Murray Journal | July 2021 by The City Journals

July 2021 | Vol. 31 Iss. 07

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CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN MURRAY SPUR PUBLIC OUTCRY By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

wo projects that have received considerable scrutiny recently are moving forward despite opposition efforts against them. The rezoning of 935 Bullion Street and the ongoing fight to maintain historic homes in Murray’s downtown have given the Murray City Council an earful from the community. At the May 18 Redevelopment Agency (Mayor, Community and Economic Development Department, and City Council) meeting, residents addressed the RDA Board about preserving two historic homes: the Murray City Center District’s Townsend home and the Tea Rose Diner, located on the now-closed Poplar Street. According to preliminary plans released by Murray, the two structures would be slated for demolition to make way for a sizeable mixed-density project of housing and retail. Presently, the Arthur Townsend home contains the offices of NeighborWorks, a private nonprofit that seeks to revitalize neighborhoods and create affordable housing. “The property is planned for redevelopment, and timing on the project is unknown at this time. The NeighborWorks office will need to relocate before the redevelopment project can begin,” Murray Community and Economic Development Director Melinda Greenwood said. “The Tea Rose property is planned for redevelopment, and timing on the project is unknown at this time.” Arthur Townsend, the proprietor of the Murray Mercantile, built a brick Victorian cottage (4843 Poplar Street) in 1905. Townsend later become mayor of Murray in 1930. The

The historic Townsend home, currently housing NeighborWorks, is slated for eventual demolition. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

home was cited as a significant part of the Murray Downtown Residential Historic District. Not currently included but eyed as potentially being included in the development project are the three-story Harker Building (4842 S. State Street) and the two-story Murray Mercantile Building (4836 S. State Street). After starting

the Murray Mercantile, Townsend married Lovenia Harker, whose family built the building of the same name. Terrie Townsend Butler, a descendent of Arthur Townsend, said, “I tell you this because of the dedication and hard work of my Townsend ancestors in the establishment Continued page 2

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Continued from front page of Murray. I understand the need for the removal of the Harker and Murray Mercantile building in the grand scheme of Murray. But Murray’s history should also not be erased as I see it slowly happening. “I think at least the Townsend home should be moved and be made useful, like the Murray Mansion and old church you are keeping. Maybe a replica of the Harker Building and Murray Mercantile could be built to recognize its importance in our history. The history of both of these buildings in Murray is as important as the Murray Mansion and old church building.” According to Greenwood, “No, the city has not purchased these properties (Harker and Murray Mercantile Buildings). Nor has the RDA.” Murray does own the Margaret Carruth Cahoon home (65 E. Fifth Avenue) built in 1902. The home and adjoining storefront have seen various businesses housed in it. Money’s Ice Cream and Dora Jeane’s Deli called it home, and now most recently, the Tea Rose Diner. The buildings are slated to be demolished, but not until the entire downtown project has been approved for construction. Public open houses have been discussed to view and provide input for the MCCD this summer. A bitter fight to keep a former smelter site from being zoned to allow medium-den-

sity housing ended at the June 15 city council meeting. The city council voted 4-0 (Rosalba Dominguez was absent) in favor of allowing the property located at 935 Bullion Street to be zoned from agriculture to allow for single-family homes and townhomes. Residents around that area organized opposition to the zoning change, fearing that the initial rezoning request would result in a large apartment complex that single-family homes would surround. The main contention in the zoning fight centered on an owner’s property rights and changing the city’s General Plan, which suggested only single-family homes in that area. After initially requesting higher-density zoning, the developer, Hamlet Development, made the unusual decision to recall his proposal after a large public uproar. Hamlet Development then resubmitted a different request that would allow for medium-density development but would restrict against large apartment complexes. The request still met opposition and narrowly made it through the Planning Commission. After vetting concerns over traffic, school impacts, and environmental concerns, the city council felt the developer adequately addressed those issues, and it received near-unanimous approval. Hamlet Development will again deal with residents, planning commission, and city council when they submit actual building plans for that property.l

The Tea Rose Diner with historic home is slated for eventual demolition. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

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Cottonwood baseball season ends abruptly in the state tournament third round By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

surprise to many after a scintillating finish to the season seeing that the Cottonwood baseball team did enough to earn the No. 4 seed, but the dreams of getting back to their third state title game in four years was not to be. The Colts got the 4-seed and a bye through the first and second rounds of the 5A state tournament, but ran into a hot Orem Tigers team in the third round, a team that ironically made it all the way to the state semifinals. Going into the state tournament, Cottonwood (12-2, 17-8) got where it was by winning 10 straight, if you don’t include the non-league loss to Stansbury—a school the Colts will face several times in a tough new region in 2022. The Colts were clearly one of the favorites to win this 5A title. But Orem wasn’t having that. The visiting Tigers limited Cottonwood to three hits and won the first game in the best-ofthree series 4-1, setting up, surprisingly, an elimination game the next day at home for the Colts. On May 21 things were even worse

for the Colts, who were not only threehit—they were shut out 4-0, their worst loss in a few months. But Cottonwood athletic director Gregg Southwick said some lumps were expected to be taken this year. And so for the Colts to have won as many games as they did under new head coach Chris Shelton was a nice surprise. “This was a team that struggled early, and in just being a bit younger team it took some time for them to figure it out,” he said. “But we seemed to ramp up as the season went on.” There were other outside factors that probably contributed to the Colts’ early exit, but for the athletic director even the upset to Orem didn’t resonate with him as being a total loss. “They did better than what we actually expected,” Southwick said. “We lost some good kids to other schools, and everybody was kind of in the same boat this year. But I felt that with having a new head coach, we exceeded all of our expectations.” l

The Colts season ended in the third round. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

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Murray City asks residents to conserve water By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

n the day that Murray City’s weather broke the all-time high-temperature record, Mayor Blair Camp and the Murray City Council passed a joint resolution calling on all Murrayites to conserve water. Cities throughout Utah are struggling in the grip of an extreme drought with no relief in sight. At the June 15 city council meeting, without any objection, the resolution passed, encouraging residents to “consider following prudent water conservation practices such as: watering lawns at least one less time per week; not watering between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and not when it is windy outside; prioritizing watering to water the most valuable plants in their landscape; mowing lawns to a higher length.” Murray City Water officials declare the city has sufficient water resources to meet consumer demands at this time. “Murray has 19 wells and eight springs. Most well depths (water table) are in the normal yearly average range and not causing any serious concern at this time. Depths can change week to week and are monitored regularly,” Murray City Water Superintendent Cory Wells said. According to Murray City Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Heaps, “The city code states that wasting water is prohibited and outlines several examples. Particularly, it states that ‘pressurized irrigation of landscapes between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. is prohibited.’ A violation of this provision is an infraction. The city is actively making contact with customers through social media, the website, the upcoming e-newsletter, and utility bill notifications to educate everyone about water wasting.” If you are caught watering between the restricted hours, the violation is a Class B misdemeanor. In Utah, class B misdemeanors are punishable by up to six months in jail and a

fine of up to $1,000. “The city is closely monitoring our water resources. If those resources start to reach an unsustainable level, the city would then determine what restrictions would be implemented,” Heaps said. The Utah Division of Water Resources estimates that 60% of residential water is used on outdoor landscapes. In June, the state asked Utahns to reduce watering to two times per week in northern Utah. UDWR states that eliminating just one watering can save about 3,000 gallons for the average quarter-acre Utah yard. “The governor has now mandated that all state facilities only water two days a week. We ask that everyone be aware of their water use and find ways to reduce water use and waste,” Wells said. One way to conserve water is to flip your parking strip into a water-wise area of your yard. In fact, Murray City will pay you $1.50 per square foot for switching over your parking strip. “The purpose of this program is to promote water conservation; it gives a cash rebate to the property owner to change to water-wise landscaping,” Wells said. To qualify, park strips must be currently landscaped with a living, well-maintained lawn. If the lawn has been killed or removed before a pre-conversion site visit, you are not eligible for this program. Applicants must be current on all Murray utility bills. Ideas on how to flip parking strips can be gathered at the Conservation Garden Park (8275 S. 1300 West). The park offers not only demonstration gardens but classes on how to best flip your strip. In addition to changing out your parking strip, Wells recommends Murrayites check out the Utah Division of Natural Resources Utah Water Savers website to see what rebates they

Little Cottonwood Creek in Murray Park is flowing well below its average at this time of year. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

qualify for by upgrading. “This website offers rebate programs for sprinkler controllers and toilets for all residents of Utah if criteria are met. Murray City also offers our own rebates on water sense showerheads and toilets, see Murray City website

under the water department rebate program,” Wells said. Utah Water Savers can be found at www. utahwatersavers.com, and Murray City’s conservation rebate program can be found at www.murray.utah.gov. l

Murray Rotary Club Monthly Service Update Murrayites might wonder what happened this summer to the Murray Rotarians’ annual Murray Rotary Fun Days Pancake Breakfast.

See you next year! Murray Park Pavilion being constructed.

Due to the Murray Park pavilion construction not being completed in time, the breakfast was canceled. But,Rotarians are happy for the new and improved pavilion and look forward to hosting the breakfast next year featuring pancakes, eggs, bacon and other morning fixings.

Go to MurrayRotaryUtah.com Join us at one of our bi-monthly meetings to help with local and international service.

Swimmers at Murray Park’s outdoor pool enjoy the water during Murray’s recent heatwave. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)

MurrayJournal .com

“Fun with a purpose” is our motto. July 2021 | Page 5

A crash course on Salt Lake Valley’s water supply

ater is one of those things that people take for granted. We don’t really talk about it much until it becomes an issue. So now that Utah and the rest of the southwest are experiencing historic levels of drought, some Salt Lake valley residents might be realizing how little they know about the topic. So here’s a crash course lesson on the valley’s water supply. Who manages the valley’s water supply? The answer to this question depends on where you live. If you live on the west side of the valley, then most of your water comes from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. They collect water from Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs, as well as a collection of reservoirs in the Uinta Mountains. Twenty percent of its water also comes from groundwater, pumped from wells scattered around the valley. The District then sells this water wholesale to cities including Draper, Herriman, Bluffdale, Riverton, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, Taylorsville, Midvale and West Jordan. It also counts among its customers a few intermediary districts such as the Granger Hunter Improvement District, the Kearns Improvement District and the Magna Water Improvement District. While these smaller districts purchase as much as 90% of their water from Jordan Valley, they also supplement that with their own water supply from wells in the area. The other big player when it comes to providing water to the Salt Lake Valley is the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy. As its name suggests, this district provides water to Salt Lake City and Sandy City, the first and sixth most populous cities in the state. But wait, there’s more! Salt Lake City’s Public Utilities department is responsible for more than just its own residents. They also provide drinking water for Cottonwood Heights, Millcreek, Holladay and parts of South Salt Lake and Murray. More than 60% of all that water comes from the streams of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon. That water is filtered by facilities owned by either the Metropolitan Water District or SLC. For example, the treatment facility at the mouth of Big Cottonwood is owned by SLC, while the treatment facility for Little Cottonwood is owned by Metropolitan Water District. Additionally, some cities own and operate their own water infrastructure to supplement what they purchase from their respective districts. Sandy City, for example, collects and treats water from the Bell Canyon Reservoir. Many cities also rely on various canals throughout the valley as a source of secondary water. How much does our water cost? It can be quite expensive to collect, treat, transport and deliver water to the over 1 million people who live, work or play in the Salt

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By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

(Justin Adams/City Journals) Lake Valley. The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District operates on an operations budget of about $79 million per year, while the Metropolitan Water District has a budget of about $48 million. Where does that money come from? The largest revenue source ($48 million) for the Jordan Valley is from its wholesale contracts with its various member agencies. An additional $7 million comes from retail customers, usually homeowners in unincorporated areas that purchase water from the district directly. The second-largest source of revenue for the district is property taxes, which comes in at about $20 million per year. As a special district with taxing authority, water districts are able to levy a property tax on residents within the district boundaries. The property tax rate for the JVWCD is .0004%. The MWDSLS is below .0003%. While residents around the valley have likely seen their rates increase over the years due to inflation, they’re still paying much lower rates than many people around the country, according to Linda Townes, public information manager for Jordan Valley. That’s because Utah’s mountainous landscape allows gravity to move our water for us, rather than paying for pump stations which use a huge amount of costly electricity. Who is running these districts? Between such large budgets and the task of managing a resource as crucial as water, it bodes asking who’s in charge of these districts. Special districts are typically run by a

The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District maintains a Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan, as an example to residents of how yards can be re-landscaped to be more water efficient without sacrificing aesthetics. (Wikimedia)

board of trustees. The Jordan Valley operates under a board of nine members. While the Metro District has a seven-member board. Members of the board aren’t elected. Instead they are appointed by various legislative bodies from within the district’s boundaries. Appointees can be elected officials themselves (such as South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey or Herriman City Councilmember Sherrie Ohrn who serve on the JVWCD board) or they can

be city employees or even private residents— whatever the nominating body thinks will best represent their interests. As a governmental body, districts are required to hold regular public meetings. They also publish their budgets and other reports each year to keep residents informed. Are we in danger of running out of water? Between the state’s historic drought and rapid population growth, some residents may

Murray City Journal

wonder if we’re running out of water in the Salt Lake valley. In short, the answer is no, residents of the Salt Lake valley don’t need to worry about rationing water anytime soon. When it comes to growth, Townes said that water consumption hasn’t increased at the same rate as the population, suggesting that the District’s water conservancy efforts and efficiency standards have been effective. “The good thing we’ve seen with growth is that we really expected our water use to skyrocket with the population growth and it hasn’t,” she said. “It’s stayed pretty steady, which means conservation is working. It’s happening. We are seeing a change.” There are also still untapped sources of water which could come into play down the road. According to Townes, the JVWCD expected to begin developing the Bear River in 2015. However, a combination of other new sources and increased water efficiency made that unnecessary. Now, they may not have to dam the Bear River until 2060. “It’s a pretty cool river and one of the last ones that’s not damned. We don’t want to develop it. It’d be great if we didn’t have to, but it’s our job to make sure there’s enough water for people,” Townes said. The MWDSLS is also in good shape when it comes to water supply. Speaking to the Sandy City Council last month, general manager Mike DeVries said there’s no need to worry.

