South Valley March 2018

March 2018 | Vol. 28 Iss. 03

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SAM GORDON HONORED BY THE NFL By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com

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Herriman resident Sam Gordon is the first female to be honored at the NFL awards banquet. (Utah Girls Tackle Football)

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erriman resident and girls tackle football star Sam Gordon was awarded the inaugural Game Changer Award at the NFL Honors awards ceremony the night before Super Bowl LII. “A girl playing football, why is this a monumental thing?” Gordon said in her acceptance video. “It seems like lots of girls want to play.” The award is not limited to players and coaches; instead it is open to anyone that undertakes the tremendous task to affect positive change in the world of football. Gordon is the first recipient of the award and the first female to be honored by the NFL. In 2015 Gordon and several others organized the Utah Girls Tackle Football League. In 2017, her Herriman Mustangs won the first girls state championship in the sport. “Our league has grown so much, and we now see leagues popping up all over,” Gordon said. “Girls want to play. It has always been there; it just needed someone to start it. I want to let you in on a secret: Girls love football, millions will watch the Super Bowl.” The UGTFL began with 40 players and plays its games in the spring. This season, league president Crystal Sacco said she expects 300 participants across three divisions. “Football is a fully engrained activity across our community,” Sam’s father, Brent said. “Girls have virtually no opportunities to participate. Sam has that courage to do something about that and wants to give girls that right. She is taking the steps to finish what Title IX started—finish equal opportunities for women in sports.” The award was presented to her by actor Sterling K

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Brown of the NBC show, “This is Us.” “My dream is that high schools and colleges will offer girls football teams, and I am going to fight to see my dream come true,” Gordon said. Gordon is part of a lawsuit filed against the Utah High School Activities Association, Jordan, Canyons and Granite school districts. The suit asks for equal opportunities for girls football teams at the high school level. The lawsuit states “the districts fail to provide equal treatment and benefits to girls because the districts give boys the right to use fields, stadiums and facilities, but do not provide girls the same treatment.” A spokesman for Granite School District, Ben Horsley said, “If there were sufficient interest in female-only football league and it were sanctioned, the district would have no issue providing such a program.” Gordon has taken on the task of being the first. She has looked for ways to change things in her community affecting the world around her. “I have seen girls’ confidence increase,” Gordon said. “It lets so many types of girls play. By playing the game, women will have the opportunity to learn the game just like men. They can become scouts, trainers, coaches and even the NFL commissioner. It would blow the door open on equality.” “I think Sam is amazing,” UGTFL president Crystal Sacco said. “I am so proud of her. She is truly a leader for girls tackle football.” The UGTFL sign-ups are now open. Practices begin March 19, and the first games are scheduled for April 7. l

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Go for it! Organizations encourage women to enter politics

The South Valley City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout South Valley. The South Valley Journal covers news for Herriman, Bluffdale, and Riverton. For information about distribution please email circulation@mycityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. For subscriptions please contact: circulation@mycityjournals.com The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner.

The South Valley Team CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Bryan Scott bryan@mycityjournals.com EDITOR: Travis Barton travis@mycityjournals.com ADVERTISING: 801-254-5974 DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING: Ryan Casper ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com 801-671-2034 SALES ASSOCIATES: Melissa Worthen melissa@mycityjournals.com 801-897-5231 Tracy Langer Tracy.l@mycityjournals.com 385-557-1021 CIRCULATION COORDINATOR: Brad Casper circulation@mycityjournals.com EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN: Ty Gorton and John Guertler

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By Aspen Perry | a.perry@mycityjournals.com

hile obtaining a seat in local government does not provide much financial reward, there are perks when running for office. Patricia Jones, CEO of the Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI), spent 14 years serving the Utah Legislature and was surprised at just how beneficial learning the system ended up being. As Jones explained during a mid-January interview, having an understanding of how government worked provided her and her family invaluable information when she began looking into long term care options for an aged parent. “There are just so many things you learn, that help you in your own personal life, and help your loved ones,” Jones said. It’s something many Utah women are beginning to discover. Utah’s rank for women in office is on the rise with more projected to run in future elections. “I think we’re seeing more women run, because they’re feeling more confident,” said Jones. In 2016, Utah ranked 45th among state legislatures for percentage of women holding office. A rank that can be disheartening considering Utah’s history of being ahead of the curve when it comes to women in politics. In 1896—24 years before women were granted the right to vote— Martha Hughes Cannon ran as a Democrat against her husband, and became the first female state senator of the United States. Though Utah fell behind the curve in regards to the number of women in office, it appears to be a statistic that is steadily increasing. In accordance with Utah Valley University, within just one year Utah’s rank went from 45th to 38th, with five women gaining seats in the House. Bringing the number of women serving the 104-member Legislature up to 21 (15 House, six Senate). Organizations with programs offering political campaign education to women are seeing a rise in participants as well, meaning Utah will continue to see an increase of women running in future elections. Jones of WLI, an organization formed three years ago with the intent to support women in both business and political leadership, has seen a significant rise in participants for their political development program. “The first year we had 17 women that applied and that were in the class, last year we had 23, and this year we have 50,” said Jones. Jones explained that four of the female mayors elected during the November 2017 election were part of WLI’s political development pro-

gram. Those four are: Michelle Kaufusi from Provo, Holly Daines from Logan, Kelleen Potter from Heber City, and Katie Witt from Kaysville. “The great thing about the [program] is they get to know one another and want to help each other. It’s really a magical thing to see,” Jones said. Real Women Run (RWR) is another organization created to empower women, founded in 2011 at YWCA Utah. Erin Jemison, director of public policy with RWR, reported of the 98 women who were elected to office in the 2017 election, 23 were RWR participants. Kristie Steadman Overson, newly elected mayor of Taylorsville attended one of Real Women Run’s events six years ago, as preparation when she ran for a seat on Taylorsville City Council. Overson won the council seat, where she continued to serve until running and being elected mayor. During her campaign, Overson knocked on almost 3,000 doors and discovered communication was a top concern for her constituents. “Connecting with someone on their doorstep is a lot different than getting perspective during a council meeting. As I did that… I thought I can take this knowledge and use it, so communication is absolutely the key,” Overson said. Cottonwood Heights recently elected District 3 Councilwoman Tali Bruce also attended training through Real Women Run and found the personal testimonials of women who had run beneficial. “You can spend a lot of time prepping for something like this, but their advice was solid. To just go for it,” Bruce recounted of her experience. Along with Bruce, Christine Watson Mikell was the other woman who altered the all-male demographic of Cottonwood Heights previous city council. “I think boards or councils are better when there’s a diverse perspective. [Being] a mother, business owner, I offer a diverse perspective that may have not been on the council throughout the life of the city,” Mikell said. Though Mikell had planned to participate in one of WLI’s groups, due to schedule conflicts she was unable to attend before running for council. “I think those organizations are fantastic, and I wish I’d had the benefit [of one of those programs],” Mikell said. Although Mikell was unable to prep for her campaign through WLI or RWR her experience working on the board of Utah Clean Energy provided hands-on experience for collaboration. Newly elected South Jordan Mayor Dawn

Newly elected Mayor of South Jordan, Dawn Ramsey. (Mayor Dawn Ramsey)

Ramsey, shares a similar path with her years of service on the Utah PTA State Board of Directors, which provided an opportunity to work with other female elected officials. “I work with a lot of women who hold positions of capacity that make a big difference… I’ve learned a lot from those women,” Ramsey stated. For Ramsey, growth is the main issue that she will focus on during her term as mayor. “Working with other local mayors and legislators, to try to help protect what we love most about South Jordan, and to work hard to get the services and funding that we need to continue to enhance quality of life for all of our residents,” Ramsey said. All in all, it is looking to be promising year as more women enter the political arena in Utah. When asked what advice they would offer other women thinking of running for office in the future, the advice from all women was the same: Go for it! “We need more women in the legislature,” said Jones with WLI. She added, “There are real structural benefits of having gender balance… it’s not good enough to have just one woman at the table.” With the rise of females enrolled in political development education, Utah is sure to see more women on the ticket for 2018. l

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Riverton, Herriman residents hold luncheon to honor law enforcement officers

