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JORDAN HIGH TEACHER DISCOVERS NEW SPECIES OF WASPS, AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP FOR FURTHER STUDY By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

atch out Marvel, the Wasp Man is here. It’s not another superhero that will don a cape, but rather a 6-foot-7-inch tall high school science teacher with a microscope, who identified three new species of wasps that measure around 3 millimeters in size. After years of research, Jordan High School biology teacher Mark Petersen’s recent discovery of the wasps that live in central Utah will be published in a scientific paper this spring. “It took me about five years of reading the literature and comparing notes and looking at specimens to figure out if these really were new species that nobody had ever described before,” Petersen said. As part of his doctorate, he sets up traps every summer to collect the insects. “It takes hours of processing the material that was collected to see if these were in that sample. They’re tiny little things so I spend most of my time looking through the microscope,” Petersen said of his psilochlacis wasps.

Recently, the Utah Retired School Employees Association awarded Petersen a $1,250 scholarship to further his studies at Brigham Young University. It was one of eight scholarships the organization awarded elementary and secondary teachers of about 50 who applied. Fred Ash, former Jordan High principal, presented his former student the award. “When he was a student, he was in this group of guys who were really high achievers, a really good student with a 4.0 and he also was a really good basketball player,” Ash said, recalling that Petersen, at 6-foot-7, could dunk the ball. While Ash didn’t know that Petersen had a fascination with insect collecting at that time, Continued page 4 Jordan High School biology teacher Mark Petersen is joined by senior Annabelle Pettey looking over part of his collection. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Holiday boutique on Nov. 12 to benefit Jordan Valley students By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

n need of the perfect gift and yet, want to support a good cause? Jordan Valley School’s annual holiday boutique will be at 4 p.m., Nov. 12 at Canyons School District’s office, 9361 S. 300 East, Sandy. It will be held until 7 p.m. There will be vendors who will have handcrafted items to purchase or an opportunity to buy items from direct sales companies, said school principal Stacey Nofsinger.

Holiday decorations, such as this one from 2020, are expected to be amongst the items to purchase at Jordan Valley’s annual holiday boutique. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Valley School)

Continued from front page he said that his application with his work on insects “stood out” amongst the other candidates. Petersen began collecting as an eight year old, with his mother making his first net. “Rather than just letting them go, I’ve built up over the years my own collection. I probably have 3,000 or 4,000” different specimens, he said. Some specimens are stored at school while others at home. Some are housed in wooden collection boxes he has made, having learned woodworking from his father. While Petersen has collected on family vacations across the U.S. (and his youngest daughter has followed suit with her own collection), he also was part of a team who traveled to Costa Rica that collected specimens to add to the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum—as well as a few that made it into his personal collection, he added.

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Petersen said his current specimens are stored at BYU. “Anybody that is interested could ask for those to be sent on loan so they can study them further,” he said, adding that he got to officially name the wasps, but he is keeping that under wraps until the publication’s release. Petersen said that although he has searched throughout the state and nearby states, the main concentration of the wasps have been found in the Great Basin area near Yuba Reservoir. “They’re always found in very dry desert areas, but they do somehow seem to be associated with certain habitats,” he said, typically that they’re found amongst juniper and sagebrush. “The first thing biologists want to know is what is out there, what all living things are. It’s the idea of biodiversity: How many different kinds are there, where are they? Then, the second question deals with, is there a purpose for these or-

ganisms?” Petersen said to answer that, biologists are studying the parasitic wasps, which lay their eggs on a host, which is still being identified and then, will study the hosts and the insects’ lifecycles. “There’re so new that we don’t yet know so we will just keep exploring,” he said. One thing he does know is that he won’t get stung by his new favorite insect. “You’d never get stung by them,” he said. “They’re too small and they don’t have stingers anyway.” While taking a quick look, it initially may just look like these wasps are just tiny black bugs, but Petersen said they have identifying features such as their textured bodies with “punctures; they’re like little pits all over their bodies with little hairs sticking up out of them.” Each of the species is slightly different from one another, identified, for example,

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As of mid-October, she anticipates similar items as previous years such as holiday wreaths, holiday decorations, skin wash and lotion, in addition to a lot of tech donations they’ve already received for the boutique. “We’ll also have a silent auction for items there so people can come and do Christmas shopping,” she said. “They can purchase whatever they want that day and bid on items at the silent auction. And the money from the silent auction as well as the $30 table rental fee all goes to support our PTA.” PTA membership chair Betty

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through the pit shapes on their abdomens and shapes of their antennas. And they are black—expect for a little patch above their wings that is “kind of a bright orange and then, there’s also the very ends of their legs can either be yellow, brown or orange.” Not only are his colleagues aware of his findings, but Petersen’s students know about his discovery and frequently ask him about the project. They’re knowledgeable because for the past 20 years, his wildlife biology students have created a collection for Jordan High with trays of framed insects that are identified. Each year, at least 100 new specimens are added to the school collection. “We have a good time exploring how things are classified and how to identify them,” Petersen said. “A lot of kids just want to get the assignment done, but there are some kids that really get into it. I enjoy sharing and learning, right along with the kids. It’s the greatest thing.” l

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Shaw said the money from this fundraiser supports teacher grants, teacher appreciation week and items for students that can’t be purchased with educational funds. Jordan Valley students have severe multiple disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, communication impairments, genetic disorders and syndromes, deaf–blindness and students who are extremely medically fragile. The goal at Jordan Valley School is to improve the quality of life for students, age five to 22, and their families.l

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Best in show surprise and a theme of wanderlust in this year’s Sandy Visual Art Show By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

tah County artist Amy Brailsford was running late on Oct. 11, the night of the opening reception for the Sandy Visual Art Show. Eventually she made it, and it’s a good thing she did. There was a surprise waiting there for her, which she described on her Facebook page. “Let me tell you something incredible. My husband and I arrived late [to the opening night] because we had to leave our six kids home and the baby was crying. “I entirely missed the opening ceremonies and award presentations,” Brailsford said in a voiceover, while showing photos of many of the other works in the show. “You can only imagine my surprise when I went downstairs [in the Senior Center] and saw this,” Brailsford said. Her video scans across a wall of artwork, panning down to a big purple ribbon which is hanging next to a painting of a girl. “Best of Show. On my painting! Now that made for a great end to the night!” Brailsford said. Brailsford’s winning oil and acrylic painting is titled, “Girl with a Blue Ribbon.” In subject, perspective and title, it evokes the classic Johannes Vermeer painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Rules for the juried annual Sandy Visual Art Show restrict artists to three entries. Brailsford asked for suggestions from her friends on social media about which three pieces to enter. She entered “Girl with a Blue Ribbon,” a take on “Wet Cupid” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau and a profile gray scale work of a man with an extremely impressive moustache. “The Sandy Art Show is really exciting because there are over 70 local artists participating, and the art is incredible. “One thing I like about participating in local shows is that I can meet local artists and see what they’re working on. And because we live in the same general area, there is actually a chance we could meet up again,” Brailsford said. The show accepted original submissions in the areas of watercolor, photography, oil, acrylic, mixed media and 3D art. There is also a category for artists with special needs. The work was displayed at the Sandy Senior Center, 9310 S. 1300 East, from Oct. 12-22. Admission was free. Wanderlust after a year and a half of Covid restrictions may have been an inspiration for this year’s artists: many works featured landscapes or subjects from around the world. Exploring the outdoors was a theme in Richard Ansley’s photograph of Monument Valley. It was also featured in oil/ acrylic works: Richard Miles’s “Cascade Canyon – Tetons;” Don Ackley’s “American Icon” painting of a forgotten train car

Page 6 | November 2021

in the desert; and Joan Ellsworth’s “Adrift” of a boat aimlessly sitting in gray waters. The Mayor’s Choice award went to Jennifer Deily’s oil and acrylic painting, “Are We There Yet?” It shows a blue bison at sunset in a wheat field, with hitchhiking birds on its back and head. Other works featured more exotic locales: Autumn Krogh’s third-place watercolor is titled, and shows, “Mother and Daughters, Rwanda.” Jane Kennedy’s watercolor of an African elephant is simply titled “#2” and won fourth place. Melody Greenlief’s watercolor work was titled “Landing Again,” and Merrill Harward’s was “Paris #5.” Lola Kartchner stayed closer to home with her fifth-place prized work “Little Cottonwood Canyon.” The mixed media art was just as exploration driven. Beverly Hansen took second place with her Zebra piece titled “Stripes.” Doreen Hanson’s silverpoint drawing called “The Morning News” featured two charming older women chatting, dressed in plain dresses, their hair covered with bandanas. Vicky Petty’s “Laundry Day in Guatemala” showed brightly colored fabric hanging on clothing lines strung between houses. The “Disabled Artists” category had five winners, and included one of the few self-portraits, drawn by Christian Holets, called “Picture of Me.” Other winning artists in the category were Nicholas Pawlicki, Tyler Pierce, Jessi Wadsworth and Wendi Kockerhans. The 3D art had three winners for sculpted works: “Mythos” by Skip Bellock looks like a fanned seashell unwinding, waiting to share ancient myths and magic. Diane Martin’s “Fairy House” is a green fairy retreat with gravity challenges. And Dennis Barnett’s serene “Mallard Hen Family” captures a mother mallard duck and her five young ones settling into a riverbank. To see some of the winners’ pieces and for information on entering, see the Sandy Arts Guild website at www.sandyarts.com, and go to the “visual arts” section. The Sandy Visual Art Show is sponsored by the Sandy Arts Guild, which began in 1985. The guild has grown to include the art show, local theater such as October’s production of “Big Fish” and shows at the Sandy Amphitheater. The art show is an annual, family-oriented event, adjudicated by a committee of qualified jurors. Awards are given in the form of cash and other in-kind prizes. It gives artists an opportunity to meet other local artists, have their work seen by the public, sell work and receive commissions for new pieces. l

Many works in the Sandy Visual Art Show seemed to express a desire to travel and explore. (Sandy Arts Guild)

At the far left is the painting “Are We There Yet?” by Jennifer Deily, which features a blue bison and hitchhiking birds. It was selected as the Mayor’s Choice. (Sandy Arts Guild)

The Sandy Senior Center at 9310 S. 1300 East plays host to the Sandy Visual Art Show each year. The foyer, classrooms and all other empty space is filled with local art for several days, and admission is free. (Sandy Arts Guild)

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Jordan Valley students practice social skills while experiencing hands-on learning at state fair

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

he animals, the food, the rides and the fun. “Oh, my goodness,” Jordan Valley Principal Stacey Nofsinger said. “I went. We had so much fun at the state fair.” About 60 students from the school took advantage of the $1 per person entrance day for those with special needs. “When we first got there, we spent two hours on rides as they opened those on the Midway for us for free. Then, there was a snack shop set up so we could get fruit, fruit snacks, Rice Krispies Treats, water and juice—and that was all free,” she said. Then, the group went on to see sheep and cows and other animals at the state fair. They also saw different fruits and vegetables and even tried out “Little Hands on the Farm,” learning how food comes to their table from farms. “It was such a great experience for these kids,” Nofsinger said, citing the opportunities, such as one boy, who is blind, feeling the textures and ridges of a pump-

kin as his teacher described it. Others learned social skills, she said. “The whole idea of this was to give them another opportunity of experiencing things outside of school walls,” Nofsinger said. “It was good practice for following directions for their safety and needing to stay with their chaperone. They had to wait in line for rides, and they had to listen to the ride attendant who told them to stay seated and keep their hands inside. It was also an opportunity to review how do we behave in a public setting and using our manners with those free snacks. It was a day to have fun while learning and having new opportunities.”l

Jordan Valley student Frankie Navarro-Aviles feels the pumpkin with orientation and mobility specialist Linda Breeden. (Stacey Nofsinger/Jordan Valley)

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Canyons middle school students compete in cross country By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

little rain didn’t keep these racers away! More than 130 middle school cross country runners qualified and ran in the soggy conditions at the annual Canyons School District meet Oct. 9 at Jordan High School. These girls were amongst the 68 who finished the 2.2-mile race. Albion captured

the first-place finish, with second place going to Eastmont and third to Indian Hills. In the boys’ race of 63 competitors, Union and Albion tied for first, with Mt. Jordan and Butler following, respectively. (Julie Slama/ City Journals) l

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What’s your legacy?

