driver before you step into the road • If you need to use your phone, stop walking • Remove headphones when crossing the street
SIMPLE REMINDERS FOR DRIVERS: • Slow down and be especially alert in the residential neighborhoods and school zones • Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs • Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully • Watch for children on and near the road in the morning and after school hours • Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings • Put down your phone and don’t talk or text while driving.
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Midvale Kicks Off Harvest Days Festival with Two Goat Yoga Sessions Let’s be honest: no one was there to sweat. We were there for the tiny hooves and the bleats. Forget the planks and downward dogs and bring on the baby goats. Baby goat yoga is a form of animal therapy and emotional support. Coupled with the relaxation of
gentle yoga, an adorable, cuddly baby goat bouncing around the mat is cathartic. Socialization is also an important step in rearing tame and gentle adult goats, so it’s a win-win for people and goats alike. Almost 100 men, women and children enjoyed the inaugural Baby Goat Yoga sessions!
Pickle Power! The family-friendly sport that’s taking over Utah By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
Y
ou’ve probably seen them at a park near your house: miniature-sized versions of tennis courts filled with people smacking a yellow Wiffle ball back and forth. The courts (and the sport itself) seem to have sprung up overnight. If you haven’t played yet yourself, you surely know someone who does. Someone who has probably asked you with all the zeal of a missionary deployed by a crazed sport-religion hybrid: Do you play pickleball? Interest in pickleball has doubled in just the last three years, at least according to data from Google Trends. A sport that most people hadn’t even heard of five years ago is now a third as popular as tennis and half as popular as bowling. It’s already far surpassed sports like disc golf and badminton. While the sport is certainly exploding nationwide, nowhere is its popularity greater than here in Utah. More Utahns search for information about pickleball than residents of any other state, again according to Google Trends. Arizona is close behind, and most Pickleball players participate in a tournament held at Wardle Fields Regional Park in Bluffdale. (Justin Adams/City Journals) states’ interest in the sport is less than half of what it is in Utah. A tennis player and coach herself, she said ties together. It ended up going all over the country. So why is pickleball gaining populariDrew Wathey, a spokesperson for the she knows several former tennis players who “Those players came from all over Utah ty so fast? And why is Utah at the head of but also the United States,” Case said. “They USA Pickleball Association told the City switched to pickleball as their primary sport. its growth? But most importantly, why is it had a great experience then went home and Journals that demographics changes have Pickleball also makes more sense when mucalled pickleball? taught their friends how to play. In a lot of a lot to do with the sports’ growing popu- nicipalities are trying to decide what ameniOrigins ways, that first year in 2003 really created a larity. “Society is getting older. A lot of the ties to include in their public parks, she said. The game got its start in 1965 in Wash- big opportunity for it to spread.” baby boomers are hitting retirement age and “Some of those tennis courts that aren’t lookington state, when Joel Pritchard, a state conthey’re not able to be quite as active as they ing very good, it makes more sense to put An old folks’ game? gressman spliced together a few elements The fact that one of pickleball’s first used to be, and pickleball is a natural transi- in pickleball courts. They are more family from various sports during a hot summer friendly and don’t take up as much space.” big exposures to the world came through an tion,” he said. weekend at his home on Bainbridge Island. With pickleball quickly gaining ground event targeted towards seniors is no coinci- Replacing tennis? Pritchard’s backyard had a badminton on tennis, it may be only a matter of time beThe high demand for pickleball courts is dence. The mechanics and rules of pickleball court, but when he couldn’t find any badminfore a pickleball equivalent of Wimbledon is create a sport that is accessible to just about visible all over Salt Lake valley. In Cottonton equipment, he instead grabbed some ping broadcast on ESPN. everyone, including seniors. In return, the se- wood Heights, three recently installed picklepong paddles and a plastic ball. Along with nior community has been a driving force in ball courts proved to not be nearly enough to Going forward his friends and family, Pritchard developed a Is it possible that pickleball is a passmeet demand and so three additional courts its growing popularity. set of rules for this newly invented game over Because pickleball courts are a fraction were just added. In Bluffdale, Salt Lake ing fad? A sport that spikes in popularity the course of that weekend. of the size of tennis courts, players don’t County’s Wardle Fields Park, which opened for a few years but eventually dies out leavAs for how it got