“Despite poor precipitation and snow pack conditions, because of storage and Metro’s various water supplies, we’re in a healthy state when it comes to supply for our member cities. We’re not anticipating any sort of shortages for our metro at this point,” he said. It’s also important to know that most of the state’s water systems are self-contained. For example, the systems that supply water throughout Salt Lake County aren’t connected to systems for other nearby counties. So if there are water shortages in other parts of the state, it wouldn’t be possible for them to dip into the supplies of the Jordan Valley or Metropolitan Districts, even if they were willing to share. How can we conserve more water? Whether from continued growth or continued droughts, water conservation will be increasingly important for residents of the Salt Lake valley. From the water districts themselves, to municipal governments to residents’ households, there’s a lot that can be done. At the district level, the JVWCD has set a good example by relandscaping all of their facilities to be water efficient by replacing turf with vegetation that’s more at home in Utah’s desert climate. The District also provides a number of programs, rebates and incentives for residents to improve their water efficiency. Those can be found at www.utahwatersavers.com. City governments are also getting in on the conservation effort by requiring new de-

Nearby reservoirs like Jordanelle and Deer Creek play a critical role in the Salt Lake Valley’s water supply chain. (Wikimedia)

velopments to meet certain water efficiency standards. Many cities have also taken proactive measures during our current drought. Cottonwood Heights, for example, announced that its popular splash pad at Mountain View Park would remain closed throughout the summer. Herriman City paused a requirement for developers to install landscaping on new projects, allowing them to delay the addition of extra vegetation until after the summer months. Residents, meanwhile, have many options

for conserving water. They can do small things like take shorter showers or turn off the faucet while they brush their teeth. They can take advantage of the previously mentioned programs and get a more water-efficient toilet or relandscape their yards. But the most effective and easy thing they can do, according to Townes, is simply water their lawns less. If everyone adjusted to watering their lawns just one less day per week, it would have a huge impact on the region’s water supply outlook. l

Psych 101: Narcissistic abuse centers on control and manipulation By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournal.com

“

Narcissism next!” requested a reader after reviewing the previous article covering gaslighting. OK—let’s do it! (This is where I feel obliged to share a warning. The following article discusses topics of abuse and may be triggering to some.) In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), narcissism is categorized as a Personality Disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder has been primarily recognized through behavioral patterns steeped in a need for admiration and a lack of empathy. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder tend to have a grandiose sense of self-importance, believing they are special and unique. In turn, they frequently have a lack of empathy and tend to be envious of others or believe others are envious of them. They may also be preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty and ideal love. Conversations around recognizing narcissistic traits and managing relationships with narcissistic individuals have gained more popular attention in the last few years. Now, there are two types of narcissism widely recognized. Overt or grandiose narcissism is primarily described above. Individuals may be arrogant and preoccupied with suc-

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cess, wealth, attractiveness and power. However, there’s a less explicit type of narcissism. Covert or vulnerable narcissism may be identified through self-absorbed and/or passive-aggressive behaviors. Individuals with covert narcissistic traits may be highly sensitive and have a history of impersonal and difficult relationships. Narcissistic abuse has been recognized as a type of interpersonal abuse (and/or domestic abuse) and is beginning to be formally recognized in various governmental and legal documents and policies. On the surface, it may be difficult to differentiate narcissistic abuse from typified interpersonal abuse. This tends to make narcissistic abuse more complicated and harder to prove. Some of the key reported differences include increase frequency and explicit intentionality. “The idea is that they totally know what they are doing,” reported an anonymous survivor. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder tend to exhibit numerous abusive behaviors. They may make attempts at isolation in order to maintain control and attention in the relationship, driving away friends and family relations of the other person. They tend to control finances, monitoring money closely, and only allowing limited access to

certain funds. In abusive relationships, including those involving individuals with narcissistic personality disorder, there’s frequently a cycle of abuse involved. Psychologists have deemed the phases of abuse as idealization, devaluation and discarding. In idealization, otherwise known as “lovebombing,” the individual may shower the other with praise and gifts. This builds a sense of safety and trust. In devaluation, the individual may use what was disclosed during the idealization phase as ammo to instill emotional responses and a sense of worthlessness. Then, the individual discards the other before starting the cycle over again. Additionally, abusive relationships commonly involve manipulation tactics such as being overly critical and controlling, manufacturing situations to elicit emotional distress, engaging in hot and cold behavior, stonewalling, triangulating, blaming, shaming, deflecting and projecting. Narcissistic abuse can occur in any relationship. While some of the focus above is on abuse in romantic relationships, it’s important to remember narcissistic abuse can be prevalent in friendships, familial relationships and working relationships. Those with

narcissistic personality disorder tend to be interpersonally exploitative as they take advantage of others to achieve their own ends. For example, friendships may only be maintained on a superficial level. If you, or someone you know is experiencing abuse, some steps of recovery to enact right now may include: validating the survivors experience, identifying abusive traits, breaking habits of empathizing with the abuser, validating one’s own reality, creating or relying on a solid support network, grieving the good parts of the relationship, resolving trauma, improving self-love, and learning to recognize red flags and set boundaries. In Utah, resources for domestic violence and interpersonal abuse include: the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, Utah Community Action, Utah Association of Family Support Centers, YWCA Utah’s Domestic Violence Shelter Programs and the Statewide Domestic Violence Info-line LINKline. Research from Shahida Arabi, Sandra Brown, Thomas Crawford, Ramani Durvasula, Harold Koenigsberg, Kristian Markon, Kati Morton, Rebecca Shiner, Jennifer Tackett, and David Watson. l

July 2021 | Page 7

‘Shrek the Musical’ to bring laughs and tunes By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

gres are like onions. Not just because they stink or make you cry, but because they have layers. While not everybody likes onions, they’ll probably like “Shrek the Musical.” The Murray Arts Council presents the lovable ogre July 9-10, 12, 15-17 at the Murray Amphitheater (495 E. 5300 South). “Shrek the Musical” follows an ogre who fights to keep his home after the wicked Lord Farquaad evicts a group of fairytale creatures on his land. Shrek ends up tasked with rescuing Princess Fiona from a dragon-guarded castle. Aided by his friend, a talking donkey, he rescues the princess and quickly learns that looks can be deceiving. Based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film “Shrek,” along with elements of its sequels: “Shrek 2,” “Shrek Forever After” and William Steig’s 1990 book “Shrek!”, the musical was developed with music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It debuted on Broadway in 2008, with a movie version of the musical released in 2013. “‘Shrek’ makes fun of the fairytale format with references to other musicals and movies, parodies of well-worn story tropes, and larger-than-life characters. There is a reason the movie is so beloved,” director Brighton Sloan said. Taking on the lead role of Shrek is Taylor Smith, a graduate of the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah, who was recently seen in “A Tale of Two Cities” at Hale Centre Theatre. Starring as Fiona, Amber Kacherian is just coming off her performance in the Draper Historic Theatre production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Playing the wisecracking Donkey is Dugan Brunker, a recent graduate from Weber State’s Music Education program. The villainous Lord Farquaad is played by Lucas Charon, whose resume in-

cludes the Hale Centre and CenterPoint Legacy Theatres. “We’ve assembled a killer cast of very experienced performers, and you’ll be seeing a lot of choreography,” Sloan said. The chorus will feature many Murrayites taking on multiple roles: Big Bad Wolf, Jacob Bowsersox; Dragon, Emily Wells; Fairy Godmother, Aleisha Carver; Gingy, Camree McKenna; Pinnochio, Samuel Wright; Mama Ogre/Humpty Dumpty, Emily Voorhees; King Harold/Poppa Bear, Elijah Harris; Papa Ogre/Little Pig/Thelonius, David Peterson; Peter Pan, Ashley Peterson; Queen Lillian/Momma Bear, Alina Mower; Sugar Plum Fairy, Jessalyn Kranz; Teen Fiona/Pixie, Paige Sutherland; Little pig No.1, Carson Sena; Little pig/Grumpy, Ryder James; Ugly Duckling, Beth Weber; White Rabbit, Sylvia Seitz; Wicked Witch, Jaxon Chidwick; Young Fiona/Tinkerbell/Young Shrek/Baby Bear, Kennedy Harris and Jayda Bell. “Not only do they have amazing vocals, but they can deliver on the humor,” Sloan said. According to Sloan, “The musical is a heavy ensemble piece, with the cast playing three to five roles each. We get to know the fairytale creatures a bit better, and it really hammers home the message of how being different makes us special. The music is also brand new and features some really fabulous production numbers like ‘Freak Flag,’ ‘What’s Up Duloc,’ and ballads like ‘Who I’d Be.’” This isn’t Sloan’s first musical at the Murray Amphitheater; she directed the 2018 production of “The Secret Garden.” Supporting Sloan backstage, the production staff includes Karllen McDonald, music director/assistant director; Heath-

“Shrek the Musical” will grace Murray Amphitheater’s stage in July. (Photo courtesy of Murray City)

er Sessions, choreographer; Kia Armstrong, stage manager; Ricky Parkinson, set design; Lexie Ostler, costume design; and Michelle Garcia, makeup design. Tickets for “Shrek the Musical” are available online at murraycity.smashpass.com, at the Murray Parks & Rec office, or at the gate. “The show has a lot of laughs, but it packs a strong emotional punch. It will surprise you with how touching it can be, especially for those of us who have ever felt ‘other’—whether because of our looks, our gender expression, or what our interests are. There are so many who don’t fit the fairytale mold, which is why this story has made such an impact on the culture—plus, it will make you laugh ‘til you cry,” Sloan said. l

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Murray City Journal

Government 101: The budget process By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

ou (or your landlord) pays property tax every year, whether on residential or commercial property. There are several taxing entities that collect from what you pay, from the mosquito abatement, to the local school district. The city only collects a small portion of that tax. Residential properties pay only 45% of their property tax value, while commercial pays 100% of the value. In Utah, a city’s yearly property tax income is a fixed number. This means that unless the city changes its tax rate, the city will only receive the dollar amount that it received the previous year. If a city receives $20 million in 2019, it will receive $20 million in 2020, even if property values increase. This requires a city to consistently communicate with its residents its financial needs. “The county auditor takes the previous year's revenue we received, adds any new growth, and they divide that by the assessed property tax value. If the assessed value goes up the tax rate goes down,” Midvale Assistant City Manager Kyle Maurer said. “When the assessed value goes down, the tax rate goes up. This provides a steady income for the city.”

Budget information is public and available on every city website. The budget contains the cost for everything a city pays for, from road salt for plow trucks, employee salary, computers, website maintenance, first responder salary and ambulances, and much more. The budget is prepared by the city’s finance department, and, depending on the form of government, either the mayor or the city manager. Each department asks for what they need, but the mayor/city manager makes the final decision on who gets what. Some cities involve the city council in the budget process, asking for council priorities in budget retreats or workshops in council meetings. Some cities prepare the budget and ask for council opinion when they present the tentative budget. The tentative budget is posted to the city website and presented to the council in May, which gives council and the public a chance to comment and suggest alternatives. A budget must be finalized and accepted by the city council by June 30 before the new fiscal year begins. (A city’s year runs from July 1 to June 30, known as a fiscal, i.e., financial, year.) “If the council does not adopt a final

This is a sample property tax bill with all the taxing entities. Midvale City only collects a small portion of the tax residents pay. (image/SLCo Assessor)

budget by June 30, then the tentative budget would become the budget,” West Jordan communications officer Tauni Barker said. “If they had not adopted a tentative budget, then it would default to the mayor’s proposed budget.” If the mayor does not approve of the budget that council passes, they can veto. Sandy’s Mayor Bradburn vetoed a line item in 2020. (https://www.sandyjournal. com/2020/06/29/319675/sandy-mayor-s-ve-

to-preserves-pay-raises-for-city-s-first-responders-and-other-employees) If a city decided to change its property tax percentage, a Truth in Taxation meeting is required. Salt Lake County decides the date of the Truth in Taxation so no two taxation meetings fall on the same date. The Truth in Taxation is a public meeting, all residents are invited to read the proposed budget and give comments before a final decision is made by the council. l

What is the Mosquito Abatement District?

Southern Comfort at Altitude

By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

ave you noticed a line on your property tax bill that says Mosquito Abatement? What is that? Why do they get your tax money? There are three mosquito abatement districts in Salt Lake County. Each of them serves their area, performing similar functions: Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement, Magna Mosquito Abatement, South Salt Lake Valley Mosquito Abatement. “Mosquitos are definitely a nuisance,” Brian Hougaard, manager for South Salt Lake Valley Mosquito Abatement District, said. “They have the potential to carry diseases.” A mosquito abatement focuses heavily on mosquitos that carry West Nile Virus, a disease that can cause severe inflammation to the brain and spinal cord. “We have 52 different trap sites, using three different types of traps. We use these traps not only to monitor the number of mosquitos in the area...we also use those to catch [and] test for West Nile virus,” Hougaard said. Each district employs full-time, yearround experts, but then hires seasonal workers for the summer. The staff spends their time checking traps, testing mosquitoes for potential viruses and responding to resident

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Mosquito abatement: The Salt Lake Valley is split into three districts. Each district helps contain the mosquito population within its borders to prevent spread of disease. (Pixabay)

calls. Residents can call for an inspection. They will inspect horse troughs, residential ponds, tree holes and catch basins. If there are mosquito larvae, the district can put in mosquito fish, an aggressive eater of mosquitos, or briquettes that prevent larvae from hatching into adults. l

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Guinness World Record broken in Murray By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

eople will come to Murray and marvel at the place where the official world record fell. They will stroll the grounds of the Salt Lake County rugby fields, wondering what it was like on that cold December day when Dallas Anderson and Jon Paleka achieved the feat and landed in the “Guinness Book of World Records.” Of course, it was not easy to break this particular record; not as easy as making a million consecutive free throw shots or writing the most downloaded song on earth. Nope, Anderson and Paleka are in the books for having the “Farthest Marshmallow Propelled and Caught in the Mouth.” “I’ve wanted to create YouTube videos since high school, so I started making videos of me skateboarding and doing some things for fun with friends last summer, so I created the YouTube channel ‘Thrive On Vibes.’ One of our videos, ‘Fun with Marshmallows,’ was just us messing around and doing some trick shots, and that’s when Jon and I talked about setting a world record so that we’d have some cool content for the channel,” Anderson said. All sweet, sugary fluff aside, planning to break a record takes months of planning and preparation. Anderson, a Murray High alumnus, newly graduated from BYU with a degree in sports and entertainment marketing, found that he had plenty of time on his hands during the pandemic to coordinate such an event. Not all marshmallows are created equal. To prepare for their attempt, they bought several bags of different-sized marshmallows and launched the projectiles with a water-balloon slingshot to see which would fly the farthest. “To break a Guinness World Record, you actually have to apply in advance,” Anderson said. “So, Jon and I applied

for this record around July 2020 and had our official attempt approved in early November. We had to provide conclusive video and photo evidence and provide two official witnesses as part of the submission to Guinness, so we had family members and friends help us out. After submitting all of the evidence, witness forms, and cover letter, we waited about 16 weeks for Guinness to review our application.” The record they had to beat was 128 feet 5 inches, roughly the same height as Balanced Rock in Arches National Park. Sound plausible? “Not so fast,” says Mother Nature; on the scheduled date, the weather turned the rugby field into a Marshmallow World. “December 14, the day we attempted the world record, happened to be one of the only days it snowed in the valley last winter, so we had to do everything in the snow. Second, breaking the world record took only two tries! I’d practiced launching the marshmallow with my brother, Landon, and a friend the weekend before to get an estimated distance, but on our first attempt, the marshmallow we launched landed nearly 60-70 feet behind Jon. He backed up a way, and the second marshmallow we launched landed straight in his mouth—he did not have to move more than a foot. We’d talked about switching off between who was launching and catching after five or six tries but never needed to make that switch,” Anderson said. They didn’t just break the record. At 225 feet 10 inches, they smashed it like a soft gelatinous mass. Guinness highlighted part of their video on their Instagram account and sent them a certificate verifying that they are official Guinness World Record holders. Paleka received minor wounds to his inner lip.