Grace Lutheran School opened its doors to two-year-old preschoolers who have a curriculum to follow as well as time for books and play. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Grace Lutheran School opens its doors to two-year-old preschoolers By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

race Lutheran School opened its doors this year to two-year-old preschoolers, offering enriching activities to fill their day. The day is not only filled with finger painting and Play-Doh, but also with books, puzzles, songs, and a set liberal arts curriculum. “We use our faith curriculum through Concordia Publishing House for Bible stories that are geared toward two-yearolds,” school principal Shelly Davis said. “We go through literacy and numeracy. We have our STEM program which goes through our preschool so even the littles are in building and creating and engineering, coming up with their own little design. They’re just having a great time.” If that’s not enough, the two-year-olds also have P.E. time where they have activities such as crawling through tunnels or playing with a parachute, she said. And then, there’s nap time. In between activities, items are sanitized and cleaned as part of the precautions against COVID-19, Davis said. “Right now, it’s super easy. They’re

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playing, we’re wiping. We only have nine kids enrolled,” she said. However, there are openings available for five additional students, with the hours, included extended before and after-school care, being from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those interested can call the school for enrollment information. Davis said that when the school opened, it offered small classes for preschool three-year-olds through eighth grade, which this year’s enrollment totals about 90 students. Every year, they talked about adding two-year-olds and it was decided about two years ago, that would be the year. Then, COVID-19 hit, and the opening was delayed until this year. “I’m so glad they’re here,” she said. “We are a school where we care for children, the whole child, emotionally, socially, academically, and of course, spiritually. We are going to love them in ‘loco parentis,’ a phrase we use in Lutheran education—we are in place of the parents while they are here with us. So, we love them, care for them, guide them while they’re in our care.” l

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Canyons Peer Court starts its second year; encourages students to make amends, find connections By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

pproximately one year ago, Brighton High junior Nora Dominguez stood alongside her peers taking the same oath she did this year. It’s one that she doesn’t take lightly. Dominguez and 17 others—nine of who are returning members—pledged to uphold the duties of peer court, a model of restorative justice that was introduced to the Canyons School District communities last year. The Canyons Peer Court functions much like any court of law except with peer courts, students are trained to hear cases after students admit their guilt to their school administrators, and cases center around violations of school or district policy, such as fighting, bullying, vaping, or misuse of technology. The appearances and outcomes are confidential and the focus is on helping their peers make better decisions. “I’m excited for this year because I really enjoyed being on peer court last year,” she said. “It was a huge learning opportunity for me and a chance to help my community, school and school district. The families and students really trusted us,

and we saw how the peer court could really make a positive difference for them.” As a peer court, high school students rotate in roles of one of three judges, who sit before the families, or they’re one of three bailiffs, who escort the families into the court and read the oath. Other peer court students sit quietly in the back of the room, learning and observing, and once families leave on a break, take part in the deliberation of the deposition to determine the students’ recourse for the next four weeks. They are guided by the program’s coordinator, Charisse Hilton. While Dominguez maintains the oath of confidentiality, she said that often the way she and her fellow student-judges help families is for the students and their parents or guardians to share about themselves. “Sometimes our dispositions may be to improve attendance or take classes at the Canyons family learning centers or have them explore their interests as it may lead to possible future careers. We could encourage them to join clubs and make friends, talk to people in the school community or provide service to their school,”

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she said. Hilton said that the judges’ scripts have been tweaked from last year’s script to be more open-ended. “We want the student to be able to tell their story, so more of a ‘please, tell us why you’re here,’ which allows the student to speak freely,” she said, which helps in determining a disposition that will help the student. Dominguez and other peer court members undergo 35 hours of training before they begin hearing cases following the guidelines of the National Association of Youth Courts. Before a student appears in court, the peer court judges will recuse themselves if they know the student or if they attend the same school. Hilton said the integrity of the peer court is “sincere and their desire to help is real. They’re really thoughtful and are critical thinkers who really try to weigh out what is going to be best for the students. We want them to help them find a way to connect with their school.” Peer court is voluntary, which the student and parents agree to, as an alternative to suspension, which takes students away from school and may lead to becoming further behind in their schoolwork, she added. “Our goal is to help the kids change their behavior. We’re here to support them, help them make better decisions, help them connect and create some relationships. This alternative has students be engaged in learning how to change their behavior and

it’s an approach where the school community is being supportive to the family and providing resources,” Hilton said, adding that administrators and school resource officers have been trained and are supporting this alternative. She said that last year 41 students successfully completed their dispositions and families can reach back to her if they need for additional help or resources. “When they successfully met their dispositions, we celebrate and graduate them from peer court. We cheer and clap and tell them good job,” she said. Joining Hilton is Brighton teacher Shan Apolonio, who volunteers with the peer court members, who regularly hold court two days per month. To ensure students are on track completely their disposition, the peer court-appointed mentor, Suzanne Ren, checks in with students regularly. Hilton said that another positive aspect of the program is that the peer court members learn about civics, community engagement, explore career opportunities, engage with the public, speak professionally and learn how to remain calm under pressure. “These kids are responsible and have their hearts in the right spot. They sincerely want to help,” Hilton said. “Youth courts give students a voice, experience with leadership, and a chance to serve their community. I have a passion to help students become leaders and to help make our community better.” l

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Canyons Board of Education President Nancy Tingey swears in 18 students to take part of Canyons Peer Court in its second year. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Page 12 | November 2021

Sandy City Journal

RON JONES Constitutional Conservative for Mayor

of Sandy City

BACKGROUND

Born in Washington D.C., where my parents were stationed at the end of World War II, I was raised in Sandy, Utah, from the age of two years. I attended Sandy Elementary, Mt. Jordan Junior High School, and Jordan High School. During my high school years, the population of Sandy was slightly over two thousand people. Graduating from Jordan High School in 1962, I attended a year at Brigham Young University, then served a 30-month mission in Hong Kong for the LDS Church and subsequently lived there for more than thirty years. I have been an active member of the LDS Church all my life. Returning from missionary service, I completed an undergraduate degree, with honors, at BYU, with a joint major in Asian Studies and Economics, then was awarded a Fulbright-Hayes Graduate Fellowship for study at Nanyang University in Singapore. I later returned to BYU for graduate studies in business management, earning an MBA in international business. In subsequent years I was employed internationally by major US corporations - Gillette (Australia and Singapore), First National Bank of Chicago (Hong Kong), Chemical Bank (Hong Kong), Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette (Hong Kong), and, finally, "TVB" - Television Broadcasts (Hong Kong) Limited, a local Hong Kong corporation, Hong Kong's major television production and broadcasting company and the largest distributor of Chinese language television programming worldwide. For TVB, I traveled most of the world explaining the company to prospective institutional investors. I retired from TVB in 2004 and returned with my family to Sandy. We have been Sandy residents ever since. My wife, Pat, and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We have two children and four grandchildren.

WHAT DO I BELIEVE? FOUNDING PRINCIPLES I am a staunch believer in the founding principles of this great nation, the libertarian philosophy expressed in our inspired Declaration of Independence - that men and women are born free, with God-given, inalienable rights - rights that no government has the power to give or take away - and that government on every level - local to federal - exists first and foremost for the purpose of protecting those individual human rights and freedoms. THE CONSTITUTION I believe the Constitution is an inspired document - the work of brilliant, noble minds dedicated to preserving and protecting human liberty. It provides a legal framework for protecting those above sacred human rights and liberties. Thus, it deserves to be supported, enforced, and defended with the utmost vigor by every patriotic citizen and on every level of government. I believe every one of us should understand the concepts of limited government and personal responsibility, be aware of the tendency of government to expand without limit, and infringe increasingly on our individual rights and liberties. All should be willing to work to constrain the unbounded ambitions of the power-hungry and contain government strictly within limits outlined in our founding charters, local and federal. SOCIALISM There are many talks these days about socialism, and many ignorantly argue that it is a fairer and more just system than our current system organized around free-market capitalism. This is, to say the least, a misconception, a profound and dangerous one. The root of the question is human liberty. Socialism cannot exist in the presence of human freedom. Shall that liberty be forcefully abridged or denied so as to produce "equity" - taking by force freedom and resources from some to give arbitrarily to others in order to create equal outcomes for everybody? Or shall men and women remain free and equal in opportunity, free and equal under the law, which freedom will inevitably produce unequal results? That is free-market capitalism - nothing more or less than an economic system that expresses human liberty in the economic sphere - the right to own and benefit from the product of one's work and creativity. Socialism is a lie that in the real world can never be. I am opposed to socialism (and its close kin, lurking in the shadows, Marxism) and the tyranny that must be imposed to establish it – an ideological tyranny that has wrought more blood and horror than any other idea in human history. It is a great tragedy that so many of us are ignorant of the

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holocausts - the unimaginable destruction of human life - wrought by the tyrannical socialist likes of Hitler (Germany), Stalin (Russia), Mao (China), and Pol Pot (Cambodia). The day America turns from capitalism to socialism, she will have turned like a dog to its vomit, from God-given liberty to a deceitful tyranny. What has this got to do with the Sandy City mayoral race? If you think about it... everything. As someone has observed, "All politics is local." ELECTION INTEGRITY - Ranked Choice Voting As everyone who has been paying attention knows, there are serious questions underpinned by mountains of unchallenged information and data regarding the integrity of the November 2020 presidential election. The concerns are spread across the spectrum of ways an election might be interfered with, including allegations that digital voting machines were hacked into and compromised nationwide, including in Utah, where something on the order of 60,000 votes allegedly was manipulated and misallocated. However, the critical issue that should concern us locally and every citizen of this country - is not who won the election but the integrity of the election process itself. Suppose that process has been compromised, as many credibly allege and as roughly half of Americans believe, and the fraud is not confronted and rectified. In that case, America is finished as a free and democratic republic. The fate of the American people will no longer be in their own hands but will be dictated by those who have illegitimate control over the electoral process. If the fraud exists, we cannot allow it to stand unchallenged. Accordingly, I fully support a full forensic audit of Utah's 2020 federal election results. However, because I believe it further compromises our existing electoral mechanisms, I am absolutely opposed to the proposition that "ranked-choice voting" be permanently installed as our electoral system in Sandy. Ranked-choice voting - an additional piece of software to be installed in likely already compromised digital voting machines - is an obfuscation of what should be a simple, direct, and easily understandable election process - one person, one vote - the one who gets the most votes wins - adds a layer of complexity and numerous permutations of possible outcomes that nobody understands and renders the voting process more susceptible to manipulation and fraud and harder if not impossible to audit. YES to a full forensic audit of the 2020 election, and NO to rankedchoice voting. LAW AND ORDER This subject probably deserves to be at the top of the list because, without law and order, amid the sort of violent, destructive turmoil we have witnessed going unopposed in many American cities – cities where the idiotic, insane idea of "defund the police" has held sway - no other concern of local government can be effectively addressed. Like Sir Thomas More, Chancellor of England (1478-1535), observed, "If the law be down, such a wind will blow in the land that no man can stand." As with the federal government on the national level, the first responsibility of local government is to maintain the rule of law and protect the safety and security of citizens. As mayor, I will consider it my first duty and the first order of the city's business and budget to ensure the Sandy City Police Department is adequately staffed and funded - fully adequate to the task of enforcing law and order in the city. I will pursue a zero-tolerance policy concerning the disruptive, destructive, ideologically-driven violence perpetrated against many American cities in recent months. As Mayor Rudy Giuliani put it, "The first guy who throws a brick goes to jail. The second guy who throws a brick goes to jail. The third guy... won't throw a brick." That's how Giuliani turned New York into a safe city. SECOND AMENDMENT "It is the right and duty of every citizen to be armed at all times..." —Thomas Jefferson The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution expresses the two-fold responsibility of every citizen in the free nation of America - first, to possess the means, the firepower, to protect from deadly threat, if necessary, his or her life and the lives of loved ones, and, second, to have immediate access to the deadly force that has historically been, and, as the Founders understood, might yet again be necessary in the defense of liberty. As the great libertarian sage Thomas Jefferson observed, "The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from