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By Jennifer Gardiner | j.gardiner@mycityjournals.com

t’s not every day an entire city wants to thank police officers. But Riverton and Herriman residents wanted to do something in their honor for their hard work in capturing a dangerous felon. City residents Nicki Pinarelli Bullard and Angela Mazza decided to put together a community thank-you luncheon, held Jan. 30. It was organized by members of the community and Herriman City officials to thank the Unified Police Department and all related agencies that worked on an active shooter incident that gripped the city with concern in Herriman. “It was just to say thank you for all officers did,” Bullard said. “They protected us so much the week that Llewelyn was on the run. They do so much for us and don’t get thanked enough. It was such an amazing feeling knowing he was out there as I dropped my kids off at school. Police presence was incredible and made me feel OK about me not being with them. We would love to make this a yearly thing.” Unified Police Herriman Precinct Police Chief Troy Carr said they always feel appreciated by the city and its residents. “This luncheon was also a way for everyone to come together and help each other,” Carr said. “The events that day unfolded very quickly and it was scary, so many of the residents felt it could have been them that was shot.” Carr added the community needed to heal and had a chance to better empathize with each

other. The event was attended by Unified Police Department’s Herriman Precinct, Unified Police Department’s Riverton Precinct, Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Department (including Sheriff Rosie Rivera), Herriman City Officials, SWAT and Unified Fire Authority. For nearly a week, officers and residents were on edge as the hunt for 33-year-old Justin Gary Llewelyn continued. Llewelyn had been on the run since Jan. 20 when he got into a shootout with a Unified Police officer, shot a homeowner in the chest and then stole the man’s vehicle. The incident started when Unified Police Department officers were working with the U.S. Marshals Service as part of the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team. The task force had been developing a plan to arrest Llewelyn when he fled from the area in a stolen truck. Soon after, an officer encountered Llewelyn prowling cars, but Llewelyn fled on foot and ran into another officer at whom he fired his gun. The officer fired back, but Llewelyn got away. While in that foot pursuit, Llewelyn entered a home near 4950 West Duncan Meadow Lane in Herriman and shot the homeowner in the chest before stealing their car. The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition but has since been released. During the containment, K9 officers and Department of Public Safety helicopters were called

to assist in tracking Llewelyn down. Reverse 911 calls were made to ask the residents who live in the area surrounding the shooting and pursuit to shelter in place. The search for the fugitive lasted for several hours, but unfortunately with the help of friends and relatives, two who live in Herriman, Llewelyn was able to flee the area. A reward for information leading to Llewelyn’s arrest was announced, and shortly after, a Unified Police officer located him at park in Provo and started a surveillance. Before an arrest could be made, Llewelyn got into a pickup truck and took off. A chase of 70–75 mph ensued but ended when a Utah County deputy hit the back end of Llewelyn’s truck, crashing it into a parked truck. Llewelyn was finally apprehended without any further incident. Three women were arrested for their involvement in helping Llewelyn avoid police and hiding his whereabouts. Two were family members and the third one was a woman police found in Ivins, Utah, who had been bragging about helping Llewelyn get away from police. Hundreds of residents showed up to thank law enforcement for all their work in keeping them safe. Some never realized how much officer put their lives on the line to protect the residents of their communities, but all the dedication and hard work to capture Llewelyn proved just how much these officers care. The event was attended by Unified Police

Department’s Herriman Precinct, Unified Police Department’s Riverton Precinct, Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Department (including Sheriff Rosie Rivera), Herriman City Officials, SWAT and Unified Fire Authority. l

Barbecue buffet luncheon present by residents to honor officers. (Herriman City)

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‘Authentic’ field trip allows middle school students to order lunch in Spanish By Julie Slama | Julie@mycityjournals.com

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t Riverton’s Salsa Leedos, parent volunteer Donna Lucas eagerly awaited the arrival of Spanish II students from Elk Ridge Middle School. “My son Wyatt is so excited about coming and trying to order in Spanish,” she said. The field trip to the Mexican restaurant was an opportunity for students to practice their Spanish pronunciation and ability to ask questions, said their teacher, Brock Hampton. “It’s our first time coming here, but I’ve heard some other schools have had good experiences here with their students,” he said. “We’ve practiced how to order in Spanish, so this is a chance for them to try and see how they do.” On hand was owner Travis Bonino, general manager Jake Bright and manager Kandi Masters, along with other servers, some of whom were fluent in Spanish. “We like to make this fun and hope it will be a field trip they’ll remember for years,” Bright said. Bright said that for the field trip, they offered four entrée options: a bean and cheese burrito, a cheese enchilada combination, a chicken fajita burrito and a taco combination. He said the options were items kids may like as well as the staff could quickly make to get them back to school on time. When the students arrived, the restaurant

quickly filled with 63 students as well as a handful of chaperones. For student Kristy Tran, it was her first time eating at a Mexican restaurant. “I’ll be able to try some food from their culture at the same time as trying to order,” she said as she prepared to order the chicken fajita burrito. Sitting with her were classmates Zoie McMahon and Natalie Tapia. Both girls had Mexican origins, so their families eat Mexican food at home. Zoie had helped her mother make salsa, and Natalie’s family had piñatas at parties. Hampton said he tries to include cultural activities while teaching students. They’ve sampled fresh Peruvian salsa (and now can compare it to Mexican salsa, which he said most are made from roasted tomatoes); they make Guatemalan friendship bracelets; and they have a piñata at the end of the year. Often, he has guest speakers tell them about living or traveling abroad. “Our (curriculum) standards don’t tell us to have students study certain words, but I want them to be prepared for real-life experiences, so I try to have several authentic experiences,” he said. “We’re learning vocabulary about shopping now, but instead of taking 63 preteens shopping, I’m asking them to creating skits about it.” While Spanish I students learn about the

civilizations before Christopher Columbus, such as the Aztec, Mayas and Incas, his Spanish II students create models and dioramas of famous places, such as Angel Falls in Venezuela. “It’s a way for them to learn about the countries and the culture, not just repeating dialogue or conjugating verbs,” he said. Hampton said that 20 countries have Spanish as their official language, but more speak it.

Riverton’s Salsa Leedos owner Travis Bonino serves food to Elk Ridge Middle School students after they ordered their meals in Spanish. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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“Each country may have some of their own vocabulary, but by studying Spanish, they’ll be able to communicate,” he said. While at the restaurant, Hampton wanted students to converse with the staff in hopes they would speak and then listen and understand what was being asked. “It’s amazing how well they’ve improved,” he said as students were finishing their meal. l

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Salt Lake County Council’s

ME SSAGE I

t is an honor to serve on the Salt Lake County Council and to represent you. We work diligently to make sure that we put your hard-earned money to the best and highest use for services provided. At the end of the day it is important that we maintain our AAA bond rating. Salt Lake County is one of 41 counties in the country with this rating. When we need to build more recreation centers, libraries, or other facilities this rating keeps the costs down and saves countless tax dollars. Public safety is the number one priority of elected officials in Salt Lake County. With many of the innovative drug court treatment programs and criminal justice reform initiatives we are meeting these challenges while showing compassion. These efforts are already showing progress in keeping repeat offenders off the streets. With Operation Rio Grande, we are helping get treatment to those who want it and jail for criminals. Our Parks and Recreation team has done a wonderful job of building trails and parks that people use. Wardle Fields

Update from Councilman Steve DeBry

in Bluffdale is an example of a park that the community has embraced. It is roughly 40 acres of amenities such as splash pads, climbing net pyramid, pickleball courts, ziplines, and a destination playground. The Jordan River trail was completed this year allowing anyone to walk or bike the length of the River. The Marv Jensen Recreation Center in South Jordan is headed towards the end of its useful life. I have met with representatives of South Jordan, County Parks and Rec, and the Jordan School District looking for a solution to the needs of a facility in that part of the Valley. The next round of ZAP funds has a new recreation center in the Riverton/Bluffdale area. I have met with city leaders to identify potential locations and begin discussions on what type of facility and needs we should incorporate. The County is working on building new libraries in South Jordan and Herriman. Right now they are in the planning phases because the libraries of the future are not the same as the libraries built in the past.