its name, legend has need to cover as much ground, particularly in 2017, included 16 pickleball courts, and in ing thousands of empty unused courts in its it that it’s named after the Pritchard family’s since doubles is the most popular form of the a possibly symbolic move, not a single tennis wake? Not likely, according to Wathey. dog. “The Pritchards had a dog named Pick“I don’t really see a downturn for the sport. This allows players, who maybe aren’t court. les, and you’re having fun at a party, right? “Sometimes sports run in cycles. Tennis sport anytime soon,” he said. “It’s incredible. as quick as they used to be, to still excel at So anyways, what the hell, let’s just call it has hit somewhat of a plateau,” Wathey said. More courts are being built, and we don’t see the sport. pickleball,” said Barney McCallum, one of At the Huntsman World Senior Games, a plateau in that. They’re popping up all over “What I find in my senior community the sports’ cofounders. is their mobility might not be there, but once registrations for pickleball have surpassed the country.” The sport grew slowly over several deAnother factor that will help the sport they get to the line, they have all the motion that of tennis, according to Case. “Four years cades. By 2003, there were only 39 known they need,” said Linda Weeks, a Parks and ago we opened up registration at midnight. continue its rise is its affordability, Wathey places to play the sport in North America, Rec employee in Farmington who has been Within two minutes, the pickleball registra- noted. according to the USA Pickleball Association Pickleball sets that include two to four helping organize pickleball tournaments in tion was full,” he said. Because of that event, website. the Games have changed their registration paddles and balls range from $20 to $60 on Utah for years. However, that same year the sport was In one recent tournament, Weeks said a process for pickleball to be more like a lot- Amazon, whereas a single high-quality tenadded to the Huntsman World Senior Games, nis racket can easily run north of $100. That grandmother and her grandson ended up tak- tery. a multi-sport competitive event that draws The possibility of pickleball supplanting low barrier of entry combined with an eving second place. “I don’t know what other seniors from all over the world to St. George, kinds of sports out there would lend them- tennis is ironic, considering the overlap of er-increasing supply of courts means more Utah. selves to that kind of generation gap,” she the two similar sports. One of the first arti- people are getting into the sport. “There were questions about whether “I never would have guessed that it cles about pickleball appeared in Tennis magsaid. a sport named pickleball would ever be the Weeks thinks the sports’ ability to cater azine and some of the best pickleball players would have been to this extent already,” next big thing,” said Kyle Case, the current Weeks said. “I talk to people every day who to both the young and old is a big part of why are former tennis pros. CEO of the event. “But we just decided to get Weeks agreed that pickleball seems to say, ‘What’s up with this pickleball thing, can it’s grown so fast in Utah, where there are big behind it and see where it goes.” families who like to be outside doing activi- be putting a dent in the tennis community. you explain it to me?’” l
MidvaleJournal.com
September 2019 | Page 19
The one who pays the bills: New Midvale treasurer
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By Erin Dixon | erin@mycityjournals.com
idvale’s bills are now in David Stenquist’s hands. Stenquist was appointed the new city treasurer in early August. “The treasurer position is required by state law to be the custodian of the funds of the city and to ensure that money is correctly received in and paid out by the city,” Stenquist said. “A majority of my time will be working with the utility billing and other departments to ensure that revenue is received and the meter reading systems are working correctly,” he said. Bryce Haderlie, the assistant city manager, is eager to have Stenquist on board. “David’s experienced in financial data analysis, computer and software integration and has an ability to work well with others. We consider ‘good fit’ to be as critical as the skills and education necessary...and we feel that David meets those expectations.” For members of the public interested in how Midvale spends tax dollars, they should know that the state requires that every dollar be docu-
mented and that information be easily accessible. Stenquist insists that he will do his best to make every transaction transparent. “Some people feel that government spending is very wasteful, but cities are required by law to get competitive quotes and bids as well as keep detailed records of expenditures,” Stenquist said. “We are always looking to improve efficiency, transparency and customer service. By doing these three things, my hope would be that... the line of communication and the flow of ideas can take place, impacting all that live and work in the city for the better,” he said. Stenquist’s career is rounded out by altruism and a desire to serve others. “While in school, learning about all the moving parts of local government, how important it is to maintain relations and keep a balanced budget. While these are all important and fascinating, being a public servant and serving a community of people is David Stenquist was sworn in early August as the new Midvale City treasurer. (Erin Dixon/City Journals) what I loved the most.” l