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Dallas Anderson launches the world record-breaking marshmallow. (Photo courtesy Dallas Anderson)

Where does a world record holder go from here? Well, Paleka will be finishing up his bachelor’s at BYU. Anderson is headed to the University of Oregon to pursue an MBA. But wait, this Murray lad may not be done with Guinness yet. “I’ve applied for several additional world records to break with family and friends, so stay tuned for more of that moving forward,” Anderson said. l

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Murray City Journal

Murray’s Fun Days are back, along with firework restrictions By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

urray City’s annual Fun Days is back after taking sick leave last year. City officials announced that Fun Days this year would happen July 3, the day before Independence Day. While the return of the parade, music, and games is good news, the extreme drought has brought restrictions against July’s notable tradition—fireworks. “Murray Fun Days will be much the same way this year as every year, with the exception of the breakfast. Due to COVID, we were not able to get the materials needed to finish pavilion No. 5, which is where the breakfast is located. This year we will have some of the food trucks start selling early. The chuckwagon breakfast will be back next year,” Murray City Cultural Arts Manager Lori Edmunds said. Grand Marshals for the parade this year will be the City’s fire and police first responders and healthcare workers from Intermountain Medical Center. The parade will start at 8:30 a.m. at Fashion Place Mall, proceed down State Street, and travel to Vine Street, ending at Murray Park. “At present, our lineup is smaller so far this year, but we hope to be at capacity by the time of the parade,” Edmunds said. The daytime entertainment will include musical reviews from Murray Amphitheater’s July and August musicals, “Shrek” and “Newsies.” Murray Park events include a pup-

pet show with giant puppets, a superhero versus villain battle, and a band called The Flashback Brothers, which will play ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s music. The evening’s concert will feature High Society, a high-energy party cover band. According to Edmunds, “We also will have our annual chalk art contest, the 5K, volleyball, food trucks, car show, the Sunrise Service and, new this year, a strider bike (a no-pedal bicycle) race. Of course, finishing off the day will be fantastic fireworks.” On the topic of fireworks this year, the Murray City Fire Department strongly encourages everyone, because of the drought, to carry on fireworks traditions by viewing the big show at Murray Park, rather than with personal fireworks at home. “Come and enjoy the Murray City fireworks display at Murray Park on July 3. We have a spectacular show planned for Murray Fun Days. Our ability to host this event comes from our amazing firefighters that provide the safety we require to host such an event,” Murray City Fire Department Assistant Chief Joey Mittelman said. Another reason to see the fireworks at the park is if your home sits in a firework restriction zone. Murray has a permanent fireworks restriction in some areas that are adjacent to open space. The three

A 1997 Murray Fun Days parade entry promoting Promised Valley Playhouse. (Photo courtesy of Murray Museum)

most notable restricted areas include the Jordan River Parkway, Murray Park and Wheeler Farm. A detailed map can be found at www.murray.utah.gov/1332/Fireworks-Restriction-Zones. Still, if you are going to launch your own show, the Murray FD reminds you that Utah is a controlled fireworks state, which means that only approved fireworks can be sold and used in Utah. “Please avoid purchasing fireworks from another state and bringing them into Utah,” Mittelman said. “Our desert state and dry climate are oftentimes more susceptible to fire than in surrounding states.

This year I would also avoid aerial fireworks in areas that have open fields, dry grass, and other related items. A small falling firework ember from the sky is one of the most common causes of our field fires.” Murray FD advises you not to get creative with your multi-colored arsenal in order to avoid going to the hospital. “One of the most dangerous things you can do is modify fireworks or attempt to use them in a way they were not designed. Each year paramedics respond to accidents that could have been avoided by following the manufacturer’s instructions and proper use,” Mittelman said. l

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What’s your legacy?

Asher Rees spent several hours creating his film entry, “The Little Red Monster,” which won a national award in the PTA Reflections contest. (Photo courtesy of Cynthia and Dan Rees)

Second-grade Grant Elementary boy wins national award, offers words of wisdom By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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any of us could learn a lesson or two from a second-grader, especially if it’s from Asher Rees of Grant Elementary. Asher recently was the primary national award of merit winner in the PTA Reflections contest in the category of film. “It’s a movie about a little monster,” Asher said. “He went and got accessories so he could look like the other monsters and then hoped they would like him.” Along the way, the monster, one of many characters voiced by family members, discovered something. “It’s who you are. You are as important as you, and you shouldn’t change yourself. You can like other things that other people have, like a good big nose, but you shouldn’t alter yourself to have that,” he said. Last summer, Asher came up with the idea based on the Reflections theme, “I will change the world by… .” In the fall, he worked on his Lego film, “The Little Red Monster,” before his school deadline in October. He won that contest as well as his region’s to advance to state. As a state winner, he was honored in the Old Dome Meeting Hall in Riverton on May 11 and his work advanced to nationals. “They (Reflections PTA officials) told me about it and played my film. Then, I got a cool trophy,” he said, adding that his mother might make him his favorite cake—chocolate raspberry with buttercream. Along with Asher, several Murray students, including his brother, Sander, who earned the award of merit in film in the intermediate level, were honored at the state level. From Murray High, Brittany Gilmore received honorable mention in dance; Finn Larson won award of merit in film; Alexander Bunker received honorable mention in literature, and Jameson Thackeray received award of merit in photography. From Riverview Junior High, Grace Taeoalii received an award of merit in photography; from Longview Elementary, Noelle Thackeray

received an award of merit in dance in the intermediate level; from Horizon, Savannah Shupe received an award of merit in literature in the intermediate level; and also, from Grant Elementary, Olivia Pendergraft received an honorable mention in the 3D art special category. However, Asher was the only Murray School District national Reflections award-winner in the PTA contest that has more than 300,000 students in pre-K through grade 12 annually create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. “Our little district is doing great things,” PTA region 19 director Jeannette Bowen said. “We had some amazing entries.” This wasn’t Asher’s only time entering Reflections. He made a 3D art sculpture both in kindergarten and first grade as well as entered photography while in kindergarten. All of his creative artwork won at the school level and advanced to region. This was his first time making a film—and his first time having his artwork advance to nationals. For being a national award of merit winner, he will receive a bronze medallion, certificate and his work will be featured in a traveling exhibition. Asher’s medallion and his state acrylic trophy will join a soccer and basketball trophies, other Reflections trophies, Grant Elementary bulldog awards and sculptures he made amongst some toys on a shelf in his bedroom. However, Asher isn’t sitting on his laurels. He already is talking about ideas for next year and even offers up some advice for other students wishing to enter Reflections— another good lesson to learn. “You can do anything you want, as long as you try,” Asher said. “You always win even if you don’t win a trophy. You win in your house.” l

Murray City Journal

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Murray City Journal

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(801) 641-1571 Catcher Hunter Neumayer will join the long list of former Colts playing in college. (Travis Barton/ City Journals)

Cottonwood baseball legacy of excellence continues into college for several

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

he Cottonwood Colts baseball team has had a legacy of excellence dating back several years. Region championships. State titles. But when all of their amazing players graduate, where do they go? Do they disappear into thin air and join American Legion baseball teams, taking barnstorming trips across the state—or do they aspire to something even bigger than high school? It turns out that Cottonwood has a stellar rep of sending its baseball standouts to college. No more so was this apparent than this past year, when Christopher Rowan—who starred at The Wood in years past—gained national recognition for his exploits at the University of Utah. As a redshirt junior catcher, Rowan hit an impressive .301 for the Utes, who completed their season with a 17-33 record. He also hit two home runs in the same game at Dixie State earlier this year gaining national attention, and heads into the 2022 season as one of the top threats for Utah. Rowan was hardly the only Colt to excel in college this year. Dalton Hodge moved on to Salt Lake Community College at the behest of his new hitting coach—former Cottonwood baseball head coach Jason Crawford, said Cottonwood athletic director Gregg Southwick. Hodge has been a huge find at SLCC. Like any Cottonwood product, the freshman knows how to manufacture runs, he led the team with 50 and is second on the team in homers and RBI.

MurrayJournal .com

This year, Hodge hit .324 in 145 at bats for the Bruins, who finished 33-17 on a year that didn’t start out so hot for SLCC, Crawford and Hodge. But by the time April hit the Bruins found their groove, as did Hodge, and SLCC reeled off a 19-3 record from April to May to earn a spot at the conference tournament. In the postseason, Hodge’s Bruins upended USU-Eastern 11-8 and College of Southern Idaho 9-6 in the first two rounds before losing two straight to Southern Nevada to end their season at their conference championship game. Other Colts who play or have played in college in the past two years include Hunter Cornia (Colorado Northwestern CC), Daniel Gonzalez (Arizona Western), Jaydon Green (Treasure Valley CC) and Jason Luke (Arizona Western). Since 2012, Cottonwood has sent 20 of its baseball players to college and that’s a trend the Cottonwood athletic director believes will continue under new Colts head coach Chris Shelton. “Chris has a huge baseball background, and like Jason did when he was here and doing great things has worked on areas that were well exposed,” said Cottonwood athletic director Gregg Southwick. At press time, the Colts of 2021 have had three players commit to play in college for 2022, including Grady Norris and Hunter Stinson at Colorado Northwestern. Hunter Neumayer will rejoin Hodge and his former coach Crawford at SLCC. l

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July 2021 | Page 15

Filmmaker spotlights an inspiring Murray youth who died tragically

life taken too soon has been a longtime inspiration to the friends who were with Marc Simons on that fateful day in January 1996. Those friends have now told their story to filmmaker Tucker Dansie, who has created a documentary about the Murray High senior’s impact during his short lifetime. Adam Longmore, Peter Griggs, Dax Reid, and Simons were four-wheeling on the west side of Utah Lake when they attempted a tricky maneuver on a steep hill in the open-top Jeep CJ-5 and rolled. Investigators at the scene believed the Jeep rolled five or six times, ejecting Griggs and crushing Simons. Filmmaker Tucker Dansie, who attended Murray High with Simons, remembers how his death impacted the community, especially Simons’ friends. “The story was originally meant to just celebrate Marc, but I quickly realized that it would be great for people that knew him or family members, but [it] wouldn’t connect with a general audience. As I started to interview friends, I noticed a through line that struck me as unique. That all of the core, main group of friends have all grown up, do great things with their lives, have spouses and families and, generally, everyone seems to be doing amazingly well. I found that many of the friends were taking to ‘living their life for Marc,’” Dansie said. Dansie also has a personal connection, as he too was invited to go off-roading with that

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com group of friends, but circumstances prevented him from going. As 2021 marked a milestone anniversary, Dansie felt the time was right to tell Simons’ story. “As a filmmaker, it’s a story I have wanted to tell for a long time, in many ways to celebrate Marc’s life,” Dansie said. “I just wasn’t sure how to approach it until I just started making it. It also coincided with the 25-year anniversary of the accident, so the original aim was to have something by January 2021.” “REMARKABLE: Marc’s Story” is the first episode in a planned documentary anthology series called “REMARKABLE.” The first episode focuses on the tragic four-wheeling accident that took the life of Simons and how his life affected the community and brought a high school together. Simons’ friends credit how the life-changing event of losing Simons has been central to their life choices. Longmore went on to coach college volleyball teams and Griggs is now a pilot. Those who were at the crash, and other friends of Simons, stay closely connected to this day. Dansie has been producing films for a while, most recently doing freelance music videos for local musicians. “These are my passion projects,” Dansie said. After graduating from the Vancouver Film School, Dansie worked for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints film de-

Tucker Dansie debuts film about Murrayite Marc Simons. (Photo courtesy Tucker Dansie)

partment and produced many early “Mormon Messages.” These highly viewed stories were usually short documentaries with religious teaching. “I wanted to continue to tell ‘remarkable stories about remarkable people’ but be able to do it on my own time, on projects I had a passion for, especially if they didn’t fit the ‘religious’ tenor of the church projects,” Dansie said. In addition to marking Simons’ death, Dansie also felt driven to provide some closure for Simons’ parents. “I started with the interview of Marc’s parents, Richard and Colleen,” Dansie

said. “Marc’s parents are not doing great healthwise. I felt like it was the honorable thing to make this movie for his parents and express appreciation for them for allowing Marc to be part of our lives, even if it was for a short time. The end product turned out better than I could have expected.” Currently streaming on Tubi, Vimeo, Plex, and Xumo, Dansie expects other platforms will soon pick up his project. Still, Dansie hopes viewers will see the central theme of his film. “Ultimately, it’s about friendship that lasts beyond tragedy,” Dansie said. l

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Rental assistance still available in Salt Lake County By Bridget Raymundo | b.raymundo@mycityjournals..com

own the streets of downtown, homeless people can be found around nearly every corner. The less fortunate are not often at the forefront of thoughts, however, with the effects of the pandemic still in motion, many residents still struggle with affording basic living costs. The economy is on a slow path to recovery from the shutdowns in efforts to maintain social distancing. Many people have lost their main sources of income and numerous [small] businesses have closed. Rental assistance and stimulus checks have been issued to help. The question is whether they are improving circumstances or not. In January Millcreek government took initiative to release awareness campaigns about financial aid. At that point, the pandemic had been reigning chaos into personal lives for nearly a full year. Curious as to the effects of the stimulus checks issued by the US federal government? As expected, at the shadow glimpse of an approaching financial crisis and the increased unemployment rate, anyone who could afford to save, did. The rest was spent on necessities such as food, water, rent, electricity and other household bills. Entertainment and dining were mostly closed, thereby reducing needed cash flow. Handing out government funds is tricky in and of itself; claims arose stating

some stimulus checks were not received, unnecessary in some cases, and a cause for further economic inflation. The Salt Lake County Regional Development Department issued a press release on June 17 about rental assistance. It reported more than 12,000 county residents have received $17 million in rental assistance since March 2021. Data shows women are more likely to apply for aid than men since 60% of applicants are female. The Director of Salt Lake County Housing & Community Development, Michael Gallegos, states there are still funds available to applicants even as the CDC’s Eviction Moratorium approaches its end scheduled for June 30. “The demand for rental assistance funds this spring has exceeded our expectations,” Gallegos said in the press release. “While we’re ahead of where we thought we would be, there are still plenty of funds available, and we encourage residents to continue to apply.” According to the press release, race demographics from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program match or exceed County demographics, showing that rental assistance funds are getting into traditionally underserved populations.

Since March 2021 12,000 county residents have received $17 million in rental assistance according to Salt Lake County. (File photo City Journals)

“We know there are geographic areas of higher need, and diverse populations that may require support to apply,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “We are addressing those needs as they’re identified by the community and data. We are also utilizing organizations in our outreach grant program to assist disproportionately impacted individuals in tapping into this critical resource to avoid eviction.”

Granite to offer new online learning

So far, 52% of rental assistance provided in Salt Lake County were applied for by landlords on behalf of their tenants. While 62% of all rental assistance funds in Utah are being paid out to Salt Lake County residents. Further data on the effects of rental assistance can be found here: slco.org/slcomunidata To apply for rental assistance, please visit rentrelief.utah.gov/ . l

option for students

By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com

ranite School District will be launching a centralized online learning option for their students in fall 2021. Stephanie Wood, the associate director for Granite Online Learning, advised that there are many important factors when considering online learning. Although Granite School District has offered online classes for years, those have typically only been supplemental. They’re an excellent way for high school students to dual enroll in college classes or free up their schedule for more electives. However, during the pandemic, they had to adjust to teaching more students and courses online. “We all learned a lot during the pandemic year of what students need and want and ways they can be successful,” Wood said. “So, we felt like it was important to build a program to help support students who need an online learning experience.” With that in mind, the district set to work creating Granite Online Live. The program will be available to students in grades K-12, and it allows them to complete all of their required coursework online. They’ve created a synchronous program, meaning that students will have live instructions online every day. The district has already hired new staff to work exclusively on the online program. That way, teachers won’t have to balance online and in-person students as many did during the previous school year.

