May 2022 | Vol. 08 Iss. 05
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RESIDENTS CREATE COMMITTEE TO PROTEST RAISES AND STORMWATER FEE By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
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ecent actions by the South Salt Lake City Council are now under the residential microscope. On Feb. 23, the council voted to remove the Elected Officials Compensation Commission ordinance on a 6-1 vote. Shane Siwik, District 5, was the only opposing vote. In the same meeting, the council looked at the issue of the mayor's compensation. The council settled on around $130,000 annually, which is a 37% increase. This is the first pay increase for the mayor in 11 years. Then, during the March 9 council meeting, the council took up the question of their own compensation. They settled on $1,452.58 per month ($17,430.96 annually), a 35% increase. The council also has not received a pay increase in 11 years. The ordinance was moved to the next meeting on a 6-1 vote. In addition, a public hearing on the mayor's and council members' compensation was set for March 23. During the March 23 public hearing, no one came forward nor emailed a message to read. The council approved both raises on a 6-1 vote. The council approved a $6 per month residential storm water utility fee during the same meeting. Again, the approval was on a 6-1 vote. The notion of having a stormwater fee dates back a few years. Both actions—the compensation increase and the stormwater utility fee—has caught the ire of some residents who want to put Continued page 8 After a denial letter, sponsors of referendum 2022-06 are taking South Salt Lake City to the Utah Supreme Court. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
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May 2022 | Page 3
New treatments for migraines may help millions of sufferers By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
A
migraine is not just a bad headache, as over 39 million Americans know. Instead, migraines have more to do with functionality. The American Migraine Foundation describes migraines as a disabling disease that can lead to isolation as patients try to recover. Migraine suffers miss a countless number of workdays or social gatherings. According to the 2020 Perspectives of People with Migraine survey by the National Headache Foundation, 77% said their migraine disease limits their ability to do the things they want to do, such as exercise, be productive at work and school, take care of their children, and make social plans. In addition, 93% agreed that those who don't suffer from migraine don't understand the severity of the disease. "I feel as though if you lose more than two hours of function, then you should want to try medications because there are safe treatments that can allow the function to return very quickly and not lose time due to a migraine," Corey Dahl, PA-C with Omega Interventional Pain Clinic in Salt Lake City, said. What is a migraine? There are various types of migraines. They also differ in terms of length and frequency. Migraine attacks can last anywhere between four and 72 hours. An essential difference between a headache and a migraine are other symptoms. "A migraine is a headache that can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. It's often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound," according to the Mayo Clinic website. The causes of migraines are not fully understood. However, genetics and environmental factors play a role. The Mayo Clinic reports that "Changes in the brainstem and its interactions with the tri-
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geminal nerve, a major pain pathway, might be involved. So, might imbalances in brain chemicals including serotonin, which helps regulate pain in your nervous system. Researchers are studying the role of serotonin in migraines. Other neurotransmitters play a role in the pain of migraine, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)." Risk factors Researchers have identified some risk factors for migraines. Family history is a significant risk factor. If you have a family member with migraines, you have a good chance of developing them. Age is another risk factor. Children, teenagers, and adults all can suffer from migraines. Migraines often start during adolescence and peak during a person's 30s. They can lessen in severity and frequency as one gets older. Gender seems to be a key risk factor. Women are three times more likely than men to have migraines. This factor is related to the last risk factor of hormonal changes. Women might have migraines before or shortly after menstruation. Migraines can also come during pregnancy or menopause. Migraines usually improve after menopause. Triggers Migraine triggers are very individualized. Triggers range from alcohol or caffeinated drinks to stress to sensory stimuli like loud noises or bright lights to weather changes to food such as aged cheeses, salty, and processed foods to food additives like aspartame or MSG. Many migraine sufferers can sense when an attack is coming on. They can move through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome. The prodrome stage occurs one or two days before the migraine and might include such events as mood changes, food cravings, neck stiffness or frequent yawning. Many people report having an aura before
For over 39 million Americans migraines are a debilitating reality. (Courtesy Biohaven Pharmaceuticals)
or during a migraine. For example, they might have vision problems or weakness in an arm or leg. The post-drome stage is after the migraine attack. People might feel drained or washed out. However, others feel elated. Treatment Migraine treatment is very individualized. It is essential to work with a pain specialist. Taking too much medications can backfire. The highest risk of overuse headaches is with aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine combinations. Another concern is taking aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) for more than 14 days a month or triptans, sumatriptan (Imitrex, Tosymra), or rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT) for more than nine days a month. Triptans are older migraine medications, but they have side effects. This class of drugs causes vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction is the process of shrinking blood vessels in the brain. In the case of migraines, blood vessels
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have enlarged. This type of medication brings the blood vessels back to normal size. "Other treatments include medication management with a class of CGRP therapies. These medicines block a protein in the brain called CGRP, which is thought to lead to migraine symptoms in most patients when the levels are higher. So, medications have been designed to lower the levels of CGRP in humans, and it lowers the migraines from occurring," Dahl said. Dahl also said, "Nurtec ODT is a very unique medication that is an orally dissolving tablet that can be dosed in the prevention of a migraine or also for the acute or (time of the event) treatment to try and get rid of a migraine when they occur." Studies show that Nurtec ODT works within an hour and can last up to 48 hours. Botox treatments are also available. Botox is injected at trigger points. l
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Little ones hunt for 7,000 Easter eggs at annual spring event By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
A
s a sign of spring and that life is returning to normal, South Salt Lake Parks and Recreation held the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Central Park Community Center on April 16.
“It is awesome to have people coming back,” Aaron Wiet, the city’s recreation director, said. “This is one of our bigger events.” The police estimated between 500 to 850 people attended the event. The Parks and Recreation staff divided the soccer field into areas based on age. A smaller area by the Head Start building was taped off for tots and children with special needs. With 30 minutes to go, Promise SSL staff, SSLFD, and SSLPD spread the eggs and candy in each large square. Kids started to encircle the square to watch and pick the perfect place to begin their hunt. “We had about 7,000 Easter eggs and around 50 big bags of candy,” Wiet said. With each minute, the anticipation increased. Finally, 10 a.m. arrived. Wiet counted down and blew the air horn. Without delay, children ran under the tape and started to collect eggs and candy. Some children were so successful that they had to empty their baskets at their parents’ feet and return for more. By 10:05, it was all over. Children started to check the eggs for special tickets. Children could redeem the tickets for a backpack full of Easter art activities. Tiny Tots Fair Before the Easter egg hunt, a Tiny Tot Fair was held on the basketball court. Various profit and nonprofit groups provided information to parents and children. Among the groups were: • Midtown Community Health Center (www.midtownchc.org/directory/listing/southsalt-lake-city) is at 2253 South State Street. They provide medical services from pediatrics to senior care. Their clients are “individuals and families who face barriers of geography, culture, language, and economic or insurance status.” • Vroom by Text (vroom.org) provides ways to make any moment a brain-building moment for children up to five years old. Every week, parents receive tips for themselves and their children specifically tailored to the child’s age. In addition, multiple children can be registered with a single phone number. The service is free. • Lakeshore (www.lakeshorelearning. com) sells educational items for teachers and parents. The Salt Lake store is at 5480 S. 900 East. They develop many of their products. Besides selling things, they offer over 1,000 free resources such as learning activities, worksheets, clip art and crafts.
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Children make huge bubbles at the Midtown Community Health Center table at the Tiny Tots Fair at Central Park. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
Bodhi Liabenow shows off his success at the SSL Easter Egg Hunt. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
• Help Me Grow Utah (www.helpmegrowutah.org) is a statewide information and referral network available at no cost to families who are pregnant or have young children. Parents can get answers to pregnancy, child development, and parenting questions. They also provide screening services to understand developmental milestones and how a child is hitting them or not. They provide ways to discuss your child’s developmental delays with a medical professional. • Children’s Service Society of Utah (cssutah.org) has been the oldest nonprofit caring for children and families since 1884. CSS “empowers families, caregivers, and professionals through services, supporting the safety and well-being of children.” CSS provides home visits to low-income and high-risk families with children 0-6. • Utah Community Action (www.utahca. org/head-start) provides Head Start programs to children 0-5 broken into Head Start (ages 3-5) and Early Head Start (0-3). They have a Head Start program at Central Park. All programs are free and “provide high-quality education, healthy meals, medical and dental screenings, and holistic support for the whole family.” Head Start is one of several programs conducted by UCA. • Promise SSL shared information about its many programs, including early childhood support and family advocate services. SSL Animal Services brought two live rabbits to the event, and two princesses and the Easter Bunny were available for photos by Sports Imaging Photography. l
South Salt Lake firefighters help scatter 7,000 eggs and bags of candy for the SSL Easter Egg Hunt at Central Park. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
The egg hunt begins. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
May 2022 | Page 5
Have you seen this tree? If so, call the Beaver Hotline
“H
ave you seen this along the Jordan River? ¿Ha visto esto al lado del Río Jordan,” asks a chalk-drawn parody of a wanted poster, with arrows pointing to a whittled, carved-out tree trunk. These wanted posters aren’t meant to apprehend a fugitive, and the suspect at large is not going to face criminal charges. Instead, biologists with Tracy Aviary’s Birds and Beavers program are asking trail users along the Jordan River to help collect data that will be used to make connections between beaver activity and bird habitats. If a trail user spots a nibbled, chewed, or chomped tree, known as beaver gnawing traces, they are asked to take a photo, note the location and text it to the aptly-named Beaver Hotline. Trail users can find examples of gnawing traces on the Birds and Beavers website, along with an interactive map pinpointing beaver activity. Birds and Beavers is a bilingual community science project that launched in April 2021 and is headquartered at Tracy Aviary’s Jordan River Nature Center. “Some families who live close to or along the river speak Spanish, and we want to be an inclusive project that motivates residents to go outside and walk the trails and look for beaver activity,” says Frances Ngo, the lead conservation outreach biologist on the project. Cities like West Valley City, with an approximate 38% Latino population, inhabit a large stretch along the Jordan River. According to experts, Latino communities in urban areas are often underserved when it comes to environmental education and outreach. Ngo hopes Birds and Beavers will encourage all residents to participate in outdoor activities and wildlife preservation. The trail user photo project and resulting data is part of the three phases of the program that include identifying beaver activity, monitoring beaver activity, and educating the public and government agencies with the findings. To date, trail users have submitted photos of beaver gnawing traces from as far south as Spanish Fork to just above West 2300 North Street in North Salt Lake City. “We are primarily interested in how beaver activity interplays with bird habitat,” Ngo said. “Beavers are a native species prevalent along the Jordan River. They are known as ecosystem engineers because they can alter habitats by creating lush ponds, generating deadfall that attracts bugs, which in turn attracts birds, and facilitating the return of other species to an ecosystem.” Over 200 species of birds, including migratory birds, call the Jordan River home. Protecting trees or leaving fallen trees in certain areas is important for resident birds as they provide places to hunt and nest and insects to eat. Ngo and her colleagues are using the Beaver Hotline photos to assess