"If the law be down, such a wind will blow in the

land that no man can stand." —Sir Thomas More jones4sandymayor.com time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." We all hope, of course, that such a need will never arise in our day, but it could, and the Founders intended that we be ready. They wisely protected our inalienable right to be ready. Though it takes a somewhat different form in today's world, the fundamental 2nd Amendment principle of "a well-regulated militia" on standby and ready to defend liberty - liberty vs. tyranny - the responsibility for defense devolving ultimately upon the people themselves - is just as profound and pertinent today as it ever was. Most gun laws are nonsense, deliberately intended by their promoters to disarm law-abiding citizens, and ineffective in disarming the criminally violent and lawless. As mayor, my position will be unequivocally pro-2nd Amendment. I will never support disarming the people. BLACK LIVES MATTER (BLM) Do black lives matter? Yes, no more and no less than all other lives, regardless of race. Simply stated, this Marxist, divisive, disruptive, violent and destructive organization is based on lies and distortions of our history and has as its objective the overthrow and destruction of America's constitutional, rule-of-law-based social order. Among other tactics, as its promoters have stated - and apart from their demonstrated readiness to violate the law - they intend to accomplish their goals through the destruction of the nuclear family - the very foundation of our civil Judeo/Christian society. Though these seditious subversives have a right to their views, they have no right to break the law with impunity, as they have managed to do in other U.S. cities. My answer to BLM as a citizen, and as mayor should I be elected, is not only "No!" but "Hell no!" As mayor, I will pursue a zero-tolerance policy for any public disturbance, violence, or destruction that violates the law. In Sandy City, under Mayor Ron Jones, you break the law, boys and girls go to jail. ANTIFA To understand my views on this radical, violent, destructive, anti-American movement, please re-read, word for word, what I have just said above about BLM. No need for further elaboration. These two are America-hating birds of a feather. Not just "No!" but "Hell no!" CRITICAL RACE THEORY (CRT) As with BLM and Antifa, CRT is Marxist in origin, is based on outright lies and distortions of our history, and is quintessentially racist - denying the value, virtue, and responsibility of the individual, reducing everything to mutually hostile group identities (as Marxism famously does), seeking to create divisions among the people based on race and an uncompromising, relentless hostility between races, depicting one race as supremely privileged and determined to maintain their privilege, and other racial groups as hopelessly and irretrievably discriminated against, the only possible answer being, as with BLM and Antifa, the total destruction of the existing constitutional, law-and-order-based society and its replacement by some ill-defined, totalitarian, Utopian La-La Land. The deceitful, lying letter and spirit of CRT is inimical to the letter, spirit, and racial progress that is the colorful history of America. These people are revolutionary, seditious America-haters and would-be destroyers of a traditional America that is based on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Judeo/Christian ethic, including the principle that America has fought and shed rivers of blood to stay true to - that all men are created equal and should be equal under the law. So, again, as with these other seditious, America-hating ideologies and their lawless minions, I say not just "No!" but "Hell no!" MEDICAL FREEDOM No mask mandates. No vaccine mandates. No vaccine passports. No lockdowns. As one who has bothered to inform himself - not just taken at face value the official narrative - and closely followed the progress of the purported but greatly exaggerated Covid "pandemic" and related issues - and having myself spent some days hospitalized with the bug - I believe there is a virtual tidal wave of unscientific, alarmist information being circulated through official channels. In my view, briefly summarized, based on what I have learned, the official narrative does not provide. Still, it has suppressed complete information about the true extent and seriousness of the Covid contagion – again greatly exaggerated - and has denied and

suppressed and continues to suppress information about proven early-stage non-vaccine therapies. The vaccine campaign does not focus, as it should, on high-risk demographics – the aged, obese, and those in immuno-compromised ill-health – but instead attempts to force experimental vaccines on everyone regardless of actual need, including children and the young, who are at essentially zero risk, those under 60 years of age, who are at no more risk than is posed by the common flu, and those who have recovered from Covid and possess immunity superior to that any vaccine can provide. Moreover, though the vaccines have been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms and reduce hospitalization and death among those at high risk, they are nevertheless experimental, bio-active, emergency-use-only medications that are unproven and unknown as to their short-term and long-term side effects, are now known to be dubiously effective in preventing infection and transmission, and thus far have produced more deaths and serious side effects than all other traditional vaccines considered together over many years. A firm believer in informed consent, I believe we all have an obligation to inform ourselves, take responsibility for our lives, and make our own educated decisions about mask-wearing and vaccinations. As mayor, I will not support official mask-wearing, vaccination, or lockdown mandates in Sandy City. I will keep the right of citizens to make their own free decisions and choices in these critical matters. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION While I have seen much of the world's deprived peoples and have compassion for them, what is at stake at the very root of the illegal immigration issue is not the plight of the world's poor and disadvantaged - millions upon millions of whom would love to be part of the virtual tidal wave of free-lunch illegal aliens now inundating our country. What is at stake - apart from the huge financial bill to be paid by American citizens who themselves have limited resources and can't make right the ills of the whole world - is the integrity of the nation's founding principle - the very lifeblood of the American nation - THE RULE OF LAW. If the duly constituted laws of the land - in this case, immigration laws - can simply be ignored by those in power who see it in their political interest to do so - our nation and our localities are in dire straits. As a former president of the United States observed, "Either the law means something, or it doesn't..." and if it doesn't, we are in big trouble. As that same president observed, "If we don't have borders, we don't have a country." Today it's immigration laws being trampled upon; tomorrow, who knows what laws will be ignored. Suppose the citizens of America are denied the protections, freedoms, and benefits provided by immigration laws. What freedoms might they be denied tomorrow if those in power see it in their interest to ignore other laws? Will we be ruled by law or by the whim of men? Quoting Sir Thomas More again: "If the law be down, such a wind will blow in the land that no man can stand." I am opposed to illegal immigration. Should I be elected mayor, to the extent I have anything to say about it, I will do what I can to protect the city's legal residents from the range of injuries inflicted by this lawlessness. HOW WOULD I SERVE AS MAYOR? There will be aspects of city government I will be initially less familiar with and not as well qualified to understand as other professionals employed in various aspects of the city administration. I intend to fully utilize the advice and counsel of all those good people who serve with me in city government - the town council, department heads, and others - and invite and carefully consider input from our citizens regarding matters of concern to them. Government, I believe, should be a cooperative effort. Rather than pander, I will always try to be principle-driven in executing my duties as mayor. Financial resources are always scarce, and I intend, with the benefit of counsel, and in the best interests of all our citizens, to set careful spending priorities and apply the city's limited resources as productively as possible.

ANY QUESTIONS? Contact me by email at rtjslc@yahoo.com Call my cell: 801 860-3107 Leave a message if no answer Donate at: jones4sandymayor.com

November 2021 | Page 13

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Page 14 | November 2021

ome like it hot, some like it cold and some like it just right or so the story of Goldilocks goes. This is not a Goldilocks story of “just right,” but rather of cold. After 17 days of sunny weather, the Sept. 18 forecast for Provo was partial showers. “It wasn’t just raining down on you, it was just pelting you in the face,” said Johannah Hildebrand, who teaches early childhood special education at Quail Hollow Elementary. “My shoes were squishing; I never thought they would get that wet.” Hildebrand was one of the women who trained with a group of friends, most who formed their relationships by working at schools in Canyons School District. It was the return of Goldilocks women’s bike race, which was held virtually in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women choose to ride in increments of 20 miles up to 100 miles throughout the countryside with hundreds of other bicyclists. Altara Elementary fifth-grade teacher Kathy Smith thought she was ready for the rain. “I did have what I thought was a pretty waterproof raincoat; it proved not to be so waterproof,” she said. “The rain was dripping down my body. Everything was wet. It was cold. I was totally unprepared. We did joke about calling an Uber.” That rain, wind and cold the morning of the ride “was definitely memorable,” said Sunrise Elementary first-grade teacher Jan Simpson, about her third Goldilocks ride. “There was really only one hill on the whole course and of course, that’s where the wind was coming against us. The rain was pelting as you were just trying to get up that hill.” She rode alongside recently retired Canyons speech language pathologist Andrea Miller, who was optimistic about riding in the “nasty weather. It was 47 degrees when we started out. About one-quarter mile into the first part, it started raining and it pretty much rained most of the race. You know at that point, what are you going to do: You just keep going and keep pushing until you get there.” Simpson agreed: “Even though it was cold and uncomfortable, I had to cross that finish line. I wasn’t going to stop in the middle.” While those women rode 20 miles, some others, like Hildebrand, rode 40. It was the first time she had ridden that far. “I may have been overzealous, but I have that teacher quality where we have a goal, and we work toward meeting it. A

spectator along the race said, ‘just keep going and you’ll get there;’ it became my mantra,” she said. Most of the group recently returned to riding bikes, having only ridden them in their childhood to school, around the neighborhood or maybe to a summer job. It was Smith who started forming the group after health issues “required me to step up my exercise game.” “When I first started riding again, I would just make myself go out for a mile and then I’d be like, ‘Oh, I can keep going.’ I started working up and after a while it was three, four, five miles. Then I thought if I rode five miles, six days per week, I’d be up to 30 miles so I worked up to that. Then, I set a goal of 10 miles, four times per week. Then, we were doing 15 miles several times per week. It gets in your blood and it feels good,” she said. Hildebrand started teaching at the same elementary school as Smith. “I noticed Kathy had a bike on her car my second week at Altara. So, I cornered her, and I said, ‘Hey, you go riding?” She was like, ‘Come ride with us.’ I’ve been doing that for a little over two years now,” she said. Smith would post her rides and co-workers and church friends would ask her about it and she told them to join her. Eventually, she created a Facebook group. Three years ago, they were riding 70 miles per week, and she’d walk on the “rest” days at the gym. The group of about 10 women set a goal to ride Goldilocks in 2019. Smith registered them as a team and Canyons gave them T-shirts to wear. “I liked that it was a supported ride so if people weren’t comfortable changing their own tire, the support staff does that. It was a goal to work toward, and Canyons really pushes healthy living. It ended up being a lot of fun. We’ve stayed around and met teachers from other districts and other people who rode,” she said. Not only was there rider support with “papa bears” and “mama bears,” but the ride also provided porridge beforehand, a snack halfway through the ride, and a meal afterward—plus a goodie bag. But that wasn’t the reason they participate in the ride. Simpson said that Goldilocks gives them a goal. “We ride all through the spring and summer and fall, so it just gives us something to look forward to; we’re doing it for a purpose,” she said. “The first ride was exciting because it was an accomplishment something that I never thought I would do.”

