October 2026 | Vol. 22 Iss. 10
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Taylorsville
Hartvigsen School
Few districts have a school solely focused on special needs Page 5
Large donation
Senior center receives its largest donation ever
Page 8
Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District successfully completes its largest project ever By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
At a cost of just under $10 million, TBID has installed nearly two miles of new, 3-foot diameter water pipe.
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stablished in 1957, the TaylorsvilleBennion Improvement District is gearing up to celebrate its 70th anniversary next year as a culinary water provider. Nearly all Taylorsville homes and businesses receive their water from TBID, along with a handful of West Valley, Murray, Kearns and West Jordan homes. Seventy years ago, almost all of the 13 square miles TBID covers was farmland. The district began with fewer than 100 culinary water connections. Today there are some 17,500 connections, serving about 70,000 people. As the 35 TBID employees prepare to mark their milestone in 2027, they are already celebrating completion of the largest single project the district has ever undertaken. “We have just completed replacing an aging water transmission pipeline through the Rocky Mountain Power utility corridor near 900 West, from 4600 South to 5400 South,” TBID Senior Engineer Tammy North said.
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“At 5400 South, the new line continues west to about 1500 West. The line goes under the Jordan River in two different locations, running 9,900 feet. This is the largest, single-contract project TBID has ever completed.” The cost to cover that distance – 660 feet shy of two miles – was $9.987 million. “We have replaced an aging 24-inch asbestos cement and PVC line with a 36-inch HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe,” North said. “The pipe is 3-inches thick to withstand high water pressure; so, the inside diameter is 30-inches. Some landscaping and clean-up work remains; but the new pipe went into service a couple of months ago.” TBID officials say the HDPE material in the pipe is expected to last 60 years. With a little luck, they say the new pipe might even endure 100 years. In the two locations where the new pipeline crosses the Jordan River, TBID General Manager Mark Chalk says the contractors were required to “drill” the pipe corridor a minimum of 20 feet under the riverbed. “This is the largest project we have ever undertaken; but that record may only last another year or two,” Chalk said. “We have a couple of other long pipelines that are nearing
the age when they will need to be replaced. We know costs will continue to go up. So, we could have another $10 million project on our hands in the next couple of years.” Chalk is proud of the fact TBID has completed this massive project with no impact to ratepayers. “We provide the least expensive water of any district in the Salt Lake Valley,” he added. “Having the foresight to look ahead and plan for these improvement costs has been critical. I’m proud of my whole team for the work they did on this project.” Chalk has been with TBID more than 20 years and has been the district’s GM since June 2019. Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson reports the water district did a great job keeping city officials up to date on their massive project. “Mark (Chalk) and his staff are always good about letting us know when they are working on major projects,” she said. “(City Engineer) Ben White worked with them very closely on the pipeline project. I know it was
Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District has provided clean water, and dealt with what Continued on page 6 we flush, since 1957. (tbid.org)
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Taylorsville City Journal
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COMMON GROUND
A Vote of Confidence
Common Ground will be a column of rotating viewpoints that highlight specific feelings across the political spectrum, and it will always end with possible ways to come together. For two years, I’ve worried that the president will interfere with, postpone or even cancel the midterm elections, although that’s never happened in the history of our country. But before we go all Y2K on this election and panic-buy underground bunkers, let’s talk about how Utah is handling this situation. Contrary to what cable news would have you believe, the president does not oversee America’s elections. State officials handle that, and Utah has done a phenomenal job. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson serves as the state’s chief election officer, earning a badge of courage as she stands against an administration demanding our voting rolls. It’s been refreshing to see someone in Utah’s leadership tell the president “No.” While the president continues to bang the “Stolen Election” drum (which is ironic since his administration was in charge during 2020), he says election integrity is a thing of the past. So what is election integrity?
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Peri Kinder
Common Ground
Has it gone the way of the pterodactyl? Here’s the Election Integrity Checklist. • Eligible voters cast a vote. • Ineligible votes are disregarded. • Ballots are secured. • Votes are accurately counted in a transparent process. This leads to an outcome we have to abide by, even if the results don’t turn out the way we’d like. Election integrity is NOT about making the voting process so cumbersome that it limits how many people can cast a ballot. There are some people who love going to their local polling place, casting a vote and getting their “I Voted” sticker. There are also people who can’t make it to a polling location. Maybe because of work schedules, maybe they’re caring for family members, maybe they’ve lived in an underground bunker since the Y2K scare.