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By Deb Hafner | d.hafner@mycityjournals.com which trees need to be protected or monitored. Beavers eat tree bark and the softer growing tissue under the bark, called cambium, and they prefer soft-wooded trees like native cottonwoods. A beaver can gnaw the entire circumference of a tree, called girdling, leaving an hour-glass shaped trunk with visible teeth marks. Once a tree has been girdled, it is in danger of dying because it cannot get the nutrients it needs through its narrowed trunk. Some larger cottonwoods need to be protected from too much beaver munching, so Ngo and her colleagues and volunteers have been wrapping endangered trees with chicken wire to encourage the beavers to feast on other species of trees, like the invasive Russian olive tree. Ngo hopes to install motion-activated cameras in the future to continue monitoring beaver activity and to specifically see how long beavers dine at each tree before moving on to a new one. This data will inform city and county management efforts so they don’t remove dead trees and debris, called snags, too soon. “If we see perching, nesting or decomposers occupying areas, we don’t want to see the removal of snags,” Ngo said, adding, “Flickers, for example, create nests in dead trees, and if we remove those dead trees, we remove potential bird habitats.” One sunny morning in early April, Ngo, with binoculars hanging around her neck, and Millcreek District 1 Councilmember Silvia Catten, set off from the General Holm parking onto the Jordan River Trail to look for new beaver activity. Almost immediately, Ngo spotted a muskrat lounging on a log in the river. American coots, a duck-like bird that is not a duck, paddled down the river in pursuit of aquatic vegetation. “Did you hear that?” asked Ngo, excitedly. “That is an American kingfisher.” In a few more steps, Catten spotted teardrop shapes hanging from branches high in a cottonwood tree. “Those are oriole nests,” informed Ngo, “they build new ones every year.” Excitedly, the pair continued south on the trail. “I bet most people don’t know about the myriad species of birds that live on or around the river, or that there is a population of beavers right through the middle of the valley,” said Catten. Catten, who is also a vice chair on the Jordan River Commission, has taken an interest in the conservation and protection of the Jordan River “as a place for wildlife, open space, recreation and beauty in our urban landscape.” Millcreek, 16 other cities and two counties are members of the Jordan River Commission, which helps fund conservation, planning, education, and recreational efforts around and on the river. A partial grant from the Jordan River Commission is helping to support the Birds and Beavers
Frances Ngo, a biologist with Tracy Aviary, shows Millcreek District 1 Councilmember Silvia Catten what to look for when searching for beaver-chewed trees along the Jordan River. (Deb Hafner/City Journals)
program. “Millcreek is planning to complete a trail—a loop—on the east side of the water that connects to the existing Jordan River Trail,” Catten said, adding that “while a lot of the work for Millcreek’s portion was completed last year, we are awaiting funding to finish the loop access to our portion. We’re hopeful it will be complete within the next few years.” Ngo said that as part of the education phase of the program, they will offer guided and self-guided beaver tours and install interpretative signage along the trails. Catten and Ngo headed south where the meandering trail led them to a small meadow, in the middle of which stood a large cottonwood tree with recent beaver chew marks. To the left was another dined-upon tree, and to the right an abandoned dinner spot. Across the river were more trees with beaver gnawing traces. While Millcreek touches a small portion of the Jordan River, cities with larger portions of the river have led conservation efforts, and according to Catten, “When we became a city we wanted to follow suit and be good stewards, too. We have a relatively small portion of the river and we are so lucky to have bordering municipalities that
manage their portion of the river so well, like Murray. Our portion has benefited from that for sure. Our goal is to be a vested partner with the agencies, like the Jordan River Commission, who take prudent care to plan for the conservation of the river as a whole. It’s our job to help as we can, even if it’s just for our tiny portion.” As for the Birds and Beavers program, Catten believes “the knowledge gained from programs like this one does have a wider reach as I see it—the trees, plants, and weed management plans affect the wildlife, so as far as what might guide future plans for conservation, understanding the broader ecosystem is always helpful.” Ngo and Catten took a photo of the beaver gnawing trace they discovered and sent it to the Beaver Hotline for Ngo to plot on the map. If you see beaver activity along the Jordan River, take a photo and text it to the Beaver Hotline at 801-381-6349. You can visit the Jordan River Nature Center at 1125 W. 3300 South at the James Madison Oxbow Park. The Birds and Beavers website can be found at www.tracyaviaryconservation.org/ birdsbeavers.l
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Cottonwood students ‘Rock The Street, Wall Street’ when it comes to finances By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
I
n the financial sector, women make up only 2.5% of hedge fund managers or 9% of mutual fund managers. It could be because by age nine in the United States, girls lose interest in math. Those statistics and more, is why “Rock The Street, Wall Street” was launched. The financial and investment literacy program is designed to spark the interest of a diverse population of high school girls to enter careers in finance, said “Rock The Street, Wall Street” teacher Amy Johnson, who also is Grandeur Peak Advisors’ senior manager of client relations. “As a firm, we have enjoyed having perspectives from a diverse group of employees and yet we find it very difficult to hire women; in the finance industry, women are underrepresented,” she said. “We have an initiative to reach out at the college level and engage more women and provide educational opportunities so that more people are aware of the financial industry.” With the support of her company and with the newly recognized Salt Lake chapter of 100 Women in Finance, Johnson got the support to offer the “Rock The Street, Wall Street” program to high school students. She knew Cottonwood High offered the Academy of Finance, gained support from administration, counseling and teacher Jen Riches and together, they began offering 10 one-hour sessions to a small group of girls after school. Senior Georgia Barrus was one of the girls who participated. “My dad always says it’s important to know where your money is coming from, to learn how to take care of it, to understand it, but I didn’t have time in my schedule to take any in-depth financial lit classes,” she said. “I thought, this is a great resource for me, to go and get a little bit of knowledge, especially since I’ll be going to college. I realized I didn’t know much about investing in stocks or much of the financial world, and felt it was important that I learn about my finances.” Even though Barrus plans to be an elementary school teacher, Johnson said she will need to understand the State of Utah’s pension plan and how they invest money for retirement. Similarly, other girls in the program will need to learn about finances as one wants to start her own business, and another wants to make a profit from thrifting. “We talked about savings, investments and budgeting. Through the program, they made connections with other females in the financial profession,” Johnson said. The first five weeks last fall, the students had skills training, role playing, case studies, learned basic investment and personal finance concepts. They went from learning what a stock and bond is to understanding
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In high school, you’re making economic decisions all the time about where you spend your energy and how you divide up your time to do your homework and all your activities. Those skills are the same that come into play whether I should buy stock in Amazon or Tesla. Amy Johnson
a case study and determined the fixed costs versus variable costs and the discretionary costs in a budget. During the course, students followed a sample portfolio of Amazon, Google, Lululemon, Airbnb and Netflix and watched what’s happened to their stocks weekly. “We looked at the stock market so it wasn’t intimidating; they could ask questions and learn what they’re looking at. I hope they will continue to have the curiosity to ask questions and the belief that they are capable of understanding and participating. I think most women discount themselves mentally from being eligible as understanding investing and that’s just false. There are plenty of professional working women who make budget financial related decisions all the time about how they spend their time, where they invest their earnings and savings, they have to pick their 401(k) and their company plan. Even in your own personal life, you should invest and participate. Women save a lot of money, but they don’t invest it,” she said. Johnson related that to the teens’ friendships, activities and homework. “In high school, you’re making economic decisions all the time about where you spend your energy and how you divide up your time to do your homework and all your activities. Those skills are the same that come into play whether I should buy stock in Amazon or Tesla,” she said. After those five weeks of hands-on learning, the group had an all-day onsite visit to Grandeur Peak Advisors, a micro to mid-cap global equities investment firm. After a tour, the students met with the team and
In a small group discussion, “Rock The Street, Wall Street” girls prepare for their personal financial futures after learning about the financial world. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
asked questions like, “How does a trade get from one company to another?” and “What does buying power mean?” They met with female professionals and learned their stories, Johnson said. Barrus said it was there that she began to feel more comfortable in understanding the financial world. “In the fall, I was hesitant because I felt like I didn’t know as much as the others here. But then I just stared learning to ask questions. When we visited Amy’s work, it was such a fun day to learn what they do and until then, I’ve honestly never thought that I would go into career within financial layers, but now I feel I could definitely have a good start,” she said. During the five weeks this spring, the students had mentoring sessions and learned how to prepare resumes, create LinkedIn profiles and practiced interview skills and pitches. Riches gave an example of her personal pitch, then encouraged students to “own your greatness. It’s hard not to feel cocky, but you need to let your confidence shine through.” Riches said that “Rock The Street, Wall Street” allowed students to become fully invested in their personal growth and in understanding the financial world. “They’ve learned how to build their resume, invest in themselves, learn about finances and advocate for themselves. It’s been fun to see the growth and interact in a small group; we’re reaching a different group of people than we do in a traditional class,” she said. Barrus said that because of this pro-
gram, she is now able to have a conversation about the stock market and has started a budget for herself for college. “I know how to read a stock; I can tell what’s happening with it and what to expect. I’m able to talk to my dad about stocks and investing,” she said. “After doing a budget assignment, I’m not just looking as a teenager does with money for fast food, clothes and not really planning ahead or thinking about a house budget, with rent, bills and phone bills. That hadn’t even crossed my mind before, but with my mom, I’ve created a budget to save up for my dorm, meal plans, and other things I’m realizing I’ll need. What I know will really stick with me is learning to advocate for myself. Teachers don’t get paid as much as they should, and I will need to use my voice and skills I’ve learned here.” l
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JUNE 2021 EVENTS
2022
EVENING SERIES EVENING Season Tickets: $49 Adult,SERIES $45 Senior, $29 Child
Amphitheater Parking: Amphitheater Parking:495495East East5300 5300South South Ticket Information: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov June 3 .......................... The Sound of Music, Movie Sing-Along June 44 ................................. Les Miserables, Sing-Along June .......................................................... Murray Movie Symphony Pops June 5 ................................................... Murray Concert Band June 16-18, 20, 23-24 ......... Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical June 17-19, 21-23 ........................ Disney's The Little Mermaid June 25 .............................................................. Murray Concert Band June 26 ...................................................... Murray Symphony
LUNCH L U N C H CONCERT C O N C E R T SSERIES ERIES
Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE * Tuesday at Noon in Murray Winterwood, Park PavilionHeart #5, FREE June 7 ....................................................... & Soul June 14 1 -................................ BD Howes ...................................................... Acoustic June Rumor Has It, Classic Rock/Country June 8 - Vaudeville Nouveau ................................... 50's - 80's June 21 ........................................ The Will Baxter Band, Soul/R&B June 15 - Wasatch Jazz Syndicate ........................ Jazz Quartet June Vibes/Jazz June 28 22 -...................................................................... Riding Gravity ..............................Zenith, Surf & Rockability
LLIBRARY I B R A R Y SUMMER S U M M E R SHORTS SHORTS *Wednesday Wednesdayatat11p.m. PM inin Murray MurrayPark ParkPavilion Pavilion#5, #5,FREE FREE June ...................................................... Magic Show June 82 ............................................. MagicMont, Show,Magic Paul Brewer June 15 9 ........................................... & Tails AnimalShow Show June .............................................. MadScales Science, Science June 16 ................................................................ Mad Science June 22 .................... Spiderman/Black Widow, Meet & Greet June 23 .......................................... DJ Juggling & Magic Show June 29 ............................... Miss Murray, The Gift of Movement June 30 ......................................... Woody & Jessie, Characters
CCHILDREN H I L D R E N MATINEE M A T I N E E SERIES SERIES *Thursday Thursdayatat22p.m. p.m.ininMurray MurrayPark ParkPavilion Pavilion#5, #5,FREE FREE June 2 ............................. Two Shields, Native American Dance June 93 -.............................................................. Just Jumpin' .............................................. Jump Rope June Noa Polynesia, Dance June 10 - Spiderman ...................................... Karate & Photos June 16 ................................. The Puppet Players, Puppet Show June 17 - Ballet Folkorico .................................... Las Americas June Viva Mexico Ballet, June 24 24 ................................................... - Ballet Center Utah, Inc .......................... BalletDance Dance June 30 ......................................... Ballet Center Utah, Inc., Ballet
F A M I L Y NIGHT N I G H T SERIES S ERI ES FAMILY
Bring Whole Family Young The 2nd the Monday of every month at 7and p.m.,Old! FREE The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Murray Senior Recreation Center (10Murray E 6150 Senior S – 1/2 Recreation block west Center of State) (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 blockBrothers, west of State) June 13 ......................... The Flashback Classic Rock June 14 – Pick'ee Out the Stingers .................. Bluegrass Music
STOP IN FOR STORIES S TEvery O P Tues/Wed/Thurs I N F O R atS11:15 T Oa.m.R IinE S
Murray Park White Gazebo, FREE * Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at 11 a.m. Murray City Library sponsored outdoor story time full of in Murray Park White Gazebo, FREE books, songs and action rhymes for kids ages 2-7 and Murray City Library sponsored Storytelling their families. Bring your blanket or lawn chair.
Location mayfunding changesupport from This program*has received residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts & This program has received funding support from Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts and Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, Utah Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Humanities, NationalEndowment Endowment Arts. Museums and & National forforthethe Arts.