Even as the riders have moved, retired or changed schools, the core group continues to bike together. Last year, they had planned to ride 40 miles, but as it turned virtual, Smith, Simpson and Simpson’s husband decided upon 20 miles along Jordan River Trail, where the group likes to train since it’s free of vehicle traffic and is centrally located between where they live in Sandy, Draper and South Jordan. “It definitely wasn’t the same. There’s just something fun about being around a huge group of people who are interested in the same thing. It’s just fun to kind of get caught up in the moment with that big group. Last year was just a way of getting out to accomplish something rather than just sitting home,” Simpson said. Hildebrand said the Goldilocks experience is unique. “It was such cool bike ride; everyone was cheering everyone on, giving everyone encouragement,” she said. “No one was trying to be the fastest; it was more like, ‘You can do this’ and support each other. I love finding a community where you can be active and get that support.” The women also like that they’re exercising while having fun and enjoying the outdoors. “It’s nice being outside, having friends to ride with and having common interests in biking and working in education,” Miller said. “It makes the time go by faster and it’s not as hard.” Simpson said she used to walk the track at a recreation center, but “it was kind of boring. I like being outside; my happy place is on the trail riding. Right now, the geese are all around getting ready to fly away and you see all the ducks and animals. We’ll pass people who are running and it’s like they’re just breathing so hard, and I think, if I get really tired, I can just coast a little bit. I can take a break, but these poor guys. I can’t imagine running.” The group already is talking about riding Goldilocks next September, despite this year’s rain. “It’s a tradition,” Smith said. Miller said she appreciates the friendship that has formed from the group. “The best thing about it is just having fun with friends. Everyone tries their best and pushes themselves a bit, but it’s more about camaraderie and fun,” she said. Hildebrand said that even with the rain, “the vibe of the ride was just so positive that everyone kind of went for it. It was so nice the sun came out, so it lit up the finish line. It was kind of a nice ending.” l

Sandy City Journal

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November 2021 | Page 15

Comcast makes a $1 billion commitment to digital equity

omcast Corporation, the global media and technology company, connects people to moments that matter. In fact, over the last 10 years, Comcast has connected more than 160,000 people in Utah to low-cost, highspeed, in-home internet services. Now, the company is doubling-down on its commitment to help low-income families in the state gain access to the internet. “Utah is one of the most collaborative states we work with across the country when it comes to helping its citizens gain digital equity,” said J.D. Keller, senior vice president, Comcast Mountain West Region. “Leaders from the state, county and city are working to-

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gether as we open more free WiFi Lift Zones, connect more families to the Internet at home, and increase speeds for businesses and families across the state.” Comcast has pledged $1 billion to establish WiFi-connected safe spaces, or Lift Zones, in 35 community centers in Utah, and more than 1,000 zones across the country. These centers help students participate in online learning and will connect more than 8 million low-income people to the internet. The COVID-19 crisis put low-income students at risk and Comcast’s Internet Essential Partnership Program is focused on creating digital equity, allowing students to continue

their schooling, even when they can’t attend class. Just this year, Comcast estimates students across America will complete more than 25 million hours of remote learning lessons at the hundreds of Lift Zone locations that have already opened. “We are delighted to work with such outstanding corporate partners, such as Comcast, as we connect more Utahns to the Internet,” said Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox. “Utah is regularly lauded for its innovative vision in numerous categories, and increasing our digital access helps everyone, including families, students and businesses.” The Comcast investment includes laptop and computer donations, more than $100,000 in digital equity grants for local Utah nonprofit community organizations, and continued investment in the company’s landmark Internet Essentials program. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said Comcast is advancing the county’s effort in supporting economic prosperity throughout the Salt Lake Valley. The county is responsible for launching unique digital equity initiatives to connect its community. “We have one of the most forward-thinking counties in the country and having such a robust partnership with leaders in government and community organizations means we can connect the pivot points quicker and more securely for all involved,” Wilson said. “We’re committed to digital equity. Our Salt Lake County libraries have more than 300 hotspots and 150 Chromebooks in circulation to assist residents with digital needs in their homes.” As Salt Lake County collaborates with

Comcast, the country’s largest internet provider, programs in the area will benefit from the partnership. Comcast recently gifted Neighborhood House with 300 computers and laptops to help clients in its programs, and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake was awarded a financial grant to support its mission to empower youth and guide them toward success. “We are very grateful for this timely grant from Comcast,” said Amanda Ree Hughes, president and CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake. “Comcast is a 360-partner because they give more than just dollars for computers and programs. Their employees bring skills, experience and knowledge to create a whole solution in providing access and technology to help our kids succeed.” Keller commends Utah for its “can-do attitude” and the willingness of state and county leaders to create long-lasting collaborations that will benefit students and impact Utah’s prosperity. “Together, we have been able to connect tens of thousands of Utahns to the power of the internet at home and to the endless opportunity, education, growth, and discovery it provides,” Keller said. “Today, we are rededicating ourselves to this mission to ensure the next generation of students in Utah has the tools, resources, and abilities to succeed in an increasingly digital world. “Whenever we can help our community neighbors connect to reliable, high-speed internet access, we work to do that. It helps keep us all moving forward one family, one organization, and one community at a time.” l

Sandy City Journal

Mascots make a comeback, bring student involvement, spirit back to schools By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

ascots are making a comeback as many area schools this year look to bolster school spirit and pride, which in any year school officials say is good, but especially after 18 months of uncertainty in school life during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The mascot is one of the foundations of the visualization of school spirit,” explained Tara Battista, Cottonwood High School’s student government adviser. “When you see a mascot and you see your logo represented, jumping and cheering, that brings a whole new energy to the crowd, to the students, and allows them just to see their school pride to come to life. We want student to feel when they come back to school, we will have this revival of things happening again. We will make it fun, we will make it safe and most of all, we want them to be able to display their Colt pride, so having a mascot is a critical piece of that.” Cottonwood High’s Colt was expected to be part of their homecoming, Sept. 23. Murray High’s Spartan made its debut at the Fourth of July parade after an absence of years, then welcomed the football team onto its new field in the season opener. Brighton High is in the process of ordering a Bengal costume. “Our costume was just old and hammered,” said Brighton Principal Tom Sherwood, adding that looking for a new mascot began after the Bengal’s last appearance fall 2020, but between COVID-19 and rebuilding the school, the process got pushed back. For the new school’s ribbon-cutting, the construction company rented a costume so the Bengal could make an appearance, Sherwood said. “It’s not a matter of not having to have a mascot, but I think the costume might have gone down with the ship—or the building in this case,” he said. “I think mascots can be a good way to get fans involved and they can help control the crowd, they can help lead the cheers, they can be a support to cheerleaders, they can build school spirit.” Mascots can be seen in all levels of schools. Recently, Midvale Middle purchased a Trojan costume. Riverview Junior High renamed its mascot to a Raptor, and the mascot was paraded through the school’s hallways as part of the announcement. When Altara Elementary showed an updated look for its Kittyhawk, the mascot made an appearance—and many more since at assemblies, fun runs and other events. At Cottonwood, student government adviser Tara Battista said Charlie the Colt has been absent for at least the five years she has worked at the school; when inquiring, she was told that the old costume went missing. “When it disappeared, it was quite old, like 10 years, so maybe it was time to get a new one, but then no one ever took charge to make it happen so the mascot just got lost,” she said. School officials say losing costumes is

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more common than one thinks as the responsibility of the role of the mascot shifts from cheer to athletics to student government advisers. Battista said that when she became student government adviser two years ago, it was decided to bring back the Colt. Then, COVID-19 hit, and the mascot got pushed to the backburner. Now, the $1,200 dark brown stallion costume is on order (from the same company that makes the Utah Jazz Bear’s costume) and tryouts, which is open to any student gender, are being scheduled. There is a possibility of more than one student to be the mascot to share its responsibilities, but that depends on tryouts, she said. Battista anticipates Charlie the Colt to wear a football jersey on the field or a basketball uniform when it cheers on those teams. “We’re working with our student organizations to disperse the mascot where they want it,” she said, adding the Colt could wear a Cottonwood hooded sweatshirt when it’s at assemblies or supporting organizations and clubs. “One of the biggest goals for student government this year was to increase school spirit and school pride and get kids involved and excited coming to all types of activities.” However, don’t look for Charlie to tumble and do stunts. “We are still working through some safety concerns with that with the (Granite School) District,” Battista said. “Right now, it’s going to be hyping up the students, their passion for Cottonwood, their Colt pride.” That’s the role the Spartan is taking this season, although previous mascots have been tumblers and on the cheer squad, said cheer coach Lia Smith, who is overseeing Murray High’s mascot in Murray School District and interviewed the student who was interested in being the mascot. “There weren’t any (tumbling) skills involved, it’s more just the student’s personality and drive to involved others, to create a positive environment and include as many people in the school and in the community,” she said, adding that the Spartan also has good grades and citizenship. The Spartan, which is named Leonidas or Leo for short, made its comeback this year as a result of students approaching Smith. “A group of students came to me as cheer coach March last year and said they really wanted a mascot again and they missed having a Spartan,” she said. “We felt like that would bring a lot of energy and it’s something that we’ve been missing.” Wanting to bring spirit to the school and community, Leo asked to be part of the Murray parade, but didn’t expect a costume malfunction which resulted in missing the last third of walking in the parade. However, the Spartan has asked others to generate ideas and appearances, watched YouTube videos of other mascots and plans to reach out to college and

Altara Elementary’s Kittyhawk, dressed as a mummy, participates in a fall festival fun run in 2019. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

professional team mascots. The mascot agreed to break his code of silence for this article to share his insights; the condition was that he could only be identified as Leo. “I always thought of being the mascot; it’s cool,” Leo said. “I think my personality is already outgoing and wacky and I feel that if I’d have a mask on, I feel I’d be amplified and make it fun for everyone. Before this, I’ve just liked being in the student section. I was always one of the people who just tried to get cheers going or if cheerleaders were doing a cheer, I would just start doing the dance with them.” While he hopes to “go to as many things as possible,” Leo said one of his responsibilities will be to wave a giant Spartan flag, which Leo said, “I will definitely have a lot of fun with.” He also knows being the mascot will be “physically demanding” so he does plan to stay in shape through running and joining cheer in some workouts. Leo isn’t worried about getting recognition. “If no one knows me, I can do a lot more wacky stuff that I would be otherwise embarrassed to do. It’s just one of those things I could have a lot more fun,” he said. That also was a highlight of Aaron Dekeyzer, who as 2003-04 senior class pride president, was Harvey, Hillcrest High School’s Husky mascot. “It just let me take on a persona that I could just be silly and fun to the max without any discomfort about doing it and having nobody know who it was,” he said, but admitting that the costume was “miserably hot, itchy and

just generally uncomfortable.” However, Dekeyzer’s secret mascot identity was short-lived as students knocked off his head at one of the last football games, so he only wore the costume at a couple of basketball games. Dekeyzer didn’t audition, but said the position fell into his lap. “I think there was a vacancy and cheer was looking for someone to do it when they came to student government. I was one of the silliest, funniest ones of the bunch so I decided to volunteer,” he said. “I was energetic, fun, goofy and good at getting the crowd to do chants. I wasn’t flying through the air or doing backflips.” The Husky has evolved from its early days when a cheerleader had dog face paint while wearing a shaggy costume to taking on a full mascot costume in 1978-79 when former teacher and international baccalaureate coordinator Brian Bentley, who was a student at Hillcrest, first took on the role of Harvey. Nowadays, the student costume-wearers are highlighted in the yearbook, which is distributed at the end of the year. After Dekeyzer’s year, the mascot costume went missing—he maintains he didn’t take it—so Harvey took a leave of absence. “I don’t know if they found it or if it was just time to get another costume, but it was my understanding that he was MIA for a bit,” he said. “It was super fun though. I really enjoyed doing it and it was a great way to demonstrate the pride of the school and for students to identify with the spirit of the school.” l

November 2021 | Page 17

Sandy City Council takes first step towards deciding future of Alta Canyon Sports Center By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

andy City is one step closer to figuring out what the future of the Alta Canyon Sports Center will look like. On Oct. 19, the council unanimously voted to “revoke all authority previously delegated to the Alta Canyon Recreation Special Service District Administrative Control Board,” effectively dissolving the board in question. So what does that mean? City Attorney Lynn Pace explained during the meeting, “When a special service district is created, the city council is the governing entity. Anytime the council can delegate some portion of the governing authority to an administrative control board, that authority can also be revoked at any time. Years ago the Sandy City Council delegated certain authority to the administrative control board. Tonight the city council is considering a resolution to revoke that authority previously delegated.” While the decision to dissolve the board may at first sound like an ill omen for the future of the center, it actually represents the exact opposite. Council Member Zach Robinson who made the proposal explained his reasoning behind it. “I believe that the first step in streamlining is for the Council to take full ownership of governing the AC SSD. The adage ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ applies to the current cir-

cumstances surrounding AC,” he wrote in a memo to the city council. During the meeting he added, “The intention is to do what we can to save the center… We have a great vision for the future of Alta Canyon, and this is the first step down that path.” Current and former members of the administrative board are supportive of the council’s direction, according to multiple city council members. “I met with the board as a whole last week. We had some really great discussion. The general feeling from that group of residents was: ‘Do what you can to make the center really great,’” Robinson said. City Council Attorney Tracy Cowdell also agreed that it was the correct move. “It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “It’s clearly time to make a change.” The decision is the first in an organized timeline created by the council to facilitate an orderly process through which they can determine the future of the center. The structure of the timeline is designed to “focus on smaller and more incremental decisions,” rather than “trying to solve the problem in one fell swoop.” Determining the optimal governing structure for the center was the first step of that

Sandy City is one step closer to determining a future for the Alta Canyon Sports Center, after unanimously voting to dissolve its Administrative Control Board. (City Journals file photo)

process. With that decision now resolved, the council will turn its attention to perhaps the biggest question of all: funding. Questions for consideration laid out in its timeline include: 1. Does the Special Service District remain, change or get dissolved? 2. How should we finance major improvements?