Page 18 | July 2021

Anyone interested in registering can meet with their principal or counselors to talk about the program. Wood said they’re holding off on registration until late July and early August because circumstances may change for families between now and the start of the school year. Wood said she’s excited for every student to have online or in-person school options depending on what works best for them and their family. She also said there are a lot of factors parents and students should consider in the decision. Online learning presents unique challenges that will work better for some students than others. Wood said it’s important for students to stay organized and on task without the in-class structure. It’s also essential for students to be comfortable navigating the technology necessary for their online classes. Wood also made it clear online learning is not the right choice for every student. “We anticipate that most of our students will want to return to school where they have their teacher and their friends and all of the wonderful things that happen in our buildings,” she said. Many students struggled with online classes during the pandemic and will be excited to return to normalcy. However, some students thrived in the online environment and found many benefits to staying home. “It provides them some comfort of feeling like they’re in a place where they feel safe,”

Starting in fall 2021, Granite School District will be launching a centralized online learning option for their students. (Photo by Thomas Park/Unsplash)

Wood said. “Those are all things that are sometimes hard for students when they’re in a large building with lots of students to navigate hallways and lockers. Doing an online option, they don’t have to do those things. They’re focused on their learning, and their relationship with their teacher, and building their knowledge and

relationship with their peers.” Granite Online Live will be an option for any students in the Granite School District. Wood said they are excited to provide this online alternative so every student can thrive in the learning environment best suited to them. l

Murray City Journal

Upcoming Murray Mayor’s race wide open By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

lthough he broke ground for the new City Hall, Murray Mayor Blair Camp will not have the opportunity to be the first person to sit in the new mayor’s office. After one term in office, Camp has decided not to run for a second term. Camp, who previously served on the City Council, will wrap up his time in office after presiding over the city through a pandemic and contentious development issues—namely, the Murray City Center District. In city addresses, Camp routinely presented a Murray Eagle headline from the 1970s of Murray City leaders drawing plans up for the redevelopment of downtown Murray. Decades later, the city is finally moving on projects with the fire department headquarters erected and the City Hall under construction. The final hurdle will be the redevelopment of State Street between 4800 South and 5th Avenue, which contains some of the oldest commercial buildings in Murray. Development plans came to a screeching halt during the pandemic when city revenue fell through the floor. Apart from City Hall, major projects like the Murray Theater are on indefinite hold. The city’s revenue projections have brightened this year, with help from federal COVID relief funds, yet several projects, like the theater, have yet to get the green light. Four candidates filed to run in the mayoral race: Clark Bullen, Adam Fitzgerald, Brett

Hales, and Alexander Teemsma. City Councilman Hales hopes to make the same jump from City Council to Mayor’s Office as Camp. Hales, first elected in 2012, has represented Council District 5 for three terms. Prior to that, Hales was Vice President of Cyprus Credit Union. Hales, who has multiple sclerosis, made headlines supporting the use of medical cannabis. He advocated at the Utah State Legislature for the successful passing of legislation allowing marijuana for specific medical conditions. Bullen, who presently serves on the Murray Arts Advisory Board, officially lists his profession as Employee Benefits Account Manager at the insurance firm CUI Agency. Bullen might be more familiar as an actor appearing most recently in Netflix’s documentary “Murder Among the Mormons.” Another mayoral candidate also working in financial securities is Adam Kent Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was recognized for his poetry in 1994 by the Murray Arts Council. BYU graduate Alexander Teemsma is the final candidate for mayor. Teemsma, in a recent City Council meeting, indicated he was a rental property owner. City Councilman Dale Cox will also be another one-and-done Murray City leader. The former AFL-CIO president of Utah has represented the west Murray Council District 2 since 2018 but decided against a second run

Murray City’s new mayor will be among the first to walk inside the new City Hall building. (Photo courtesy of Murray City)

for the council. Hoping to replace Cox is a former member of the city council—Pamela Cotter. Cotter was appointed as an interim member of the City Council for Camp’s seat when he was made interim mayor in 2018, to fill out the rest of Mayor Ted Eyre’s term when he died in office. Cotter served for three months until Cox was elected and sworn in. Attorney Joe Silverzweig will challenge Cotter for District 2. Silverzweig, according to his LinkedIn profile, currently serves as government affairs manager for Comcast. As the only two candidates for their council district, both Cotter and Silverzweig move forward to the general election. Incumbent Diane Turner seeks a third

term in east Murray’s City Council District 4. Turner was first elected in 2014 and briefly served as Murray’s first female mayor immediately following the death of Mayor Ted Eyre in 2017. Turner’s challengers in the primary will include environmental scientist Daren Rasmussen, who works for the State of Utah Department of Natural Resources, and Skylar Galt, a financial advisor with Mountain West Advisors. Murray City’s Primary Election will be held on Aug. 10; the two leading vote getters for each race will face each other in the General Election on Nov. 2. See www.got-vote.org for more details regarding voter registration and elections. l

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MurrayJournal .com

July 2021 | Page 19

Midvale City Park cuts ribbon on new disc golf course By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

idvale City held a ribbon cutting May 22 for a new nine-hole disc golf course in Midvale Park. But the course is about more than just a hobby. Like the game itself, the more you learn about the story behind the course, the more you appreciate it. The sport’s basic premise is easy to understand. Disc golf is one of the fastest-growing sports in America. It’s played much like traditional golf, but instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc or Frisbee. “[The disc] is thrown from a tee to a basket, which is the ‘hole.’ The object is to throw the disc from the tee area to the target basket in the fewest number of throws,” explained Midvale City’s website. The city ran clinics for beginners and gave out free disc starter sets at the ribbon cutting. The course was several months in the making. At a Nov. 10, 2020 meeting, the Midvale City Council discussed the course as one of the ways to use CARES Act funds. The CARES Act was part of the federal pandemic economic relief plan, and a disc golf course fell within the qualifying projects. The city worked with Midvale business Grip6, a local manufacturing company which is committed to an entirely U.S.-made product. For the past four years they’ve sold belts, wallets and socks with a disc golf flair. Grip6 made donations to the course in the form of baskets for holes, posts, signage, and guidance on installation, design and labor. The planning, funding and local collaborations have paid off. Since the ribbon cutting, the growing community of disc golf players has teed up to enjoy the course. “We heard about it on the Facebook page, SLC Tunnel Runners, which is the local club. We came today because of the chunk of time we had. This was the best available course for us. We play at courses all around the valley,” said Byron McMurtry of Riverton. McMurtry also plays traditional golf and kayaks. But because it’s inexpensive and courses can be played through in an hour or less, disc golf is nearly an everyday event for him and his friend Dave Jessop of Herriman. “I’ve played disc golf since 2007. This is a big part of our lives, and we play several times a week. We’ve played here [in Midvale] every couple weeks since it opened. It’s a good, quick turn. It takes about half an hour to play it once, so we can play it twice in an hour,” Jessop said. The Midvale course is located on the northwest side of the park. There are no fees or reservations, but players need to bring their own discs (Frisbees don’t work as well) and be mindful of others playing through. Most courses are set up in public parks, so they’re free to play. Courses that charge are reasonable—$3 or $5. And, in many cases, you can bring your canine companion. Jessop brought his dog Stella. Both McMurtry and Jessop praised disc

Page 20 | July 2021

Dave Jessop of Herriman preps his throw on the Midvale Park disc golf course, while his faithful companion Stella looks on. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)

golf as something that’s fun for beginners and more advanced players. “It’s a good family sport because different skill levels can play on the same course, and both sides will have fun. “The Midvale course is particularly good for beginners because it’s short. It’s a nice introduction for people, and it’s manicured, where other courses can be rough,” McMurtry said. McMurtry and Jessop were also excited about the PDGA Pro World Championship competition in Ogden June 22-26. “There are local tournaments every weekend, but this is like the Super Bowl of disc golf, and it’s right here in Utah at Fort Buenaventura. We’ve played that course before—it’s a whole other animal. It’s tough,” Jessop said. McMurtry and Jessop encourage beginners to go to the SLC Tunnel Runners Facebook page if they have questions or want to find disc golf friends. “Get a disc starter kit, watch some YouTube videos on how to play, and join the fun,” McMurtry said. When you play the course in Midvale you’ll know that you’re benefitting from pandemic relief funds and supporting local business Grip6 which helped make the course a reality. l

Friends Byron McMurtry and Dave Jessop (and Stella) are avid disc golfers and members of SLC Tunnel Runners who have added the new Midvale course into their rounds. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)

Murray City Journal

July 2021 FREQUENTLY REQUESTED NUMBERS

Mayor’s Message

MAYOR’S OFFICE

Grant Elementary . . . . . . 801-264-7416

The Return of Independence Day Traditions

mayor@murray.utah.gov

Heritage Center (Senior Programming) . . 801-264-2635 Hillcrest Jr. High . . . . . . . 801-264-7442 Horizon Elementary . . . . 801-264-7420 Liberty Elementary . . . . . 801-264-7424 Longview Elementary. . . 801-264-7428 Ken Price Ball Park . . . . . 801-262-8282 Miss Murray Pageant (Leesa Lloyd) . . . . . . . . . . 801-446-9233 McMillan Elementary . . 801-264-7430 Murray Area Chamber of Commerce.. . . . . . . . . . 801-263-2632 Murray Arts Advisory Board (Lori Edmunds) . . . . . . . . 801-264-2614 Murray Boys & Girls Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-268-1335 Murray City Cemetery . . . 801-264-2637 Murray Community Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-264-7414 Murray High School . . . . 801-264-7460 Murray Museum . . . . . . . 801-264-2589

In my Mayor’s Message last July, I lamented the suspension of the Fun Days activities that have been a part of our Independence Day celebration in Murray City for decades. We missed the 5k Run, the Chalk Art contest, the Sunrise Service, as well as the parade, fireworks, and other activities at Murray Park. I am pleased that we have been able to return to our traditional Murray Fun Days celebration this year. It is heartwarming to see our community once again joining together in celebration of our nation and state. Much has transpired over the past year, but we are rebounding, and it feels good! Once again, as we celebrate our nations birthday, I express my profound appreciation for those founding fathers of our nation, to those who fought and died for the rights that we enjoy, and for those who have served to defend this country since then. I also express appreciation to the early pioneer settlers that made our valley their home and worked tirelessly to create thriving communities throughout what has since become the State of Utah. Benjamin Franklin once said, “To the generous mind the heaviest debt is that of gratitude, when it is not in our power to repay it.” It has become a tradition for many to celebrate the holidays with consumer fireworks. Many of our residents love them and others not so much. Each year the city receives multiple requests from residents to ban the use of consumer fireworks in Murray. Because of the extreme weather and drought conditions this year we heard from more resident than usual about fireworks.

Murray Parks and Recreation Office . . . . . . . 801-264-2614

Murray Parkway Golf Course . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-262-4653 Murray Park Aquatics Pool . . . . . . . . . .801 290-4190 Mick Riley Golf Course (SL County) . . . . . . . . . . . 801-266-8185 Parkside Elementary . . . . 801-264-7434 Riverview Jr. High . . . . . . 801-264-7446 Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation . . . . . . . . 801-468-2560 Salt Lake County Ice Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801-270-7280 The Park Center . . . . . . . . 801-284-4200 Viewmont Elementary . . 801-264-7438

Friday, July 1 Dr. Doolittle MOVIES Ken Price Ball Park 9 pm Free

D. Blair Camp, Mayor 801-264-2600

The fact is that municipalities (including Murray) have not 5025 S. State Street had authority to ban consumer Murray, Utah 84107 fireworks for the last 10 years. In 2011 the Utah State Legislature passed House Bill 22 which legalized aerial fireworks in Utah. Fireworks proponents argued that legalizing aerial fireworks would capture lost revenue that was going to neighboring states where these fireworks were already legal. Following the new legislation, some municipalities introduced regulations on the newly legalized aerial fireworks. That prompted the legislature to step in and revise the law to prohibit the ability of a county or municipality to regulate the use of these fireworks, except in wildland interface areas and parkways, thus taking the regulatory authority out of the hands of the cities. In Murray we have restricted fireworks in all areas allowed by state law, along the Jordan River Parkway, near Wheeler Farm, and in Murray Park. Murray City is not allowed to ban fireworks in our residential neighborhoods due to State Law (53-7-225). I appeal to each of you to be careful and respectful if you choose to use consumer fireworks. With the extreme drought conditions, this may be a good year to skip the fireworks altogether, but if you choose to use them, please follow all instructions and precautions. I wish each of you a happy and safe July as we celebrate the heritage of our state and nation!

I N T H E PA R K

Friday, August 6 Wonder Woman 1984 Ken Price Ball Park 9 pm Free

Ken Price Ball Park Friday, July 1 Friday, July 1 9:00 pm Dr. Doolittle Dr. Doolittle

Ken Price Ball Park Friday, August 6 Friday, August 6 9:00 pm Wonder Woman 1984 Wonder Woman 1984

Ken Price Ball Park Ken Price Ball Park 9:00 pm 9:00 pm

Ken Price Ball Park Ken Price Ball Park 9 pm 9 pm Free Free

Friday, July 23 Soul Surfer

Outdoor Pool 9 pm Free Limited to 200 people Sign up at www.mcreg.com

Friday, July 23 Friday, July 23 Murray Outdoor Pool Soul Surfer Soul Surfer Outdoor Pool Outdoor Pool 9 pm 9 pm Free Free Limited to 200 people Limited to 200 people Sign up at www.mcreg.com Sign up at www.mcreg.com

Murray Outdoor Pool Murray Outdoor Pool

• • • •

Ken Price Ball Park Ken Price Ball Park 9 pm 9 pm Free Free

Friday, August 13 Jumanji the next level Ken Price Ball Park m 9 pm Free

Friday, August 13 Friday, August 13 Jumanji the next level Jumanji the next level

Ken Price Ball Park Ken Price Ball Park m m 9 pm 9 pm Free Free for the movies at www.mcreg.com for Friday, July 23 You must register Gates open at 8:15 pm except outdoor pool will open at 8:30 pm. You’re welcome to bring your own refreshment and food. No dogs allowed at any of the venues.

Youth Fall Soccer

Play 8 games, Jersey, shorts, and socks. No games labor-day weekend. Dates: Aug. 12-Sept. 9 Days: Thursdays & Saturdays Cost: Resident $60 Registration June 1-Aug. 1 Non Residents $70 Registration July 2-Aug. 1 (if spots are available registration will reopen on Aug. 5 until capacity is reached) Age Divisions: U6 Coed (3-5 year olds) U7 Girls (6 year olds) U7 Boys (6 year olds) U9 Girls (7-8 year olds) U9 Boys (7-8 year olds) U11 Girls (9-10 year olds) U11 Boys (9-10 year olds) U13 Coed (11-12 year olds) Register: www.mcreg.com, Murray Parks & Rec ofﬁce in Murray Park, or the Park Center

Youth Fall Soccer U16 & U19

Combining with Sandy City for competition. Play 8 games, jersey, shorts, and socks. No games laborday weekend and October 16 fall break) Dates: Aug. 21-October 23 Days: Saturdays Cost: Residents $60, Registration June 1-Aug. 1 Non Residents $70, Registration July 1-Aug. 1 Age Divisions: U16 Boys (13-15 year olds) U16 Girls (13-15 year olds) U19 Coed (16-18 year olds) Register: www.mcreg.com, Murray Parks & Rec ofﬁce in Murray Park, or the Park Center

Youth Flag Football

Play 8 games. Includes a T-shirt. No cleats (molded or studded) Dates: Sept. 28, Oct. 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 10, 23, Days: Tuesday Evenings and Saturday mornings Place: Ken Price Ball Park and Murray Park Softball Field Cost: $35 Residents, $45 non residents Deadline: Wednesday, September 1, 2021 @8;00 am or until full. (If spots are available registration will reopen Sept. 3 at 5 pm to Sept. 7 at 8:00 am with a $10 late fee. Grade: 2nd grade, 3rd-4th grades, 5th-6th grades.