Having served on the Library Board for the previous eight years I am excited for some of the plans and the future of the entire library system. I am the co-chair of a County Opioid Task Force. As a Police Chief I see firsthand the impacts of opioid use, and we need to do everything we can to curb this plague. The President of the United States has even declared that the opioid epidemic is a national emergency. We are working closely with law enforcement and local pharmacies to find more drop-box locations throughout the valley. The next “Utah Take Back Day” is April 28th were you can dispose of unneeded prescription drugs. Planning for growth is a constant challenge we face. With the expected growth anticipated for the Southwest portion of Salt Lake County, the time to plan is now. This year the Council appropriated money for needed roads and connectors identified by our cities to make a vibrant transit plan a reality. In mid-February I attended a workshop

Steve DeBry

County Council District 5

with Mayors, Councilmembers, and city planners to identify needs and coordinate a regional transportation plan. I believe that we have a bright future ahead and working collaboratively we can leave a better legacy for generations to come. l

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‘True love story’ hits diseased road block By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com

Valerie and Tom Densley were childhood friends before reuniting a few years ago and getting married. (Courtesy Valerie Densley)

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t was in a ’51 Chevy pickup truck that Valerie Densley learned to drive at a young age. And almost 50 years later, that same truck helped find her husband. Valerie and Tom Densley were friends when they were little. It was the late 60s, early 70s when they went their separate ways rarely hearing from one another. Tom had always wanted the truck and told Valerie’s father to sell it to him when the time came. It took decades but Tom, now 62, finally got the truck. Meanwhile, Valerie, now 57, saw a similar truck at a car show and decided to look for the Chevy from her childhood. Through Facebook she found Tom had it and was planning to turn it into a hot rod. “We met up with each other and found out we lived pretty parallel lives and immediately fell in love and got married,” she said. “It was very crazy.” They celebrated their one-year anniversary at the end of February. Once reconnected, they discovered both had recently gone through bad divorces and moved into new homes. Now married, they moved into Tom’s house in West Jordan, where he grew up. “It’s a true love story,” Valerie said. Recently though, that story hit a road block. Tom was born with polycystic kidney disease where numerous cysts grow in the kidneys which reduces function and leads to kidney failure. About 600,000 people in the US have PKD, according to the National Kidney Foundation. March is National Kidney Month. It wasn’t until about 20 years ago Tom found out he had the hereditary disease, and it was a few years ago on Thanksgiving his body took a downturn. Now his kidney function at level 7, out of 100. They are now in search of a kidney donor for the O blood type Tom has. Anybody can receive blood from O, but only O blood types can receive from each other. Last fall, the couple had a donor set up—a

young friend of Tom’s from their work as heavy equipment mechanics on large drill rigs in gold mines and gravel pits. The surgery was scheduled for November 2017, but they didn’t get that far. The young man, who Valerie described as “very health conscious,” found out he was diabetic shortly before the procedure. “(He) came to the house broken-hearted,” Valerie said. “I’m glad they found that,” Tom said. “If they donated and then found out he had a health issue (because of the donation), I couldn’t have lived with that.” The two are exploring all avenues before them. A Facebook page was put together called “Give me an O.” They are on the donor list at the University of Utah donor center and donors can submit online for “Thomas Densley.” Though Valerie is not a match for Tom, she is undergoing testing so they become a team. This is when the clinic looks for another pair where Valerie can donate her kidney while her counterpoint donates to Tom. “Just an extra something they will search for but sadly our team is rare as well and is difficult to match,” Valerie said. Looking for another donor has been difficult, Valerie said. She describes Tom just like his blood type, generously giving to everyone, but also not one to make public his health issues often disguising the pain he often suffers. Tom still works when he can saying he’ll work as long as his body allows. “I can be his advocate but it wears me down because I’m so emotionally attached,” she said. Tom said his wife’s been wonderful looking for donors. He added that testing to become a donor is a three- to four-month process paid for by his insurance. “In the long run, they get a hell of a physical examination to see if they have anything wrong,” Tom joked. The couple strives to identify the funny moments. Tom is unable to regulate his body temperature so he often feels cold. So cold he “could be in blankets sitting in front of the fire place with heat up to 78 degrees in the house and still be freezing,” Valerie said. She will come home to “what feels like a fire” and show Tom the butter melting on the kitchen counter. “This is proof that it’s too warm in here,” she’ll say. What’s harder to laugh about is how the disease affects his joints. For his body to get nutrients, it’s pulling from his bone supply causing him significant pain. This happens especially if overexerts himself. “The next day or two feels like somebody is beating me up with a baseball bat, every bone in the body hurts,” Tom said. “I can’t function, can’t sit or lay down—just uncomfortable and the lack of sleep is terrible.” He will often go weeks in between a decent night of sleep, which is considered 2-4 hours long. Medication possibilities are limited due to their harsh nature on body organs. “A lot of time,” Valerie said. “He just has to try his best to endure.” l

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Riverton City works around Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth boundaries

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By Mariden Williams | mariden.w@mycityjournals.com

or years, the local Riverton Baseball Organization has chartered with state-level youth baseball organization Cal Ripken/ Babe Ruth, and its affiliation with Cal Ripken is currently a requirement for it to be recognized as a volunteer organization by Riverton City officials. Until recently, Riverton was the only one of several surrounding cities to charter with Cal Ripken, which meant that the Riverton Baseball Organization was drawing players not only from Riverton, but also from Bluffdale, Herriman and South Jordan. “We were basically helping our surrounding communities provide baseball programs for youth that wanted to be part of Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth,” said City Attorney and interim City Manager Ryan Carter. “We tolerated that, realizing that far and away the majority of the students, the players, were Riverton residents.” But recently, Herriman and South Jordan have both chartered with Cal Ripken, which means that Cal Ripken officials have needed to draw up new league boundaries, which they have done. The problem is the new league boundaries were drawn to match up with high school boundaries rather than with city boundaries. Near the Riverton/Herriman border, the Cal Ripken boundary line cuts into Riverton in such a way that a good chunk of Riverton baseball players are transferred to Herriman leagues. “I think that Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth quite innocently didn’t think about the layer of city government associated with this and just thought that they wanted to try to give their students the best advantage in terms of keeping baseball teams together and cohesive as the players aged up into high school,” said Carter. “Even though it was probably not intended, my area is right

now not feeling the love,” said Councilmember Sheldon Stewart, whose district is the one most drastically affected by the new Cal Ripken boundaries. I’ll just say that’s the resounding message that I’ve gotten from quite a few people.” Consequently, the Riverton City Council is floating the possibility of a resolution that would allow Riverton Baseball to, if it so desired, cut its affiliation with Cal Ripken while still doing business with the city. The way the rules are currently written, if Riverton Baseball disaffiliates with Cal Ripken, it also disaffiliates with Riverton. “Riverton is the only one that has had, in the surrounding cities, this type of ordinance written in,” said Stewart. “If you go and you talk to Herriman or South Jordan, they will tell you that they do not require an affiliation to recognize a program like Herriman Baseball. They don’t say that it requires Cal Ripken.” Riverton City officials have since reached out to state-level Cal Ripken executives, who appear to be cooperative and have said that if parents living near the league border want to enroll their kids in Riverton’s baseball organization rather than Herriman’s, they would be allowed to do that. City leaders have yet to get that in writing, but they don’t anticipate problems. But there are other differences of opinion between Riverton Baseball and Cal Ripken as well. Riverton Baseball is interested in doing in-tact leagues, which are try-out based, so that kids end up on a team with players of similar skill level. “That way you don’t have a kid that’s way ahead of the other kids on the baseball team in terms of development, playing amongst them and kind of causing safety concerns,” said Carter. “It’s an issue that is kind of causing some friction between Riv-

erton Baseball and Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth.” The opening of a new high school in the Riverton/Herriman area next year will likely muddy the boundary lines even further. Riverton leaders hope to talk further with Cal Ripken, Herriman and Bluffdale officials before coming to any conclusions. The issue has been tabled for the first meeting in March. l

The current Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth boundaries are causing a headache for Riverton City. (Hunter/Cyprus Babe Ruth)

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A water conservation conversation

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By Mariden Williams | mariden.w@mycityjournals.com

tah’s population continually grows, but its water supply does not. This is why the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District—one of Utah’s largest wholesale water providers, which serves a population of about 700,000 and 17 member agencies—has set a goal to reduce water usage 25 percent by the year 2025. This goal may eventually increase to 30 percent. “There’s not enough water to sustain the growth moving forward,” said Bart Forsyth, the assistant general manager of the JVWCD. “We’ve already achieved all the easy water conservation. We think that the way to get all the way down to 191 gallons per person per day in 2025, we’re going to have to do a lot more to make those reductions.” Perhaps the greatest potential for water conservation lies in trimming down outdoor use. According to the JVWCD, about 60 percent of annual water usage goes toward outdoor purposes—mostly used for watering turf landscapes. “Most of the people we talk to are surprised when we ask, how much water do you think you use on your landscape per month,” said Matt Olsen, JVWCD’s communications manager. “Most of us don’t know. I think a lot of us would think, maybe a thousand gallons or something like that. Typically, on a quarter-acre yard, you’re seeing about 60,000 gallons used a month for landscape.