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Midvale City Journal
New Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience bigger and better than before By Christy Jepson | Christy@mycityjournals.com
The lookout area where visitors can see the panoramic view of the Bingham Canyon mine. (Photo Rio Tinto Kennecott)
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hat is 2.75 miles across and three-quarters of a mile deep and is practically in your backyard? The answer: Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, one of the largest mines in the world. Taking your family to the new Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience is a great fall family outing which will provide an engaging and educational activity for everyone. “If you’re 4 years old or 84, there is something for everybody at the new Visitor Experience…it is fascinating, engaging and just a fun experience,” said Kyle Bennett, spokesman for Rio Tinto Kennecott. According to Bennett, the new Visitor Experience gives people a sense of scale more than ever before. For instance, visitors can now walk inside the bed of a 2,400-squarefoot haul truck and a full-size shovel scoop. Visitors can also learn about the mine’s history, safe mining practices, how ore gets refined to become copper, why mining is important even today and see a panoramic view of the mine. The new Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience has only been open for six months. The old visitors center was removed in the spring of 2013 because monitoring equipment had been detecting movement in the mine for a few months prior. “We closed the old visitors center just before the landslide in April 2013, which was the largest non-volcanic landslide in North American history,” Bennett said. Fortunately, because of advanced monitoring and planning, no employees were injured that April day when 165 million tons of rock slid down the northeast section of the open pit mine. The slide did damage roads, buildings and vehicles inside the open pit.
MidvaleJournal.com
The mine is so big that you can see it from space. Here’s some more facts to impress out-of-state friends and family: • Rio Tinto Kennecott is the second largest copper producer in the United States with more than 2,000 employees. • The mine produces up to 300,000 tons of copper each year. • The Utah Copper Company was incorporated on June 4, 1903. Some experts of that day criticized it and said the company would never make money because the ore grade was too low. • Since those beginnings, 20 million tons of refined copper ore has been produced. • It is one of the largest man-made openpit excavations in the world. • Rio Tinto Kennecott comprises nearly 8% of U.S. annual copper production. • Without mining, we wouldn’t have cars, cell phones, plumbing or electricity. • If you stacked two Willis Towers (formerly the Sears Tower) on top of each other, they still would not reach the top of the mine. • You could lay the soccer field at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, end-toend more than 38 times across the top of the Bingham Canyon Mine before it would reach both sides. • Besides copper, Rio Tinto Kennecott produces copper, gold, silver molybdenum and sulphuric acid, • It’s the first open-pit mine in the world. The new Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience is located at 12732 Bacchus Highway in Herriman. The mine is open seven days a week from April 1 to Oct. 31.
Visitors explore the different exhibits at the new Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience. (Photo Rio Tinto Kennecott)
Reservations are required and can be purchased at riotintokennecott.com/visit or at the Bingham Canyon Lions Gift shop on site. Tickets are $5 each and children under 5 are free. All proceeds will be donated to the Kennecott Charitable Foundation.
The Visitor Experience starts at the Lark visitor parking lot. Once visitors check in, they are shuttled up to the Bingham Canyon Mine overlook to see the mine and exhibits. It is a mostly outdoor self-guided tour. l
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September 2019 | Page 21
Twin brothers from Midvale turn 90 By Sarah Morton Taggart | s.taggart@mycityjournals.com
Women: Your Voice Matters!
We need more women in political office. We need you! Twin brothers, Roy and Ray Dunn, were born in Midvale and turned 90 on Aug. 11. (Photo courtesy Peggy Patterson) Join the Women’s Leadership Institute in its non-partisan, in-depth training oy and Ray Dunn both turned 90 years born and raised during these trying times in sweethearts before being drafted to serve in for aspiring female political candidates. old on Aug. 11. The twins were born in history, they had a wonderful childhood,” the Korean War. Roy, who has been widowed 1929 to Sylvan and Vera Dunn, the sixth and said Roy’s daughter, Peggy Patterson. twice, now lives in Draper while Ray and his The fifth annual cohort starts in seventh children out of eight raised during Roy and Ray attended Midvale Elewife, Anita, reside in Payson. September and spots are filling up fast.