Matt Harpring Basketball Camp

“Back to the Basics” Participants will have the opportunity to learn and play with campers of similar ages and skills. Space is limited. Dates: July 6, 7, 8 Cost: $150 per session Ages: Boys and Girls 7-15 years old Sessions: #1 8am-12 pm #2 1pm-5pm Locations: The Park Center, 202 E. Murray Park Ave Register: Online at www.mcreg.com

Adult Cornhole

Games played at the Arboretum near the Boys and Girls club (North end of Murray Park). League will consist of 7 game nights with a two games per evening and a tournament on Aug. 31. May have up to four players on the roster. Dates: July 13-Aug. 31 Nights: Tuesdays Times: 6:30 pm & 7:30 pm Cost: $80 per team of until full (14 teams) $25 late fee after deadline. Register: www.mcreg.com, Murray Parks & Rec ofﬁce in Murray Park, or the Park Center

Family Soccer Golf Tournaments

A 12-hole Soccer Golf course in Murray Park will be created for this awesome family event. This tournament will be a foursome scramble. Prizes given for a closest to the hole, longest kick and straightest kick. Come play with your family, friends, etc. Social distancing is required! Prizes given for the best scores. Space is limited to the ﬁrst 30 teams Tournament Dates: July 10 Deadline: July 2 8:00 am to noon Aug 14 Deadline: Aug 6 8:00 am to noon Sept. 6 Deadline: Sept. 1 10:00 am to 2 pm Cost: $25 per team Ages: Any ages Times: T-times start every 10 minutes. Call 801 264-2614 to schedule your T-time on the Thursday before the tournament Place: Murray Park (Starting Constitutional Circle at west end of park) Register: www.mcreg.com or at the Murray Parks and Recreation Ofﬁce

Fall Slowpitch Softball League

Open to the ﬁrst 8 teams to register. No double wall, two piece or composite bats allowed. We provide the balls. Coed Softball Dates: Aug. 30 to October 18 Nights: Monday Cost: $250 Men’s League Dates: Sept. 1-Oct. 20 Nights: Wednesday Cost: $250 Register: Murray Parks and Recreation or online at www.mcreg.com Deadline: Friday, August 13, 2021

Murray Youth and Family Triathlon

Date: Monday, Sept. 6, 2021 Place: Murray Park (The Park Center) Time: 7:45 am Cost: Youth 8 and Under $25 11+ $30 F1 $35 Time: 7:45 am Deadline: Monday, August 23, 2021 Late Fee $10 after deadline Limited 150 people Register: www.mcreg.com, Murray Parks & Rec ofﬁce in Murray Park, or the Park Center

Youth Tennis Lessons

Dates: July 5-July 9 July 12-July 16 July 19-July 23 July 26-July 30 Aug. 2-Aug. 6 Aug. 9-Aug. 13 Times: 8:15 am Beginners 9:15 am Intermediate/Advanced Ages: 8-18 Days: Monday-Friday Place: Southwood Park, 6150 S. 725 East Cost: $40 Residents, $50 non residents Instructor: Andrea Perschon Register: www.mcreg.com, Murray Parks & Rec ofﬁce in Murray Park, or the Park Center

Fall Adult Coed Kickball League

Take the ﬁrst 10 teams to register. Dates: Sept. 2-October 28 Nights: Thursdays Times: 6pm, 7pm, 8p, 9pm, 10pm Cost: $350 Deadline: Friday, August 20, 2021 Register: Murray Parks and Recreation Ofﬁce or online at www.mcreg.com

Age Group and Distances (Age as of Dec. 31, 2021) 5-6 years; 25 yards swim, 1k Bike, 200 meter run 7-8 years; 50 yard swim, 2k bike, 400 meter run 9-10 Years; 100 yd Swim, 2.65 mile Bike, .7 mile Run 11+ Years; 150 yd Swim, 5.3 mile Bike, 1.2 mile Run (11-12, 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 + F1 Format for 15 years and up open race Long course 2x Divisions: (Youth and Adult) Men’s 5-6, Women’s 5-6, Men’s 7-8, Women’s 7-8, , Women’s 9-10, Men’s 9-10, Women’s 11-12, Men’s 11-12, Women’s 13-15, Men’s 13-15, Women 16-19, Men’s 16-19, Women 20-29, Men 20-29, Women 3039, Men 30-39, Women 40-49, Men 40-49, Men’s 50+, Women’s 50+, Men’s F1, Women’s F1

JULY 2021

C ULTURAL A RTS Broadway Tribute for Kids – AUDITIONS

Arts in the Park Tickets

Tickets will be available for the Evening Series performances at the Murray Parks and Recreation Ofﬁce (296 E Murray Park Ave) or online through RegTix murraycity.smashpass.com *Please note that Lunch Concerts & Summer Shorts are relocated to Pavilion #2. Children Matinees are relocated to White Gazebo.

Come be part of the magic of putting together a Broadway Tribute show! We are looking for youth ages 8-18 to celebrate the stage. Auditions: July 8th & 9th, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Old ﬁre station (73 West 6100 South, Murray, Utah 84107)) Directed by Wendy Smedshammer Rehearsals: Tuesdays – Thursdays, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm.

Performance Dates: September 1011th, 8 pm, Murray Park Amphitheater.

@MurrayCityCulturalArts @Murraycitymuseum

M URRAY S ENIOR R ECREATION C ENTER SERVICES

Blood Pressure: Monique from Harmony Home Health and Hospice will be conducting a Blood Pressure Clinic on Thursday, July 8 and Thursday, August 12 from 10:30 to 12:00. Haircuts: Jocelyn Anderson will provide HAIRCUTS on Friday, July 9, July 30, August 13 and 27 starting at 9:00 and appointments are every 20 minutes. Haircuts cost $9 and is due at time of scheduling. Hair washing is an additional $4, and is paid the day of your cut at the Front Desk. Limited to 10 appointments. Cancellations need to be made two working days in advance for a refund. Medicare Counseling: Need help with MEDICARE or supplement issues? Sign up now for individualized help on Friday, July 16 from 1:00 to 2:00. Advance appointments are required. Bring documents related to your questions. Bill Barron from Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) will help you. This is a free service. Toenail Clipping: Dr. Scott Shelton provides Toenail Clipping every other month. The next scheduled toenail clippings will be on Tuesday, August 10 from 9:30 to 12:00 The cost is $11. Payment is required at time of scheduling; registration begins Tuesday, July 13.

EVENTS

In Person Bingo is back! BINGO is played every Wednesday and Friday at 12:45. Bingo is free, although donations are appreciated. Winners receive a $5 gift certiﬁcate to Macey’s or Village Inn Restaurant. The bingo program is operated by donations. Please help the program maintain quality prizes by donating. The suggested donation amount is $1 for 1-3 cards played or $2 for 4-6 cards played. A special THANK YOU to Village Inn for donating pies each week, to Jenkins-Soffe for sponsoring bingo on the ﬁrst Friday of each month, and AMG Senior Medical Group for sponsoring bingo on the last Wednesday of each month. Evening Social Dance: DANCE to the musical genius of Tony Summerhays each Thursday night at 7:009:30 pm. Cost for this activity is $5 per person. Light refreshments are served during the break and door prizes are given each week. Advanced registration is not required. Pay at the door. Each dance is supported by a sponsoring agency that provides the refreshments and door prizes. We will be offering our BRUNCH CAFÉ on Monday, July 26 , August 9 and August 23 from 10:30-12:00. You may choose a complete meal or pick a la carte from the menu. One beverage (milk, juice, or coffee) is complimentary with your order. Birthday Wednesday: Celebrate your BIRTHDAY on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of the month and you could win a free lunch. The lunch is on us if you are turning 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 this month—just tell the lunch cashier you have hit a decade! There is free cake and ice cream for everyone to enjoy, too.

A special thank you to Memorial Mortuaries and Cemeteries for donating the cake! Senior Golf League: The Murray Senior Recreation Center’s SENIOR GOLF LEAGUE is in full swing. The league fee is $10 per person. Golf tournaments are for those 55+ who have attained a basic level of golf skill which allows them to compete in 18 holes of play at a pace comparable to the 100+ players participating in each tournament. We have put together a great list of tournaments this year so come out and support our golf program. July 12, 7:30 Valley View (Scramble)$52 Registration begins on Friday, June 25 August 2, 7:30 Old Mill $48 Registration begins on Friday, July 16 August 16, 7:30 Eaglewood (Scramble) $48 Registration begins on Friday, July 30 August 30 7:30 Davis Park $48 | Registration begins on Friday, August 13 Cornhole: Some of you might have played the bean bag toss game known as Cornhole. Prior to the pandemic, we built a few sets of Cornhole to play at the Center. We will be bringing those out in the courtyard for casual play during Pickleball days (Mon. – Friday, 8 – 2), and will be providing assistance in learning how to play the game. Summer Family Concert Series: Please note the schedule below for our 2021 Summer Family Concerts that are held on the 2nd Monday at 7:00 pm. These concerts are free for all ages and are held in our Backyard Plaza (or inside due to inclement weather). Doors open at 6:00 pm. Jul 12 Company B (jazz) Aug 9 Flashback Brothers (classic) Sep 13 Red Desert Ramblers (bluegrass)

CLASSES

Burial vs. Cremation: On Tuesday, July 6 at 10:30, Elizabeth Vasquez and Royce Gibson from Affordable Funerals and Cremations, will answer your questions regarding burial vs. cremation, cost options, when ﬁnancing can be offered and when immediate payment must be made. They will bring treats. This is a free class. Register now. Earthquake Class: On Wednesday, July 7 at 10:30, Maralin Hoff, “The Earthquake Lady,” from the State of Utah Department of Public Safety will be at the Center to share her knowledge about how to “safe proof” your home in the event of an EARTHQUAKE. This is a free class. Register now. Grief Support – ZOOM (July 9); At Center (July 30) On Friday, July 9 and Friday, July 30 at 10:30, Jody Davis, a Chaplain from Rocky Mountain Hospice, will discuss ways to process grief in our GRIEF SUPPORT CLASS. Grief is not limited only to the death of a loved

THE MURRAY SENIOR RECREATION CENTER

one; it may also be caused by a reaction to divorce, a decrease in physical ability, and other grief-producing events that are all too common as we age. This is a free class. Register now. History Class: On Tuesday, July 13 at 10:30, Jim Duignan, who originally hails from Dublin, Ireland, and is a retired history teacher, will discuss the AUSTRALIA EXPEDITION of 1860-1861. This is a free class. Register now. The next history class will be Tuesday, August 10. Topic TBA. Nutrition—Boost Your Mood with Food: On Tuesday, July 20 at 10:30, Ashley Quadros from Harmon’s will be teaching us how to BOOST YOUR MOOD WITH FOOD. If you have ever experienced the guilt and discomfort that comes after eating a box of cookies, a whole large pizza, or <fill in your vice food here>, then you have experienced first-hand that food can impact your mood. Ashley will review all the delicious ways to ensure your diet is helping and not hindering your mental health. This is a free class. Register now. Vital Aging: On Tuesday, July 27 at 10:30, the VITAL AGING wellness topic will be EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION LEADS TO EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS. Please join Kayla Cook as we discuss communications skills to improve how we connect with those around us. This is a free class. Register now. Ace Recycling: Wednesday, August 11 at 10:30, Ace Recycling will be here to teach us how to improve our recycling efforts. Family History Training Workshop will resume Wednesday, August 4 and run through Wednesday, September 1 from 12:30-1:30. Glen Sisam’s Family History Training Team is pleased to resume this five-week course. This course is a great way to get your genealogy started or to expand your history. This is a FREE class. Space is limited to six participants. Register now.

TRIPS

Utah Festival Opera: We will be making two trips to Logan for the UTAH FESTIVAL OPERA to see matinee performances of The Fantasticks on Wednesday, July 14 and I Do! I Do! on Wednesday, July 21. Both trips leave at 9:30 and we will have lunch at the Bluebird (on your own) then see the show at 1:00. The cost of each trip is $60. Registration begins Tuesday, June 29. Payson Salmon Supper: Join us for the 67th annual PAYSON SALMON SUPPER on Friday, August 6. We have chartered a 52-passenger bus that will depart at 2:30 and the cost is $32. Registration begins on Thursday, July 8. Wendover: Travel to WENDOVER on Thursday, August 12, and enjoy a day at the Rainbow Casino. The cost is $20 per person which includes transportation, bonus package from the casino, buffet lunch, and free bingo on the bus. The bus will depart the Center at 8:30 am and return about 7:00 pm. Register now. The deadline to register or cancel for a full refund is Thursday, August 5.

10 East 6150 South (West of State Street) • 801-264-2635

Murray targets short-term rentals

By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com

n ordinance regulating short-term rentals in Murray City moves forward after the city conducted a survey of residents last December regarding the matter. Growing complaints from neighbors regarding noise, parking, and trash motivated the city to investigate houses rented less than a standard rental lease. By definition, a short-term rental is any dwelling or portion thereof available for lodging of guests paying a fee for less than 30 consecutive days. While Murray does not suffer from tourists in the way Park City, Moab, or St. George do, the city’s central location on the Wasatch Front does make it appealing to business travelers. “The issue came to Murray a year and a half ago, due to a code enforcement issue when short-term rentals were illegal for single-family dwellings in Murray. As a result, conversations began, and research started; they found that a total of 126 unique rental listings—located in Murray— were posted on various short-term rental websites in January of 2021. They felt many citizens know that short-term rentals are illegal in Murray, but they proceed anyway, or residents do not understand the existing ordinance against it,” explained Murray City Community and Economic Development Director Melinda Greenwood, at the April 20 Murray City Council meeting. Rental property owner Charmaine Barrett told the council, “I had no idea that this might be against the city ordinances since it is my property, I own it, and as long as I am responsible and don’t cause my neighbors problems, I should be able to allow whomever I want to stay in my home. So, I started renting on Airbnb.” Greenwood presented research showing that 65% of all STRs in Murray are single-family homes; of those, 68% of owners rent out the entire home versus 30% who rent out parts of it. The median nightly rental rate for Murray STRs hovers around $80. Widespread support to regulate STRs

manifested itself in the survey results, with 41% saying that STRs should not be allowed. If allowed, half said the rental unit should be owner-occupied, and 53% indicated the city should limit the maximum number of nights per year a dwelling may be rented. Taxable revenue between long-term rentals and STRs creates a complex problem. Rental owner Bryan Muriel told the council, “With short term rentals, the city makes more in tax revenue compared to those landlords who rent long-term and, even worse, rent without disclosing some or all earnings, cutting Murray out of a tax portion. That is difficult to do with short-term rental sites, as they are in compliance with the law to report and collect tax on their end.” While rental owner Ken Atkins welcomed the idea of an ordinance, he stated, “I am a supporter of any ordinance which allows for the short-term rental of owner-occupied dwellings. The rental of these spaces, in a responsible and regulated manner, would be a significant advantage for those who are currently struggling to pay their mortgages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People in our community need every advantage possible to sustain us during this time.” At the June 15 Committee of the Whole meeting, Greenwood presented the first draft of the STR ordinance. While allowing STRs to be legal within the city, the ordinance would require STRs to be owner occupied. Additionally, the city would require the property owner to apply for a land use permit and pay a fee before renting. Also, they would need to submit a parking plan, “A detailed drawing of an off-street parking plan must be provided to ensure that all occupants of the primary dwelling and STR can be accommodated on-site at all times.” The city will limit STRs to a maximum of 30 days and require signage on the building. Violations of the ordinance can carry, at minimum, a $500 fine and up to a class B misdemeanor with no less than a $1,000 fine. l