It’s pretty shocking.” There’s an easy way to cut down on that amount. “One of the best places to start is your park strip,” Olsen said. “They’re pretty useless.” JVWCD will comp you a dollar for every square foot of grass you remove from your parking strip, and not having to water it will save you even more money in the long run. “We estimate about $5,000-8,000 per year can be saved just by doing that.” If you’re looking to go a little more in-depth, JVWCD has you covered there too. “We have some landscaping experts that will come and do a free consultation, talk about your irrigation system and your landscape design and give you some recommendations on some of the things you can improve,” said Olsen. One common recommendation is to switch from a spray irrigation system to a more efficient drip system, which can be done fairly inexpensively. About 30 percent of JVWCD’s water is used indoors, and most of that goes toward bathrooms. “Toilets are probably our largest water-using fixture in a home,” Forsyth said with a laugh. “That’s especially in true in areas where we have older homes, and older homes are still using older toilets that have high flush volumes.” Homes built earlier than 1994 may be eligible for deals

on more efficient toilets. But according to Forsyth, one of the best ways to cut down water usage is to educate people about the amount of water they use. Some agencies along the Wasatch Front have begun providing reports to homeowners comparing the amount of water delivered to the home to what an expected efficient usage would be. This allows homeowners to really see how much they overwater. “The results have been staggering,” said Forsyth. “Just with the report, they’ve seen about a 35 to 40 percent reduction in water use in secondary water.” The Riverton City Council is supportive of the JVWCD and its conservation efforts. “We want to do what we can to help meet the goals of water conservation that we have set for the state,” said Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. “It’s much easier to do things now than when we’re in a dire need,” said Councilmember Brent Johnson, who represents Riverton on the JVWCD Board of Trustees. “So I would encourage all the residents to take advantage of the consultation that’s available. We’re almost there. We’re at about 17 percent, to our goal of reduction of 25 percent. We’ve got until 2025, and if we achieve that, everything’s going to be much better.” l

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Many homeowners overwater their yards, and few realize it. (Conservation Garden Park)

Page 10 | March 2018

S outh Valley City Journal

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rin Wright, biology teacher at Fort Herriman Middle School, greeted her ninth-grade class with a shocking announcement. “Last night, Mrs. Dowdle got murdered—again.” Students reacted with enthusiasm because they knew this signaled the start of a forensics lab. Fellow science teacher Gayle Dowdle was not really dead (she was the victim in the eighth-grade crime simulation last year as well). But the storyline was created to help students realize how the science concepts they have been learning in class are used in the real world. “We ask the question a lot of ‘when are we going to use this?’ So with this we are actually seeing we can use this in forensics or medicine,” said Alexander Hill, who loves the twice a month hands-on labs. The interactive labs are made possible by enthusiastic teachers such as Wright. She purchased the forensics equipment— DNA samples and gel electrophoresis equipment—using money she was awarded through a grant. She was able to simulate DNA samples to show the students what it actually looks and behaves like. Students took samples of the “DNA” (simulated by colored sugar water) found at the crime scene and placed it into the gel molds along with the DNA of three suspects. To determine the matching DNA and identify the

murderer, the samples were processed using the gel electrophoresis equipment. Students were able to see the process of DNA separating into different-sized strands. “This is a great technology that ties into so many different learning goals,” said Wright. She said the process is what actual forensics scientists use. “It teaches them a little bit about forensic sciences, which most of them have seen on one of the police dramas that they’ve seen,” Wright said. The process is also used to diagnose diseases and identify genetic traits and for paternity identification. Students were excited to do the lab and see the results. They are aware that most middle school classrooms don’t have the equipment for such a realistic lab. “It’s great to be able to do it in middle school and have that experience of being a real scientist and making discoveries,” said Alexander. Wright said the time spent writing the grant was worth it to be able to help her students understand DNA particles more completely. “I like to spend a lot of time on DNA because it’s such an important part of life— it ties into everything,” she said. Once students understand the properties of DNA, they can move on to topics like reproduction, genetics, evolution, cells and mutations. l

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Decade of dedication By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Southland Elementary rotates through three educational musicals. (Jennifer Preece/Southland Elementary)

T

en years ago, Mary Jackson, a parent of students attending Southland Elementary, asked the Parent Teacher Organization if it would support a school musical. She had participated in a musical production in fifth grade and remembered how great the experience was. They said yes, if she was willing to head it up. “Mary, having no musical background or experience, took on the challenge so that other students could have the same experience she had,” said Sharon Kartchner, a parent volunteer (with teaching and musical experience) who volunteered to help Jackson. That first production was so well-received that Kartchner and Jackson have continued the tradition. They have been supported by other dedicated parent volunteers over the last 10 years, including Jennifer Preece, Suzie Cocanour, Cindy Robertson, Ali Maynes, Amy Colbert and Vanessa Burton. “Directing the musicals at Southland has been such a rewarding experience,” said Kartchner. “All of us who help do so on a volunteer basis, give up hundreds of hours to make these musicals a success. It is stressful, it is demanding, it is time-consuming, but it is so worth it to see the smiles on the faces of the students as they finish performing for their family and friends.” Even when her girls moved on from elementary school, Kartchner felt the pull to stay and direct more productions. Other volunteers felt the same way. “Each year, there has been one of us that doesn’t have one of our own kids in it—but we still do this craziness,” said Jackson. “It is so fun.” The first year’s production had a cast of more than 100 students in grades four through six. “It was a learning process—a little clunky, with multiple scene changes and not enough microphones,” said Kartchner. Over the years, Kartchner has insisted the plays be as professional as possible. The final performances are held at Oquirrh Hills Middle School for access to stage with space for set pieces and risers, professional lighting and adequate seating for the audience. Kartchner is involved in every part of the production from the coaching of line delivery, choreography, stage blocking and lighting cues to set design and music arrangements—all to ensure a high-quality show. “This is a musical production—not just a cheesy elementary play,” said Kartchner. She said some of the students have gone on to perform in leading roles in their middle school and high school plays.

“For some of these students, drama is their way to shine,” she said. “Maybe they aren’t great at academics or sports, but they can excel on stage and they love it.” The parent volunteers are in charge of the shows exclusively, receiving a healthy budget from the PTO, which believes the educational musicals play an important role at Southland Elementary. Finding shows based in school curriculum was important to the parent volunteers. Kartchner said it is beneficial for students to learn about history by acting and singing about it. “These kids are learning, and they don’t even realize it,” said Jackson. The first year’s production, in 2008, was “Use Your Imagination,” which taught kids about early inventors and how to learn from them to solve modern-day problems. The next year, the volunteers brainstormed ideas for an original patriotic show. Preece wrote the script for “Quest for the Stars and Stripes,” starring the American Flag as the main character. “The Adventures of Lewis and Clark: A Musical Journey Along the Oregon Trail” highlights the fourth-grade curriculum of westward movement. This year, students performed “Dig It! A Musical Tale of Ancient Civilizations.” The musical takes the audience from ancient Mesopotamia to Egypt to Rome to learn about leaders of the past. The plays have been popular and successful each year, but Kartchner said they are a lot of work. To avoid burn-out, they decided to hold the musicals every other year. The team of volunteers had collected enough educational musicals to cover the curriculums of third through sixth grades. By rotating the shows every few years, students can be in two different musicals during their time at Southland. Between 85 and 100 students from third through sixth grade participate in each production. Jillian Brady, a sixth-grader, said she had to miss some other after school activities for the twice-aweek practices leading up to the evening performances on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. “It’s 100 percent worth it,” said Jillian. “We get to work together to create a fabulous play.” Kartchner hopes the experience stays with the students. “Maybe one of these students will remember doing a fun musical in elementary school, just like Mary did, and decide to direct one of their own someday,” she said. l

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Page 12 | March 2018

S outh Valley City Journal

Singing is supplemental

O

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

nce a week, students put down their pencils and pick up their ukuleles and their boomwhackers and start to sing. Josh Roberts, the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Music Specialist at Blackridge Elementary, uses this music instruction to reinforce a variety of academic concepts the students are learning in their regular classes. (They’re also learning how fun it is to play a boomwhacker, a percussion instrument played with a mallet.) “I think music is probably the most powerful art,” said Roberts, who works with each class once a week. He designs activities for each grade that tie-in to their curriculum. “My main focus is teaching music but the curriculum fits naturally into music,” he said. “I add depth to what’s going on in the classroom. Sometimes I teach it before the teachers gets there.” While the fifth-graders study American history, Roberts teaches them songs—like a traditional Shaker tune—sung by the groups of people they are learning about. “That’s an opportunity to bring in the social studies and talk about the people,” said Roberts. “If it was music sung by the slaves— that’s a time we can pause and talk about the Civil War and the context of the music.” For last year’s fifth-grade American history program, Roberts collaborated with teachers

to choose popular music from each decade that would represent the period’s culture and events. Students learned songs like “Summertime,” which describes the mood of the1930s, and the hit song from 1917, “Over There.” Roberts often overlaps concepts from multiple subjects into his music sessions. When sixth-grade classes studied folk tales in social studies, Roberts assigned them to write a folk song of their own. He encouraged them to incorporate figurative language, which is a focus of study in their language arts curriculum. He even teaches students to accompany themselves on the ukulele. Roberts said math is a class that naturally translates well into musical concepts—clapping out a rhythm is all about counting. Because Roberts regularly teaches music theory, students can translate those concepts to math concepts. Roberts was able to help a fourth-grade class that was struggling with the concept of measurement of volume. He compared a gallon to a whole note, a half-gallon to a half-note and a quart to a quarter-note. “That kind of integration really comes naturally—especially with fractions,” Roberts said. Even reading skills are taught through music. Kindergarten students had fun during singing time when Roberts asked them for suggestions of three-syllable words that would fit into