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The Great Depression. Roy and Ray grew mentary School and Midvale Junior High up in a house their father built on 2nd Avenue and graduated from Jordan High School in and Locust Street in Midvale. “Despite being 1947. Both men married their high school
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A look at municipal campaign donations in Salt Lake County By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com all the city’s campaigns came from the candidates themselves. When it comes to donations from businesses and business interests, one source stands out from the rest. The Salt Lake Board of Realtors (and its political action committee, The Realtors) doled out over $58,000 in donations to candidates’ campaigns during the primary season. In some cities, donations from the Board of Realtors accounted for a quarter, or even half, of all donations. At the candidate level, the Board of Realtors donated an average of $2,252 to candidates, though there were a few candidates who received more than $5,000. For 10 candidates, donations from the Board of Realtors made up at least half of their total campaign finances. Average Campaign Donations per Candidate (City Journals)
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ith Salt Lake County’s 2019 municipal primary elections in the rearview mirror and the general election now months away, it’s a good time to look at the state of campaign finances at the local level. The City Journals examined the campaign finance disclosures of every municipal candidate in the valley (excluding Salt Lake City proper) to see which cities’ elections are drawing the most money, where the money is coming from and to what degree campaign spending impacts election results. Here’s what we found.
Where is the money going?
It turns out there is a wide disparity in how much money is being spent in different cities across the valley. In Sandy City, 26 times more campaign money per candidate was raised than in the neighboring city of Midvale. A competitive race in the city of Draper where 11 candidates are fighting for three open at-large city council seats has drawn $88,894 worth of campaign funds, the most of any city in the county. Of that total, $23,471 came from just one candidate. Most cities (10 out of 13) raised between $1,000 and $5,000 per candidate.
Does the money even matter?
In today’s world where candidates can easily reach people Source of Campaign Donations (City Journals) through social media, some might wonder if having money for traditional campaign advertising is still important. Can you win without courting donors, or does money buy elections? In the primaries, 76% of candidates who raised at least $1,000 advanced to the general election. However, there may be diminishing returns when it comes to bigger campaign coffers; for candidates who raised at least $5,000, the percentage of those who advanced to the general election remained at 76%. However, candidates who received money from the Board of Realtors got an extra boost—84% of them advanced to the general election, compared to 50% of candidates who didn’t. Money is not the be-all and end-all however, as there were 11 candidates throughout the valley who were able to advance to the general election despite having the lowest-funded camPercentage of Cities’ Campaign donations Coming from Salt Lake paign in their respective races. l Board of Realtors. (City Journals)
Where is the money coming from?
The three most common types of campaign contributors are individual donors, donations from businesses (which sometimes happens through a political action committee) and self-funding from the candidate themselves. The balance between these three types of sources varies from city to city. We took a look at the three cities with the most total donations, Sandy, West Jordan and Draper, to see where the money is coming from in their respective races. Draper was the most balanced, with each category being within a few thousand dollars of each other. Sandy City was the only city which had more donations coming from businesses. West Jordan was noteworthy for how much its races are being self-funded by its candidates. Fifty-seven percent of the funding for
MidvaleJournal.com
September 2019 | Page 23
Throw out litter box tradition to protect Utah’s water By Amy Green | a.green@mycityjournals.com
Young climbers Lucas Burnham, Lily Matsen and Lexee Call help keep our Utah waters clean. (Amy Green/ City Journals)
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ccording to Utah’s Department of Natural Resources and visitation data, over seven million people spent time in our magnificent parks between July 2018 through July 2019. Have you ever wondered where all those people are pooping? Consider, most of our water comes from the Wasatch mountains, where its state park had over 500,000 visits in the last 12 months. In generations gone by, many were taught to dig a “cathole” outdoors to “go No. 2.” A cathole is a small pit made to hide and bury human feces. There’s all kinds of rules on digging a proper cathole — where, how deep, etc. Feel free to forget those rules. Please forget them. Everyone needs you to forget them. Kevin Gmitro is an experienced outdoorsman and co-owner of The Gear Room (a mountain adventure supply store at 3422 E. Fort Union Blvd. in Cottonwood Heights). “We used to be told that catholes are copasetic,” he said. “To dig six inches down was fine. But because of how many people are visiting the canyon and alpine areas, that’s not really the case anymore. That poop makes it into our water sources, regardless of how deep you dig. So that’s not the way you want to do it anymore.” Gmitro makes solid points. “We pick up after our dogs, so we need to pick up after ourselves. There’s water in all these environments. Water helps break it down, but also
Page 24 | September 2019
helps carry it down. We’re all drinking out of that water. The higher alpine areas like the Uintas are a more delicate ecosystem, even more so than the Wasatch, so poop is even more frowned upon up there. We all go to the same zones to enjoy Utah. Mirror Lake Highway is awesome because it splits the Uintas. It only accesses a short chunk of the range though, so we all congregate in the same few dozen square miles. If you are going to some of the more popular areas, it’s imperative to get your poop out of there,” he emphasized. Madison Goodman, gearhead at The Gear Room added, “Here’s what we all forget…we think we live in this grand mountain range, which we do. But all our water comes from this grand mountain range. And there’s a million-plus people living in this valley. So if every single one of them were to take a poop, that would be a million poops coming down into our water stream. And that would be so gross.” Hard to argue with that. According to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Utah’s drinking water comes from either surface water (lakes, reservoirs, rivers) or groundwater (wells or springs) — altogether 1,850 sources. Unfortunately, some of the poop coming from seven million visitors each year makes its way into our drinking water. The situation requires costly chemicals and treatment processes to make our water safe to drink.