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July 2021 | Page 25

Cottonwood High’s art collection shows range of talent

ottonwood High senior Kara Bagley was “really excited” when she learned from her art teacher Glen Fuller that her painting “Ballerina on a Settee” was chosen as the Nancy Rosenblatt Memorial Art Award winner and will become part of the school’s permanent collection. “It’s a great honor; I never thought I’d get this far,” she said. “I’m so grateful for my teacher supporting me. I always wanted a piece to hang in the hallway.” Bagley and classmate senior Cali Colton also were selected as Granite School District Rosenblatt art honorees along with two representatives from other schools and displayed a couple pieces at the district art show. In addition to her ballerina painting, Bagley included a self-portrait she painted in oil, holding rose-tinted glasses. “It’s my favorite since I figured out how to use oil paint,” she said. Colton displayed three pieces—two created in acrylics, an 1800s-style silhouette and a pacemaker tying together art, nature and science; and also, a blue-colored drawing of a classical Greek statue. By being selected as a Rosenblatt artist, it translates to being a “very accomplished artist.” “We take art seriously; they recognize our hard work we put in at school and we want some sort of future involving art,” Colton said. Both girls submitted portfolios for their Advanced Placement art class. Colton has a scholarship to Brigham Young University to pursue a pre-illustration major and Bagley will attend the University of Utah to study both business and art. Colton said the appreciation and education for art she received at Cottonwood is unmatched. “Not a lot of schools value art as much as Cottonwood,” she said. “The administration appreciates what the students and teachers do.” This is apparent as almost every year, there is an administrative purchase—or sometimes a couple—to add to the art collection that numbers more than 200, said Principal Terri Roylance about the collection that is catalogued and securely mounted in the school building. “I believe that it is wonderful to have a history of student artwork in our school; we are very lucky to have such strong teachers and exceptional students,” Roylance said adding that she “agonizes” over which ones to select and makes the decision with other administrators and the art faculty. “It’s a collection where someone can come in and see such great talent of our students.” Although the collection has been proudly embraced by administrators, teachers and the student body, it came about through a tragic accident, said Bill Laursen, a retired

Page 26 | July 2021

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Cottonwood High Art Collection is made up of administrative purchases, donations and Nancy Rosenblatt Memorial Art Award winners, an award made in tribute to a former Cottonwood art student. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Cottonwood art teacher who began teaching shortly afterward in 1972. “Between her junior and senior year, a girl was hit by a drunk driver and killed just a few blocks from the school,” he said. “She was an artist, and she was going to be the student director of the yearbook that year. Her family wanted to start a memorial award on her behalf.” According to a Salt Lake Tribune article about the accident, Rosenblatt was an accomplished artist, having displayed her oil and watercolor paintings at the University of Utah. She also was involved in the school, serving as the school’s literary magazine, a member of the ecology club, treasurer of the French Club and was on the stage production crew. A memorial to Rosenblatt along with her photograph is in the hallway, and while none of her artwork is displayed, her legacy is the collection, Laursen said. “It’s her legacy and she never lived to see it, but her family did, and they realize the impact of that,” he said. The Rosenblatt Award is a cash award that is given to an outstanding Cottonwood student in their senior year who plans to pursue an art career. A piece of the winner’s artwork is purchased and added to the Cottonwood Art Collection, he said. “It’s a combination of the art department recommends, and then, the administrators come and voice their opinion and vote for which artists they would like to present or have the award,” he said, adding that students’ artwork is showcased in an annual student art show each spring. “Pretty soon, we had students approach us in the art department (saying) ‘I would like to either gift

a piece of artwork to the permanent collection, or have mine considered,’ which we were glad to do. Kids were encouraged to do it in that they could leave something behind, a positive reminder that they were a student at the school and in a lot of ways, it’s like athletics have a lot of trophy cases. For art students, it’s a painting or piece of artwork hanging in the school.” John Fackrell, who worked alongside Laursen for a number of years, said the artwork is more personal than a trophy. “That’s the cool thing about these; it’s not some plastic brass coated thing that no one knows what went into it,” he said. “When you look at a drawing or a painting, and you’re just standing there in awe, you’re saying, ‘a lot went into this’ whether it was with a brush or a pencil. So, to me, that’s unique and that’s not the case with the shape of a cup and it’s not in a case. It’s out there for everyone to enjoy.” While Fackrell estimates less than 10% of his former students have a professional art career, he believes art still is a part of their lives. “It’s maybe kind of like professional sports. How many high school baseball players go on to play National League Baseball? I would say under 10% , maybe 5%,” he said. “The rest of them, I’m sure they still love art, and they might dabble in it. It may be a hobby. It might be something that now they collect.” While current students enjoy the artwork that line their school hallways, library and offices, the former teachers—including Fuller, who retired this year—know the collection’s back pieces and the efforts to include diversity in the artwork.

“When I walk up and down the hall, I really don’t see the artwork,” Laursen said. “I see the face of the students that did it and I remember them doing every single piece; I remember its conception and the students who worked on it and how proud they were of their art and how much work they put into it.” He recalled the first award-winner, Shauna Tilly. “That painting that was purchased that first year is still there, of course. It’s a winterscape, an old house out in a snowy field” to an international student from Russia, named Rosana, who “came to the school not speaking a word of English and went around all day with the little red dictionary. She became one of our top artists and her piece is in the collection.” There’s a painting of a child holding a yellow umbrella in the rain by Caroline Lund. “The girl that did that was legally blind; she never learned to drive,” Laursen said. “She danced in the school musical, but she had to be close enough to other dancers so her fingertips could touch them, so she knew where she was in the chorus. When she would work on her project, she was literally three inches away from it. She never told me that was the situation until I asked her. She said it was the only way I can see anything. She worked so hard; she was not going to be deterred by something so small as blindness.” Then, there’s a colored pencil drawing of a Pontiac convertible hanging across from the theater. “If you look closely, he put some words in the license plate in the front of the car, which was ‘thank you CHS’ because our

Murray City Journal

program meant so much to him; he was such a talented kid,” Laursen said. He remembered Angela Black who created a portrait of three horse heads. “She didn’t want to sell it. She said, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever done,’” Laursen said. He pointed out to her that thousands of people would see her artwork at the high school. After reconsidering, she allowed the horse artwork to stay at the school and later told him it was the best decision she ever made. Fackrell said that he remembers telling students, “If you’ve done it once, chances are you can do something that good again.” He remembers Liberty Tutafu. “She was Polynesian. She was a great, really, really, good artist. The school purchased her work every year she was there—sophomore, junior and senior.” When considering artwork, the teachers and administrators look for diversity. “I wanted it to be a multicultural situation that students could find something in the artwork that they related to,” Laursen said, using Vinnie Lopez’s picture of a late 1940’s red Cadillac with “a lot of chrome” as an example. “He was in his senior year; he was not getting more motivated as the year drew to a close. I said ‘I’ll make you a deal. You finish this portrait of your Cadillac and you get an A in the class. If you don’t finish it, you get an F.’ It would appeal to many kids who are interested in low-rider cars so that’s why I wanted Vinnie’s Cadillac to be on the wall, so everybody is included as much as possible.” Fackrell said that as the collection grew and more styles of art was offered in the department, they also looked to include different mediums, such as tile, print, watercolor, oil, splash acrylic, colored pencil, stained glass, collage and others. The dedication of Cottonwood High’s art students goes back to its roots in the 1970s

when Laursen took students almost annually to New York City to learn more about the arts. In the 1980s and 1990s, students could letter in art and a framing shop was created to teach students how to professionally frame their artwork. Nowadays, students on the school arts council creates opportunities for students to work on their own art projects or be introduced to new mediums, said Anna Hexem, incoming SBO president and arts council member. “The first time I came here before ninth grade, I looked around and said, ‘Holy crap. This is the coolest place.’ It inspired me to do art; I’ve never wanted to leave the art room.’” Laursen remembers seeing younger students after seeing a matinee production of the theater department and watched their teacher point out a piece of artwork of a woman with a scarf holding a rooster and tell them that it was created by a former student at their school. “They couldn’t believe it that one of their own had a piece of artwork hanging on this school wall. I thought, this is where the appreciation comes in, these kids come over at this age and in a few years, they’ll be going to high school and they can see some opportunities and possibilities,” he said. As the collection grew, people began commenting on the artwork, Laursen said. “No one believed that high school students had done it,” he said, adding that not even the students nor the parents realized its value at the time. “I had parents come to parent-teacher conferences or call me and say, ‘I can’t get my kids to come up out of the basement to have dinner. They’re down there working on that artwork all the time.’ So, when I walk up and down the hallways and see this art, I have this feeling of pride of what these kids had accomplished, and they didn’t really realize how good it actually was.” l

Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimmillion people are living er’s 6.2 or another dementia. Alzheimer’s is a brainwith disease that causes 6.2 million people are living with a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are Alzheimer’s diseaseEvery in the United 10 warning signs and symptoms. individual may experience Alzheimer’s disease in the United one States. or more ofOver these signs in a different degree. If you notice any 34,000 people in Utah of them in yourself or a34,000 loved one,people please see in a doctor. States. Over Utah

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eachloss year 1. Memory that than disruptsbreast cancer and prostate cancer combined, and is the daily life prostate cancer combined, and is the 2. Challenges in planning or 4th leading cause of death in Utah. problem solving 4th leading cause of death in Utah. 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, More than 104,000 people in Utah More than 104,000 people in Utah work or at leisure 6.2for millionsomeone people are living with Alzheimer’s provide living 4. Confusion withunpaid time or care disease in the United States. Over provide unpaid carepeople for insomeone living34,000 place Utah alone. This disease kills withunderstanding Alzheimer’s disease. The impact is 5. Trouble more people each year than breast cancer with Alzheimer’s disease. The impact is visual images and special and prostate cancer combined, and is the widespread and can be devastating to 4th leading cause of death in Utah. relationships widespread and can be devastating to 6. New problems with words families. More than 104,000 people in Utah proin speaking or writing families. vide unpaid care for someone living with 7. Misplacing things and Alzheimer’s disease. The impact is widelosing ability to Forthemore information, aboutto families. spreadto and learn can be devastating For more information, to learn about retrace steps Together we can work to findor a cure support groups or other resources, 8. Decreased or poor and ultimately have our first survivor! support groups or other resources, or judgment Join the fight and lend your to to get from helpwork immediately contact thevoice 9. Withdrawal or this critical cause by attending the to get help immediately contact the social activities Walk to End Alzheimer’s this fall. There Alzheimer’s Association’s free 24/7 are eight Walks throughout the state 10. Changes in mood Association’s Alzheimer’s free 24/7 of Utah: and personality Helpline at:

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Cottonwood High senior Kara Bagley’s “Ballerina on a Settee,” seen here on display at Springville Museum of Art, was chosen to become part of Cottonwood High’s permanent art collection. (Photo courtesy of Kara Bagley/Cottonwood High)

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to find a cure to find a cure and ultimately have our first survivor! 800-272-3900 and ultimately haveRegister our first survivor! at: orJoin visit our thewebsite fight at: and lend yourtoday voice to www.alz.org/Walk Join the fight and lend your voice to www.alz.org/utah this critical cause by attending the this critical cause by attending the uly 2021 | Page 27 Walk to End Alzheimer’s this Jfall. There Walk to End Alzheimer’s this fall. There are eight Walks throughout the state

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Murray City Journal

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Left: Doug Maughan manned the offensive and defensive lines for Cottonwood and ran track in several events. Right: JJ Mitchell will be on his way to Utah State University soon to major in aeronautical engineering. (Photo courtesy Casey Miller)

Cottonwood seniors JJ Mitchell, Doug Maughan earn Academic All-State in two sports By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

n the eyes of Cottonwood football head coach Casey Miller, variety is the spice of life. In his view, the fact that other high school football programs across the state practice year-round is counterproductive. “We don’t do any practices from October through end of school,” said Miller. “Lots of places have made football yearround. I hate it.” Instead, the coach urges his players to play all the sports that Cottonwood offers. “I want them doing everything they can… Wrestle, track, baseball, basketball,” he added. There may be some truth to the coach’s philosophy, because this past year saw JJ Mitchell and Doug Maughan, two of his top football players not only play different sports—football in the fall and track this spring—but end up thriving so well in the classroom that both were named to the Academic All-State team, in both sports. Mitchell and Maughan manned the offensive and defensive lines for Cottonwood and ran track in several events. In football, Mitchell won three player of the game awards for the Colts, two on offense and one on defense, as well as the player of the game award overall for a Sept. 4 performance. Mitchell will be on his way to Utah State University soon to major in aeronautical engineering, and he graduated from Cottonwood with honors according to Miller, but it’s his hard work on and off the gridiron that impressed the coach the most. “JJ took the hardest classes Cottonwood

MurrayJournal .com

has to offer, and already has his plan for college,” said Miller. “He was another one who has shown up every single day and has worked just as hard at football as he does at school and turned himself into a very good center and defensive end for us. I can’t think of a game where he didn’t play well this entire season and was easily the best OL and DL we had this season.” Maughan was a great kid the Cottonwood coach said he could trust with anything, something the graduated senior leader earned over time and by trial and error. “Doug is the kid who has used football to learn about himself and become a more well-rounded person. He made Academic All-State this year having almost a perfect GPA for all four years of high school,” added Miller. “He was a national merit scholarship finalist and had never played any football before high school. He has come so far and has been a great example that you can do well in school and be at all our football requirements if you are willing to work hard.” Maughan’s future plans include getting a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics, having earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of Utah where he will begin his studies. For the coach, he’s sad to see them go, as they were the linchpins of his team. “Both kids are the kids we wished we had 100 of...hard working, no excuses, and kids who wanted to do everything a teacher/ coach asks of them.” l

2021 EVENING S ERIES Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov July 9-10, 12, 15-17 ................................... Shrek The Musical July 23 ....................... Beehive Statesmen Barbershop Chorus Aug 6-7, 9, 12-14 ......................................... Disney's Newsies Aug 11..... Jenny Oaks Baker, Violin & Cello Workshop Concert Aug 21 .................................................. Clayton Smalley Band Aug 27-28 ...................................... "A Celtic Summer's Night"

LUNCH CONCERT SERIES * Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #2, FREE July 6 - One Man Band, Tony Summerhays .............................. July 13 - Time Cruisers ................................................... Oldies July 20 - Wendy & The Lost Boys ............................ Gypsy Jazz July 27 - Sonic Paragon .................................................... Jazz

LIBRARY SUMMER SHORTS * Wednesday at 1 PM in Murray Park Pavilion #2, FREE

July 7 ........................................................... Irish Step Dancing July 14 ................................. Belle & Mrs. Potts, Character Visit July 21 ........................................ Wild Wonders, Animal Show July 28 .................................. Firefighter's Soak (Softball Field)

CHILDREN MATINEE SERIES * Thursday at 2 p.m. in Murray Park Gazebo, FREE

July 8 - 1520 Arts ............................................. Hip Hop Dance July 15 - Trash Panda ............................................. Drumming July 22 - The Puppet Players .............................. Puppet Show July 29 - Happy Hula .................................... Polynesian Dance

FAMILY NIGHT S ERI ES Bring the Whole Family Young and Old! The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Murray Senior Recreation Center (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 block west of State) July 12 – Company B. ..................................................... Oldies Aug 9 – Flashback Brothers ................................... Classic Rock

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

This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Museums & National Endowment for the Arts.

July 2021 | Page 29

Murray School District honors exemplary custodian, teacher By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

n the late 1960s, Barbara Eden played a 2,000-year-old genie in “I Dream of Jeannie” who, with a blink of her eyes and a swish of her ponytail, could clean a room instantaneously. A Parkside Elementary head custodian may be the real-life mirror to that image as teachers nominated her for the classified employee of the year award with the words: “Tabitha is so good at her job that sometimes I swear she has magical powers.” Tabitha Brooks was recently named Murray School District’s outstanding classified employee of the year and honored at a Murray Board of Education meeting. John Johnston, who teaches career and technical education at Riverview Junior High was honored as the outstanding teacher of the year. The two were presented clocks that stated they received the awards “for professional excellence and outstanding support of the students of Murray.” Brooks had received a letter earlier knowing she was nominated, but it was during a schooltime meeting about what was going to be needed that summer, when Murray School District Superintendent Jen Covington and Director of Support Services David Roberts surprised her with a bouquet of flowers to let her know she won.