the rhythm of their song. “It helps them identify syllables and word chunks, which are early reading skills,” said Roberts. In addition to ukuleles, Roberts also teaches students to play a variety of percussion instruments (like boomwhackers). “I love my job,” said Roberts. “I get to sit and sing and play instruments all day. Who doesn’t want to do that for a living?” During his first year of teaching, Roberts served as the music specialist to nine different schools. When Blackridge opened the full-time position, it was one of the first schools to do so. Roberts said the administration and teachers have been supportive of his program. They understand that instead of interrupting instruction time, the music lessons enrich student learning. Jordan School District officials made it a priority this year to have a Beverly Taylor Sorenson Specialist in every school. The specialists were originally made possible by a grant created by Beverly Taylor Sorenson. She believed the arts teach children using what they do naturally—sing, dance, play and create. She felt the arts are what make us human. Roberts said research has shown that exposure to the arts benefits kids socially, emotionally and academically.

“Having those numbers has really brought a good focus to the importance of elementary arts,” he said. “I feel like there’s a renaissance in bringing back elementary art. The legislature is seeing value in having programs like Beverly Taylor Sorensen Specialists.” Specialists such as Roberts hope students continue singing, dancing, playing and creating in every aspect of their lives. “I feel like I’m making an impact early on—getting kids engaged with music,” he said. l

Fifth-graders explore America’s history through the music of each decade. (Jet Burnham/City Journals))

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BYU athletes kick off literacy night By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

F

ans of football and BYU lined up to take photos and get footballs signed by BYU freshmen football players Matt Bushman and Bracken El-Bakri. But the athletes drew the biggest crowds as they read stories to families attending Midas Creek Elementary’s Literacy Night. The pair entertained students by using pictures books to inspire their own impromptu tales. “They just looked at the picture and then— on the fly—just made it up,” said Principal Carolyn Bona. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime story because there’s no way they could repeat it—it was hilarious.” Every year BYU athletes are invited to share their love of reading in the story corner at Literacy Night. This year, guest readers also included freshman cheerleaders Breanna Penrod and Jacie Wilkinson as well as volleyball players Tayler Tausinga and Heather Gneiting. Wilkinson was thrilled to be part of the activity to get to kids excited about reading. “I grew up with my mom reading to me, so I’ve grown up loving reading,” said Wilkinson. Bushman, who was recently named to the freshman All-American team, said literacy is even important for learning and memorizing football plays. He believes all kids can follow their passion but hopes they understand they

still need to make education a top priority. Meline Hansen, a teacher, was impressed the athletes took the time in their very busy schedules to support the school activity. ElBakri said despite a required 12 credit hours, countless practice hours and traveling, serving the community is still a priority for him and for his fellow athletes. Penrod hoped they would set a good example to the elementary students. “We wanted to show as BYU athletes it’s important to us to read,” she said. The other main activity of the Third Annual Literacy Night was a book exchange. “Students bring any books they have that they feel like they’ve read too many times,” said Bona. For each book they brought, they could exchange it for a new one to take home. Six long tables were piled with books, separated by grade level, for students to choose from. Bona feels it is important for families to have books at home but realizes it can be expensive. The book exchange fills that need. “This is a way for people to get new books without having to spend a dime,” said Bona. “There are a lot of parents that are happy to be able to exchange books versus having to go buy books.” For every book brought in for exchange,

students also received a raffle ticket. Names were students in practicing reading skills such as drawn throughout the night for small prizes. phonics and sight word recognition. Bona said another reason the exchange is “It frees us up a little bit so we can do more so popular is that kids get excited to read new reading with the kids because they are getting books. that skill emphasis with Lexia,” said Hansen, Stacy Conley said her kids are more in- who teaches kindergarten. terested in reading books that are new to them. Additionally, teachers have implementHer 8- and 11-year-olds brought books for the ed an intervention program this year called exchange that they have outgrown. As she pe- S.P.I.R.E. that uses literacy aides to give indirused the book tables, she even found books she vidual instruction to struggling readers. l was excited about—classics like “A Wrinkle in Time” and “Shiloh.” She admitted it was difficult to limit their choices to only 10 new books. Those in attendance also played BINGO and enjoyed popcorn. “We just wanted it to be a fun family event,” said Bona, who said literacy is a yearlong focus at the school. Bona has adapted the Seven Habits of Highly Successful Students to apply to reading to teach students the skills can be developed through reading. Midas Creek teachers also use an individualized interactive Two football players show they can read (Burnham/City Journals) program called Lexia to engage

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Page 14 | March 2018

S outh Valley City Journal

Students sing songs with powerful messages

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By Julie Slama | Julie@mycityjournals.com

hen Jordan Ridge students sang, “I’ll be nice; I’ll be kind; treat others right — made up my mind,” the audience of about 1,100 clapped right along. The message may be simple, but powerful, said South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey, who also serves as PTA Region 6 director. “Character education is an important part of education,” she said. “Steve and Lisa James’ songs teach about character to our Jordan Ridge students and reinforces the values that are so important for our kids.” Ramsey said the songs’ messages go deeper than the catchy tunes. “Kids now are growing up in a digital world, so others who feel they are anonymous are bullying online or our kids are comparing themselves to the best version of others and are being affected by social media. Steve and Lisa’s songs reinforce the value that everyone has value and respecting others and themselves is important,” she said, adding that she appreciates them sharing the messages within Jordan School District schools. Steve, who has been sharing the word through his children’s music series for more than a decade in Utah, came to present the community concert as part of his “Communities to the Rescue” concert model. It was sponsored by Jordan Education Foundation and hosted by Jor-

dan Ridge Parent-Teacher Association. Steve, and his wife, Lisa, met with students at an assembly, then over the course of a month, teachers selected and taught each grade songs, which they performed with the singers Jan. 11 on Bingham High School’s stage. Between the songs, James would deliver messages. “Research shows that children do listen to their parents, so it gives time for the parents to hear the messages of prevention from their children and see them perform,” Steve said. “It gathers the community together from community leaders to the actual kids to realize the importance of the messages in the songs.” The messages are motivational, sprinkled with comedy, he said. “The kids like to have fun, and we like to have fun, so it’s awesome community gathering,” Steve said. “Through the songs, students learn to be kind and respectful of one another, as well as say no to drugs, alcohol, violence and crime. The feedback from parents is positive. One mother came up and said that they listen to my music while in the car, so they’re reinforcing how to make good choices. Kids thank me for teaching them how to make good decisions, and they remember these songs.” Jordan Ridge PTA president Todd Hougaard can attest to that as he remembers songs such as “Be Nice, Be Kind” and “Buckle Up”

from when he first learned it a decade ago. “I’ve known Steve and Lisa for 10 years and thought this would go hand-in-hand with our anti-bullying message, but in a positive way,” he said. The focus on anti-bullying is in response to a parent survey at the end of last school year that asked parents about concerns. Anti-bullying and internet safety were top issues, along with

the statewide PTA concern on student suicide, he said. “As Steve goes through these songs at the assembly, he gives mini-lessons to the students, and the teachers explore and talk to students about deeper meanings,” Hougaard said. “The kids are so excited, and it provides a positive memory around an experience that will stick with them the rest of their lives.” l

Entertainer Steve James joins Jordan Ridge Elementary students in a community concert where students perform character education songs. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Page 16 | March 2018

S outh Valley City Journal

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Card shows for sports collectors