A poop tube and a wag bag. (Amy Green/City Journals)
If one doesn’t have public restroom access while at Utah’s many wonders, it is essential to pack human waste out. Yeah, it sounds gross. But it’s not as bad as it seems. With a little foresight, there should be no overly smelly accidents. There are currently two recommended methods to pack it out — the “cheap and reusable” way, or the “inexpensive and disposable” way. People experienced with hiking and climbing might recognize the reusable option — the “poop tube.” A poop tube you can make yourself using a few pieces of black ABS pipe, following these directions.
Items needed:
1. A forearm’s length of pipe (about 3 to 4 inch diameter) 2. Cleanout plug/screw cap 3. DWV threaded hub 4. DWV cap 5. Black ABS cement The idea is to glue all of it together except the screw cap, so you can open it. Then when nature calls, you poop into a grocery/ plastic bag and tie it up securely (you know, the grocery bags we shouldn’t be using). Repurposing plastic sacks for this valiant reason is more commendable than just tossing them loose and useless. Then, double-bag the waste and used toilet paper. Seal it in the tube and pack it out with you. When home, empty the bag’s
contents (not the bag) into your toilet or garbage can. Wash out the poop tube and use it on your next trip. The ABS plastic is durable and the screw cap seals in the unpleasantness. Emptying and cleaning the tube isn’t too bad if the bag inside is knotted up tight. Worst case scenario, the tube can smell like a bathroom (a quick enzyme cleaning soap rinse can help that). The disposable way is just as easy. It’s lightweight and inexpensive — the “Go Anywhere Toilet Kit” a.k.a. “wag bag.” A wag bag can be purchased at sporting goods stores like The Gear Room and also IME (3265 E. 3300 South). They’re generally around $2 or $3. There’s different types of wag bags. The fancier style has some kitty litter inside to absorb moisture. They come with toilet paper and a towelette for hand sanitizing. They have an aluminum coating so the bag won’t puncture or tear. The idea is the same. Do your business in the bag, seal it up and carry it home, once again disposing of it properly. If you’re paranoid about carrying waste, you could get a poop tube and also put the wag bags inside. Some may consider that a little overkill, but taking whatever steps to modernize habits is crucial. If we can pick up after our dogs, humans can step up to the same expectations. Water is a precious resource in Utah. Safe clean water, is nonnegotiable.