3. What level of improvements are we willing to invest in? The timeline document specifies June 30, 2022 as the latest completion date for that next decision, so residents can expect much discussion on the topic over the next several months. l

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Sandy City Journal

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2021 IN THIS ISSUE:

Connect With Us! sandy.utah.gov/citizenconnect

Bradburn Brief ..................................... 1

River Oaks Golf Course ........................ 4

Unplug & Reconnect............................ 1

Light Up The Cairns .............................. 4

America Recycles Day.......................... 2

November Jobs Corner ........................ 4

Pre-winter Vehicle Preparation .............. 2

Parks & Recreation .............................. 5

Fall Leaf Collection .............................. 3

Fraud Prevention Tips ........................... 5

Cardboard Recycling in Sandy .............. 3

By the Numnbers: Community Arts ........ 5

Sandy Snowman Scavenger Hunt ......... 3

Your Sandy City Property Taxes.............. 6

Auditions: Steel Magnolias ................... 3

Calendar of Events............................... 6

Alta Canyon Sports Center.................... 4

BRADBURN BRIEF Dear Sandy Resident, November is a time to gather with loved ones and reflect on those things we are grateful for. I am grateful for the last four years and the opportunity to serve our community. It has been one of the hardest and most rewarding times of my career. I am also thankful for good people who are willing to run for office. It is not always an easy job but we have an abundance of qualified candidates running for city council and Mayor. You can learn more about the candidates at sandy. utah.gov/elections. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2nd! If you have not returned your ballots, make sure you get those postmarked by November 2nd to have your vote count. If you need more information about rank choice voting, ballot drop off or polling locations visit www.vote.utah.gov. Sandy City was recently named the 30th Best City to Live in the United States by 24/7 Wall St. on their recent list of the Top 50 states to live in America. Sandy was the only city on the list from Utah. "Sandy offers residents access to over 30 parks and a downtown area with a range of shopping and dining options as well as museums and entertainment venues," the article states. The article also cites Sandy's job market as a reason for it's placement on the list of Best U.S. Cities. "The city, located less than 20 miles south of Salt Lake City, has a relatively strong job market," the article says. "Over the last five years, an average of only 2.8% of the labor force in Sandy has been unemployed, well below the comparable 5.3% national average jobless rate. Over the same period, the city has added thousands of jobs." You can read the entire article at 247wallst.com. Lastly, remember that you can always connect with us to get more information by going to our City websites sandy.utah.gov and SandyNow. com and by accessing our social media channels Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, (@SandyCityUtah) and YouTube (SandyCityUT) for daily updated information. You can also contact me at mayor@sandy.utah.gov. To sign up for emergency notifications visit sandy.utah.gov/citizenconnect. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Mayor Kurt Bradburn I S S U E # 87

N OV E M B ER – D E C E M B ER 2021

Join Us for Unplug & Reconnect

Things you can do to contribute to a more sustainable community! As part of Sandy Sustainability 360°, we are launching a set of Unplug & Reconnect public campaigns to help Sandy City become more sustainable as a whole including City Hall, partner, and resident efforts. If 2021’s drought taught us anything, it showed us that the community comes together in a time of need having saved over 1 billion gallons of water this year. With air pollution, tapped resources, and consumer waste, the time has come for Sandy to be a leader and example regarding green initiatives and renewable energy, to create a brighter sustainable future for the next generation. Between now through the end of 2022, Sandy will be providing education and contests to engage the community to participate in energy-efficient programs and take sustainability actions. TIPS TO GET WINTER READY! Our first initiative is Winter Ready. With the chilly winter season comes the added cost of keeping your place cozy and comfortable. As temperatures lower, heating bills rise, and your energy use risks a significant increase. Fortunately, we have some win-win solutions that will conserve energy while saving you on those monthly bills. 1. Wattsmart Homes – Rocky Mountain Power offers a plethora of incentives for energy upgrades for home owners and renters alike. Visit wattsmarthomes.com for heating and weatherization incentives. 2. ThermWise – Schedule an appointment with Dominion Energy to evaluate your home efficiency to help you create a personalized and actionable home energy plan at thermwise.com. 3. Renewable Energy – With five simple steps, you can generate your own renewable energy! Thanks to Rocky Mountain Power, you can now connect to the electric grid using your own private system. Learn more: rockymountainpower.com (search Customer Generation) As you take steps to “unplug & reconnect” with us, join us on social media @sandycityutah in November and December to share what you are doing to be eligible to win a prize! P A G E

America Recycles Day is November 15 Recycling Right is all about the Right Stuff

QUICK TIPS from Sandy City Fleet Management Pre-winter Vehicle Preparation

Help make Sandy City’s community recycling program clean and successful by only placing accepted materials into curbside recycling carts You don’t need to be a recycling fanatic to be an ace recycler. When you put only clean and accepted recyclables loosely (never bagged) into your green curbside recycling carts, you are helping keep our city’s recycling program clean and successful. Once Waste Management (WM) collects the materials from your recycling cart, those items are literally on-the-road destined for their next life. Materials move from your cart to a WM truck and on to a processing facility where cardboard, paper, plastics, and metal cans are sorted, baled by the ton, and sent to manufacturers that use the materials to make new products. Did you Know? • An aluminum beverage can recycled today is back on the shelf as a new can in about 60 days. • 10 plastic water bottles create enough material to make a T-shirt. • Plastic bottles and jugs can be broken down to make clothing, sleeping bags, backpacks, carpeting construction materials, and more. • A ton of paper recycled can save 17 trees. • Recycled cardboard shipping boxes are used to make more boxes, cereal and cracker paperboard boxes, paper toweling, writing paper, and even furniture.

Closing the Loop on Recycling Sustainability practices start with reducing waste and recycling accepted materials, but the recycling lifecycle doesn’t end there. It’s important to buy products made from recycled materials to complete the recycling loop. Read product labels and watch for the “Made with Recycled Materials” tag. This includes watching for product packaging made from recycled paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, or metal. You can find these greener products in mainstream stores, specialty boutiques, craft fairs, and online. Putting your buying power behind products that embrace recycling helps create demand for these green-minded products and keeps the cycle of recycling strong. Studies have shown that at least 30 percent of all the trash we produce is recyclable. This America Recycles Day we can all make an effort to recycle better and recycle more. Make a difference by recycling only clean metal food and beverage cans, paper, cardboard, and household plastics shaped like bottles, jugs, and tubs. Keep trash, food, and plastic bags out of your recycling cart to help keep the recycling stream clean. Recycling Education Resources • For more information about recycling in Sandy City, visit sandy.utah.gov/recycling. • To learn more about how to Recycle Right or access WM recycling education resources visit wm.com/RecycleRight. • If you are interested in learning how your recyclables are processed locally, go to YouTube and search Modern Recycling: Tours WM’s Salt Lake MRF.

P A G E

As we transition to winter, Sandy City Fleet Management recommends several things you can do right now to ensure your car operates successfully throughout the winter months. 1. Check your engine antifreeze levels. Antifreeze keeps your engine from freezing during those extremely cold days. You can also directly check your antifreeze levels by following the instructions in your car’s manual. Adding more antifreeze is very simple, if you need to do it. 2. Check your tire pressure and tread depth. Good tires are the key to staying on the road and keeping safe when the weather is questionable and snow and ice are falling from the sky. You can do your part to ensure your tires are in good shape with just a few simple steps. First, check your tire pressure with a simple gauge sold at any auto supply store. You should also make sure your tires have appropriate amounts of tread on them. The simple test is the “Lincoln test” – just insert a penny into your tire’s tread with the top of Lincoln’s head pointing inward toward the tire. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, you need to replace the tire before winter weather begins. You may also want to consider installing winter tires before the season begins, as they will make all the difference when it comes to getting around. 3. Use winter windshield wiper fluid. Not all windshield wiper fluid is the same. Ordinary fluid that you use in the spring, summer, and fall often becomes worse than useless in the winter, as it freezes quickly upon contact with your windshield. 4. Check your engine oil level and your battery. Low oil levels will damage your engine and season changes will drain weak batteries and leave you stranded in your car. If you have an old battery, have it tested at a local auto parts supply store. 5. Put a “winter supply” box in your car. Having a box full of winter supplies in your trunk can make all the difference when something goes wrong while traveling on a cold winter day. Here is a quick list of items you should include in that box: flashlight, first-aid kit, blankets, gloves, a bag of sand (for traction), ice scraper, some high-energy snacks (like nuts or jerky), water, and a shovel for digging out of deep snow. All these items are useful for operating a motor vehicle in the winter months. During winter weather driving, remember to slow down and increase your following distance.

Fall Leaf Collection

Cardboard Recycling in Sandy

Waste Management will be collecting bagged leaves that are placed on the parkstrip or non-paved area adjacent to your home. Please follow the guidelines listed below for your area of the city. • Residents who live north of 9400 South: Place leaves on the parkstrip by 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 15. • Residents who live south of 9400 South: Place leaves on the parkstrip by 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 29. Please put your leaves in plastic bags with the tops sealed to prevent the wind from blowing them throughout the neighborhood. Bagged leaves that are left out on Monday will be picked up anytime during the week indicated. This service is unavailable to businesses, apartments, condominiums, mobile home parks, or anyone not a resident of Sandy City. If you have any questions, please contact the Public Works Department at (801) 568 2999.

Due to the increase of online purchases, Sandy City and Waste Management would like to make it easier for residents to recycle their cardboard packaging. For this reason, we are providing a cardboard dumpster at the following location for residents: • Sandy City Public Works 8775 S. 700 W. Open Monday–Friday, from 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The cardboard bin is located inside the Maintenance Entrance gate on the north end of the property adjacent to the glass recycling dumpster. If you have problems locating the bin, please check in at the office.

Thanksgiving Waste Collection Since the Trans-Jordan Landfill will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, your regularly scheduled service on Thursday and Friday will be delayed one day.

I S S U E # 87

N OV E M B ER – D E C E M B ER 2021

P A G E

KARATE

We are proud to have the IMA Family at Alta Canyon. IMA Utah is a family-owned dojo that is run by Shihan Marius and his two sons, Nicolae and Elijah. Friday night class at Alta Canyon Sports Center from 5–6 p.m. Sign up today: imautah.com

9565 S. Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah 84092 PLAY & LEARN PRESCHOOL

Children will enjoy their day at Play & Learn Preschool with a variety of games and activities. There is playtime, class time, lunch, and more playtime. Our teachers work hard to make learning fun and engaging. Registration is now open online.