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the approval or denial on the November ballot. "When elected officials no longer take their oaths or the trust that citizens vest in them seriously; when our policymakers abandon their fiduciary responsibility and charge forward into corruption for personal gain, then that abdicated responsibility lies on well-informed and responsible citizens. The recent actions taken by our policymakers in South Salt Lake now deem it necessary for citizens to stand up for our city," said Timothy Webb, the referendum sponsor. “I'm bullish on South Salt Lake, but the time to stand by, roll our eyes, and shrug our shoulders at our leaders' misdeeds has passed….We don't have to keep accepting this as the only way South Salt Lake can be governed. South Salt Lake deserves better. We have a voice in this." When asked, the city replied, “No comment from Mayor Wood at this time.” See articles in the March and April South Salt Lake City Journal for a detailed background. Quick civic lesson The referendum creation and process are dictated by state law (Code 20A-7-6). Five residents must submit a referendum request by 5 p.m. within seven days after the day on which the local law was passed. Within three days, the city clerk must give the request to the director of finance. The director "together with legal counsel, shall prepare an unbiased, good faith estimate of the fiscal and legal impact of repealing the law." After 20 calendar days the clerk gives the request to the Finance Department, the director will submit the initial fiscal impact estimate to the city clerk and the first three sponsors named on the request. In addition, 20 days after the application is filed, the city attorney must "determine whether the proposed referendum is legally referable to voters" and notify the first three application sponsors. If the application is deemed not referable to the voters, sponsors have 10 days to challenge the decision by appealing to the Utah Supreme Court requesting an extraordinary writ. A writ is a form of written command in the name of the court to act, abstain from acting in some way. In this case, it is an extraordinary writ because the referendum sponsors are asking the court to exercise unusual or discretionary power. Suppose the Supreme Court rules the referendum is legally referable to voters. In that case, the clerk has five days to provide a copy of the referendum petition and a signature list to the sponsors. In this case, the decision is final, and no other appeals are possible. The number of required signatures depends on the size of the city. Referendum No. 2022-06 This referendum petition application focuses on the raises given to SSL elected officials. "This is all about the clear conflict of interest that the council and mayor didn't even attempt to hide. They blatantly bypassed the oversight mechanism and went full speed into
a mind-blowing corrupt bargain to citizens," Webb said. "To be clear, people deserve raises to keep up with the cost of living, etc. There is a right way to do this, but instead our elected officials decided to go the expedient and corrupt route which is the real issue here." The application reads in part, "Though fair compensation of civil servants is a critical component of a successful government, we aim to exercise our rights as citizens to the fullest extent when such issues are brought to question. Moreover, we seek to provide the necessary oversight, which we believe is being ignored. This initiative is the right thing for the citizens of the City of South Salt Lake." Webb stated that with the raise, Mayor Wood is paid five times the compensation for the mayor of Sandy on a per-resident basis. In a letter dated April 5, City Attorney Joshua Collins informed the first three sponsors—Nathan Campbell, Susan Bowden, and Christian Bellina—that the application was not referable to voters because the application referred to two ordinances. In this case, the action reference in the application focused on section 2.04.065 and section 2.08.075 of the city code. State code 20A-7-602-7(2)(b) says, "For a local law other than a land use law, a proposed referendum is legally referable to voters unless:…the proposed referendum challenges more than one law passed by the local legislative body." Therefore, the application was determined not to be referable to voters based on state code. "The South Salt Lake City Attorney's denial on a technicality was incorrect, and the sponsors will continue to pursue the referendum with all the recourse options available. These issues are too important for the citizens to be intimidated into submission," Webb said. On April 18, the referendum sponsors filed recourse with the Utah Supreme Court. A decision is pending. "The sponsors and the growing support for the referendum are working to bring this decision to the people and out of the mayor and city council's self-serving hands," Webb said. Referendum No. 2022-05
The referendum application refers to the stormwater utility fee passed by the city council. Sponsors call the action "A general tax increase dressed in a storm drain fee." "The stormwater fee is another example of the mayor and the council trying to nickel and dime the city into a corner claiming a dire need. This is an accounting trick to raise more taxes on residents," Webb said. The ordinance passed reads in part, "the City Council finds that, upon a fee study conducted by a qualified engineering consultant, other municipalities around the City charge between $10.26 per month and $6 per month, per equivalent residential unit, to fund the operation and maintenance of a storm drainage system as well as needed capital improvement projects associated with the storm drainage… to enact a $6 per month fee per equivalent residential unit for stormwater management is in the best interest of the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of South Salt Lake City." The council and city administration see the stormwater utility fee as a way to generate dedicated funds to improve and maintain an old system and free up general budget dollars for other needed projects. Backers of the referendum see it differently. They see an additional $6 a month tax while not providing any other tax relief. In addition, they say the city has been paying for stormwater maintenance out of general funds, and there is no need for additional funds. POET Sponsors and backers of the referendum efforts have created a Political Action Committee (PAC) called POET (Promising Oversight, Equity and Transparency). According to their website, they "are dedicated to shining light on the actions of our local government that citizens should be aware of, bringing ballot measures and not allowing the narrative and history to be written by the PR consultants of the city." The website has a way to donate to their cause and ways to get involved: portutah.org. l
S outh Salt Lake City Journal
Honorary Colonels are vital in supporting police department By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
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he South Salt Lake Police Honorary Colonels Association is a civic organization dedicated to supporting law enforcement. "The support we receive from the Honorary Colonels is immeasurable. They are leaders in the community that provide a positive interaction with each officer," South Salt Lake Police Chief Jack Carruth said. "They show up at each new officer swearing-in and provide each officer a token of appreciation. I/we want to express our deep gratitude for the support and continued partnership dedicated to law enforcement appreciation." As part of National Police Week (May 11-17), the Honorary Colonels want to tell their story. During Robert Gray's tenure as SSLPD chief (1994-1997), he invited Orrin Colby and Ron Greensides to establish the Honorary Colonels. The association has functioned ever since. The mission "Our purpose is to create a positive relationship between the police department and the community. We also want to ensure every officer feels supported and appreciated," Sean Marchant, chair of the association, said. In addition, they raise funds for police department needs, render aid to police families in time of need, and facilitate educational events and forums. Some specific examples of how they fulfilled this mission are: • Help sponsor annual awards banquet, including honoring one officer • Help sponsor the annual police motorcycle ride • Assisted Officer David Romrell's family when he was killed in the line of duty in 2018 • Helped finance acquisition of police dogs • Provide annual Thanksgiving dinner for officer families • Provide meals on Christmas for officers on duty that day • Spearheaded a formal declaration last year that the mayor and city council signed stating that the city and city officials support the police department • Provide activities and events for officers and their families to interact and build relationships, such as the tug of war at the community fair last year and a police appreciation barbecue • Do public relations promotions, including billboard campaigns, radio spots • Chair the selection committee for a new police chief • Attend new officer swearing-in events Currently, there are no youth programs. However, the Honorary Colonels support programs like the Police Athletic League (PAL). They are working on creating an
S outh SaltLakeJournal .com
Honorary Captains committee made up of junior high and high school students so they can come up with their own ideas of how to create a positive relationship between youth and the police. Why join? "There has never been a greater need to support law enforcement than now. If we want good officers, they have to know they are appreciated and supported," Marchant said. "They are all willing to put their lives on the line for public safety, but perhaps the most difficult thing we ask them to do is see reality as it really is. They see humanity often at its lowest possible level, and we ask them to deal with it daily, so we don't have to. I'm certain this can affect their faith both in people and even in God, and it's critical we remind them why what they do is so important, and we couldn't have a functioning society without them." There are two types of memberships— an individual membership with annual dues of $200 and a business membership with yearly dues of $1,000. All members receive a certificate, T-shirt, updates and messages from the police chief. In addition, a business member receives a plaque, business recognition, and participation in special events. Other benefits are building relationships with other Honorary Colonels and interacting with police department leadership and officers. More information can be found on their website: www.southsaltlakehonorarycolonels.com. l
When tragedy hits a police family like with Officer David P. Romrell’s family, the Honorary Colonels step in to help. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
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Got two minutes? Share your opinion on new survey app By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
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o increase resident engagement and hear all voices, South Salt Lake has obtained a polling app called FlashVote. The app allows the administration and/or the city council to conduct six polls a year. Each poll will have five or six questions. It should take one or two minutes to complete the survey on various devices like cell phones, tablets or personal computers. FlashVote supplies results within 48 hours. "I am excited to launch an additional channel to receive input and feedback from residents. This quick, convenient option gives a voice to those who may not have the time or interest in attending meetings," Mayor Cherie Wood said. Statistical valid sampling A key to FlashVote is having a statistical valid pool. Kevin Lyons with FlashVote stated that in his experience, for a city the size of South Salt Lake, a pool of 250-600 participants is the typical range. He also mentioned that numbers are smaller at the start. He said, "300 initially is great, but 400 is ideal on the panel to start." The reason the pool number is essential is to ensure accurate sampling. Therefore, it is critical to have diversity in the pool. Not only ethnic diversity but other demographics such as age, gender, social-economic status, marital status, and length of living in SSL. "The surveys are given to a pool of residents who accurately reflect the diversity of the city—age, ethnicity, gender, location of residence, and so on," Julie Taylor, communications and outreach manager, said. As of April 18, there were 125 members signed up to
the FlashVote Community. "We want to make decisions most people want," said Sharen Hauri, the city’s director of neighborhoods, of the app’s purpose. Hauri suggested the app will provide more information on South Salt Lake's issues. She cited examples like renaming the Columbus Center, thoughts on taxes, or how to use budget dollars. "They will cover a wide range of topics such as budget items, evaluating new amenities, where investment is needed, and preference and guidance to build the future of SSL," Taylor said. The investment Taylor led the search for the right tool, which started in March 2021. Due to the cost, the city put out a request for proposals in September and received nine submissions. Of the nine, four were thought to address the goals of the RFP. The evaluation was complex because the proposals were very different. They ranged in functionality, but most were not strong as a survey tool. FlashVote met the needs identified. There is a $6,900 annual subscription fee with an additional $4,000 for a Spanish translation. In addition, there are one-time costs which could cost up to $2,100 for notification tools such as postcards and texting services. Get involved The belief is that for every person who contacts the mayor's office or their council member, there are 100 or so who have opinions not shared.
Renaming the Columbus Center is one topic for the new SSL survey app called FlashVote. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
"In a city with about 27,000 residents, we are often surprised how few people reach out, even on hot topics that we know mean a lot to the community," Taylor said. "We believe that many more of you actually would like to share more, but because of your busy lives and schedules or wishing to remain anonymous, remain silent." There is no cost to sign up or to use, except for possible data charges. Residents can go to www.flashvote.com/ sslc to get involved. l
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To encourage future aviators, helicopters visit Granger High’s football field By Liz Craker | l.craker@mycityjournals.com
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n late March, Granger High School was the first fly-in location of an annual program in which high schools across the state will trade off hosting. Industry pilots and aircraft mechanics are on site during the events to provide their expertise and passion for aviation. The Utah Rotor Pathway program (URPP) is the first program in the U.S. that works to bring together industry leaders, universities, and high schools to provide helicopter pilot and maintenance training at Utah high schools. The program began in fall 2019 with just two high schools, and now there are 32 participating high schools. The program reaches Beaver, Davis, Iron, Kane, Morgan, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Utah, Washington, Wayne, and Weber counties. URPP has developed an education program to bring together industry professionals, universities, and high schools to provide helicopter pilot and maintenance training. During the event at Granger High School, they flew in helicopters from emergency services, firefighting agencies, training facilities, and other organizations to provide high school students and the general community an opportunity to get an in-depth look at the equipment.