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The point is, Utah’s vote-bymail process has gone swimmingly well. Mail-in voting doesn’t favor any one party; in fact, it gives more people a voice. Isn’t that what we want? I’d rather have an election with massive participation, even if my candidate loses. Isn’t that better than one side that wins because people couldn’t vote? But the federal government is acting like we’re handing out voting ballots willy-nilly, like Oprah giving away pajama sets at Costco. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act would require voters to show proof of citizenship when voting, which you can’t do with a mail-in ballot. A federal judge blocked the president’s executive order that created a plan to regulate mail-in ballots. Now the administration, the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Supreme Court are in a race against time to change the mail-in ballot system. What could possibly go wrong? All of the president’s policies have gone off without a hitch. Right? Republican leaders make it
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sound like elections are being bombarded by illegal votes, but a Utah audit found nearly 100% of voters were U.S. citizens. Out of 2,069,640 voter records reviewed, 27 alleged noncitizen voters were found. That’s 0.0013%, for all you math nerds. Elections don’t belong to the president. They don’t belong to Republicans or Democrats. They don’t belong to cable news, TikTok influencers or the guy on Facebook who shares questionable memes. Elections belong to us: We the People. Election integrity boils down to this: protect the right to vote and ensure ballot security. We don’t want ineligible people to vote, but we also don’t want to make the process impossible for eligible voters. The system has worked for 250 years. Throughout this country’s history, no U.S. election has been postponed or cancelled nationwide. But the president’s interference implies you don’t have to cancel an election if you get to choose the voters.
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Taylorsville City Journal
Niesha Nelson is active on the Hartvigsen School Parent Granite School District Superintendent Ben Horsley (blue suit) Teacher Organization, raising donations and organizing activities for her fifth-grade son Ryker and the other Well-equipped playgrounds allow Hartvigsen students the opportunity recently joined Hartvigsen students in getting a little exercise severely disabled students. (Carl Fauver/City Journals) to get outdoors to recreate. (Carl Fauver/City Journals) in one of their two gymnasiums. (Granite School District)
Taylorsville’s Hartvigsen School is loved and appreciated by students, parents and faculty alike Severely disabled students from across the entire Granite District are all served at this unique, 105,000 square foot school. By Carl Fauver c.fauver@mycityjournals.co
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story about Granite District’s Hartvigsen School needs to begin with one basic, critical observation. Those of us who have never faced the challenge of raising a severely disabled child have absolutely no way of comprehending the hourly, daily, yearly challenges these parents face. In an instant, these moms and dads are thrust into a world of doctor visits, medications, sleepless nights, seizures, incontinence, tantrums and a myriad of other difficulties they never saw coming. They must learn endless medical terminology. Many endure the unexpected, yet frequently inevitable death of that son or daughter at a young age. Often the only affirmation these parents receive from the child they spend nearly every waking moment thinking and worrying about is a weary half-smile or a tiny glint in their eye. In the midst of these often-overwhelming challenges, moms and dads living in the Granite School District – from the east bench to Magna – do have one oasis. One place where they know their severely disabled daughter or son will be cared for and loved nearly as well as they are at home. Not all school districts across Utah or the United States provide a designated school for the severely disabled. In fact, fewer than half do. From that standpoint, you might say parents of the 202 students – from kindergarten up through age 22 – enrolled in the Hartvigsen School (1510 W. 5400 South, northeast of Taylorsville High) are “lucky.” Niesha and Andrew Nelson are among them. Their fifth-grade son Ryker was born with a genetic seizure disorder which led to secondary cerebral palsy. He is nonverbal and has attended Hartvigsen since kindergarten.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
Principal Felicia Wood and Transition & Community Liaison Deb Armstrong (L-R) are among a staff of some 130 at Hartvigsen School. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
“We like all the staff at Hartvigsen,” Niesha Nelson said. “Ryker is communicating better since he began attending there. We get a report every day of the numbers and letters he is learning. Every student has their own, individualized education plan. When we toured Hartvigsen before Ryker enrolled there, we immediately knew it would be good for him. The staff has really taken care of him.” “The level of care Ryker receives – from educators, medical staff, aides, everyone – has been great,” Andrew Nelson adds. “They have a deep interest in helping all of the students. It has been touching, eye-opening and heart-warming to see. Only a few Utah school districts have special needs schools. I feel like we lucked out, living in the Granite School District.” The roots of the Granite District’s original special needs school go back so far, its first building was condemned during the 1970-71 school year. Back then it was called the Granite Training Center. By 2011, that next building was also showing signs of age and inadequacy. That’s when
the two-year construction project began to build the current 2-story, 105,118 square foot school. By then, former Granite School District Superintendent Elmer J. Hartvigsen had served his 14 years in the post (1957-71). The Taylorsville school was named for him and opened in the fall of 2013. From day one to now, the Hartvigsen School has had about 200 students – K-12 along with a post-high school program through age 22 – with a student-teacher ratio of 7:1. 1982 Kearns High School graduate Felicia Wood has worked for the Granite School district since 2005 and has been Hartvigsen’s principal since 2022. “Our students are very joyous, but can also have extreme behaviors,” Wood said. “The kids function at a very low cognitive level, with a wide range of intellectual disabilities. My staff is very highly trained and our Granite District is very supportive of what we do.” The 130-member staff at Hartvigsen School includes 24 certified teachers and 73 paraeducators. Other employees include a nursing staff, occupational and physical therapists, a speech department, technology coach, social worker, dance and music instructors and a psychologist. “Our paraeducators are the backbone of our school,” Wood said. “They must be age 18, with a high school diploma. We assign four to each class along with the teacher. Two years ago, the district gave our paraeducators a strong 25% pay raise. This has helped some of them to return to school to become certified teachers. This fall, two of our new teacher hires worked here previously as paraeducators.” Hartvigsen School has adaptive outside playground equipment along with two indoor gymnasiums – and a swimming pool and whirlpool with ramps for wheelchair access. Students are served both breakfast and lunch in the school’s spacious cafeteria. Other rooms are dedicated for music and dance instruction. Hartvigsen also has designated “calming rooms” where students can go if they become overstimulated.