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By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com

ard collectors have been gathering at Valley Fair, South Towne and Layton Hills malls sharing collecting stories and trading cards of their favorite players. “We have all kinds of people coming to these shows,” card show organizer David Avila said. “They complete sets and collect certain players. We like to think Valley Fair Mall is our home base, but we rotate to South Towne Mall and Layton Hills too.” Valley Fair Mall has hosted the show every other month for nearly five years. Avila said they have been great to work with. “We can allow collectors to put their hands on the card. We have as many as 20 dealers that come out,” Avila said. The card shows feature sport cards, but collectors can find non-sports cards, comics, collectible coins and At the sports memorabilia card shows at South Towne and Valley Fair malls memorabilia. you can find cards, autographs, game used jerseys and even collectible “Honestly, my husband money. (Greg James/City Journals) and I work full-time jobs and collecting is a side hobby,” assistant card es of cards. Many companies will authenshow organizer Missy Bates said. “He col- ticate an autograph to assure its realness. lected when he was young and I married Cards are also graded by condition. Evaluinto the hobby so to say. Now I help him ators will look at a card in four areas; centering, corners, edges and imperfections. and we buy and sell what we like.” A 1909 cigarette card of Honus Wag- A pristine condition card will generally be ner sold for more than 2.8 million dollars. valued higher than a card in poor condition. “We just bought this box for $430 last The price and rarity of his card is because he was against his picture being sold in cig- week it has six cards in it, but if I get a great arette packs. He did not allow production rookie (card) it can be a bonus,” Bates said. of his card; it is assumed that less than 100 “It had a Ezekiel Elliott card in it so it is a bonus.” cards exist. Overtime cards in Midvale (7620 S. Collecting sports cards and memorabilia was a booming business in the late Main St.) is the only card shop still open 1980s and early 1990s. The popularity in the Salt Lake Valley. Many dealers sell caused an overproduction of cards and their cards on the internet through eBay or pricing dropped dramatically. Many small Amazon. “We see older guys and mostly midcard shops closed like “Baseball Cards America” that was located in West Valley 20s,” Avila said. “Most kids nowadays don’t collect. I think kids remember playCity. More recently card companies have ers like Michael Jordan and stuff like that. produced more collectible cards and items. It would be great to get more kids interestCards with pieces of jerseys, equipment ed in this hobby. Getting people to come to and other valuable items can now be pur- our shows is important.” Past shows have included players signchased in certain collectors boxes. “I keep up with the times by getting ing autographs. The Salt Lake market has Mike Trout and the new guys, but I collect a Facebook group of local collectors and the vintage Yankees. I do not have a favor- dealers promoting card shows and local ite card, but my 61 Yankees cards are spe- sellers. The next card show is scheduled to be cial to me,” Avila said. In the late 1990s card companies start- held March 2-4 at Shops At South Towne ed randomly inserting autographs into box- (formerly South Towne Mall) in Sandy. l

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Hooper signs at Wyoming By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com

Summit Academy senior and early graduate Jess Hooper signed his letter of intent to play football at the University of Wyoming. (Jenny Burgess/Summit Academy)

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ummit Academy student-athlete and West Jordan resident Jesse Hooper signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Wyoming. “They were my only Division 1 full scholarship offer, so that played a big role in my choice,” Hooper said. “Laramie reminds me a lot of home, and it is similar to Utah. We also play in the Mountain West (Conference), so we play Utah State every year. All of my games are close to home, so my family can come and support me.” As a sophomore at Copper Hills, his uncle was a chemistry teacher at Summit Academy. He decided to check the school out and made the difficult decision to transfer. He said he enjoyed the camaraderie and friends he made at Summit Academy. “It was a great school,” he said. “I felt like I knew everyone.” He was an offensive lineman in high school, and being bigger than most kids growing up, he spent a majority of time as an x-man in little league where he constantly weighed more than those in his grade. “I always looked at it that, yes, I weighed more than most of the kids” he said. “I would not change anything. As a lineman, you hit every play. It taught me not be scared of contact. I liked making that block that opened the hole for the score.” The 5-foot-11-inch 230-pound senior also played linebacker in high school. He will be a long snapper at Wyoming. “Playing long snapper is a lot of work when no one is watching,” he said. “You work on small technical things as well as practicing the skill to be good at it.” In the final regular season game this past season against Juan Diego, the Bears were backed up and were forced to punt deep in their

own territory. Execution of the long snap was necessary. “A bad snap would have ended up in the end zone,” Hooper said. “It is one of those things you don’t think about. If you think too much it becomes a problem.” Hooper graduated early and enrolled at Wyoming in January. He is already participating in offseason training and getting ready for spring practice. He is majoring in secondary education and plans to become an English teacher. He hopes to teach at Summit Academy. “I am going to give it my best and try to challenge for a starting position my freshman season,” Hooper said. “Right now we are just training and weight lifting. The coaches would like get me to be a little faster and put on some muscle.” In his senior season, Summit Academy lost in the state semifinals to Juan Diego, 3837. The team had defeated the Soaring Eagle three weeks earlier, 51-49. The Bears competed in the 3A South division of the Utah High School Activities Association. They had a 9-2 record overall. “You hear all of the time my team is a family, but I think at Summit that is true,” Hooper said. “Everyone knows each other. The teams all support each other. We had kids from all over the valley, and it taught me to respect kids who didn’t have the same experiences growing up that I did.” Wyoming football has been improving its facilities, including finishing a new weight room. He said he likes the class sizes. “I did meet Josh Allen (projected firstround NFL draft pick),” Hooper said. “It is awesome to see people succeed. Patience and prayer got me through my recruiting experience, and it all paid off. I am very thankful to everyone that helped me along the way.” l

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Page 18 | March 2018

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Herriman cheer overcomes difficulties with win at state By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com

The 2017–18 Herriman Mustangs cheer team competed at nationals Feb. 20–25 in Anaheim, California. (Herriman Cheer)

T

he parents, fans and coaches of Herriman High School athletics have experienced the enthusiasm cheerleaders have exhibited this season. Despite injuries and difficult circumstances, the team captured a state championship and participated in a national tournament. “These girls participate in parades. They do clinics for younger kids. They are an important part of our community,” Herriman cheer coach Sarah Oborn said. “This group of girls has overcome quite a bit this year.” As the 2017–2018 cheer team was preparing for this school year one of its team members Taylor Cutler, or “Judy,” as she is affectionately known, was involved in a car accident and suffered a severe spinal injury. This, among other team injuries, affected the season. “It is hard for cheerleaders to adjust to making changes,” Oborn said. “We had to start over and reorganize many times. It is hard on kids to see other kids suffer. It takes a bubbly personality, and it takes dedication. It is important to be a team player. Adding stunts can make it hard to be patient. They (cheer team members) also need to be vibrant leaders at the school.” As a way to deal with its tragedies, the Mustangs held a “Jump for Judy” fundraiser and skills practice in July. They raised more than $1,200 to help with hospital bills. Despite all the difficulties during the season, the team competed at the Roy High School Cheer Invitational and won first place in their halftime show routine. At region, the Mustangs took first place in both of their routines, show cheer and sideline timeout. On Jan. 27, the Mustangs took first place at the Utah State Cheerleading Competition in the sideline timeout routine and

second in their show cheer routines. They are scheduled to participate at nationals in Anaheim, California, Feb. 20–25 (after press deadline.) In cheerleading competitions, each routine has rules of the category. Show cheer routines can include tumbling and stunts and can have a musical element. The sideline timeout routine is restricted to no tumbling or stunts and usually includes a schoolthemed cheer and crowd involvement. These routines are designed to be upbeat and excite the crowd. “There is a lot I could say about this group of girls,” Oborn said. “They are really great teamwork players, and I have enjoyed working with them. They are willing to work hard for each other.” This is Oborn’s first season as Herriman head coach. She has coached privately for several years. “Utah is a competitive cheerleading state,” she said. “I think it is important for kids to start learning early. Not to say you could not ever make it, but having experience certainly helps.” The Mustang team has 35 girls. They compete in the large school category. The team’s six captains include Elizabeth Sainsbury, Kalia Woods, Joree Dixon, Abigail Oborn, Olivia Christensen and Hannah Wilkey. “Our tryouts are coming up, and we are really hoping to keep progressing,” Oborn said. “We are hoping that next year we can have some boys on the team. I think some (boys) are worried about the stigma of being a cheerleader. We need them for their strength, loud voices, and boys are awesome tumblers.” Tryouts for next year are scheduled for March 28–31. l

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March 2018 | Page 19

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Trans Jordan Landfill

SPOTLIGHT

10473 South Bacchus Highway

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pring is nearly upon us and that means two things: the weather will continue its unpredictability and people begin landscape work on their properties. Trans-Jordan Landfill, formed in 1958, is the place to go for your landscaping needs. They are the best choice for purchasing compost and wood chips and, even better, their prices are much lower than bagged compost from home improvement stories or nurseries. Taking care of green waste, which consists of yard trimmings and wood products, is one of Trans-Jordan Landfill’s primary objectives. Their green waste disposal takes care of those pesky lawn clippings and weeds, tree branches and leaves that come from spring cleaning. What this efficient program does is ground those extra yard clippings into smaller pieces, placing them in windrows (long lines laid

out to dry). Every three days the compost is watered and turned. After four months of meticulous care, the compost is then screened and used for your gardening and landscaping purposes. Last year saw Trans-Jordan Landfill keep 24,000 tons of green waste out of the landfill. No human waste or manure can be found in the compost. It is made from purely organic clippings. Beginning in 2006, the green waste program uses compost certified by the US Composting Council and includes no dirt or bio-solids. Draper, Murray, Midvale, Riverton, Sandy, South Jordan and West Jordan. They are all neighboring cities, but they share something else in common: they own the Trans-Jordan Landfill. It’s why free compost and wood chips are provided to the cities for their parks and schools. Whether it’s Draper City Park; Murray Park;