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September 2019 | Page 25
How can I save money with my student ID
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by
CASSIE GOFF
t doesn’t matter where you are on your academic trajectory—middle school, high school or working toward a college degree— you have a student ID. What institutions tend to downplay on orientation or picture day, is how valuable that student ID is. You’re essentially getting handed a weird type of currency. I’m here to urge you not to shove that card in the back of your wallet, but to use that student ID whenever and wherever you can. Students IDs can save you all kinds of money, if you’re actively looking for those discounts. Perhaps the most important function of a college student’s ID is the access to public transportation. If you have a college ID from one of the participating state institutions, all you have to do is tap your ID to the reader when entering the bus or train, and you can ride for free. All day, every day. Don’t waste money on gas if you have a student ID. Students can save money on food. Local restaurants such as Red Robin, The Pie Pizzeria, Village Inn, Costa Vida, The Dodo, Great Harvest Bread Company, Tuscanos, Aubergine & Company, Freebirds World Burrito, IKEA and Even Stevens have student discounts or specials. Some vary by day so make sure to check for the available discount. If you don’t want to go out for food, some local grocery stores offer student discounts on an occasional basis. Check out
Dan’s and Whole Foods for local student discounts. When shopping for that backto-school look, make sure to pull out that student ID. Many physical and online clothing stores offer student discounts such as J. Crew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Forever 21, Redbubble and Nasty Gal. College students are eligible for discounts on activities all over the valley as well. Some places change their discounts every year, so make sure to check out the website or make a phone call before heading out. Popular places to check out for discounts include: Cinema Six, Brewvies, Ballet West, Red Butte Gardens, Pioneer Theatre Company, Tracy Aviary, Hogle Zoo and the Utah Olympic Park. Probably most important for today’s youth are the tech discounts. Best Buy, Walmart and the Apple Store offer seasonal student discounts on laptops, flash drives, backpacks and other essentials. With a student ID, you can get 65% off printing at Of-
fice Max. Spotify offers a discounted rate of $5 a month for their premium membership for students, which includes a limited Hulu and Showtime package for free. And, the highlight of all student discounts, Amazon offers six months of free Prime. So, to all students out there, please use your student ID. Make it a permanent part of your wallet. Take it everywhere you go. Personally, I try to make it a habit to ask every cashier if they offer student discounts. As with so many things in life, the worst they can say is “no.” Then, all you have to say is, “That’s okay, just thought I’d check” and move on with the conversation. Trust me, the few rejections you might receive are totally worth the discount that’ll save you some money when the answer is yes.
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Take Your Best Shot
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’m stating right up front I hate vaccinations. I’m not an anti-vaxxer, I’m just more afraid of getting a tetanus shot than dying a horribly painful death. My dad scarred me for life when he told me to avoid petting strange dogs. I didn’t know what made them strange, but he went on to explain how dogs have rabies and if you get bit, you get a great big shot in your stomach - or you die. #OldYeller That was enough to scare me away from dogs for at least 40 years. The neighbors got tired of me screaming every time their dog barked. And it made me terrified of shots. My mom did her part when it came to scaring the DiSeases out of me in regards to vaccinations. She showed up at school one day to give me a ride home, which should have been my first clue. Mom never drove us to or from school, even in the snow, even in the rain, even when we were late, even when stupid boys threw earthworms at us. But there she was, in the pick-up line with a big smile on her face (second clue). “Why are you here?” I asked, suspiciously. “We’re going to get a treat,” she said, all innocent and everything. “Super!” As soon as I was in the car, we drove to my doctor’s office where he proceeded to give me an MMR booster. There are no words.
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When my daughters needed shots, I dreaded it more than they did. Usually. There was that one time when teenage daughters #3 and #4 literally ran around the doctor’s office to avoid their immunizations. They only settled down when the cute male nurse came and stood in the doorway. Even when it pained me, my daughters got all their shots. Every. Single. One. Plus, I threw in a few more just to be safe. Back in the day, when people died from pretty much everything, the arrival of vaccines was celebrated. Some diseases were so deadly they were used as weapons. #NotCool When the polio vaccine was introduced, the public went wild. They were tired of watching their children die. Finally, scientists created ways to protect us from smallpox, rabies, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria and BTS. Each year, vaccines prevent up to 3 million deaths worldwide. You know there’s a but. But for the first time ever, this year the World Health Organization (WHO?) added “vaccine hesitancy” to the list of top 10 health issues. Not because there’s a shortage or because vaccines are unavailable. Nope. Parents just don’t want to get their kids immunized. They worry vaccines aren’t safe, despite generations of success, millions of lives saved and numerous studies from important medical people like Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Image from Adobe Stock
I understand this is a divisive topic. I’m just not sure why. Yes, there can be risks, but they are small compared to the overall health of the universe. That’s like saying, “My neighbor was in a car crash and the seat belt broke her ribs. I’m never wearing a seat belt again.” Some say immunizations go against their religious belief. Is it possible God inspired scientists to create vaccines as an answer to millions of prayers? He inspired someone to create fudge-dipped Oreos. That was a definite answer to a prayer. #AngelsAmongUs Thanks to social media and digital platforms, anti-vaxxers continue to wage war against science and common sense. In the meantime, disease is on the rise. As school starts, get your kids immunized, which is super hypocritical considering I’ll mostly likely die from rabies or tetanus.
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September 2019 | Page 27
Retirement Planning Seminar Given the current political & economic environment, many seniors are worried about their future. FREE Social Security Optimization Guide & Consultation with registration ($350 Value)
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