TUMBLING NOW OFFERED AT ALTA CANYON

Beginner, intermediate, and advanced! Director and instructors are experienced tumbling teachers with 15+ years of experience. For more info, contact Whitney at (801) 440-8505.

AEROBICS

RACQUETBALL LEAGUE

League will be held every Tuesday for 6 weeks. Registration is available online and in-person. Members $45. Non-Members $55.

There are so many benefits to group fitness! Motivation, structure, proper form, variety, accountability, and FUN to name a few. Check out the full schedule online.

River Oaks Golf Course 9300 South Riverside Drive, Sandy, Utah (801) 568-4653 Sandy.utah.gov/golf WINTER “INDOOR” GOLF LESSONS

Wintertime is a perfect time to make big swing changes that will give you big results in 2022. All winter long, 2016 Utah PGA Teacher of the Year Ryan Holt will be teaching indoor lessons at River Oaks Teaching Academy. Using high-speed video analysis, a pressure pad, and sensors that measure weight transfer, Ryan can get the most out of your swing. Whether you want big changes or just to keep the rust off, Ryan can help you out. B A N Q U E T R O O M AT S A N D Y C I T Y

D R I V I N G R A N G E AT S A N DY C I T Y

NORTH RANGE TEACHING ACADEMY

HOLIDAY GIFTS

If you are looking for holiday gifts, we match and beat any price in the valley for golf equipment. Anything from soft spikes to full sets of golf clubs! We do advanced fittings for FREE with the purchase of the equipment. Gift certificates for lessons and fittings are also available. Email Ryan at ryanholtgolf@gmail.com or call (435) 840-3102.

CORPORATE EVENTS

Book your corporate event today! Our calendar fills up quickly so plan ahead and get your spot today. Our tournament package is a turnkey operation. You send us your guest names, preferred special contest and any sponsorship sign, and we will get it all set up for you. Call PGA Professional, Skyler Doran at (801) 568.4650.

HOLIDAY PARTIES AT RIVER OAKS CLUBHOUSE

Come celebrate the holidays with us inside the beautiful banquet room. We are conveniently located inside the River Oaks Clubhouse, 9300 S. Riverside Drive (700 W.) in Sandy. This facility is perfect for receptions, ceremonies, wedding and corporate luncheons, family gatherings, business meetings, class reunions, golf tournaments, and upcoming holiday parties. Book now to reserve your date. For bookings, or more information contact Kelly Christensen at (801) 231-5250.

P A G E

NOVEMBER JOBS CORNER Full-Time/Part-Time, Benefitted

Part-Time, Non-benefitted

• • • •

• • • • •

Chief Engineer - Public Works Professional Building Inspector Street Maintenance Worker Justice Court Clerk

Crossing Guard Custodian Official/Referee/Scorekeeper Recreation Site Supervisor Camp Counselors

APPLY AT: sandy.utah.gov/jobs

PA R K S & R E C R EAT I O N

Fraud Prevention Tips from Sandy Police Department

Protect yourself from fraud and scams: • Do not share numbers or passwords for accounts, credit cards, or Social Security. • Watch out for deals that are too good today that pressure you to act quickly. • If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

JR. JAZZ BASKETBALL Registration deadline is Nov. 14. Practices begin Dec. 6. Games begin Jan. 3, 2022. More details available: sandy.utah.gov/registration

WANTED: JR. JAZZ REFEREES Apply today at sandy.utah.gov/jobs GREAT PAY! (Must be at least 14 years old)

TURKEY TROT 5K RUN Register now for our Annual Turkey Trot 5K on Nov. 13. Time: Location: Registration Fee: Online Registration: Packet pick-up: Late Registration: Late Registration Fee:

10 a.m. Lone Peak Park (Gazebo) - 10140 S. 700 E. $25/individual or $20/family or groups Closes on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7 a.m. Friday, Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. –5 p.m. - 440 E. 8680 S. Nov. 11-13 in person only! $30/individual or $25/family or groups

Day of race registration at Lone Peak Park from 9–9:45 a.m. To register or for more information visit sandy.utah.gov/registratio

Common types of scams to look out for: • Social Security scams. Scammers pretending to be from Social Security Administration and try to get your Social Security number or money. • Fishing scams. Scammers emailing or texting messages to trick you into giving them personal information. • Unemployment benefits scams. Imposters filing claims for unemployment benefits. Classic warnings of possible fraud scams: • Calling or emailing you, claiming to be from the government and asking you to pay money. • Asking you to wire the money, send money by courier, or put money on a prepaid card and send it to them. • Asking for access to your ATM cards, bank accounts, credit cards, or investment accounts. • Asking you to pay upfront to receive a prize or a gift.

BY THE NUMBERS Community Arts - 2021

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Spring Youth Sports Registration for soccer, girls softball, boys baseball, & T-ball/ coach pitch begins Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 Adult Softball Registration begins Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 (for returning 2021 spring & fall teams)

I N P E R S O N R E G I S T R AT I O N : Sandy Parks & Recreation - 440 E. 8680 S. Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (801) 568-2900

O N L I N E R E G I S T R AT I O N :

sandy.utah.gov/registration (available for most sports & programs) I S S U E # 87

N OV E M B ER – D E C E M B ER 2021

• 26 events • 14 concerts • 4 theatrical productions • 3 visual art shows • 6 sold out concerts • 8 free events • 800+ youth artists and actors

P A G E

SANDY CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2021

NOV 3

First Aid, CPR and AED Class

9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Station 31: 9010 S. 150 E.

sandy.utah.gov/fire

NOV 4

Babysitting Academy

3:30–6:30 p.m.

Station 31: 9010 S. 150 E.

sandy.utah.gov/fire

NOV 17

First Aid, CPR and AED Class

6–10 p.m.

Station 31: 9010 S. 150 E.

sandy.utah.gov/fire

NOV 29

Light Up the Cairns

5–7 p.m.

Sandy City Hall

sandy.utah.gov/1398/Light-up-the-Cairns

DEC 1

First Aid, CPR and AED Class

9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Station 31: 9010 S. 150 E.

sandy.utah.gov/fire

DEC 6-19

Sandy Snowman Scavenger Hunt

Facebook / Instagram

sandy.utah.gov/1395/Snowman-Scavenger-Hunt

DEC 8

First Aid, CPR and AED Class

Station 31: 9010 S. 150 E.

sandy.utah.gov/fire

6–10 p.m.

All events subject to change due to COVID-19. Go to sandy.utah.gov for more events. 6

P A G E

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Area high school principals reflect on lessons learned from COVID-19 By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

igh school students aren’t the only ones who research, study and learn from their lessons. This past 18 months, most every high school principal had a crash course in how to operate a school successfully and keep students engaged and learning during a pandemic. Now, even as a new variant of COVID-19 emerges, administrators took time to look at some of the lessons they’ve learned in addition to overall improved technology and incorporating it into teaching and learning. Cottonwood High Assistant Principal Jeremy Brooks saw faculty and staff members bond more through the pandemic. “I feel like staff members have been willing to be more vulnerable with each other, which has helped foster relationships within the school,” he said. “Having a sense of belonging can help us achieve our collective vision of cultivating excellence and fostering a global community.” Former Jordan High Principal Wendy Dau echoed those sentiments. “I think the most important thing is that we really came together as a school community,” she said. “We understood that the expectations for everyone increased, and we tried to help one another out and to be appreciative of the contributions of everyone as we tried to have as normal of a school year as possible. I think we learned to be more flexible, and that the new norm was change.” Administrators also found people willing to help, including parents and those in the public and private sectors. “What was really interesting was how many parents stopped by and recognized all that our teachers were doing,” Dau said. “We had doughnuts delivered. We had treats and oranges and thank you notes dropped in teachers’ boxes. While certainly there were many who were critical of the restrictions, for the most part, our parents were super supportive and actually took the time to write positive emails thanking staff members for their efforts and expressing that they understood that we were in a tough spot as we navigated the new norm.” She also appreciated donations from businesses for masks and hygiene items which were “super helpful.” At Cottonwood, there was a greater help from community businesses and community members in terms of food, clothing, and entertainment (card games, board games, decorations, puzzles and more), Brooks said. “Our food pantry saw an overabundance of food that we were able to give to local families that were in need. We also saw the greatest display of our Christmas Extravaganza that we hold each year right before the holidays. Students were in awe of

Page 26 | November 2021

the things they were able to take home for their family,” he said. Brighton High Principal Tom Sherwood appreciated the help his school received not only from the PTA and seminary next door, but also from the community. “We had plenty of people asking how they can help and be of service,” he said. “I think everyone just wanted to lighten the load.” Murray High School Principal Scott Wihongi was grateful for his community. “We had several donations from Kids Eat that provided extra food for our students throughout the year, as well as goody bags for all faculty and staff,” he said. “We also had a company donate $10,000 in cash to be used for highly impacted families. We had several families lose a parent to COVID, so the donations were gratefully received.” Even with the community support, there were some lessons principals learned. “We’ve recognized the need to have student engagement specialists to help connect students more readily to school,” Dau said. “We lost a lot of students as a result of online education in that they didn’t engage with their learning for an entire year. We are now putting in place support staff to help with this, which is a resource that should likely continue. We have increased our social and emotional supports for students, which should absolutely be continued.” Sherwood added that there were more students who were credit deficient than before the pandemic because they weren’t engaged as much in school because of remote options. So, this past summer, “we’ve had a bigger effort with student remediation.” Wihongi also saw a need to increase student engagement after these past 18 months. “I think we underestimated the number of students that would not show up to school, even though they could. Many went missing, and many took advantage of the hybrid attendance and curriculum even though they were not doing well academically and should have been in class,” he said, adding that his teachers are focused to re-establishing relationships and student engagement in what he hopes will be a more normal year. Brooks, too, said re-establishing those student relationships is an important part of his school’s attention. “We are in the process of accreditation this year and our focus will be literacy and relationships. In previous years we’ve had elements of each of those in our professional development, but it has been a focal point this year,” he said. Dau said there was a rocky start to the quick adaption to online learning “because information was just coming at us so fast and was changing so quickly.”

At Alta High School, directional arrows remain in place in the hall—a reminder of what schools looked like during the 2020-21 school year. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

However, one area her school could have improved was “in communicating effectively and in a timely manner to families where English is not their first language. We got much better at it as the year progressed, but it could still be better.” Some positives, in addition to more personalized learning whether it’s online, in person or a hybrid, was online ticketing for athletic events, performing arts shows and concerts, school dances and more, said Wihongi, as well as Sherwood, who both said those services will continue past the pandemic. “The pandemic forced us to online ticketing, and streaming for events, as well as demonstrated the importance of in-person learning. It was clear that nothing can replace the direct instruction and help of a teacher, counselor or mentor,” Wihongi said, adding that the school will likely continue with sanitary practices like hand sanitizing, mask wearing when sick and possibly contagious with a cold, and air purifying as all classrooms are equipped with a purifier. Corner Canyon Principal Darrell Jensen said his school will continue to have air filtration, hand sanitation stations around the school and directional walking in the hallways. While things were “spinning on a dime” during the pandemic, Jensen said he felt schools rose to the occasion with the test to stay. “I felt the community and the students were very supportive and understanding why we had to do that and that’s still on the table, in fact, if we get to a 2% threshold,

then we’ll have to do tests to stay,” he said. Wihongi, too, said that COVID-19 testing, tracing and protocols improved during the year and can be quickly put in place if necessary. Sherwood appreciated not only the emphasis placed on academics, but also athletics. “I hope people recognize how unique Utah was amongst other states. Utah was one of only five states in the country that played all their state championships in every sport last year. There was a lot of effort to pull that off…to make sure the kids got the experience they want and deserve to have,” he said. Dau saw students appreciate the efforts made by teachers and others. “I think our students did a great job of showing their appreciation for all that the school did to try to make the school year as normal as possible. It was such a hard adjustment with no dances and several extracurricular activities canceled, but when they finally got to participate in these, they were so kind and so appreciative because they understood how lucky they were,” she said. Jensen said that overall, everyone has become more grateful. “I learned, ‘don’t take it for granted,’” he said. “Don’t take being at school or being in your workplace or being with your colleagues for granted because when the schools shut down, there was no life in the building. It wasn’t a good feeling; I missed the excitement and livelihood that students and teachers bring to this place. So then, it was just a big empty building. It’s not good.” l

Sandy City Journal

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SUPPORT FOR THE HAYES TOUGH FOUNDATION

Dr. Mark W. Peterson

Non-Surgical Orthopedic Specialist Board Certified Sports Medicine

Larkin Mortuary has donated $12,500 to the HayesTough Foundation from proceeds received from its annual golf tournament at the Eaglewood Golf Course in North Salt Lake, Utah on August 25, 2021. The contribution from the Larkin charity event will support the mission of the charity to provide financial support and hope to families affected by childhood cancer. The mission of The HayesTough Foundation is to fund research for childhood cancer and support families with a child experiencing a terminal cancer diagnosis. Every year nearly 100,000 kids die from childhood cancer, which is almost 300 kids per day. Despite these numbers, childhood cancer research is vastly underfunded. The HayesTough Foundation believes that every child deserves to have a better quality of life as they battle this disease.