Aspen Park in Riverton; Falcon Park in Sandy; South Jordan’s Sunrise Mountain Park, whose secret is embedded in the park’s walking path or West Jordan’s enormous Veteran’s Memorial Park, compost and wood chips are freely available. And that says nothing of the countless elementary, middle and high schools dotted across the cities landscaped with the compost and wood chips from Trans-Jordan Landfill. Located at 10473 South Bacchus Highway, Trans-Jordan Landfill also offers tours to groups like scouts, businesses, schools or clubs. It is 60 years old, so Trans-Jordan Landfill has decades of experience dealing with your excess grass and pruned trees. Keep that in mind as grass starts to peek through the snow. Visit www.transjordan.org to find out more or call Lesha Earl at 801-256-2824. l

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Page 20 | March 2018

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SPOTLIGHT

CONTACT: Susan Schilling 801-280-0595 susan@swvchamber.org MISSION STATEMENT: To advance community, business, and civic-related interests to ensure continued improvement in the way of life. VISION STATEMENT: Through volunteerism and leadership, our members bridge community and business—together we are stronger.

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BENEFITS: Resources, Networking, Education and Advocacy SUSTAINING PARTNERS: • Riverton Hospital • Bluffdale City • Jordan Valley Medical Center • Riverton City • Herriman City • City Journals

CHAMBER NEWS Welcome the following new members to the Chamber: Aspen Hills Mortgage. Thanks to the following for renewing: Abundance Realty Group, Ultradent, Wasatch Lawn Memorial South Valley, Chick-fil A, University of Utah Healthcare, Mortgage Partner, Zions Bank, JL Sorenson Recreation Center, Best Western Cottontree Inn, and Herriman City.

We are preparing for the annual award night—Knight of Heroes. This is an amazing evening where Police, Fire and business heroes will be honored on March 23. The categories are: • Large Business of the Year (over 25 employees) • Small Business of the Year • Business Man of the Year • Business Woman of the Year • Volunteer or Service person of the Year

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ver the past 24 months, Michael Le and David Le (aka the “Le Brothers”) have purchased five independent dry cleaning stores and branded them under a new name called Mr. Le’s Cleaners. With the acquisitions of these dry cleaners, and potentially more, the Le Brothers are focused on providing the highest quality of dry cleaning and laundry services to their local communities. According to the Le Brothers, as they researched what to name their new business, they wanted a name that represented the values that their parents taught them when they came to America in 1975. That is to always; WORK HARD, HAVE FAITH and BE GRATEFUL. The Le Brothers decided to name the business after their patriarch, whom they refer to as the original “Mr. Le.” The Le Brothers quickly realized that the dry cleaning business is a people business, where trust and loyalty must be earned. The previous owners spent their lives building a successful business with loyal customers. This process cannot be replicated through discounts and fancy advertising. So, at whatever cost, the Le Brothers retained the previous owners and their staff to insure the same quality and service the customers were used to. One of the unique concept of Mr. Le’s Cleaners is how they are focused on their local communities. With special discounts and services, they support schools, active members of the military, veterans, police and fire

personnel and even missionaries preparing to serve full-time missions. Michael Le said, “Our support to the community and its people, is us paying back to the community that took us in with open arms when we lost everything after the Vietnam War. We had nothing when we arrived to this great country and now everything we have is because of those who sacrificed before us.” He went on and said, “We will always remember those people and continue to pay it forward whenever we can.” As Mr. Le’s Cleaners is establishing their footprint in the Salt Lake Valley, they’ve been busy adding new equipment, remodeling storefronts and implementing new technology. All of this to help improve the cleaning process, communicating with clients and ultimately earning their customer’s trust. The Le Brothers have been working with companies like Comcast, Skipio, Google, Yelp and Cleancloud to help build a new communication platform for current and future services they provide. David Le also mentioned, “We are excited about the merger of many years of talent and experiences with all of our team members. Our goal is to grow the company organically through great people, simple processes and happy customers. It won’t be easy, we know we will make some mistakes but we will do what is right for our customers and stand by our company motto: We’re Happy When You’re Happy!” l

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Construction continues along Mountain View Corridor By Mariden Williams | mariden.w@mycityjournals.com

POSTPONE YOUR HEADSTONE

Dont Text & Drive

U

DOT’s current plans for the Mountain View Corridor feature more connections and interchanges at key roads and destinations, and the incorporation of more public transit. “The way that this kinda works, we’re calling it a balanced transportation plan,” UDOT project director Joe Kammerer explained to the Riverton City Council. “We build roadway and trail, and then we build a transit component, so there’s three phases of each of those.” Phase one of transit in Salt Lake County, according to Kammerer, will be an express bus system. It will run along 5600 West, connect to Daybreak Parkway and Salt Lake International Airport, and continue into downtown Salt Lake. “Once this is in place, we will build those interchanges north of Old Bingham Highway up to Interstate 80. So, you can see that the transit component is a very critical part of developing the roadway as well,” said Kammerer. Originally UDOT was planning to have a rail system, “but now we’ve changed it.” For Mountain View Corridor, the public transit component south of Old Bingham Highway is already complete. “In order for us to go to phase two of the roadway…the only remaining component is to connect Mountain View Corridor from 2100 North [in Lehi] to Porter Rockwell Boulevard,” Kammerer said. “Once we do that, we will, provided we have funding, start building inter-

changes along Mountain View Corridor to the north. So, 12600 South, 13400 (South), and so on.” “At 5600 West, south of 201, so south of 2100 south, we’re expecting those travel volumes to go back to [what they were in the] early 1980s, once we build the interchange at Mountain View and 201.” The most recently completed segment of the Mountain View Corridor, finished just a couple of months ago, connects I-15 to Redwood Road, and then picks up from Porter Rockwell Boulevard and extends all the way to 4100 South. Another segment, which will connect State Route 73 to 2100 North in Lehi, is funded and due to be constructed this summer. “It will be similar configuration to what is out there now—two lanes in each direction, a 12-foot wide bicycle/pedestrian trail, and a center median,” said Kammerer. Another planned and funded piece, from 4100 South up to State Route 201, will be extended a little further, out to California Avenue. “We expect that construction to begin about one year from now, and will last a couple of years.” Another segment, which will connect the roadway from 2100 North to Porter Rockwell, still needs to be funded. “When that piece is connected, that will complete phase one of Mountain View Corridor, with the exception of the piece from California Avenue to I-80.” l

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Page 22 | March 2018

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Saving tricks from budget-minded students

M

by

CASSIE GOFF

id-semester is a stressful time for college students. Not only are we prepping for midterms and projects, working on assignments, completing readings, and cramming in some additional studying, there’s also spring break plans to make. Being a college student is a full-time job; but instead of being paid, we pay for it. Tips and tricks on how to be frugal as a student are learned out of necessity (do you know how much textbooks cost?!). As a student, “you really have to focus on needs, not wants,” said education graduate student Brett Merkley. “I am really, really careful to budget my money. I have a spreadsheet where I list everything I spent in the last month so I can keep track of where I’m spending what and if my budget is holding up or if it needs work,” said writing and rhetoric student Casey Koldewyn. Food spending is one of the biggest cuts students make during their time in college. “Learn to cook. Eating out is really expensive. It’s especially cost effective to make large amounts of something and then eat it over the next couple of days—beans in particular. They are a really great way to eat healthily and heartily on a budget. I make a crock-pot of some kind, often beans, 3 to 4 times a month. Mix it with rice to change things up and it can last a while,” said rhetoric graduate student Justin Whitney. “Take a lunch instead of buying one, especially on campus,” suggests mechanical engineering student Francie Rodriguez. “If I do buy food on campus, sometimes I’ll wander up to the hospital cafeterias. Specifically, Pri-

mary Children’s, where I can get a good sized breakfast burrito for around $5,” says sociology student Luis Silva Santisteban. “Try to buy food in bulk. If you don’t have a Costco card, pay attention to grocery stores like Smith’s that have case lot sales. Also, pay attention to events held on campus that give out free food,” says communications graduate student Mitchell Reber. “Don’t go out for coffee—make your own and take a Thermos. Also, scan through mailers and see if there are coupons. They may not seem like much, but they can add up to a lot,” says theatre student Cate Heiner. A few restaurants around town offer student discounts including: Red Robin, The Pie Pizzeria, Village Inn and Costa Vida. For clothing, many students repurpose articles they already own, or just try not to get their clothes too dirty. “If you ever find yourself needing clothing, Uptown Cheapskate, a clothing exchange store, has both quality and affordable options. I scored a $600 suit for $60,” said Reber. Thankfully, some clothing stores offer student discounts including: J Crew, ASOS, American Eagle, Banana Republic, Forever 21 and Redbubble. For the extremely limited amount of free time students have, there are free or cheap entertainment options as well. “Outside of the obvious, like hiking and skiing, there is the Nickel Arcade. There are also loads of free concerts, guest lectures, and other activities on campus (utah.edu/events),” said Reber. “Rather than spending money to go see a movie