At the start of this school year, Hartvigsen had 84 students in grades K-6, 68 in grades 7-12 and 50 students in the post-high school program, ages 18 to 22. School Transition & Community Liaison Deb Armstrong started at the school the same time Wood did, fall 2022. “Our staff is highly-trained and energized, which they have to be, because their jobs are very challenging,” Armstrong said. “Our parents don’t pay anything extra for their children to enroll here. But it can be a very hard decision for them to make, to enroll their child. Most of our parents are very grateful after they see the many resources we make available to our students.” Armstrong also added, several small student groups go out into the community once a week to do educational volunteer work. “We teach independent living skills in our post-high school program,” she said. “Students are taught to make their beds, brush their teeth and shower independently, set a dinner table and, perhaps most important, social interaction skills. We have small groups of students who go into the community to perform all kinds of tasks from folding towels, mopping, dusting and washing windows... to sweeping hair at a barber shop and placing toys in kid meal bags at a fast-food restaurant.” Perhaps the single most important task on Armstrong’s plate is to assist parents through the bureaucratic, legal maze they must navigate to gain guardianship over their son or daughter. “No matter how severely disabled a child is, once they turn 18, they are the only person who can make legal decisions for themselves, unless their parents have gone through the process to become their legal guardians,” Armstrong said. “I have learned how to assist parents in this process. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to help them.” “We are here to educate, empower and encourage our community to create fulfilling lives,” is the official Hartvigsen School mission statement. Wood, Armstrong and the rest of the school staff work hard each day to achieve that goal. l
October 2026 | Page 5
Continued from front page a project they have been discussing for a long time. It needed to be done; and we’re grateful they are always very open about what they are doing and how it might impact residents.” Just as the $10-million pipeline project was being completed, North said the district also began work on a smaller, more “routine” pipeline replacement project. “We hired RDJ Construction to replace waterline pipe and connections in two subdivisions on the west side of 2200 West, across from Salt Lake Community College,” she said. “More than 3,100 feet of pipe is going in, replacing pipes that have served the area since 1977. New valves, fittings and fire hydrants are also being installed. The cost of that project – which also includes replacing road asphalt and landscaping – is $1.475 million.” TBID officials report these kinds of neighborhood-by-neighborhood pipeline replacement projects are ongoing. In all instances, the district is confident the newer materials now being used to manufacture the pipe will give the infrastructure an even longer life than the 50-year-old pipes they are replacing. And speaking of using the newest and best technology, Taylorsville Bennion Improvement District is proud of yet another major project they completed a little more than a year ago. “From May 2023 through September 2025, TBID installed 17,500 residential and commercial water meters,” district Risk &
Asset Management Director Dan McDougal said. “All but about 100 of the meters were for residential customers. The commercial meters are much larger and more expensive to install. While we contracted most of the installation work out, we were able to install 61 of those larger, commercial meters with our own, in-house crew. The entire project cost $6.5 million; but using our own staff to put in the majority of the commercial meters saved our customers about $1.5 million.” McDougal has worked for TBID 21 years. His Taylorsville roots go back much further than that. “I attended Plymouth Elementary, Eisenhower Junior High and Taylorsville High School,” he added. “After graduating in 1988, I went on to major in Facilities Management at BYU.” The new automated metering infrastructure meters allow customers to visit a website, or portal, to check their water consumption in real time. The technology is designed to assist people in discovering water leaks long before they receive an outsized bill. TBID officials say this can also greatly improve water conservation. “We haven’t had many customers sign up online for this free service yet,” Chalk said. “But as more people become familiar with it, I’m confident they will.” Learn more about the AMI meter program – and get the latest information on the water district’s next multi-million-dollar infrastructure upgrade project – at tbid. gov. For more water conservation tips, the district also recommends you visit utahwatersavers.com. l
This huge pipe is part of the largest infrastructure upgrade project TBID has ever completed. (tbid.org)
TBID Operations & Maintenance Director Shawn Robinson shows off new water meters, recently installed at every home and business throughout Taylorsville. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
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Taylorsville City Journal