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“We are extremely grateful to our vendors and supporters who generously rallied to offer their support for the ToughHayes Foundation this year,” said Lance Larkin, President of Larkin Mortuary. “With this year’s donation, we look forward to stepping up our long-term commitments to benefitting children with terminal illnesses.” Founded in 1885, Larkin Mortuary is one of the most respected funeral homes in the Salt Lake Valley and offers six generations of experience in the funeral and cemetery services industries. The family-owned company offers four funeral homes in Salt Lake City, Sandy, and Riverton, as well as an on-site crematory and two fullservice cemeteries.

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November 2021 | Page 27

REBECCA

COLLEY SANDY CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE

A resident of Sandy City for 29 years, she and her husband have raised their family here and remain involved in schools and local activities. Rebecca mastered the art of servant leadership in her work as HR Director, HIPAA Security Officer, and consulting on HR employment law. The principle of servant leadership, which shares power and puts the needs of people first, provided her professional and personal fulfillment. Rebecca is not a politician but understands that her neighbors and fellow citizens want a voice on essential services, public works, development, and city policies. There will undoubtedly be ongoing debate on the role of government during a crisis. Rebecca strongly believes that we are each essential. Liberty is not collective; it is individual and personal.

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Jordan unified soccer team finishes fourth at state, brings more to school than ribbons By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

ordan High senior Steven Cummiskey was ready to play soccer. It didn’t matter that it was pouring rain during most of his state tournament games. “I’m excited to play, to make memories in my last year,” he said. “We have matching jerseys, a bigger team so we have more subs, and we want to win like every team here.” Cummiskey has watched Real Salt Lake play at Rio Tinto with his grandmother and was ready for his team to win the qualifying games on Oct. 8, so he could play in the stadium Oct. 9 as a student-athlete on Jordan’s unified soccer team. “It will be a dream to play down there,” he said. “It will be so awesome.” Senior Brittany Luu plays as a partner student-athlete. “It’s fun to go out there to play,” she said. “It’s not super competitive, it’s something to do that’s active and meet more people.” Unified soccer is a UHSAA-sanctioned sport supported by Special Olympics Utah that joins high school-age students with and without intellectual disabilities playing sideby-side on the same sports teams. In soccer, five players take to a smaller-sized field; this year, high school teams from across the state played in either competitive or player development divisions. Through playing unified sports, students build friendships and inclusiveness as well as improve sports skills, said Unified Champion Schools manager Courtnie Worthen, who hopes all students are supported in their community to succeed and belong. “We hope this helps to create lasting friendships,” she said. “When you’re approximate to someone who’s different than you, you learn that they are people too. You learn why they are different, and you can appreciate their differences and you can understand your similarities.” This year’s state tournament consolation finals and finals in each of the four divisions were held at Rio Tinto for the first time, promoted by Utah First Lady Abby Cox’s statewide “Show Up” initiative. After a player and coach oath, an athlete, accompanied by her highway patrolman father and Gov. Spencer Cox, lit the torch. The First Lady and other community leaders had previously announced the desire to introduce the unified sports program to more schools—from 40 across the state to 100 by the 2022-23 school year—and expand it from soccer, basketball and track to more sports. Jordan Education Foundation, Salt Lake Bees, South Jordan and Mountain View Village (Riverton) Chick-fil-A franchises and the Joe and Renae Ingles family were the first to pledge their support. Worthen said the program isn’t just for

S andy Journal .com

“I think they enjoy being part of the team and parents reach out to me and say, ‘Thank you for holding this because I really love the fact my child can be part of something.’

Jenna Fox

high schools, some which also have unified sports PE classes. There also is a young athletes’ program in elementary schools and unified programs also are being introduced at the college level. Unified Champion School’s college-growth coordinator Boston Iacobazzi, who was a partner athlete for his high school and then continued to be instrumental in beginning and playing for the RSL unified program, now is reaching out to higher education institutions to support the program. “When partners and others get to know the athletes and become more involved in accepting them at their lunch tables and proms, it changes the climate and culture,” he said. “I gained friendships and never had so much fun on any sports team or as SBO (student body) president than I did with unified sports. It is so much fun, so high energy and we just cheer, sing and dance and want everyone to succeed. Having the tournament at Rio Tinto gives these teams the same opportunities as the boys and girls high school soccer teams being hosted there.” Jenna Fox, who co-coached Jordan’s team with Dave Mecham to a fourth-place finish at state, said she has seen the bonds from athletics stretch beyond the field and basketball court. “I’ve seen them become closer with each other,” she said. “A lot of them are freshmen and they’re meeting their classmates for the first time, and it was difficult for them to go up and talk and meet people. But because of soccer, they’re able to and they hang out more and some eat lunch together. They have more confidence to do new things.” Jordan’s program has grown from five participates to 15 this year. “The students from last year have been getting more students involved, telling them how much fun they’ve had,” Fox said. Jordan had an earlier regional tournament where they finished second; it was the first time some Jordan athletes have played unified soccer.

Jordan High unified soccer team plays Wasatch High in qualifying game Oct. 8 before they played in the state consolation finals at Rio Tinto stadium. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Jordan High celebrates taking fourth place Oct. 9 at the state championship at Rio Tinto stadium. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“I know a lot of them were nervous, but now they’re used to it, they’re more excited and are super pumped for it,” Fox said before the state tournament. “I think they enjoy being part of the team and parents reach out to me and say, ‘Thank you for holding this because I really love the fact my child can be part of something.’ It helps students feel like they’re part of this school and Special Olympics is amazing with billboards

and posters—it just makes them feel like true athletes. It is awesome.” Mecham also said before state that it’s more than the final place to these students. “I think the kids are really excited and they definitely want to come home with gold,” he said. “I just hope no matter what, they have fun, they like it and they’re just happy to be part of something.” l

November 2021 | Page 29

Utilizing your tax dollars in the best way possible Every fall, Salt Lake County goes through its annual budget process. As the government entity with the second largest government budget in Utah (coming behind only the state budget itself), there are a myriad of programs, services, and expen-

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3

ditures that comprise the now roughly $1.5 billion budget. On October 21st, Mayor Wilson presented her proposed budget to the county council. In subsequent weeks council members have the opportunity to review all new budgetary requests, ongoing expenditures, and any reinstatement of funding previously cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year the County will also review budgetary requests for funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Salt Lake County is a direct recipient of these federal dollars provided to support COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost public sector revenue, support immediate economic stabilization, and address systemic public health and economic challenges. One of the most important parts of being an elected official is acting as a steward of taxpayer dollars. Residents entrust those who run the government to judiciously use their tax dollars to perform essential functions for the community, and as such residents expect that every dollar spent by the government will be carefully scrutinized. Here are some key principles I prioritize during the budget process, this year included. First and foremost, tax dollars don’t “belong” to the county. The funds are

yours. Taxpayers entrust the county, or any government for that matter, with a portion of their hard-earned money because they expect that entity to provide essential services for society to function. Second, I believe that all government functions should be viewed in two different categories: “need to have” and “nice to have.”

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The “need to have” list includes things that are statutorily required of the county to perform, think constitutionally mandated services such as criminal justice and election administration. I also consider public safety to be in this category, since keeping our residents safe is a core function of government. However, just because they are essential does not mean they are above scrutiny. Efficiencies can still be found. The “nice to have” list includes quality of life services the county provides, as well as any other program or initiative that can easily be described as a benefit to county residents, but not necessarily considered essential. Libraries and open space are some of the things in this category. Lastly, I review each aspect of our budget and ask, “Is this the proper role of county government?” There are many programs or services that are better suited to other government entities, nonprofits, or the private sector. It is always important to review each program, service, or expenditure and ask that question again and again. I’m confident that these principles are the essence of good budgeting and fiscal discipline, and I will always advocate for this approach any time the government is entrusted with taxpayer dollars.

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How does your city know how much property tax to collect? By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com

ach year, Salt Lake County sets a new property tax rate for each city. First, a city will receive the same dollar amount as the previous year. If they received $15 million from property taxes in 2020, the city will receive $15 million from those same property owners in 2021. The property tax rate then calculated is set based on the values of all the properties in that city. If values go up, the tax rate decreases. If values go down, the tax rate increases. If there has been any population growth, the city will receive extra. “New growth adds to the city revenue at the same property tax rate as the other properties and becomes part of the calculation the next year,” West Jordan Finance Director Danyce Steck said. If a city collects $15 million in 2020,

they may collect $15 million and an additional $200,000 if there is new growth in 2021. Then 2022 would bring the city $15,200,000. Any time a city wants to do a different rate than set by Salt Lake County, a truth-in-taxation meeting that involves the public is required. The rate change can only happen once a year. Because the property tax rate, the percentage, changes year to year, if the city “raises taxes,” the percentage owners will pay is not always higher for the residents than it was in the past. Councils usually consider adjusting the rate when the income of the previous year is not enough to pay for what is needed in the next year. For example, West Jordan performed the truth-in-taxation process this year. Last

Residential

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Business

Assessed Value

$ 350,000

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(157,500)

Taxable Value

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$ 350,000

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0.001788

$ 344

$ 626

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year their tax rate was 0.1899%. The county then set the new rate for this year at 0.1732%. The council raised this year’s rate by 3.2% and properties will now pay 0.1788%. Residents pay less than commercial property owners.

“All property’s value is set by Salt Lake County, but residential properties receive a 45% discount. This discounted value becomes the taxable value and is used to calculate the property tax bill,” Steck said. l

S andy Journal .com

November 2021 | Page 31

Riders of all abilities race in high school cycling league By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

levate is the program in the Utah High School Cycling League for special needs students. In its eight years of existence, they have helped several student athletes participate just like every other rider in the program. “We wanted to bring more inclusivity into this league,” league director Dallen Atack said. “We wanted to make it available to special needs athletes.” This season the league has had about a dozen special needs student athletes participate. They are each members of individual teams across the state. They include riders that are legally blind, deaf, autistic or missing limbs. These riders participate just like the rest of the members of the team. In some cases, they may race a small loop near the start finish line, but other kids race a normal lap, and spectators would never know the difference. “It is based on the capacity of the team. If they have the ability to work with these kids we can get them to practice and the races,” Atack said. Each participant can be individually supervised as needed. “We had an athlete that was deaf and rode a little slower so we had a parent ride behind her so that the oncoming racers knew to steer around her,” Atack said. “Another was

legally blind. A coach rode in front of him to keep him safe. He could not see in front of him very well, but he was fast and usually had a small tumble during a race, but we made sure he stayed safe.” The league provided training for its coaches with the National Ability Center in Park City. The NAC draws from decades of experience working with people of all abilities, using special equipment as necessary and techniques and teaching methods within its 1,900 volunteers. “They helped us learn to work with the athletes and taught coaches skills for each individual athlete,” Atack said. “They have also helped acquire bikes with special equipment as needed.” The league has 6,300 participants this season. They raced in four regions across the state and are scheduled to hold the state finals Oct. 28-29 in St. George. “Our league grew more than we expected this season. In some of our race venues we are bursting at the seams. We also had a tough weather year with several lightning delays and rain. We will be headed to St. George for the finals with approximately 2,100 riders who have qualified,” Atack said. The league culture is different than most people have experienced.