Mike Matson, Granite Technical Institute aviation teacher, instructs the aviation classes at the institute, along with a flight simulator instructor. Students in the program can take drone, air transportation, and aviation survey classes through the aviation program. All eight Granite high schools feed into the institute. Matson said the helicopters all flew in and landed at the football field, and this event made aviation tangible, real, and accessible as possible to students. “Just being in a classroom learning about aviation feels distant. During events like this you can just see the students’ eyes light up,” he said. There are several career paths you can take as a helicopter pilot such as life flights to hospitals, first responder, industrial helicopter logging, and commercial, Matson explained. “As a flight instructor, I am happy to be involved with anything aviation and getting students involved in these careers,” he added. Students attending the event had the opportunity to speak with pilots from different companies and learn how to get into the industry. “Students start to realize that an aviation career is approachable, and pilots are just like them. It makes it feel like an aviation career is real and possible for them
Students participate in discussion with a helicopter pilot. (Photo courtesy Granite School District)
if they just go after it and do it,” Matson said. During the event students also had the opportunity to view the helicopters up close. “For them it is exciting to see the equipment up close and personal,” Matson said. “One of the most powerful things we can to is to get students flying in an aircraft. Getting in the aircraft is the next best thing.” With five classroom flight simulators, Matson can get students as close to flying as possible. He explained that flight students
can get a license as early as age 17. “Some students end up being absolutely fantastic pilots because of the advantage of this program,” he said. “This program gives students a massive advantage if they seek to go onto pilot careers.” Matson said. “Our GTI students go on to be the best pilots and instructors in future programs, and we are really proud that we are able to provide that experience.” l
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May 2022 | Page 11
Members of the Nepali-Bhutanese community celebrate New Year By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
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elcome to 2079 BS (Bikram Sambat) especially if you follow the Bikram Sambat Nepali calendar. This calendar is primarily used in Nepal and India. However, other countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bhutan also use the calendar. Community Building Services (CBS), a local nonprofit, held a Nepali-Bhutanese New Year Celebration at the Columbus Center on April 16. There were over 22 guests and over 70 community members at the event. New Year For Nepalese and Bhutanese people, New Year is the first day of the month Baisakh. On a western calendar, it usually falls on April 13 or 14. This year, New Year was on April 14. The New Year is marked by the day when the sun ends its Pisces indulgence and begins its Aries indulgence. The belief is that when this happens, the old year of Samvat ends, and the new year begins. Therefore, it is a day for every person to evaluate the success/failure of the work done in the past year and make plans not to repeat the failures and achieve success. Bikram Sambat Nepali calendar The Bikram Sambat Nepali calendar is 56 years and eight months ahead of the western calendar. While there are 12 months, the number per month changes each year with a maximum of 32 days. The calendar does not have a leap year. It is a solar calendar and is based on ancient Hindu traditions. King Vikramaditya of Ujjain gave the name and starting date for a new year. Celebration The celebration began by introducing guests. Each guest was honored with a yellow Khada. The Tibetan custom of presenting a Khada is to show purity, loyalty, faithfulness, and respect to the receivers. A Khada is made of raw silk or silk and
is loosely weaved. It is worn around the neck. The giving is ritualistic. When presenting, “take the Khada with both hands, lift it to the same level as shoulder, reach out hands, bend over, and pass it to the guest. Ensure that the top of one’s head is at the same level as the Khada. Only in this way can you express your respect and best wishes.” During the celebration, the presenter placed the Khada around the neck. “New Year is a time to forget the past and build new hope—a new beginning,” said Tek Neopany, the executive director of CBS. Dr. Paul Ross chaired the celebration. The CBS board of Ross, Neopany, Chandra Sapkota, Sanit Gautam, Yadu Mishra, Kaushila Rai, Aaron Acharya, Megh Nath Adhikari were introduced and thanked with certificates of appreciation. Mayor Cherie Wood presented the certificates. There were dances from Aruna, Jenisha, Januska, Bhagya, and Sarika to the song titled “Guransh Fulda Banai Ramailo.” Roshika and Aayusha performed “On Balak panko Umera.” Priyanka Karki danced to a traditional song titled “Gauki Gorile.” Rabi Subedi sang and played the madal. The madal is a Nepalese folk hand drum. It has heads on both ends of a cylindrical body. One head is larger than the other. CBS volunteers Nar Karki, Renuka Karki, Dhan Karki, Abinash, Ashika, and Amrita were given certificates of appreciation and gift cards for their tremendous contributions. Fatima Dirie, Amy Dott, and Halima Hussein presented the certificates and cards. Dancers were also given certificates of appreciation and gift cards. Indian samosas, fried or baked pastries with a savory filling such as spiced potatoes, onions and peas, were served with ketchup or spicy chutney. Gerald Brown, the director of the Refugee Service Of-
Aruna, Jenisha, Januska, Bhagya, and Sarika dance to the song titled “Guransh Fulda Banai Ramailo” at the Nepali-Bhutanese New Year Celebration at the Columbus Center on April 16. (Bill Hardesty/ City Journals)
fice in the Department of Workforce Services, was an honored guest. “It is so good to see many children and beautiful parents coming together to celebrate,” he said. Wood was also an honored guest. “I am grateful to have you in our community,” Wood said. “To have you here in South Salt Lake.” Refugee Mother’s Day
At the celebration, attendees were reminded about the Refugee Mother’s Day Drive-Thru Celebration on May 7 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Olene Walker Family Engagement Center (3751 S. 900 West). Refugee mothers will receive a gift from the community. Utah Refugee Connection and Granite Family Engagement Centers sponsor the event.l
Cottonwood baseball still adjusting to long road trips in new region By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com
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ike all of the other Cottonwood High School teams, the Colts baseball team is still getting used to the travel they have to do week in and week out in the new Region 7, four games into league play. At 9-6 overall [2-2 Region 7] the Colts are beginning to show signs of putting it all together. In the preseason the focus appeared to be on manufacturing runs to win games; now the Colts bats are beginning to get that usual snap, crackle and pop people are accustomed to hearing. Sophomore Keaton Stinson has come out of nowhere to step up for the Colts and has been on a tear of late. Since region play has started the 5-foot-11 Stinson is hitting towering home runs including a tape measure solo slam at Cedar Valley in a 16-6 win April 7. He then smashed another solo dinger at Uintah after a three-hour bus ride on April 14. By all accounts, the sophomore Stinson appears to enjoy going on long road trips. He’s also pretty good on the mound, having picked up two victories for Cottonwood as well. His Colts teammates are also picking up the slack and are getting good run production from senior Parker Burk, who leads the team in RBI with 16. Juniors Cameron Nielson [15 RBI] and
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Jaxon Pfeil [13 RBI] are also contributing their part for Cottonwood [9-6], who still has nine games remaining. The sophomore Stinson may be young but he has also become the team’s top slugger, having belted three homers for Cottonwood. He also leads the team with five doubles. Sophomore Hayden Hudman has a sparkling 3-0 record on the mound for the Colts, who have shown two-thirds of the way into the season that they have depth and balance across the lineup. Cottonwood has also trotted out eight players to pitch in games this season, of which five have had two or more completed games. The Colts, who despite the five losses were still ranked No. 5 in the first RPI rankings released on April 1 that seed teams for the upcoming 5A state tournament in May, finish out the regular season with two-game home-and-away series with new Region 7 foes Tooele, Stansbury and Payson in that order. Cottonwood will then wrap up 2022 with a two-game home-and-away series with familiar foe and crosstown rival Hillcrest, sandwiched by a non-league home game. versus Farmington.l Third baseman Parker Burk gets on base against Corner Canyon in preseason. (Travis Barton/City Journals)
S outh Salt Lake City Journal
Investments of $30 million-plus tackle affordable housing, jobs and water conservation By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
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n a response to the state’s housing crisis, the Salt Lake County Council recently approved $20 million in funds to build and preserve nearly 1,200 affordable housing units. The housing will be near childcare resources and jobs, with access to broadband, transportation and schools. “More affordable housing is desperately needed,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said. “There are way too many hard-working households that are left behind because of skyrocketing home prices, rising rents, and fewer options to choose from. Salt Lake County is listening to residents and responding with significant funding to build and preserve housing.” Funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act with an additional $12.1 million earmarked for water conservation and workforce development. With the steady increase of rental and home ownership costs, and stagnant wages, the council approved the ARPA funds in the form of grants to community housing organizations, nonprofit housing providers, municipalities, and private developers. In 2021, rental costs increased by 12% and homeownership costs increased by
28% or more in the county. In March 2022, the median price for a Salt Lake County single-family home sold for $580,000. “Housing is one of the things that keep us up at night,” said Dina Blaes, director of Salt Lake County’s Office of Regional Development. “But, fortunately, the county has a lot of expertise in affordable housing. So, we’re going to leverage our expertise with this new funding to enable thousands of families to remain living and working in Salt Lake County.” Workforce development will receive a $10 million boost for the new Workforce Inclusion and Successful Employment program. Through grants, WISE will help nearly 2,000 students complete trainings that lead to higher-paying jobs. Students will also be connected with childcare, mental health and mentorship services. “I think this is an awesome opportunity for Salt Lake County residents who might be working two or three jobs. We’re making it easier for them to succeed with career goals that really help themselves and their families,” said Jevon Gibb, Salt Lake County economic development director. Water conservation receives the final allocation of ARPA funds, with $2.1 mil-
In a response to the state’s housing crisis, the Salt Lake County Council recently approved $20 million in funds to build and preserve nearly 1,200 affordable housing units. (City Journals)
lion going to a regional water conservation program. By collaborating with cities and unincorporated areas in the county, the development of water conservation and landuse action plans will address the state’s
current drought, the worst in 50 years. As growth in Salt Lake County is projected to add 600,000 residents by 2065, water for current and future populations is a top concern for the region. l
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Having swept rival Hillcrest, Cottonwood soccer is off to its hottest start in years By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com
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ottonwood is in a new region. Its boys soccer team has a new head coach in Brylee Harvest. By all accounts you would expect the Colts to be struggling as they adjust to their new life in Region 7, traveling anywhere from 50 to 200 miles at a time for away matches. But, according to Harvest, the struggles that the Colts had winning games earlier in the preseason have now transformed the boys into a team that people in the surrounding South Salt Lake and Murray areas will remember for a long time, a turning point that began with Cottonwood’s first home game in its very short Region 7 history on March 25. “We ended up beating Hillcrest 1-0 in a game that will be talked about within our program for many years,” said Harvest. “The fashion of the win couldn't have been more dramatic, the goal was scored from a free kick near half field with one minute remaining in our region home region opener.” Harvest added that it has been a long time since the Colts have won within the friendly confines of their natural grass field that is tucked between Cottonwood’s softball field and baseball stadium.
elizabeth.s@thecityjournals.com
Page 14 | May 2022
Ulises Alvarado is pacing the Colts attack this year as the Colts are enjoying its best season in years. (Travis Barton/City Journals)
“It marked the first home win in four years, the first defensive shutout in five years, and the boys deserved every bit of that result,” said Harvest. The historic victory over crosstown rivals Hillcrest came after a disappointing region opener for the Colts at Stansbury on March 18, one that broke the players’ hearts in a late game-winner and a 1-0 loss. But that the Colts did not fall apart after such a difficult loss and then bounced back immediately the following week was a testament to the team, who then reached another milestone after the big win over Hillcrest, said Harvest. “To follow up on the Hillcrest game, our team showed great focus and poise to record another defensive shutout and beat Cedar Valley 1-0,” said the first-year coach. “The win streak marked the first one since the 2017 season.” Going into the month of April, these Colts were riding high in the saddle at 2-1 in their new region. But, as things are sometimes wont to do, the good times don’t always last, and they didn’t for Cottonwood, said Harvest as his team experienced some ups and downs. “We then came up short in a close game against Tooele 3-2 [on April 1], but we were able to rebound in a 3-0 win against Payson [April 6] positioning ourselves as high as third in a tough balanced region,” said Harvest, who acknowledged that his team has been undergoing some growing pains. “We lost an absolute heartbreak of a game in Vernal against Uintah on penalties [on April 8], then had to make the painful three-hour ride back home,” said Harvest, whose team has a 5-8 record overall, with all
five of their wins coming in region play. “In the following game, the heartbreak continued with a 2-1 loss to the top team in our region (Stansbury, April 15) in double overtime.” But the Colts grabbed their fourth win of the region campaign and the year in the following game at rival Hillcrest, a quick bus ride across Interstate 215 in which Cottonwood scored the first two goals of the game in the first half and held on for a 2-1 victory. Five games remain for the Colts, all in region play. The sweep of rival Hillcrest was big and so too have the four victories been for Cottonwood. But for coach Harvest, his team will only control what they can control going forward. They have a potent offense with juniors Ulises Alvarado and Riyan Bakrim having scored three goals apiece to lead Cottonwood. “Heading into the second half of the season, our focus has been to finish region play strong and to prepare ourselves for the state tournament,” said Harvest, whose team has had seven players score at least one goal or more this year for a total of 14 goals. “Seeding in the state tournament is not of concern for me, as we have continuously shown that we can compete against anyone in the state. “I strongly believe that being involved in so many close games this year will pay great dividends for us in the playoffs,” Harvest said. “This 2022 team has been involved in an abundance of one-score games (nine to be exact), four overtimes, and one penalty shootout. Making sure our team is healthy heading into the tournament is the biggest priority for me.”l
S outh Salt Lake City Journal
www.sslc.gov
CITY NEWSLETTER
May 2022 Cherie Wood, Mayor 801-464-6757 mayor@sslc.gov
South Salt Lake City Council Members LeAnne Huff, District 1 801-440-8510 lhuff@sslc.gov Corey Thomas, District 2 801-755-8015 cthomas@sslc.gov Sharla Bynum, District 3 801-803-4127 sbeverly@sslc.gov Portia Mila, District 4 801-792-0912 pmila@sslc.gov L. Shane Siwik, District 5 801-548-7953 ssiwik@sslc.gov Natalie Pinkney, At-Large 385-775-4980 npinkney@sslc.gov Clarissa Williams, At-Large 505-879-2457 cwilliams@sslc.gov
City Offices
8 am to 5 pm 801-483-6000 220 East Morris Ave SSL, UT 84115 Animal Service 801-483-6024 Building Permits 801-483-6005 Business Licensing 801-483-6063 Code Enforcement 801-464-6712 Fire Administration 801-483-6043 Justice Court 801-483-6072 Police Admin 801-412-3606 Promise 801-483-6057 Public Works 801-483-6045 Recreation 801-412-3217 Utility Billing 801-483-6074 Emergencies 911 Police/Fire Dispatch 801-840-4000
Strong Neighborhoods: From the Ground Up Dealing with our City’s aging infrastructure isn’t an easy job. As a responsible City, our goal is to preempt any failure in our existing systems, but we are of course, always responding to emergency breaks and deterioration, too. The age and older design of our systems need repair, Mayor Cherie Wood and sometimes full replacement. Combined with our City’s rapid development and new construction, this means problems are constantly coming to light. That is true for water, sewer and stormwater lines as they reach close to a century in age. Those are the “invisible problems,” that are often overlooked as we notice and ask for upgrades to streets, sidewalks, gutters and street lights. That’s a lot of infrastructure! We can’t solve a problem unless we talk about it. I’d
like to take a moment to explain more about the state of our infrastructure. And I want to share how it involves you and the actions you can take every day. Turning on the tap or flushing the toilet many times a day is something we take for granted, it’s not until something backs up, floods, or doesn’t flow that it really gets our attention. In the 1930s, our city was founded with the purpose of building a sewer and those original pipes were made of cast clad iron. Iron, while state of the art then, is known to deteriorate over time causing other issues, such as adding unwanted particulates in the water and frequent leaks and breaks. Sewer systems are also in need of modern pipes to facilitate smooth sailing. And our stormwater system is just a fraction of what it needs to be - it was never designed or built as a complete system because engineering standards varied for the already built areas the city annexed and grew over the years.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Treat your underground pipes like you treat the visible parts of your kitchen and bathroom. Keep them clean by only putting essential items down the bathroom drain (the three Ps) and use a strainer in your kitchen to keep food waste out. It is better for your pipes, the water treatment process, and ultimately the earth. We are investing in infrastructure now more than ever, not just in newly built areas but in our historic neighborhoods, too. We are making upgrades to our sewer system to increase capacity as we grow, with funding from a new Public Improvement District (PID) formed by 11 developers in our downtown. And, our water department is gaining new tools to ramp up their repair and replacement projects. We appreciate South Salt Lake is becoming more sustainable and the input we have heard from concerned citizens environmentally focused. Infrastructure is part of the that these are priorities that simply can’t wait any problem and inevitably the solution. One project that I’m passionate about is protecting our open waters longer. We are up for the task! such as the Jordan River and Mill Creek. It is essential Strong neighborhoods are the building that we manage what goes in our stormwater drains blocks of a strong community, but they can’t be to protect what happens downstream. strong without resident involvement. I am thrilled to announce a great addition for the City to connect with you. We are rolling out a survey tool called FlashVote. It is a quick and easy way for you to weigh in on local topics that matter most and prioritize our competing needs. FlashVote will regularly call for opinions from a pool of residents to get statistically valid input on topics such as infrastructure, parks, conservation, public safety and more. Its success depends on participation from a wide variety of individuals representing the diversity of our city. I hope you’ll take the opportunity to participate—register at flashvote.com/sslc.