in theatres, see if it’s playing at the library or through a school function,” Heiner said. Cinemark theaters offer occasional student discounts if you don’t want to see a movie on campus. For other entertainment forms: Ballet West offer $15 student tickets, StubHub offers student discounts, and Red Butte Garden as well as the Natural History Museum offer free admission for students. In order to make some extra cash, writing and rhetoric student Claudia Sauz says, “I donate plasma. It pays like a part-time job with working less hours. Donating plasma really just feels like being harvested for organs.” One of the biggest recommendations from students is to keep a good relationship with your parents. “I’ve been very dependent on my parents for food since I’ve been paying for school all on my own; everything I’ve made while working has been going towards school,” said psychology student Sam Llewellyn. Sam’s classmate, psychology student Candice Jensen echoes her statement. “Eat at your parents’ house as often as possible.” For tech savings, Amazon Prime, Spotify, Tidal, and Best Buy offer student discounts. Additionally, many schools offer free downloadable software, such as Microsoft Office products and the Adobe Creative Cloud. Get the most out of a student ID with tap-on tapoff services from UTA for transportation needs. Lastly, when all the savings in the world can’t help the financial stresses of student life and you feel down, visit your student health or wellness center for quality, low-cost physical and mental health care.

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Life

Laughter AND

by

PERI KINDER

SOUTH VALLEY

Would you care to dance? In an alternate universe, I’m a prima ballerina. I’m performing jetes and arabesques and other fancy-sounding French words. I’m twirling across the stage in a flowing costume. I’m curtsying to my adoring fans while they toss roses at my feet. However, in this universe, I’m a . . . what’s the opposite of ballerina? Whatever that is, that’s what I am. I’ve fought a lifelong battle with grace and gravity. My family watches in horror as I ricochet off doorknobs, fumble down stairways and trip on carpets. I tried really hard to be a dancer. I enrolled in classes when I was 5, and wore pink leotards and white tights, creating some serious panty lines. My mom pulled my long hair into a bun so tight I looked constantly surprised. Every week we’d butcher a series of ballet steps while my dance instructor tried not to handcuff us to the barre. She often sipped from her “dance thermos.” I’d cut up the Arts section of the newspaper, snipping out photos of Ballet West dancers to glue into my scrapbook. I had ballerina paper dolls, ballerina coloring books and ballerina dreams—but a giraffe-like body with knobby knees that bent in several different directions.

As a child, I went to see “Giselle” at Kingsbury Hall. The ballet is pretty grim. A disguised prince breaks the heart of a peasant girl who kills herself then becomes a ghost who has to dance the prince to death. Dancers are pretty melodramatic. For weeks after the ballet, I wore tutus that draped toward the floor and floated when I jumped. I channeled Giselle through my 7-year-old body. Picture a little girl evoking the devastation of betrayed love while falling on a sword that ends her life. I’m pretty sure I nailed it. When I was 12, I was finally able to go en pointe. That’s French for “Standing on the tips of your toes until your toe-knuckles bleed and you’re crippled for weeks, all for the sake of those beautiful satin slippers.” The purpose of pointe shoes is to give the illusion that ballerinas are weightless wisps, floating gracefully as swans or nymphs or any type of ethereal and doomed young women. In reality, learning to dance en pointe is similar to putting your toes in a vise, then running a marathon. But I didn’t give up. I continued to practice daily in the hope I’d channel Anna Pavlova, the acclaimed Russian bal-

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lerina who died at the age of 49, probably from gangrene from her pointe shoes. Because I’m writing this column instead of performing in “Swan Lake,” you can correctly surmise that my ballet career fell flat. I tried out for Ballet West’s “Nutcracker” a couple of times, to no avail, and after years of practice, I hung up my pointe shoes and succumbed to gravity. I never transformed from gangly giraffe to graceful swan. I never glided across the stage, hoping to lure a young prince to his death. (At least, not as a ballerina.) I never received standing ovations for my role in “Coppelia,” the ballet of a young woman pretending to be a mechanical doll. (Because that makes total sense.) But. In that alternate universe, I’m

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soaring, twirling, spinning, leaping and gliding en pointe, hearing the crowd bellow “Brava!” as I take a bow at the edge of the stage. And because in this alternate universe, I’m graceful and lithe, I don’t fall into the orchestra pit. l

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A Salt Lake Doctor’s Controversial Confession And How It Could Directly Affect You

Dear friendOver the past decade, I’ve been somewhat known as “the guy that sends out those flyers with his kids on them”. Whenever I do, my friends love to joke about it. I don’t mind, but my past flyers don’t “tell all “or as they say “that’s only a part of the story”. You see, new information has come out and new technology has been developed that has helped so many people eliminate pain without taking pills or shots. Before I explain, let me tell you about something that changed my life forever ...19 years ago, my beautiful wife Suzy was pregnant with our first child. As time passed, Suzy started looking like a cute little pregnant mom. The problem however, was so did I. At first, we just laughed about my weight gain. I didn’t feel bad as long as I just avoided mirrors. After Suzy had baby Stockton, she started running to get in shape. She quickly lost her original weight and more. Not me though!!! I was still up 35 lbs and FEELING IT. Run!?!? “I should run.” I gave it a try, but my knees and my low back were hurting so much that I quit... After popping ibuprofen, my friend told me to see his doctor. I was skeptical, but... Here’s what happened… The doctor did an exam, took some X-rays, and “adjusted” my

Most People DON’T WANT to see a Chiropractor that uses gimmicks or unscientific ways of practicing. Most people DON’T WANT to take drugs to just cover up pain without fixing the cause. I THINK MOST PEOPLE DO WANT to know what is wrong and if the doctor can really help. Most people WANT an honest skilled doctor that has experience, who is friendly, has a great staff, a nice office, top-of-theI’ve been in practice for 16 years now and I’ve been blessed to line technology, and is affordable with or without insurance. work with thousands of delighted patients. However, I still see As far as Confessions go, I don’t heal or “cure” anybody from so many good people just endure pain. But I get it, with so many anything. What I do is carefully remove pressure on spinal nerves, gimmicks and opinions out there, I would be skeptical too! Let’s help muscles to relax, help bad Spinal discs, and help you shed face it… extra weight. Only then, amazing Dr. YOU does the real work and Most People DON’T WANT to see a doctor a ton of times or only your body heals or “cures” itself! Back pain disappears, headaches stop, Sciatica is gone, neck stiffness leaves… feel good for 20 minutes after treatment. spine. The adjustment didn’t hurt. I got some serious relief, but would pain just come right back? The doctor recommended a couple more treatments and sure enough, when I tried to run again, I felt great… I HAD NO PAIN. I was so impressed, that I decided to go chiropractic school myself. I lost the extra 35 lbs. I became a Personal Trainer, a Strength & Conditioning specialist... and I just finished my 50th marathon.

Complete Spinal Exam (X-rays if needed)

& 2 pain relieving Treatments

for only $27($293 Value)

This is WHY the office, equipment, protocols, and my staff come together to Help YOU. We help you know what is wrong, if I can help...How long care will take and any costs. In addition to Chiropractic, we have the LiteCure Class IV Deep Tissue Laser and The DRX Spinal Decompression for disc problems and toughest pr. We are on most insurance including Aetna, Altius, Blue Cross, Cigna, Deseret Mutual, Educators Mutual, IHC Select Med, PEHP, UHC, and others. I have affordable cash plans. And Regardless of fault, Auto Injuries are 100% Covered by Auto Insurance. When you call to schedule your visit, you will receive a Complete Spinal Assessment and 2 Pain Relieving Treatments for only $17 ($297 Normal Price). My assistant’s name is Linda. We are Elite Performance Health Center. We are located at I-15 and Bangerter Hwy (13552 S. 110 W.). Don’t hesitate to call our office. The number is 801-302-0280 ... Thank you.

–Matthew D. Smith, D.C. CSCS Chiropractic Physician

P.S. I am also extending this offer to one family member for only $7.

Auto Injuries are 100%

covered by Auto Insurance.

888-yoUr-CArE (888-968-2273)

www.elite-spinal-care.com

DRX 9000