West Granite Composite rider Archie Wiley finished his lap at the Eagle Mountain course in 56 minutes. Riders in the series race to improve each time they get on course. The league is trying to make the series available to everyone. (Greg James/City Journals)

“Mountain bike culture is different than a lot of the other sporting cultures. Everyone helps each other. They are racing for a team, but also for themselves. The only way to get better is for you to get better. Everyone races, no one rides the bench,” Atack said. The riders race in divisions of skill and

must pass levels of ability to advance. “These Elevate riders are part of the team. It is a really neat program. We have had lots of fun with it,” Atack said. The league begins its season in July. Its teams practice two or three times a week and welcome riders of all abilities.l

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November 2021 | Page 33

World champion paraclimber shares story, empowers Girl Scouts to find their passion By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

bout 100 registered Girl Scouts had the opportunity to not only listen to a world-class paraclimber share inspiring tales of mountain climbing, they also could choose to climb with her at the local Momentum indoor climbing facility. As part of the Girl Scouts of Utah’s Girls’ Empowered event, sixth- through 12th-grade girls listened as Maureen “Mo” Beck described competing at world championships and climbing the Lotus Flower Tower, a 2,200-foot granite rock face in the Cirque of the Unclimbables in Canada’s Northwest Territories. That alone is challenging enough for many people; however, Beck did those one-handed as she was born without the lower part of her left arm. By coincidence, her love of mountain climbing came at about the same age as the girls in attendance while attending Girl Scout camp near Acadia National Park in Maine, where she grew up. “My counselor said that I may just want to sit this one out,” she remembered. “So, the little 12-year-old me just thought, ‘screw you, I’m going to do it just because you think I can’t.’ I’m sure I didn’t do that well and didn’t make it to the top of the rock, but I wasn’t going to not do it. I never used not having my hand as an excuse.” She also used that same attitude to show her middle school coaches she could play soccer as the goalkeeper, the position where a player can use their hands; play softball—throwing the ball and catching it without a mitt; and play basketball—although she didn’t make that team since she missed tryouts. “I just wanted to show I was an athlete and could play; don’t count me out because I only have one hand. My grandma used to say that I was just being a smart-ass,” she said. But being defiant at Girl Scout camp meant more to the girl who once thought the best thing in the outdoors was hiking. “I fell in love with mountain climbing. It’s just me and the rock. It doesn’t care if I’m a girl. It doesn’t care if I don’t have a hand. It’s just there to be climbed. I knew then I wanted to be a climber and a good climber. Period. I had never known anything more than hiking. My parents weren’t climbers, so I went to the bookstore to buy magazines about mountain climbing.” With the help of friends, Beck developed her own style of climbing to accommodate not having a second hand. Her efforts didn’t stop there; she even tried ice climbing by attaching an ice tool to her prosthetic and also duct-taped a paddle to her prosthetic so she could canoe. Since then, most days Beck has given up wearing her prosthetic. “I had to figure out I can’t really wear a prosthetic to rock climb. It doesn’t help. So, I’m just going to tape my arm so I can feel the rock and also, so I don’t leave a bloody trail behind,” she told the Scouts. However, if Beck wanted to become a better climber, she told the girls, she had to confront her ego. “I had to be honest that it’s hard for me to do some things physically or I was unable to—and that was hard to do,” she said. “I had to realize I didn’t have all the knowledge or all the strength. I finally got to the point where I said at least I have to try and ask questions. I had to admit I didn’t know if I wanted to learn.” Once she did that, Beck said climbing became even more enjoyable. She told the girls that her first climbing title, the first U.S. Nationals held in Atlanta in 2014, she won because she was the only one in her category. “I felt conflicted about that. Does it count? Can I brag about being first if I’m the only one? I settled on you can because often times, the battle is stepping out of your front door; the hardest part is showing up,” she said.

Page 34 | November 2021

Professional paraclimber Mo Beck speaks with girls after the Girl Scouts of Utah’s Girls’ Empowered event, encouraging them to find their passion. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Later, she acquired four more national titles. With only a couple competitive events for paraclimbers each year, Beck made each one count. In 2014, she won the gold at the Paraclimbing World Champions in Spain as one of 15 paraclimbing athletes representing the United States. Two years later in Paris when the next worlds were held, she repeated her title and was one of 50 U.S. athletes, showing that the sport is growing. One championship was a three-way tie because “the people who built the competition underestimated us because it was too easy,” Beck said. Recently Jim Ewing, a climber with a prosthetic leg whom she didn’t know, asked her to join him climbing the Lotus Flower Tower; she reflected back on her decision when she said yes. “Society tells us, our parents tell us ‘no, we should stay safe. Our risks should be small, we should aim for incremental changes in our lives,’ but I think that’s wrong,” Beck said. “I think the more scared you are, the bigger risks you take, the worst that can happen when you take a risk is nothing changes. Failure is where you grow from. Failure when you take a risk is one of the best things that can happen. We’re so afraid of failure that we use it as an excuse to not grow. Life is too short for that.” Beck and the others were gone one month, most of it waiting for the weather to clear so they could climb. For 10 days leading up to the climb, they camped at the base of the peak, heating freeze-dried food on their backpacking stoves. When there was a break in the weather, they climbed part way up the steep cliff to a bivy ledge where they spent the night. “We finally got on mountain, and you can tell, I was a little less than stoked. The rock was still quite wet. I wasn’t ready for truly how loose and gross and mossy it was. Every single hitch that we did…was a full rope length; these were full 200-foot rope stretchers. So, when Jim would take off to lead, I would just be alone for so long during these belays. I was freezing wet and thinking fairly dark thoughts: ‘This was a horrible mistake. I’m not having fun. I’m 1,000 miles away from my family (she’s married, living in Colorado). It’s August. I should be in Colorado right now getting sunburned, sport climbing and having fun at the beach,” she told the girls. “But I knew anytime I was in a dark place, there is always something on the other side.” After witnessing the northern lights that night and waking the next morning, Beck was excited, but her climbing partner was sick. Knowing this was their only chance, they ascended the mountain, anyway. They reached the top—and rappelled down for nine hours arriving in the dark. “We wanted this to be the first all-adaptive ascent. We

World champion paraclimber Mo Beck tells local Girl Scouts that she never used not having a hand as an excuse and went on to win five national titles, two world championships and recently climbed a 2,200-foot granite rock face in the Cirque of the Unclimbables in Canada’s Northwest Territories. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

thought about it more and adaptation doesn’t mean you have one hand you learn how to climb. Adaptation is more about taking what is wrong and figuring out how to make it work. I realized the more that went wrong with this trip, the more I learned,” said the woman who was named the 2019 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. Now Beck is training for what she believes will be her last world championship before taking a break from competition. However, she isn’t ruling out the possibility of competing in paraclimbing if it is added to the Paralympic Games in 2028. Next, she wants to continue scaling peaks, maybe in Alaska. “Life isn’t over when you’re out of the spotlight and off of the podium, the world is still waiting,” she said, adding that now she teaches other adaptive climbers. “I want these girls to find their voice, their passion, what pumps them up. I’ve broken so many barriers now I want to empower them to push those farther,” she said. In addition to Beck, the Girl Scouts watched “The Empowerment Project,” a documentary made by women and featuring women across the country who were making a posit Girl Scouts of Utah CEO Lisa Hardin-Reynolds said that Girl Scouting gives girls opportunities—not only in the outdoors, but from STEM to life skills. “We encourage Girl Scouts to try new things because it could open up a new passion that they can do for their whole lives, just like it has for Mo,” she said. “We want to give them the opportunity to face challenges, lift each other up and see other women role models so they can see that anything is possible.” l

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November 2021 | Page 35

Congratulations to our October Members of the Month, Mareli Gonzalez, Daniella Betancourt, & Liam Casper! Mareli Gonzalez is 13 years old: she wants to become a famous singer or dancer when she grows up, she has been attending the Sandy Club for 3 years, in that time she has had nothing but good experiences here at the club and has met many incredible people. Daniella Betancourt is 9 years old: she wants to become a singer, she has been attending for 5 months, in that time she has learned to be responsible and kind. Liam Casper is 6 years old: he wants to become a construction worker, he has been attending for 2 months, and in that time, he has learned to make friends. Congratulations once again, we are so proud of you all! If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, please call 801-561-4845.

Page 36 | November 2021

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Page 38 | November 2021

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One cool November morning, mom twisted my blonde hair into two braids and painted my face with orange and blue stripes. I put on a fringed vest made from a paper grocery bag (decorated with stick figures and animals), donned my construction paper headband with its fake feathers and walked uphill (both ways) in the snow to school. Along the way, I met up with friends dressed as Indians or outfitted in Pilgrim attire, with black, buckled hats or kitchen aprons. We were heading to our second-grade class party, unaware we were perpetuating a myth handed down for generations regarding the First Thanksgiving. We’d been taught the feast was a celebration of friendship, that the Indians didn’t want their BFFs to starve during the winter. We didn’t know Pilgrims were the guests that never leave, who end up stealing your bath towels and giving you smallpox. We also didn’t know ancestors of the Wampanoag Nation hadn’t been invited to the feast, but responded when they heard Pilgrims firing guns, and thought the settlers were under attack. But the Pilgrims were just shooting their rifles into the air, celebrating a successful harvest, like ya do. Have Americans always been gun lunatics? Our school Thanksgiving dinner consisted of turkey-shaped sugar cookies, banana bread, orange soda, candy corn and other

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forms of sugar, because that was one of the main food groups in the ’70s. Our meal was nothing like the first Thanksgiving where lobster or eel was probably the main course, not turkey. I don’t know how they stuffed an eel, but I’m sure it wasn’t pretty. The teacher told us to write down things we were grateful for. My list included my family, Nancy Drew mysteries and apple pie. We also brought offerings for a food drive where some lucky family in the neighborhood received 25 cans of cranberry sauce, four boxes of Stove Top stuffing and a case of olives. Maybe the Pilgrims also made gratitude lists, including finding a land so completely devoid of other humans that they could take whatever they wanted and build a country. Did they think the people native to this continent were just visiting? Lost? The official Thanksgiving holiday start-

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ed in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln was so tired of the Civil War, he just wanted a piece of pumpkin pie. Since then, in typical American style, the holiday evolved into a food orgy, consisting of overcooked turkey, mountains of mashed potatoes and nine different Jell-O salads. My food tracking app usually starts to smoke during dessert. Although it’s true Pilgrims celebrated days of thanksgiving, those observations usually involved fasting and prayer, not gluttony. These “thanksgivings” often occurred after a massacre of Native people. For instance, in 1637, Massachusetts Colony Governor John Winthrop called for a day of thanksgiving after hundreds of the Pequot tribe were massacred. Not really something you celebrate with grandma’s homemade rolls and jam. Along with your holiday celebration, maybe you can learn about the challenges still faced by Native Americans including poverty, domestic violence, healthcare and the continuation of harmful stereotypes. As a 7-year-old, I didn’t know cultural prejudice or appropriation was a thing. I didn’t realize the Disneyfied version of the first Thanksgiving wasn’t accurate, with its cartoonish Pilgrims, smiling Natives and bouncy soundtrack. But now I do. When you gain wisdom, you get to make better choices.

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