City News Public Meetings
CITY COUNCIL CORNER
For more info: www.sslc.gov
Good Data Can Bring Great Changes
City Council
Wed, May 11, 7 p.m. Wed, May 25, 7 p.m.
Planning Commission Thurs, May 5, 7 p.m. Thurs, May 19, 7 p.m.
Civilian Review Board
Mon, May 2, 6:30 p.m. CRB monthly meetings will be the 1st Monday, if it falls on a holiday it will push to the 2nd Monday.
Safe Passage on Our Sidewalks Let’s keep sidewalks and bike lanes clear for pedestrians and cyclists. This includes tree branches, shrubs, garbage cans, and any piles created for the bulk waste cleanup. It is particularly important at intersections that the “clear view” is kept open—this is an area 30’ back from the corner where any obstruction above knee height, including a parked car, makes it difficult for drivers to see someone walking or biking. Safe streets start at home!
Citywide Curbside Cleanup Program
Portia Milia, District 4 We know that there are many obstacles that can prevent you from sharing your thoughts with elected officials. I appreciate those who attend and regularly voice their opinions at City Council meetings or reach out to us personally. However, in a city with more than 26,000 residents, we are often surprised how few people reach out, even on hot topics that we know mean a lot to you. I think most would agree that a loud minority and a silent majority doesn’t equal the best representation of our diverse community. I do believe that many more of you actually would like to share more, but because of your busy lives and schedules or wishing to remain anonymous, remain silent. For the past year the Council, along with our Mayor and staff members, has been expanding and providing a more equitable means of gathering information from a larger pool of our constituents. Our community outreach staff and different city departments provided advice and helped us think through what we were missing. We are pleased to launch —FlashVote.
FlashVote is a simple and quick survey tool to find out what residents want, and help us make the best decisions based on statistically valid input. The surveys are five questions or less and take no more than one to two minutes to complete. They will cover a wide range of topics such as budget items, or evaluating new amenities, and platforms. The surveys are given to a pool of residents who reflect the diversity of the city - age, ethnicity, gender, location of residence, and so on. Results will also be quickly shared with the survey participant, city and our council to get an accurate representation of opinions. When residents sign up, they then can determine how surveys are received—whether by email, text, or phone call. Notifications will be received whenever there is a new survey, and you will have 48 hours before voting closes. I am personally very excited to take this step and even more excited to see the results. I hope you join me! Sign Up Today at: FlashVote.com/sslc Note: Opinions expressed here may not be representative of all Members of the City Council.
Love that Garden! Gardening is one of the best ways to gain a greener heart (and a green thumb). The benefits of being outdoors, digging in the dirt, and eating the fruits of your labor are both personal and community-wide. Here are a few quick tips from Giles Larsen, the program manager for the community garden going in at Fitts Park this Spring. To apply for a garden plot, visit wasatchgardens.org. 1. Don’t dig when wet. Hold off on tilling or digging your yard or garden plot until the soil is relatively dry. Healthy and porous soil aggregates are destroyed when excessively wet soil is compacted or broken up, and this can reduce its productivity for years to come. You can test this by rolling some soil in a ball and pressing it with your thumb. If the soil loosely crumbles, it’s ready to work. If it does not, it is too wet, so hold off a bit longer.
2. Know your soil needs. The first step is to get a soil test; most Utah soils have high levels of phosphorus and potassium. Use fertilizers that mostly provide nitrogen. If your soil contains less than 5% organic matter, compost is a great option. Compost does more than just fertilize, it changes your soil texture to hold more water and air. 3. Mulch it up! Conserve water during the summer and suppress weeds by adding a layer of top mulch (at least 2”) around your plants. Straw, leaves, compost, or wood chips all work well, but straw often contains seeds that will sprout. Areas around trees love to be mulched too!
South Salt Lake City Council Action Report Summary Full agendas, minutes, handouts and video recorded meetings are available at: sslc.com/city-government/council-meeting
Curbside collection of bulky waste items will take place May 2-12, 2022. Pickup will be provided for approved items that are boxed, bundled or bagged. Your pick-up schedule will be sent in advance. Properly prepared items must be placed curbside by 6:30 a.m. on the scheduled collection day.
Date 3/23/22
Agenda Item Stormwater Maintenance Fee
3/23/22
Purchase of Real Property
3/23/22
Purchase of Real Property
3/23/22
Strategic Mobility Plan Presentation Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an Interlocal Agreement and Governing Document for PID
4/13/22
Subject An Ordinance Amending Section 3.11.100 of the Municipal Code to Create a Stormwater Maintenance Fee A Resolution Approving the Purchase Property at 20 East Southgate Avenue A Resolution Approving the Purchase Property Located at 2761 South Main Street Presentation of the South Salt Lake Strategic Mobility Plan An Interlocal Agreement and Governing Document, by and between the Downtown East Streetcar Sewer Public Infrastructure District (PID), which are required conditions to the creation of the Downtown East Streetcar Sewer Public Infrastructure District
Action Approved Approved Approved Moved to Unfinished Business for April 13, 2022 Approved
Next Step No further action No further action No further action Further discussion No further discussion
Public Safety Civilian Review Board Established Message from SSLPD Chief Jack Carruth The civilian review board has oversight that is tasked with reviewing and providing recommendations for improving processes. This concept is to help build community trust, foster communication, and build rapport. For further details refer to City Ordinance 2022-02. South Salt Lake City leaders delivered on a commitment to add transparency and accountability of the South Salt Lake Police Department with the adoption of advice and consent for members of a new independent Civilian Review Board (CRB). The CRB is made up of seven Members, two Alternate Members, and one nonvoting Advisory Member. The SSLC Civilian Review Board (CRB) has been established and has conducted a few meetings. You can review the minutes by going to SSLC.gov. The CRB meets the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. The meetings are held at the City Council Chambers at City Hall 220 East Morris Ave. I appreciate the selection committee taking the time to select the following board members.
Coffee with a Cop May 4, 9-10 a.m. In-Person Délice Bakery & Café
Civilian Review Board Members Left to Right: Richard Lane (Alternate), Zac Barnes, Joy Glad, Conrad Campos, Kevin Miller, Cassius Willis, Christina Nee - Chair, Jason Keffer - Vice-Chair.
2747 S State Street
Original Hose Cart Gets a Facelift Message from SSLFD Chief Terry Addison
In the 1800s when pressurized water systems began to make their mark in communities, hose carts became the frontline firefighting tool. When a fire alarm came in 5 to 10 volunteer firefighters would gather at the fire station and pull the cart by hand to the fire. The firefighters would deploy the hose to a fire hydrant and then stretch a hose to the fire for extinguishment. The hose cart has been on display at station 41 for more than thirty years. During that time the weather had definitely left its mark and the cart needed a facelift. The idea to refurbish this treasure was brought to Chief Addison for discussion. The decision was made to move forward with this project. The person we leaned on the most during this refurbishment was Joaquin Garcia. He took this project and made all the decisions, scheduled work, and repaired many sections on his own. On April 7, 2022, Station 41 received its refurbished hose cart. It is currently on display at 2600 South Main Street, Station 41. The SSLFD will hold a re-dedication of the hose cart on May 27, 2022, at 12 p.m., all are welcome.
Business Watch
Businesses are encouraged to participate.
May 5, 4 p.m. In-Person IndieGo Coffee 3310 S 500 East
Men’s Resource Center Neighborhood Meeting In-person & virtual link on sslc.gov City Council Room, SSL City Hall 220 E. Morris Ave, 2nd Floor
May 18, 4 p.m. Conversation about homelessness in our community.
Residents & businesses encouraged to participate. Find the virtual meeting link at: sslc.gov
May 5, 7 p.m.
Best of SSL 2022 STATE OF THE CITY AWARDS
Now we get to our favorite part of State of the City – recognizing the incredible people who make SSL truly a community. This isn’t even the beginning of all of those who were recognized at this year’s State of the City. To find the complete list of those honored, visit sslc.gov.
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR —Doug Moffat
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR —Rick Birrell
This Citizen of the Year is passionate about his family - he is a husband, father, and grandfather first. Doug and his wife Diane have been residents on Wandamere Ave for nearly 41 years. He served on the City Council from 1992 to 2004, where he was known for an even temperament and ability to look at issues from all sides. Doug has a great love for music and and has played lead guitar in the band ‘Crash Pontiac & The Hubcaps’, featuring cover music from the 50-60s. For more than three decades, every holiday season, he pours his heart into a merry and bright train display—making it a point to invite others to enjoy and celebrate this tradition.
South Salt Lake Fire’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) was developed out of the need for a well-trained civilian emergency workforce. These multifunctional response teams act as an adjunct to the city’s emergency services during major disasters. Resident Rick Birrell provides a wealth of knowledge as a longtime CERT member. He is also a member of the South Salt Lake Amateur Radio Team (SSLART), which supports the city by providing communications during emergencies and public service events.
MAYOR’S SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY Christie Patton COMMUNITY BUILDER Tom and Marsha Lowe Family Central Park Community Center Resource Pantry
Our Finance Department is known for customer service, and with almost 23 years of service to the City and its residents, Christie Patton is known for her caring demeanor. Many residents know her by name. Beyond that, she has two great passions: Robert Redford and Road Trips!
Tom and Marsha Lowe and their family recently exceeded the giving model in a big way. Mark Lowe, a prior Promise SSL employee, was quick to note the need in our community when his family was looking for ways to give back. He pitched the idea of a food pantry at the Central Park Community Center. We now have the Community Resource Pantry model at Central Park, where not only food fills the shelves but also basic needs and household items. The Lowe family continues to make monthly donations to keep the pantry stocked, while other partners and community members have contributed too!
YOUTH NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADOR Sydney Thornton
LEGACY FAMILY OF THE YEAR —The Farnsworth Family If you’ve lived in SSL for any length of time, you’ve heard of the Farnsworths. These Haven Avenue residents have long been known for their commitment to service. Bonnie served on the City Council from 1978 to 1992 as the first-female City Councilwoman. In addition, she has worked for a local legacy business, American Funds and Trusts. Eldon Farnsworth, Sr. served the City for eight years, from 1986 to 1994. First as City Recorder and then as Mayor from 1992 to 1994. Their son Eldon Farnsworth, Jr., worked for the SSL Fire Department, retiring as a Fire Battalion Chief after 36 years of service. Because of their devoted service to our community, the Farnsworth Family has been chosen as this year’s Legacy Family!
“Dear Mayor, We need some improvement in our neighborhood,” was the opening sentence of a recent correspondence from a nine-year-old resident, Sydney Thornton. In the letter, she reported that the lack of street lighting, stop signs, and other issues on her street contribute to ongoing safety concerns, including theft and speeding. From this single letter came collaborative responses, which will lead to real and meaningful change in her neighborhood. Thank you to this young resident for reminding us how to engage civically and seek solutions.