“It was very shocking,” she said. “I love Parkside. I’m a perfectionist. I like it clean and tidy. I love being around kids and it’s a joy to see the end-product shine.” Brooks does more than the typical school cleaning and overseeing two employees, said Principal Heather Nicholas. “Tabitha has to climb on the roof every morning to get our swamp coolers working (and our heat),” she said. “She works in our lunchroom and has such a great connection with the students. She is very patient and kind. This year she has spent countless hours with cleaning protocols. She has had to spray down the building each day and the playground equipment twice a day. She is constantly working to make Parkside a clean and inviting place for all.” Brooks did say that she, like many custodians, had to ensure the cleanliness of the school during COVID—only since her employees at the time were high school students and too young for the vaccine, she did it on her own for six weeks. “I sanitized everything from top to bottom. I cleaned the carpet, I scrubbed the floors, I washed the walls. I used a special sanitizing spray, and everything got wiped. It was basically like a makeover,” she said about tasks that were consistently repeated

Riverview Junior High teacher John Johnston helps his woodworking students during class. (Photo courtesy of Riverview Junior High students Annica Slaugh and Emilyann Hamilton)

during the pandemic. Then, she got to do some extra cleanup after May 18, 2020, when a 5.7 magnitude area earthquake cracked a window and damaged ceiling tiles. Brooks did all this on top of being avail-

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able to the needs of the faculty and staff. In the nomination, the teachers appreciated her efficiency and her demeanor. “When I email her about maintenance-related needs in my classroom, it seems as if she walks into my room seconds

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after pressing ‘send.’ Not only is Tabitha very prompt to respond and help around the entire school, she is extremely kind and professional,” the nomination stated. “Waking up at the crack of dawn to clean, sanitize, and heat the school building and then zip around all day responding to everything from bathroom mishaps to retrieving items off the roof, is really taxing. She does all of this and more with a smile on her face and a happy disposition.” While Brooks has only worked as Parkside’s head custodian for two years, she did work for the district office and Hillcrest Junior High beforehand. Previously, she was a room stewardess on a private yacht after she basically fell into the cleaning industry at age 13. “I absolutely love it,” she said. “I’m proud of the changes I’ve made at Parkside.” Johnston went home one day to find a yard sign honoring him as Riverview’s teacher of the year. Then, he received a letter from the district informing him that he was being considered as district of the year. Later, Assistant Principal Scott Bushnell, Secondary Teaching and Learning Director Robin Williams and others surprised him while teaching seventh-grade students woodworking and asked him to accept the district title. “The hardest thing for me is I know

how many good teachers there are in our district, and especially at my school, I know them,” he said. “I know I’m a good teacher and I know I enjoy it, but I know that there’s so many other ones that deserve it. They put in so much time and effort. It’s made me realize I can do even more; that’s probably the best part.” Johnston was honored for his teaching as a 2017 Murray School District Pinnacles Award recipient. “The best thing about teaching is the kids, 100%—seeing them just have fun and learn and discover things and realizing that they can do things that look scary at first,” he said. Johnston began his career in education teaching technical modules in the ’90s. He switched to teaching woodworking after a long-term substituting stint. “I fell in love with it,” he said. He wants to make sure his students have a positive experience. Johnston’s principal, Earl Kauffman, adds, “John is a humble individual who enjoys working with his students.” In Johnston’s introductory woodworking classes, students traditionally make a clock and pen, where they get to use different tools and the lathe; a CO2 car, which they also learn more woodworking tools, and race the cars against each other at the end of term; and sometimes, a wooden miniature hockey game, again he exposes

students to their knowledge of the tools available. He also teaches the technical and engineering components of the seventh-grade college and career awareness course, which exposes students to various fields from business to cooking. In his section, students learn about bottle rockets; make speakers from Styrofoam plates, wire and magnets; and compete against one another with mousetrap cars they build. “I give them an incentive that if they can get it to go 100 feet, they can have an A through the whole quarter,” Johnston said. “We only had one girl do it this year, but it’s always easy (to offer) because it’s the same kids that really get into it and like everything, so they want to do everything else. It’s fun because it gets the kids that generally don’t participate or don’t try real hard—they’ll always try on that one.” While he encourages the students to gain experiences and build a resume, Johnston was hired in 1996 directly after finishing college and never put his experience on paper—until now. As Murray School District’s nominee for the state teacher of the year, Johnston is compiling his own resume, including his teaching philosophy, and writing answers to essays in the application. “It seems kind of weird to be writing it for yourself, to get an award,” he said. “It’s an honor I’m surprised by and appreciate.” l

Unsung Heroes

Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary:

At 106 years, it’s the oldest family owned business in Murray, Utah George A. Jenkins, a Midvale barber, and his wife, had lost five children and been closely associated with Bank’s Mortuary in Midvale. George and Mr. Banks decided to become partners in the mortuary. On the eve of the signing the necessary papers, Mr. Banks passed away and the agreement never took place. After George sold his barbershop, he decided to become a funeral director. The Jenkins family moved to Murray and it was there on State Street that he opened Jenkins Mortuary in December 1915. In February 1935, Jenkins Soffe became one. Vaughn C. Soffe, and George’s daughter, Mary B. Jenkins, met at Utah State University then married. Vaughn eventually purchased the funeral home and then passed it on to his own sons, Jaren and Gregg. Now the Soffe grandsons, Kurt and Blake, and the great grandsons, make up five generations and 106 years of continued service to families in the community.

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July 2021 | Page 31

Parkside educator honored for work toward inclusion, multiculturalism By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Parkside Elementary teacher, who co-founded and chaired the first Equity Council in Murray, recently has been honored as the 2021 Utah National Association of Multicultural Education’s Educator of the Year. Parkside third-grade teacher Cara Cerise created the gathering where educators can unite to create more equitable education for all students. “The Equity Council brings together educators and community members to celebrate and empower all students, especially those disproportionately affected by systemic oppression and marginalization,” she said, adding that when she learned about the honor she was “completely flattered.” “As someone who works very hard to ensure children feel welcome and loved unconditionally, this award is an important recognition, especially in a climate where discussing equity can feel like an uphill battle,” Cerise said. “This award is a reminder of how important inclusion work is and an encouragement to keep going even when things are difficult.” Beginning the Equity Council was included in her nomination for the National Association of Multicultural Education’s Educator of the Year. Cerise was nominated by Amanda Phillips, who works in Alpine School District’s

student education equity department and Jaqueline Thompson, who recent retired as Davis School District’s educational equity department director. Cerise has collaborated alongside Phillips in a group called FAM, short for Friends, Allies, and Mentors of the LGBTQ+ community, and knows Thompson through volunteering on the board of the Inclusion Center for Community and Justice, a local nonprofit dedicated to eliminating bias, bigotry, and discrimination. Thompson also has led trainings on equity and inclusion for Murray School District teachers. The NAME board of directors introduced Cerise by saying, “She has a relentless drive to create a welcoming, inclusive, and empathic learning environment. She is truly an outstanding humanitarian and social justice advocate who continues to make a positive difference in our community, state, and nation.” Other attributes including that she advances a philosophy of inclusion that embraces the basic tenets of cultural pluralism, she promotes cultural and ethnic diversity; she fosters equity for all; and she represents and addresses the needs of the multicultural education community. It also highlighted that by “working with the Utah Pride Center, Cara has created a space for education, professional development, and representation. She continues to be an example

is looking for champions in your community!

Community

of acceptance and pride in advocating for students and families from diverse backgrounds.” Cerise was able to thank the National Association of Multicultural Education’s board of directors through a video at the virtual conference since COVID-19 protocols did not allow for an in-person gathering. In her recorded message, she shared her approach: “My No. 1 priority as an educator is to create equitable, identity-safe classrooms and learning environments. And to me that means making sure that all of my students feel seen, celebrated, valued and empowered. Equity and inclusion are practices that require real commitment and real action toward change, and it is my lifelong commitment to learn and unlearn as much as possible so that I can contribute to the healing rather than the harming of humanity.” Cerise said she is able to do this by “embracing multiculturalism begins by creating an open and loving environment where all students and families are celebrated exactly as they are” in her classroom. “My approach to equity and inclusion in the classroom is based on love and respect for all of humanity. From the books we read, to the music we listen to and the conversations we have, I want my students to know about and respect all cultures and identities. One of the ways I encourage both cultural- and self-awareness is by having a diverse selection of literature in my classroom library and during our whole group read alouds and novel studies,” she said. For example, Cerise’s third-grade students read the books about a boy who moves to the United State from India. As he navigates a new country and meeting new friends, read-

ers quickly become acquainted with the pain stereotypes and assumptions can inflict upon people, Cerise said. “While we read, we discussed ways in which we too have been hurt by others’ insensitive comments and behaviors, and also how we can make sure new students feel welcome,” she said. Another book the class read features a protagonist who is on the autism spectrum. “Normalizing all kinds of backgrounds is fundamental to the safety and sense of community in a classroom. I never want any student to feel out of place or excluded because of their family, country of origin, skin color, religion, disability, gender, or any other aspect of their life or identity. In my classroom everyone belongs, period,” she said. Cerise ensures students have appropriate accommodations and supports whether it may be following proper protocols for students who have individualized education plans or providing text to speech options for students who are still developing reading and writing skills or making sure activities are inclusive for all students regardless of ability. “My highest priority as a teacher is ensuring every child has equal access to their education,” she said. Cerise said her learning toward inclusion, diversity, and acceptance is always changing. “I try to focus just as much on unlearning as I do learning when it comes to equity and inclusion,” she said. “This award is an honor. I feel inspired to continue to push myself to be the best educator I can be and to prioritize learning about and implementing equitable and inclusive practices.” l

Champions

are leaders who lift and inspire. They work to build a better community.

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Page 32 | July 2021

Parkside third-grade teacher Cara Cerise, seen here next to a snowman and some students, recently was the 2021 Utah National Association of Multicultural Education’s Educator of the Year recipient. (Photo courtesy of Cara Cerise/Parkside Elementary)

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Cottonwood student president who has a passion for writing publishes thriller By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

ometimes students may lose focus, glaze over and let their minds take them elsewhere while a teacher lectures. Cottonwood student body president Anna Hexem admits that is what happened to her while in her eighthgrade Bonneville Junior High math class taught by Brenda Bartunek. “I got a B; math just is not my subject,” she said. But while her mind wondered, she was being productive as she began writing a murder-mystery. “That’s literally when I started writing it. I’ve just been working on it continually since then. Last year, I designed my own cover and I uploaded it to Amazon and got it published myself. It’s been a goal that I’ve had for the past couple years,” Hexem said saying that it dates back to her sixthgrade year when she learned how to write creatively from her Spring Lake teacher, Jay Graft. Her goal was to complete “The Innocence” under pen name Anna Caroline, before her junior year ended, which she did. The teaser of her book says: “Shayne (Luscome) thinks Ruben (James) killed his daughter. Ruben claims he didn’t. Shayne gives Ruben 10 days to prove his innocence or he kills Ruben in revenge. The time limit is secret. Ruben doesn’t know about it.” This is followed by a direct quote from Ruben, “He blames me for Thalia’s (Jefferson) death. He’s coming after me.” Hexem said the bottom line is, “He thinks his friend killed her, but he doesn’t have any solid proof. My main character gives his friend 10 days to prove he didn’t kill her or he’s going to kill him in revenge for killing his kid” and since he’s involved in “a lot of not so good things,” he can’t go to the police. While many writers pen about their own experiences, Hexem did not. “The first half of my book was just kind of improv. Then, I realized I couldn’t improvise a whole novel. I made a plan and I finished it,” she said. She did, however, use some names that were familiar to her such as the main character although she “twisted his name a little bit.” “His first name was inspired by this kid I didn’t like in elementary. It’s been through a lot of editing, but

Cottonwood High student body president Anna Hexem holds the novel she completed after four years of writing. (Photo courtesy of Nanette Hexem)

Shayne was a bad character at first, then I rewrote it and made him the main character and I just kind of stuck with his name,” she said, adding that the real classmate she blocked on social media so he has been unaware that a book character is named after him. A friend since eighth grade came up with the name for the daughter in the book and she acknowledged her in the book. “I have my friends be my beta readers and they gave me feedback. I’ve done my own everything from the cover design to the actual writing to editing. It’s all been myself,” she said, adding that her aunts only read it after it was published and her mother currently is reading it. “I’ve spent countless hours on this. Writing is my passion. I really love the way English words work and you can put them together and do your own thing.” The book is dedicated to Jennifer Thomas, a friend who she has grown up with and who also enjoys writing; she has “always been super supportive.” Hexem, who also enjoys art and serves on the school’s art council, digitally created the cover on her

iPad. “It’s a black background with a red stripe and in a part of the book, Shayne wears a red stripe across a black shirt that he wears as a reminder of Thalia, so I thought it would make a really good cover as it’s a little foreshadowing to the rest of the book,” she said. Hexem’s book is available on Amazon and her English teacher, Lauren Merkley, bought a couple copies and informed her students. Hexem, who is a self-proclaimed “huge reader—I will read anything and everything I can get my hands on” hopes to be able to share her published work with others at libraries once COVID-19 restrictions lift, but in the meantime, she already has begun work on her second book, which will not be a sequel. “The thing about me is I get bored easily, like I can’t handle doing one thing for the rest of my life,” she said. “So, I can’t just stick to one genre. I have this little challenge for myself, and I’ve picked out eight different genres. I’m going to write a book in each of those to see which one I like best.” l

July 2021 | Page 33

No splishin’ and a-splashin’ if popular Cottonwood Heights water park closes By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

n March 17, Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared a State of Emergency due to drought conditions, as 100% of the state is in a moderate drought category and 90% of the state is experiencing extreme drought. Cox has asked residents and municipalities to consider additional efforts for water conservation. “I ask Utahns to evaluate their water use and find ways to save not only because of the current drought conditions but also because we live in one of the driest states in the nation,” Cox said. Many cities are now considering ways to help the conservation of water during this year’s hot summer. One of the main considerations for Cottonwood Heights will be to conserve water from the Mountview Park Splash Pad (1651 Fort Union Blvd.). “It’s an attractive amenity for children and young families,” said Mayor Mike Peterson. The splash pad had been previously closed due to COVID-19 concerns. On June 15, City Manager Tim Tingey asked the Cottonwood Heights City Council if they would consider keeping the splash pad closed throughout the summer. He mentioned support for keeping the splash pad closed from the CH2 Committee and Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center.

The Cottonwood Heights City Council asked for the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center to dictate the best schedule for the splash pad. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

“The heat makes the splash pad attractive,” commented Councilmember Doug Petersen. Tingey mentioned that if the drought gets any worse, Cottonwood Heights would be required to shut down such amenities by the state legislature. Cox is urging municipalities and residents to do anything that can be done now to help prevent shutdowns. “We can look at opening it on a limited basis,” recommended Tingey. “We would be worried about a flood of people hitting it all at the same time,” said Councilmember Petersen. Councilmember Tali Bruce reminded the city council about the COVID-19 concerns which closed the splash pad down originally. “The primary group using the splash pad are not immunized.” Ultimately, the city council decided to pursue a schedule for the splash pad to be open between two and three days per week for a few hour time block. They encouraged Tingey to coordinate with the Recreation Center to see what will best accommodate them. To learn more about drought conditions, visit the Cottonwood Height’s City website at: www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/community/sustainability. l

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Utah Food Bank to distribute 200,000 meals this summer By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com

hat fits in a 10-inch by 8-inch by 7-inch box? If you said 14 meals for a Utah child, you would be right. As part of their Summer Food Service program, the Utah Food Bank provides meal boxes to individuals 18 and younger each week throughout Utah. The boxes are free and are design for one person for seven days— seven breakfasts and seven dinners. If a family has four children, they get four boxes. Each box includes a sample menu. For example, breakfast one is a cereal bowl and regular applesauce. For dinner two, the menu is cheddar cheese cup, sunflower kernels, MJM Pizza Crackers, flavored applesauce and vegetable juice. Other items on the menu are Pop-Tarts, barbecue chicken salad, breakfast bar, Jack Link’s Original Chicken Tender Bites, and beef sticks. The kids are given 14 small cartons of milk with their box. These boxes are distributed in eight Utah counties, including Salt Lake County.

Salt Lake County

In Salt Lake County, the Utah Food Bank provides hot meals at various locations Monday through Friday. The meals are prepared in the Utah Food Bank kitchen and delivered in electric hot boxes, which keep the food warm for up to four hours. The Utah Food Bank can provide these 200,000 meals because they are partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This partnership extends the Kids Café program throughout the summer. The 200,000 meals are served at 40 sites across the state. Some programs are open sites meaning first come, first served. Other sites are enrolled programs that have specific requirements. There are 16 sites across the valley, including Boys & Girls Clubs, community centers and libraries. Libraries are included because the Utah Food Bank found that many children spend their days at the library but never had food. A complete list and details like times, locations, and dates is available at www.utahfoodbank.org/SummerMeals/.

Utah Food Bank

“Most people, when they come home, they wonder what they are having for dinner. I drive home wondering if every child in Utah has a dinner,” Ginette Bott, president and CEO of Utah Food Bank, said. The Utah Food Bank partners with 205 agencies across the state. In 2020, they distributed 62.5 million pounds of food at no cost to the receivers or the agencies. Utah Food Bank is the largest food distributor in the state. Since 1904, the Utah Food Bank has tried to learn more efficient ways to obtain products and meet the needs of the people of Utah. With the increase in the refugee population, the Utah Food Bank has learned how to meet

MurrayJournal .com

“Most people, when they come home, they wonder what they are having for dinner. I drive home wondering if every child in Utah has a dinner.” – Ginette Bott their dietary needs. Utah Food Bank does not consider itself a transportation company nor a human need company. “We just quietly go about feeding kids,” Bott said. Bott mentioned that sometimes they are Contents of a meal box given to kids by the Utah Food Bank this summer. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals) criticized for giving out ramen noodles. Her response is she would rather have a child’s belly full of noodles than having them cry because they are hungry. Bott pointed out that the Utah Food Bank always needs food, time and money. She also said if a person ever needs help, call 211 or go to the Utah Food Bank website.

Grocery Rescue program

The Grocery Rescuer program is a partnership with 270 grocery retailers. Retailers provide food that is nearing the expiration date but is still healthy and wholesome to eat. Refrigerated trucks provided by the Utah Food Bank and partner agencies operate six days a week throughout the state, picking up the food donations. The food goes directly to food pantries to be distributed within 24 hours. The donations primarily are daily consumables, including fresh produce, dairy and meat. Without this program, such items would end up in the landfill. In 2020, 16 million pounds of food was distributed to help end hunger. Walt May, a program director, offered a way anyone can help with this program. May suggested that they will give you the freshest meat or cheese when you go to the deli at the grocery store. This allows the retailer to freeze the older meat and cheese and donate it to the program. “Buying sliced deli meat or cheese helps feed people of Utah,” May said. l The Utah Food Bank does much more than collect food. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)

July 2021 | Page 35

City Journals Economic Overview

Economic recovery brings inflation concerns By Robert Spendlove | Zions Bank Senior Economist

he Utah economy continues to improve. Job growth is accelerating, unemployment is dropping, and wages are increasing. However, the emerging trend of inflation is causing some struggles in the economic recovery. Inflation essentially describes the principle that prices rise over time. It’s actually good to have inflation; it encourag-

es investment and overall growth. However, if inflation grows too much it erodes the value of cash and can cause asset bubbles, which then can crash. An example of this is lumber prices, which nearly tripled in price from July 2020 to May 2021, but have dropped nearly 50% in the last few weeks. Inflation has been increasing nationally and locally for the past few months. The national Consumer Price Index rose in May by 5% from a year before. This is the highest inflation since the summer of 2008. Prices regionally were also up significantly in May, increasing 4.7% over the past year.

A primary cause of this recent inflation is the economic reopening. A year ago, as the pandemic spread and as the economy shut down, demand for many goods and services evaporated. This caused prices for things like gasoline, hotel rooms, and airfare to collapse. With many people now returning to work and going on trips, demand has surged for these products. Gasoline prices alone are up 56.2% in the last 12 months, and the price of used cars and trucks has surged 29.7% over the same period. Airfares are up 24.1% in the last year and increased 12.2% in the last month. The big question now is how long this

high inflation will last. Is this a temporary surge or is it the beginning of a prolonged period of price pressures? No one knows for sure and this is a topic of intense debate. The Federal Reserve, which sets interest rates, has said they are concerned about unexpected high inflation but they want to wait and see what the future brings over the next several months before pulling back on monetary policy that encourages growth. Robert Spendlove is senior economist for Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

With no daily papers, statewide noticing changes By Erin Dixon| e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

efore 2021, cities were required to post public notices in daily newspapers. This is no longer. This year, Utah Senate Bill 201 changed that. Newspaper readership has plummeted in recent years. In 2018, “U.S. newspaper circulation fell in 2018 to its lowest level since 1940,” an article on Pew Research said.

Page 36 | July 2021

Because of low subscription rates, the two major newspapers in Utah, Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, dropped daily delivery. The new requirement is that taxing entities, including city governments, must post their notices on the state website, www.utah. gov/pmn/. It is an online portal that allows you to search for any taxing entity updates.

And, you can sign up for email notifications to get announcements on a regular basis. Each city government is planning other posting locations. The number of posting locations depends on the population. Midvale will be posting on the city’s website, the City Hall lobby, Midvale City Justice Court, the Public Works lobby and on the Utah Public Notice website.

West Jordan will also place notices in similar locations in addition to libraries, fire stations, parks, and grocery store community boards, etc. Other cities will be posting in similar locations. l

Murray City Journal

Beehive ranked best in Utah, Ames gets eighth By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

his spring, Beehive Science and Technology Academy burst into the top rankings at No. 1 amongst top-ranked Utah high schools by U.S. News & World Report. Last year, it wasn’t in the top 10. Nationwide, Beehive Academy was ranked in the 98th percentile of all U.S. high schools, ranking 244 out of 17,857. For math and reading performance, Beehive ranked No. 1 in both the U.S. and Utah. “More than 60% of our students participate in the AP program,” Beehive Science and Technology Academy Principal Hanifi Oguz said. “And 57% of our students have already earned college credit by passing one or more AP exams. The U.S. News ranking is a testament to our exceptional faculty and administration, and demonstrates our commitment to academic excellence.” Other area schools placing in the top 20 include Skyline High in Millcreek ranked fourth; American Preparatory Academy-Draper campus #3, seventh; Academy for Math, Engineering and Science in Murray, eighth; Itineris Early College High, West Jordan, 10th; Corner Canyon High, Draper, 12th; Brighton High, Cottonwood Heights, 14th; and Olympus High, Holladay, 18th.

U.S. News & World Report reviewed about 24,000 U.S. public high schools of which 162 Utah schools were ranked. Utah students needed to earn a minimum of 24 credits, including at least one applied or advanced language arts credit through a class such as debate or journalism, according to the Utah State Board of Education. The top-ranking high schools had students who demonstrated “outstanding outcomes above expectations in math and reading state assessments, earned qualifying scores in an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions.” The rankings also looked at college readiness, underserved student performance and college curriculum breadth. The top-ranked Beehive Science and Technology Academy was tied for second in the state with its math and reading proficiency rank, and 96% of the students graduate. The charter school enrolls 130 students, grades six through 12, for a student to teacher ratio of 17:1. According to the report, 39% of the students are rated as economically disadvantaged, 38% of students state they’re of minority diversity and 35% are female. The school is eligible for Title I funding. Beehive also is designated by the

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Two Beehive Academy students present their dry ice floating bubbles project in the Utah STEM Expo, an event organized by Beehive Academy. (Photo courtesy of Beehive Academy)

Utah State Board of Education and the STEM Action Center as a STEM Platinum School and is recognized as an Apple Distinguished School. The College Board also awarded Beehive the National AP Female Diversity Award for Computer Science. Skyline ranks 623rd nationally, with its top-ranking factors being second in college readiness and third in college curriculum breath. Of the 2,044 students at the public high school, 70% took at least one AP exam and 57% passed. Ninety-four percent graduate. The student body composition is primarily white, with only 16% stating minority diversity and 10% being economically disadvantaged. Fifty-two percent are female. American Preparatory Academy Draper #3 has a participation rate of Advanced Placement exams at 80%, with 60% passing at least one exam. Eighty-eight percent of the students graduate. With a student body of 246, 40% are identified as minorities and 19% as economically disadvantaged. The male to female ratio is 50:50. The charter school serves students between seventh and 12th grades and ranked first in college readiness and college curriculum breath for the state. Nationally, it ranks 968th. AMES, with an enrollment of 484, has a 95% graduation rate. Nationally, it ranks 1,120th. The ninth- though 12th-grade Title I charter school had 65% of the students

take at least one AP exam, with 34% passing. Fifty-three percent of the students are identified as minorities, 31% of them are economically disadvantaged. The male to female ratio is 50:50. Itineris has an enrollment of 370, with 96% graduating. The charter school serves 10th through 12th grade, with 45% identified as minority and 27% as economically disadvantaged. Fifty-one percent are female students. The school is eligible for Title I funding. Nationally, it ranks 1,263rd. Corner Canyon has a 62% participation rate in AP coursework and exams, with a 49% passing. Ninety-five percent of the students graduate. Of the 2,022 students, 17% are identified as minorities, 8% as economically disadvantaged, and 47% are female. Fifty-eight percent of Brighton’s 1,921 students took at least one AP exam, with 50% passing. Ninety-three percent of the students graduate. Eighteen percent are identified as minority, 14% are economically disadvantaged, and 47% are female. Ninety-one percent of Olympus High students graduate. Forty percent take at least one AP exam, with 32% passing. The student body composition includes 17% minority, 21% economically disadvantaged, and 51% female. l

July 2021 | Page 37

Drought and fireworks… a bad combination

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3

When Governor Cox asked all of us to pray for rain several weeks ago, my family and I talked about additional ways we could do our part. We made the decision to turn off the water while brushing our teeth, shorten our showers, and only water our lawn twice per week. We also made the decision not to do fireworks this year because of all the dry brush and potential impact on resources should something go awry. Most of Utah is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought. As Governor Cox explained recently, this is either the worst drought since 1956 or the worst drought ever. We have seen our reservoirs and lakes at record lows. In addition to the little precipitation over the last year to refill our lake and rivers, we also have more people than ever consuming water in this state. Luckily Utah has done a great job of planning for the future; but if we don’t cut back on water usage this year, we may find ourselves in a position where we will need to ration water in future years. Little things make a big difference when it comes to water conservation. There are things you can do like not letting the water run full blast while brushing your teeth or washing your pets near vegetation to get a secondary benefit. Utah’s slowtheflow.org has great advice for how to act during a drought. I found very help-

ful their tips on lawn management, namely: 1) water your lawn twice a week, 2) don’t water if it’s windy, 3) water in the evening or before 10 a.m., 4) prioritize your watering in the following order: trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, grass, and 5) raise your mower to leave your grass longer. You should also check out utahwatersavers.com, where you can find details on rebate programs for taking all sorts of water wise steps. While I can understand the desire to have the greenest lawn in the neighborhood, this year it’s cool to have yellow or brown lawn. You are showing your neighbors that you care about them and are conscientious water consumers during the drought. Paired with being water wise is being fire smart this summer. This includes the small things, like discarding of cigarettes in the proper receptacle and not driving over or parking your car on dry vegetation. It also includes the more mindful things, like only starting campfires in cement or metal firepits, never leaving them unattended, and fulling drowning them until cool to the touch. Utahfireinfo.gov has even more information to consider for your summer plans. Lastly, consider going to a planned city fireworks show for the holidays rather than having your own fireworks. It saves money, and it’s much safer

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since local fire departments are onsite at those planned fireworks shows. Usually on the 4th and 24th of July we get together with neighbors and light fireworks in our circle. Not this year. Due to the high risks that fireworks pose, we will be having a barbecue and playing games to celebrate the holidays. I’m a big fan of liberty and freedom, but I’m also a big fan of personal responsibility, so join me in watching your water usage and forgoing fireworks this year. Let’s be smart and be part of the solution!

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Murray City Journal

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Life

Laughter AND

PERI KINDER

It’s been said that when we make plans, God laughs. Do you think that’s a silly giggle or a maniacal James Bond villain laugh? The last few weeks brought a string of first-world irritations that felt like a game of Whac-a-Mole. I hit one problem and another one popped up. I pound that problem but end up hitting myself in the face with a rubber mallet. I can hear God LOLing from here. Despite our daily devotion to it, our TV stopped working. We shook the remote and pushed buttons as hard as we could, but there was still no picture. Just a dark, mocking abyss. We decided to run away from our responsibilities by driving to Idaho and checking-in at an Airbnb. (The room was nice, but the bed was shaped like a taco. I slept on the couch so I didn’t roll over in the night and suffocate my spouse.) Every 50 years, my husband likes to visit Yellowstone, so we left our Airbnb and drove to the national park to snap pictures of the bison, tiptoe around the geysers and marvel at the wondrous number of people who had the same idea. #HelloCOVID After getting lost in Yellowstone and stopping for Mexican food so we didn’t starve to death, we crossed the Teton Pass just as the sun was setting. Deer lined the road, waiting for the right moment to lunge in front of our car. We’d see their eyes glow-

ing in the dark, then hit the brakes before driving on. It took us 245 years to get back to our Airbnb. The drive back to Salt Lake the next day was pleasant, except when I had to give my husband the silent treatment because he wouldn’t take me to the Potato Museum (#PotatoIceCream). After we crossed back into Utah, the truck in front of us kicked up a rock that hit the car’s windshield, leaving an extensive and expensive crack across the glass. Used to be, when you broke a windshield, you’d call the junkyard and they’d take a windshield out of a car in their backyard to replace the broken one. Today’s windshield has monitors, antenna and tracking devices, so it’s worth half-a-million dollars, according to the windshield repair shop.

Why hasn’t Elon Musk created self-healing windshield glass? We made it back home, picked up the dog and gave everyone their Yellowstone golf balls and Idaho potholders. I looked forward to a nice hot shower but (joke’s on us) the hot water heater stopped working and was chuckling with God and the TV. They all had a good laugh together. We forked out more cash so we could have hot water, collapsed into our non-taco bed and slept. A few days later, my husband said, “We have a gas leak in the basement.” It took me a minute to understand what he was saying because he was so calm. My husband is notoriously terrible under stress. “Why are we still in the house?” I asked. “Where else would we be?” He responded. “Not in a house that could explode if we make toast.” We hustled everyone to the neighbor’s lawn until the gas company gave us the okay. The water heater had been installed incorrectly but our house wasn’t going to blow up. Today, at least. I rarely look at the dark side of life and by the end of the week I was chortling right along with God, the TV and the water heater. Sometimes, LOLing is the only thing you can do.

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July 2021 | Vol. 31 Iss. 07

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