Community Happenings MURAL FEST 2022 10 new murals will be added to South Salt Lake’s Creative Industries Zone, so make sure you save the date and join the biggest outdoor mural festival in Utah. themuralfest.com Instagram: @themuralfest Facebook: themuralfest
TAKERONE
@takeronegraffiti | Budapest, Hungary TakerOne got his start in 2001, after a few years of classical graffiti and tagging, TakerOne shifted his focus to painting legally—and without any formal art degree, is completely self-taught. From the beginning, his hope was to surpass the idea of simply seeing a mural as decor but to have a much bigger “WOW!” impact on his audience. Taking a glance at his mural portfolio, you’ll most likely agree. Anyone who makes a cement mixer look like a pinecone is a hit (even better when driving in the woods!). Be it a squirrel, otter, elephant, or fox, the world is a bit happier and more beautiful because of these.
THOMAS TURNER
@thomasturner_tt | Atlanta, GA Thomas currently lives in Atlanta, GA working as a gallery artist and freelance designer. His art stems from a root system that intertwines nature, animals, humans, and in particular cases, the inanimate. When the source of nectar for a hummingbird is directly charged by the moon, the concept behind his 185 ft mural, “Naturally Charged.” Are those horns on that magnificent buffalo? Oh, wait, those are tree branches! And, what lies on the other side of the moon of “THE ANEMOI“ mural in Chicago is a group of ominous mythical creatures and a fierce blue-eyed lion that we can hope not to bump into any time soon.
WES ABARCA “WES77” @wes7svn | Vernal, UT
Originally from Southern CA, Wes Abarca began as a freelance artist in 1996 and began his own mural business in 2020, Genesis Mural Co. Wes creates vibrant and colorful murals, pieced together much like mosaic tiles or stained glass. Wildlife is definitely his theme of choice as his work includes various mosaic-style animal art, like the ram, wild horse or elk featured together in a mural at an infinite loop skate park in Nevada. His move to Vernal, UT may explain the Stegarsaurus mural found on a local Airbnb shed. To add, birds are in essence modern-day dinosaurs, Wes’ extensive mural portfolio includes quite a menagerie—including a soaring eagle, a quail, and a colorful peacock.
Gerry Swanson
@SilentSwanArt | West Jordan, UT Who better to oppose in a kangaroo boxing ring? An octopus obviously— boxing gloves included. As a local freelance artist, with several outdoor and indoor murals around Salt Lake (Purgatory, Higher Ground Coffee, Lake Effect, Garage on Beck…), chances are you’ve seen at least a few from Gerry Swanson. He started back in 2006 after graduating with a B.A. in Fine Arts from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR. In his words, “I pride myself on my ability to communicate clearly and my adaptability to my client’s critique, while at the same time, honoring my artistic style.” We suppose that may be the case that while the mural of Sasquatch on Big O Tires at 3300 South, went with a darker theme, the lighter side also shines through, as it is a bit reminiscent of Harry, from the 80’s classic, “Harry and the Hendersons”.
Community Happenings
Lunch on the Move Traditions Mobile Cafe Wed, May 18 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. SSL City Hall 220 East Morris Ave, North Side Discover a new food truck each month!
Top Dog! In April, Mayor Cherie Wood visited the SSL Animal Services building to honor and recognize the high degree of professionalism of our caregivers. To her left is Animal Shelter Technician, McKenna Osmond, and to her right, is the SSL Animal Services Supervisor, Jenica Laws. For her outstanding service, Jenica has received two awards as an SSL Rockstar employee in 2021, and most recently ‘Employee of the Year’ at the 2022 State of the City. It’s great to know that our local furry, pawed, or feathered friends are in their most loving and competent hands!
America Across Generations
Adult Co-Ed Softball
Monday, July 4th
5x5x5 Format
Fun Run at 8 a.m Flag Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Parade 10 a.m.
Men & Women 18 years and older
Festivities at Fitts Park from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Monday or Wednesday Evenings 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Parade Entry Form: sslc.gov Come join the fun!!
Central Park Ball Field 2787 S 200 East
Mondays with the Mayor for May is on Bike!
Register Deadline: May 27 801-412-3217 sslc.gov
Xeriscape vs Zeroscape - What’s the difference?
Tune up your bike, and pump up those tires. Meeting up at City Hall, we’ll be taking on Downtown SSL and hitting several of the new MURAL FEST murals by bike. Whether you want to connect with your neighbors, learn more about City Services, or share an idea that will benefit your community, this is a great way to connect and have a fun evening together. Monday, May 16, 2022 | 6-8 p.m. SSL City Hall | 220 Morris Ave. North Parking Lot
South Salt Lake City requires a minimum of 50% live plant material in your front yard. People often mispronounce the term “xeriscape,” and they often misunderstand what it really means. Xeri means dry, it doesn’t mean zero or no live plants or grasses. Living in a high desert ecosystem, drought-resistant plants thrive here. Our native landscape is both beautiful and abundantly filled with plants! The city enforces landscape ordinances that require plants and prohibit weeds. There is no “zero care” option. But there are a lot of more fun, sometimes free options if you are resourceful with plant swapping and dividing, composting and finding free bark chips. For tips on how to xeriscape and fight weeds, the Conservation Garden Park is a great resource. Check it out at conservationgardenpark.org. For more answers about landscaping in South Salt Lake, contact our Neighborhoods Ambassador at 801-464-6757 or connect@sslc.gov.
Zeroscape Landscapes that are largely rock don’t have those benefits or the beauty we are trying to cultivate in our neighborhoods. They also often turn into weed patches as the rocks catch flying dirt and dust as well as seeds. Xeriscape is a great way to reduce your water bill, but it isn’t a void. It includes a healthy dose of plants. Plants keep the ground cool, the natural insects and soil microbes alive, and absorb the rain runoff when it does fall.
Promise
Are you a Utah resident who is unemployed, underemployed, or working in a vulnerable position? If you are looking for an opportunity to enhance your career or start a new one, funding through Learn & Work and SLCC is now available to cover costs for free short-term training courses and certificate programs designed to put you on the path to success at no cost. To get started, visit slcc.edu/allin to learn more about programs, courses, and training available in your area of interest.
FREE PRESCHOOL FOR CHILDREN 0-5
GRAMMY Camp —Weekend ®
SALT LAKE CITY GRAMMY Camp®—Weekend is a daylong workshop where you’ll gain skills in audio, visual, and music creation, better understand the business side of music, and learn more about how to create your own path to success.
MAY
14 & 21 2022
Promise South Salt Lake Best Buy Teen Tech Center 2531 S. 400 E. South Salt Lake, UT 84115
10 A.M– 6 P.M.
Free to attend RSVP to jmutnansky@grammymuseum.org
Head Start is an early education program that helps prepare children for kindergarten and future school success. Our program has been named the Best Public Preschool in Utah. High-quality, research-based program Over 40 locations in Salt Lake and Tooele Counties Healthy fresh meals, health screenings, and services for the whole family provided Support for dual language learners and children with disabilities Children do not need to be potty trained Residency or citizenship status not required Program Options: 3.5 hours | M-Th, Sept - May 6 hours | M-Th, Sept - July 8.5 hours| (M-Th, Sept – July* *Limited availability
APPLY ONLINE www.utahca.org (801) 359-2444 • ERSEAteam@utahca.org Utah Community Action does not deny placement on the basis of a disability or its severity to any child. We do not provide transportation for students; however, assistance with carpooling or bus/TRAX vouchers available. Head Start is an equal opportunity program and does not discriminate based on race, religion or sex.
Wasatch Community Gardens: Cool spaces where people and plants both thrive By Addie Hunsaker | a.hunsaker@mycityjournals.com
T
he Crossroads Urban Center operates as an emergency food pantry in Salt Lake and has many programs, including the Wasatch Community Gardens program, which has been around since before 1989 and has been growing dramatically since. “We've always had youth programming, but we've started a social services program which employs women that are experiencing homelessness on our farm and give them training that transfers into the job market and into a better situation. We also have an in-school youth program, where we go into local schools and teach in collaboration with teachers and parents in school gardens,” said Van Hoover, program manager at Wasatch Community Gardens. Hoover’s favorite part about working with Wasatch is seeing gardens develop overtime. “We take these underutilized parcels and vacant lots, build gardens on them and transform them into flourishing spaces where, all of a sudden, birds, bugs and people come around….I really love watching that transformation and seeing when we get the community together, we can create these cool spaces where there is biodiversity and people can grow food.” Many of their gardeners, renting a plot, reap the functional benefits of growing their own food in the city. This resource is especially necessary for city dwellers, with many apartment spaces not providing a place to garden. There is a social component as well for those who opt into community gardening, as well as being able to learn from fellow gardeners. “We have folks from all over the world because we partner with the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit that does really important work for refugees, so we have lots of gardeners with refugee backgrounds that participate in their New Roots program and come to Utah with agricultural backgrounds. Wasatch has been partners in this program for close to 10 years now. New Roots will provide a lot of traditional seeds from all over the world so refugees can grow different crops and we let them work in our gardens….It's been really amazing to see different methods being used by people to grow things, you'll be walking through the garden and see a very traditional plot from Salt Lake with tomatoes and peppers and you look over and there's, you know, a plot growing completely different things and so there's a lot of knowledge sharing that happens when refugees are growing at the gardens,” Hoover said. Wasatch’s mission is to empower people to grow their own healthy food and enjoy the experience that comes along with it, learning about the best natural systems
Page 22 | May 2022
Local gardeners at Liberty Wells Community Garden. (Photo courtesy Wasatch Community Gardens) A colorful plot in full bloom. (Photo courtesy Wasatch Community Gardens)
We have folks from all over the world because we partner with the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit that does really important work for refugees, so we have lots of gardeners with refugee backgrounds that participate in their New Roots program and come to Utah with agricultural backgrounds. Van Hoover to allow seeds to bloom and produce, as well as connecting people to the land and helping them to gain an appreciation for it. Wasatch also encourages those with space in their backyard to plant a garden, and even offers community education workshops year-round which focuses on seasonal gardening needs such as early season planting. Some advice Hoover has for those planting right now is to not disrupt the soil while it’s still wet. “We have had a really dry spring so
Preparing a plot for the upcoming season. (Photo courtesy Wasatch Community Gardens)
far, but a lot of people start planting too early when their soil is a bit too wet and that can actually damage your greens and peas. Instead of tilling just plant seeds directly into the ground and they will be fine,” Hoover said. Another thing Hoover advises gardeners to do especially toward the beginning and end of the growing season is to create low tunnels. “The amount that temperatures vary season to season is growing and can be very warm and then there can be a snap freeze the next. These ranges of temperatures and frost can stop harvest ear-
ly,” Hoover said. “What a lot of gardeners have started doing is putting low tunnels, pieces of PVC pipes bent over the top of their garden that is covered with plastic, to form little greenhouses. Low tunnels enable gardeners to get a lot more out of their garden each year.” Although Wasatch has rented out nearly all their plots they are looking forward to expanding in their partnership with South Salt Lake and building two new gardens this spring, one just south of Liberty Park on the west side of 700 East as well as one near Fitts Park. l
S outh Salt Lake City Journal
Lala Nagata-Brown takes a swing during preseason action. (Travis Barton/City Journals)
Cottonwood softball finds there is a big mountain to climb in this new region By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com
O
n March 28, the Cottonwood Colts softball began their foray into their new region against a familiar foe, the Hillcrest Huskies. At the field of their crosstown rivals, the Colts bats swung mightily in the first inning, propelling Cottonwood to a 4-0 lead. Both teams would play to a standstill until the third inning, when the Colts scored on a RBI double to increase their lead to 5-0. Hillcrest got two runs in the third to narrow the Colts lead to 5-2. But the Colts bats started cracking shots all over the ballpark in the fourth inning leading to six more runs and a commanding 11-2 lead. In the fifth, Cottonwood poured on four more runs before Hillcrest rallied for eight, narrowing the Colts lead to 15-10. The Colts then hung on down the stretch for a 1912 victory. This would be the only win of the season for Cottonwood [1-8]. The results have been predictable for a Colts team that not only lost four key players to graduation—a team that went 11-9 last year and advanced to the second round of the 5A state tournament—but is also playing under a new head coach. The Colts enter the 2022 season with coach Carson Hauser who comes to the mountains of Utah from the East Coast; the native of Westfield, New York recently starred for Penn State University-Behrend from 2015 to 2019 where she earned all-conference honors for the Lions as an outfielder. Hauser then worked her way west, accepting a graduate research assistant’s position at the University of Utah where she is currently completing her master’s degree in nutrition and integrative physiology while coaching the Colts. The new coach and her new team have entered a region that is also new to Cottonwood and loaded with heavyweights. Stansbury, Payson, Uintah and Cedar Valley all
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went deep into the 5A state tournament last year, while Tooele was the 5A state tournament runner-up. The Colts are finding that the mountain of schools with proven softball programs in Region 7 is a tough one to climb. With the exception of the Colts’ win over Hillcrest that went the full seven innings, all of Cottonwood’s games in region play have resulted in officials calling the games early. As the Colts head into the final stretch of the season, only three games remain for them in Region 7 play along with three nonleague contests against Skyline, West Jordan and Olympus. Senior Lala Nagata-Brown leads the Colts with a .467 batting average and has the team’s only triple, while senior Gia Hohaia is the team’s pitching ace, having recorded the Colts lone victory and is also the team leader in RBI with five. Seniors Nevie Hohaia and Lacey Niko have smacked three and two doubles for Cottonwood as well. The Colts have five seniors on what is still a young lineup across the team sheet, however. Cottonwood also has some younger talent that is making strides. Junior Rian Reed has hit three doubles, tying her with Hohaia for the team lead and also leads the team in stolen bases, with three. Sophomore James Wilking is another player to watch, having hit two RBI for Cottonwood. Here is the Cottonwood softball team for 2022 in order of jersey number: Destinee Cummings, Nevie Hohaia, Olivia S.-Halaeua, Jersey Charles, Gia Hohaia, Mele S-Halaeua, Christina Paluzzi, Rian Reed, Adriana Gonsalves, Lacey Niko, Cynthia Perez Pacheco, James Wilking, Maria Perez, Lala Nagata-Brown, Zoey Wonnacott, Ruth Avendano, Annalyse Staker, Madison Paluzzi, Alanis Gutierrez, Fua Matelav and Leslie Katoa. l
ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM
to Honor Military Veterans for Their Service to Our Country. Monday, May 30, 2022 at 10:00 am.
At Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy
The featured speaker is Congressman Chris Stewart. Program will include: Hill Air Force Base Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet and Refreshments Courtesy of Cedarwood at Sandy. OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. May 2022 | Page 23
Boys volleyball approved for sanctioning in 2023-24 By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
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epresentatives of the Utah Boys Volleyball Association had sat in meetings with the Utah High School Activities Association before—over the past four years in a formal fashion. So, when the UHSAA board again put the sanctioning of boys volleyball to a vote, the UBVA members braced themselves. They had been here before, and had walked out disappointed every time. Yet, on this day, March 24, 2022, it would finally be the outcome they had wanted when their organization was formed in 2015. After decades of boys playing the sport in Utah, boys volleyball is official, and with a 10-4 vote, will now be a UHSAA-sanctioned sport beginning in the 2023-24 school year, joining the ranks with 25 other states nationwide. “We had a lot more hope and momentum this time, but it was so surreal to sit there and hear it announced. We were just in shock,” said UBVA co-founder Jill Davis. This latest attempt at sanctioning laid 10,000 signatures in front of the UHSAA board along with written support from local politicians, including Norm Thurston of the Utah House of Representatives, who was in attendance at the meeting, to BYU athletic director, Tom Holmoe, BYU men’s volleyball coach Shawn Olmstead and USA national men’s volleyball coach John Speraw. UHSAA assistant director Jan Whittaker said, “The UHSAA is excited to be sanctioning boys’ volleyball for the 2023-24 schools year. This will allow many boys who have not been competing in a sport for their school the opportunity to be part of the high school sports experience. They will be able to benefit from the positive impact that high school athletics has on students.” Davis said, “It’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment and it was an honor to be in the seat. A lot of people told us it wouldn’t happen, but our grassroots efforts and the community support made this happen. This is a victory for everybody, especially the boys and their families.” Davis has helped spearhead the UBVA’s effort the past few years to get the sport sanctioned. Her sons, Parker and Price, were part of a Bingham High boys volleyball program who three-peated in state titles from 2017 to 2019. She, UBVA co-founder Warren Van Schalkwyk and Duke Mossman, who coaches at Wasatch High, formed a collaborative effort of continually gathering statistics and surveying coaches statewide to keep up with the growing interest and participation in the sport. What they found was: • Boys volleyball is one of the fastest growing sport in high schools across the nation. • Boys volleyball is one of the largest club sports in Utah. In 2015, the state had 24 club teams; last fall, that number was up to 56. • In 2019, 81 high school teams represented 56 schools in Utah. This year, 122 high school teams are playing from 64 schools with more than 1,500 boys competing. • More than half of those 64 high school teams had such a demand in numbers that coaches had to cut players at tryouts due to popularity of the sport and lack of facilities. • Most of the 5A and 6A schools have full teams with the 3A and 4A classifications having a more mixed representation and the more rural schools in 1A and 2A coming in with the lowest participation rates. • 53% of the boys volleyball programs pay for gym rentals from their schools in order to play and practice. • 90% of participants statewide just play boys volleyball and are not multi-sport athletes. “The push that Jill stayed on to make was really key,”
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Corner Canyon High boys volleyball director Dan Penrod said. “Over this long process, there have always been a few parents that wanted to get the sanctioning ball rolling, but when their boys were finished playing, the momentum died down. Jill staying on after her boys graduated was everything in making sure this happened.” Whittaker noted how the Emerging Sports Program that the UHSAA formed three years ago played a key role in the sanctioning of boys volleyball. “That program was created to grow meaningful participation opportunities for student-athletes, particularly for female student-athletes, in sports and activities,” she said. “A sport can be considered for sanctioning after it meets a certain threshold of participating of our students in member schools. Boys participating in volleyball has steadily grown over the past few years.” Whittaker said once boys volleyball had met initial criteria for sanctioning consideration the UHSAA Board of Trustees looked at several factors in the ultimate decision-making process including: • The impact on Title IX compliance • The percentage of member schools that facilitate interscholastic competition in the emerging sport • Participation in community-sponsored leagues for the sport • Whether other state high school athletic associations sponsor or sanction competition in the sport • University, college and junior college opportunities for participation after high school • Whether the sport is a lifetime sport or activity, easily accessed in later life, that contributes to public health or fitness • Whether the NFHS or other recognized governing body publishes rules for interscholastic competition in the sport • Assistance available for growing the sport from national governing bodies, in-state coaches association and/or in-state officials associations • Significant obstacles to growing the sport, such as lack of facilities, expensive equipment, risk of injury, lack of experienced coaches and officials • The opportunity for student-athletes to participate equally from all socio-economic backgrounds • Whether sanctioning the sport will divert participants from and weaken an existing sanctioned or emerging sport • Whether there is significant competition for student-athletes to participate in this sport outside of school • The length of time the sport has been an emerging sport • The burden on member schools, districts and on the UHSAA of sanctioning the emerging sport • Utah Division of Risk Management concerns and input “This is not a check off list, but are items that were discussed prior to making the decision to sanction boys volleyball,” Whittaker said, adding that each school and district will “make the determination whether they will sponsor a sport that UHSAA sanctions.” Davis said that the sanctioning of boys volleyball is a “win-win.” “This legitimizes it for the boys and creates stability and consistency across the board under a fabulous umbrella. Scholarships are secondary,” she said. “Plus, county rec leagues can still function for those who were cut from their high school teams as well as those who just want to play.” Davis, the former director of Bingham boys volleyball
Skyline’s Kai Sorenson and Nick Allen reach to block a Bingham attack with Jordyn Vagana also ready on defense during a game at Riverton High School. (Photo credit Josh Henderson)
teams, has been gearing up to step away from UBVA since 2020 when her son graduated but “needed to stay in the game” to see the sanctioning process through. “Personally, to be able to serve these boys has been a thrill, and it’s an even bigger thrill to betting Utah on the map with boys volleyball,” she said. “I’ll forever be a part of the sport, but this ‘cherry on the top’ is so exciting for these kids and a great way to go out for me.” “Jill is an absolute angel for doing all of that. She did an amazing job, and it means so much to the boys,” said Olympus High boys volleyball club director Brett Peterson. Peterson, who has been directing the Olympus boys volleyball program for several years—with Ben Chamberlain coaching the varsity squad—said he’s thrilled to have the boys experience sanctioned volleyball. Peterson’s own experience was competing for two years in sanctioned play in California, and then helping build a club team at Olympus High, where he was a player/coach over his final two seasons, while his mom, Chris, ran the program. The UBVA will continue to host the state boys volleyball tournament for the next two seasons as budgets, schedules and regional alignments are put in place for the 2024 spring season when UHSAA will take the reins. For more information on the UBVA, visit www.ubva. info or email ubva.info@gmail.com. The addition of boys volleyball will come just after Salt Lake City hosts the high school boys volleyball national championships in summer 2023.l
S outh Salt Lake City Journal
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Attendees at the 2019 SHINE Gala helped raise money for The Children’s Center of Utah. The annual fundraiser helps pay for comprehensive mental health treatment for children up to 6 years old. (Photos courtesy of Sparkle Photography)
The Children’s Center of Utah recognizes Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
E
ach year on May 7, Children's Mental Health Awareness Day brings recognition to the value of a child’s mental health. But The Children's Center of Utah will highlight the importance of children’s mental health all month long. “Our organization is inviting the whole community to become involved,” said Rebecca Dutson, The Children's Center of Utah president and CEO. “On our website, people can find a whole lot of ideas they can be engaged in or their business can be engaged with. The more we talk about it, the less there will be a stigma.” The Center is asking businesses to give a portion of proceeds to The Children's Center of Utah during May and invites everyone to promote its mission on social media platforms. Yard signs are available to put outside a home or business, promoting awareness for children’s mental health. Anyone interested can contact Joni Clark at jclark@tccutah.org to reserve a sign. Or visit childrenscenterutah.org/awareness for more ideas on how to become an ambassador for mental health and raise money for the cause. “The best thing we can all do is start talking more openly about not just our own mental health but mental health in the family,” Dutson said. “There is so much support. One of the promises we make to our community is that we do not turn anyone away for inability to pay.” Supporters are also invited to attend The Children's Center of Utah’s SHINE Gala on Friday, June 3, at the Gallivan Center Plaza. The gala will be in-person, the first time in two years, and there is lots of interest from long-term supporters.
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The SHINE Gala, which started more than 20 years ago, features a social hour, silent and live auctions, entertainment and a buffet dinner. In the past, the event has raised more than $500,000 to help pay for children’s mental health services. Registration is available on The Children's Center of Utah website. “We’re shining a light on the importance of early childhood mental health and comprehensive mental health care for children,” Dutson said. “Every child and every child’s needs are unique. We encourage families who have concerns about their child to reach out and start a conversation.” COVID shone a light on mental health issues. Children were heavily impacted by their parents’ stress, the change of schedules and isolation from friends and family during the pandemic. “[The pandemic] allowed for more conversations about mental health. We just want to continue to build on that,” Dutson said. “The relationships that children have with their caregivers and parents are so important. It’s usually those adults that realize there might be a concern. When we talk about mental health it can change the trajectory of a child’s life.” The Children's Center of Utah works with children from infants through 6 years of age. Its mission is to bring a heightened awareness to the issue of children’s mental health. For more than 50 years, the organization has used evidence-based treatments, helping more than 1,800 children each year to increase resilience and develop healthy emotional well-being.l
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Granite School District conducts two population analysis studies By Lizzie Walje | l.walje@mycityjournals.com
G
ranite School District is currently conducting two population analysis studies, following significant changes in student populations within the district. The district took to social media to inform students and their families of the ongoing studies stating, “[We are] currently conducting two population analysis studies pertaining to two specific areas. Van Winkle/700 East Boundary and Consolidation Study, and Skyline, Cottonwood, Olympus Network Study.” Following the announcement back in March 2022, several open house meetings took place throughout April. The district stressed the importance of community feedback, seeing as the outcomes of these studies could potentially dictate future boundaries and even potential school closures and consolidations. For those unfamiliar with population analysis studies, and why they occur, these studies are usually borne out of necessity following significant changes in student populations. They are conducted every year in areas where student population numbers have changed significantly. For community members who are concerned about potential outcomes, the district stresses the importance of the community’s involvement. Depending on the results gathered, it’s a possibility that certain schools could be combined or closed entirely. If a school is to be closed, many community members rightfully wonder what will become of the building. According to Granite School District, if the board does decide to close a school there are a few different potential routes for refurbishing and repurposing. “The district is disinclined to surplus or sell the property because our geographic boundaries limit potential for growth,” Granite School District announced on their Facebook page. “In instances when the facility is too old to be used or maintained, buildings could be razed, or the property maintained as a park by the city or country while the district maintains ownership.” Families in the Skyline, Olympus, and Cottonwood networks received postcard invites encouraging them to participate in a series of community discussions and open houses that took place in April 2022. According to study director Steve Hogan, “It has always been in the best interest of everyone involved to participate in these discussions, and we’ve made a concerted effort to reach out to every family who would be affected and invite them to our open forums.” The spring open houses concluded on April 18, following two prior events held on April 11 and April 13, respectively. The feedback was mixed with some parents citing concerns about overcrowded classrooms as a reason for opposition against closures and consolidations. “We are one of the fastest-growing states in the nation,” said a meeting attendee and parent who wished to remain anonymous. “My son and daughter are both currently enrolled in a [Granite District] elementary school, where we’ve recently considered leaving given the ratio of teachers to students. The problem is, if Utah continues to grow as it has been these past several years, many districts are going to be facing this exact issue. It leaves us with limited options as parents.” Despite the conclusion of these open houses, the district is still allowing community members to submit feedback via the district’s website. Feedback will still be accepted and analyzed. Given the length of population analysis
Page 26 | May 2022
Granite School District is currently conducting two separate population analysis studies. (File photo courtesy Granite School District)
studies, there is still a considerable amount of work to be done before any definitive decisions are made. While members of the public have just recently been made aware of the population analysis, it would have first crossed the board’s agenda back in February 2022 as a potential study. Once approved, the board compiled data and began research prior to the April 2022 open houses. What comes next? Per Granite District’s memo, “In [May 2022] we will begin analyzing and compiling the public input and start to draft multiple solutions to be explored. The Population Analysis Committee will then present an initial report to the Board of Education. In August and September, potential solutions will be refined based on input from the board. An initial report will be publicized, and public commentary solicited.” As of now, there is no guaranteed date for the study’s completion. It will vary slightly based on the findings of the board, the community feedback received, and the level of modification needed for the final recommendation. However, it is estimated the final recommendation will be presented at some point in either October or November 2022. The Population Analysis Committee will present a final plan to the board in a public hearing during a routine Board of Education meeting. The plan is either adopted, modified, or rejected by the board over the course of two readings. If at that juncture, a boundary change is approved, and a school closure or consolidation is authorized, the district will create a timeline for implementation based on the specific needs of the affected school and community. Regardless of the outcome, the district has made it clear families will be alerted every step of the way. Granite School District also wanted to reiterate that their first priority is, and will always be, the well-being and welfare of the students. “It is our responsibility to do all things necessary for the prosperity and success of our students and our schools. A part of that responsibility includes conducting population studies when necessary. We
The infographic shows a general timeline for the population analysis studies currently being conducted. (Courtesy of Granite School District)
do this with the ultimate goal of ensuring that students in the district receive an equitable education,” according to the district. Community members are currently encouraged to reach out to the district with any concerns or questions they may have about any component of the process. All questions can be sent via email to the Planning & Boundaries Division of Granite School District. Their contact is boundaries@graniteschool.org l
S outh Salt Lake City Journal
Attendees at the 2019 SHINE Gala helped raise money for The Children’s Center of Utah. The annual fundraiser helps pay for comprehensive mental health treatment for children up to 6 years old. (Photos courtesy of Sparkle Photography)
The Children’s Center of Utah recognizes Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month
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By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
E
ach year on May 7, Children's Mental Health Awareness Day brings recognition to the value of a child’s mental health. But The Children's Center of Utah will highlight the importance of children’s mental health all month long. “Our organization is inviting the whole community to become involved,” said Rebecca Dutson, The Children's Center of Utah president and CEO. “On our website, people can find a whole lot of ideas they can be engaged in or their business can be engaged with. The more we talk about it, the less there will be a stigma.” The Center is asking businesses to give a portion of proceeds to The Children's Center of Utah during May and invites everyone to promote its mission on social media platforms. Yard signs are available to put outside a home or business, promoting awareness for children’s mental health. Anyone interested can contact Joni Clark at jclark@tccutah.org to reserve a sign. Or visit childrenscenterutah.org/awareness for more ideas on how to become an ambassador for mental health and raise money for the cause. “The best thing we can all do is start talking more openly about not just our own mental health but mental health in the family,” Dutson said. “There is so much support. One of the promises we make to our community is that we do not turn anyone away for inability to pay.” Supporters are also invited to attend The Children's Center of Utah’s SHINE Gala on Friday, June 3, at the Gallivan Center Plaza. The gala will be in-person, the first time in two years, and there is lots of interest from long-term supporters.
S outh SaltLakeJournal .com
The SHINE Gala, which started more than 20 years ago, features a social hour, silent and live auctions, entertainment and a buffet dinner. In the past, the event has raised more than $500,000 to help pay for children’s mental health services. Registration is available on The Children's Center of Utah website. “We’re shining a light on the importance of early childhood mental health and comprehensive mental health care for children,” Dutson said. “Every child and every child’s needs are unique. We encourage families who have concerns about their child to reach out and start a conversation.” COVID shone a light on mental health issues. Children were heavily impacted by their parents’ stress, the change of schedules and isolation from friends and family during the pandemic. “[The pandemic] allowed for more conversations about mental health. We just want to continue to build on that,” Dutson said. “The relationships that children have with their caregivers and parents are so important. It’s usually those adults that realize there might be a concern. When we talk about mental health it can change the trajectory of a child’s life.” The Children's Center of Utah works with children from infants through 6 years of age. Its mission is to bring a heightened awareness to the issue of children’s mental health. For more than 50 years, the organization has used evidence-based treatments, helping more than 1,800 children each year to increase resilience and develop healthy emotional well-being.l
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May 2022 | Page 27
Salt Lake County uses federal ARPA dollars for affordable housing, water conservation and workforce development
I
believe one of the most important roles for an elected official is acting as a steward of your taxpayer dollars. Residents entrust us to judiciously use funds to perform essential functions for the community, and as such residents expect that every dollar spent by the government will be carefully scrutinized. I used these principles to cast my vote for the allocation of federal ARPA dollars, which included funding for affordable housing, water conservation, and workforce development. Included are some details about each of these projects. These funds do not come from property or sales taxes. They are funds given to counties from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocated by the federal government. These funds are meant to support COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost public sector revenue, support immediate economic stabilization, and address systemic public health and economic challenges. They cannot be used to pay down debt, lower taxes or give refunds back to taxpayers. We know affordable housing is a huge issue. In 2021 rental costs increased by 12 percent and homeownership costs increased by 28 percent. Low to moderate household incomes have experienced significant supply and cost barriers to access safe and affordable housing. We know there is a far greater cost to society if
Aimee Winder Newton
Salt Lake County Council | District 3
youth end up homeless because their families can’t afford a place to live. Homelessness disrupts educational opportunities and puts them at higher risk of ending up in jail or utilizing government welfare services. This would end up costing taxpayers more than an upfront investment. Stability is key to helping young people succeed. The Salt Lake County Council allocated $20 million dollars to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This trust fund will leverage state and local government funding to preserve, construct, and assist 1,200 units of safe, affordable housing in Salt Lake County. Utah is experiencing its worst drought in 50 years and water conservation is a top concern. The Salt Lake County Council allocated $2.1 million ARPA dollars to Integrated Water Conservation & Land Use Municipal Partner-
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ships. Salt Lake County will partner with cities to implement approved water conservation plans. The Salt Lake County Council invested $10 million dollars to implement the Workforce Inclusion and Successful Employment (WISE) program. This program is designed to identify effective solutions that empower lower income communities to get education, skills and training needed to engage in the workforce. It is the goal of the program that by 2026, a net tax impact will be shown by comparing WISE
program expenses with tax savings achieved through (1) increased revenue due to higher salaries and (2) reduced expenses due to less need for government assistance. Every vote I cast as a county council member comes after thoughtful consideration of how it will impact the county overall, as well the constituents whom I represent in this role. I believe these ARPA funds are a once in a generation opportunity to invest in projects that will provide better opportunities and outcomes for residents now and in the future.
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Former NBA coach hosting camp By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
U
tah native Barry Hecker, who coached in the NBA for more than two decades, continues to teach the game of basketball to young players. At the beginning of summer, he will host a camp June 7-10 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Sandy (location still to be determined) for boys and girls in third through ninth grades. “These camps are all about the basic fundamentals of basketball,” Hecker said. “We focus on quality fundamental instruction, we work hard with a lot of discipline and structure and we have a lot of fun. When these kids walk out of there, they know they’ve been taught and improved.” The cost of the camp is $85. Registrations will be open soon online by visiting www.sandy.utah.gov/735/Barry-Heckers-Basketball-Camp The veteran coach, who lives in Murray, said the values he has learned from his basketball coaching journey—beginning at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland and spanning through Salt Lake Community College and stints with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies—are invaluable. Being able to share those principles of hard work, teamwork, unselfishness and persistence, along with the physical skills of the game itself,
with others thrills him. “I don’t care who I coach or when I coach,” Hecker, who has worked with current Jazz players Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, said. “I simply enjoy teaching the game. It’s great to see a smile on someone’s face as they experience success. If you help somebody, you’ll be somebody.” Hecker has conducted clinics all over the world for more than 40 years, including many since his retirement from coaching in the NBA. He said he particularly enjoys working with the youth. “If you teach skills, that leads to confidence and that confidence can allow anyone to do anything they want,” he said. “I have more fun with young kids than with the pros. In the NBA, you have guys who are making millions and they don’t listen. These kids are making nothing and they’ll listen to you.” l
Former NBA coach Barry Hecker has been teaching the game of basketball for more than 40 years. (Catherine Garrett/City Journals)
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Q&A Business Spotlight Desert Star has another rip-roaring musical mash-up ready to make you laugh your abs off with the show “Hunk-cules: I’m Too Sexy For My Toga.” The laughs will keep going with this musical melodrama for the whole family. Written by Beth Bruner and directed by Todd Michael Thompson, the story opens with our hero Hercules battling a fiendish lion which wins him the hand of the princess Meg. But the King wants someone else to marry his daughter, so they give Hercules three supposedly impossible tasks. Much to their chagrin, Hercules begins to breeze through them so they send Prince Diaredes to foil Hercules and steal the girl. Jump in your chariot and ride on down to Desert Star to find out if love prevails. “Hunk-cules: I’m Too Sexy For My Toga” runs April 21 through June 4. The evening also includes one of Desert Star’s comical musical olios, following the show. The “Mountain Music Olio” features the backwoods, mountain music to bring out the granola inside, mixed with Desert Star’s signature comedy. Food is available from an á la carte menu and is served at your table. There is
Desert Star Playhouse
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also a full-service bar. The menu includes gourmet pizza, burgers, fresh salads, and desserts. Check the website for showtimes: www.DesertStarPlayhouse.com. Tickets are adults $29.95 and children $16.95. (Children are 12 and under).
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Page 30 | May 2022
S outh Salt Lake City Journal
X marks the spot
H
e might not have a parrot or an eye patch, but my dad has found more buried treasure than any pirate. Inside his mild-mannered dad costume lurks the heart of Captain Jack Sparrow, ready to tackle any adventure with dashing flair and comic grace. On a blustery day in April, he took a pickaxe and hammer to help his great-grandkids find fossilized shells and pieces of quartz on the side of a mountain near his home in central Utah. He was excited about every discovery, and everywhere he looked, he saw treasure. He pointed to the west and said, “That mountain is full of blue agate.” He pointed down and leaned in to whisper, “We’re standing on the biggest gold mine in the state.” He pointed east to where dinosaur bones hide in the hills and pointed south to Native American sites where he’s examined petroglyphs and rock paintings. I’ve explored with Dad many times, usually only finding spiders, cacti and the occasional rattlesnake. He can stick his hand in a hole in a rock and pull out gemstones, old coins and a jackalope skull. Dad’s always had a sense of adventure. If he could make a living exploring
Peri Kinder Life and Laughter
ghost towns and spelunking in caves for lost treasure, à la Indiana Jones, he’d be the happiest man on earth. With his keen, scientific mind, he built model airplanes and assembled rockets that exploded in midair, not always on purpose. He’d ignite a mini cannon on the Fourth of July that freaked out the neighbors, cracked a basement window and set off car alarms. We’d run inside and hide like the Feds were after us. They probably were. For him, life has been one big treasure hunt. He often takes his metal detector to parks and always shows up when a road is being dug or a house demolished. You never know what he’ll find; sometimes a rare penny, sometimes radioactive marbles. He once discovered a class ring and
used his Hercule Poirot-level detective skills to return it to the family of the man who’d lost it decades earlier. Even with his work, he stood on the leading edge of discovery. In the ’60s, he helped build the first communications system for Air Force One. Later, he created cameras that flew on the space shuttle, were installed in telescopes and helped aerial refueling tankers. A camera he designed took the first pictures of the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean. Never one to pass up a good conspiracy theory, Dad talks about his close encounters with UFOs, ghosts, the Illuminati and home teachers. He also plays the accordion, although how can you tell if someone does that well? He’s a master woodworker, making toys, banjos, ukuleles and violins that he donates to teens. He cuts and polishes the stones he finds to make necklaces, and he’s been known to set a trap or two for Santa Claus. He’d frighten us with scary stories before bedtime, stories he insisted were true, which made it worse. If Dad had the chance to take a rocketship to the moon, he’d already be packed. He’d love to fly in a fighter jet
or visit the space station. He’d gladly sail the Seven Seas under the Jolly Roger and swashbuckle through hidden caves looking for gold doubloons and diamonds the size of cantaloupes. But through all of his adventures, misadventures, escapades, quests, deeds and feats of reckless abandon, Dad knows the biggest treasure is the one in his own backyard.
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May 2022 | Page 31
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