White Elegance provides joy and fashion in elegant white clothing
Seeing the need for women’s temple gowns, two sisters created White Elegance in 1994. By Tom Haraldsen t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
T
amera Perkins and Anna Barbieri are sisters who saw the need for elegant white clothing for women to wear in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. Like many members of the Church, they realized the only place to find that clothing was at the Church Distribution Centers for many decades. So in 1994, they launched White Elegance to help fill that need, hiring six sales representatives, creating four designs, and offering temple dresses, white slippers and a temple bag. Within 18 months, their business had expanded to 36 representatives in 10 states, and adding to its product line several dress designs, skirts and tops. “We started in Tamera’s garage,” Barbieri said. “Originally we sold our dresses through friends’ homes, like Tupperware, but word of mouth helped sales really take off.” Perkins said their mother’s home in Murray “became like a revolving door, we were so busy.” So they opened a store in Murray in 1998, and White Elegance grew
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
Anna Barbieri and Tamera Perkins are co-founders of White Elegance, creator of elegant white clothing for women, in particular for use in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
to opening two more stores in Layton and Orem. It became one of the first boutique clothing stores to expand to doing business online. In 1998 there were only 2 million online stores compared to more than 1.5 billion today. The majority of their sales are now done online. “Originally, we looked around to
see what dresses women were wearing to church, and said ‘let’s make those in all white, with long sleeves’,” Barbieri said. Perkins added that each dress can be worn outside the temple as well. They have a fulltime pattern designer, Lisa Raty, who Perkins said is “key to our success. We create a lot of our own fabrics and we’re
very particular about the designs and the quality, so that women really feel they are getting value at White Elegance and not just fast fashion.” “Dressing women for the temple is especially near to our hearts,” Perkins said. “This is the most special occasion for most LDS women. We’re very careful to take care of our customers to be sure they get the right dress, right size, and that they are told how to wash and care for them. We also sell gowns for people who are looking for a burial gown.” Embarking into White Elegance was a definite change in career direction for both sisters. Barbieri was a pharmaceutical sales representative and Perkins was a resource teacher in local high schools. Both were surprised at how fast their business grew, now reaching a worldwide audience of customers. Orders come in from all corners of the world. In the Philippines, for example, personalized envelopes and hankies are produced by church members to help overcome poverty. White Elegance donates 10% of all envelope and hankie sales to the Philippine Self-reliant Livelihood Projects, a nonprofit organization created by couple missionaries who donate their time to helping citizens develop working skills. Learn more at the company’s website at www.whiteelegance.com l
October 2026 | Page 7
Taylorsville Senior Center receives its largest private donation ever: $10,000
A longtime center volunteer, wishing to remain anonymous, earmarked the funds for a new stove and dozens of refurbished chairs. By Carl Fauver c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
O
countless individuals. The city recognizes this contribution as an outstanding example of civic generosity and expresses its sincere thanks on behalf of the residents of Taylorsville.” Senior Center Manager Allie Lorang has been in her position since July 2025. She knows who the donor is, but is respecting that person’s desire to remain anonymous. “(The donor) volunteers here at our center almost every day,” Lorang said. “(The donor) first spoke with me about making the donation – and we determined the most efficient way to receive it would be through Taylorsville City. We are very grateful for the donation and for the donor’s ongoing volunteer time here at our senior center.”
The donation is expected to fund the purchase of a new stove for the senior center kitchen and to reupholster about 30 of the center’s chairs. “I had no idea the $10,000 donation to our senior center was coming,” Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson said. “What a generous thing to do; we are so grateful. The senior center serves so many people in our community. The donation will be well spent.” SLCo Aging & Adult Services Communication and PR Manager Emma Furman reports an average of 108 seniors visit the Salt Lake County Taylorsville Senior Center each day. That number ranks the local center ninth among the 14 senior centers the county
fficially dedicated and opened on September 26, 2002, the popular Salt Lake County Taylorsville Senior Center (4743 Plymouth View Drive, 1625 West) has now officially entered its 25th year of operation. And in that quarter-century, the facility has never before received the kind of financial donation it recently accepted. Although the county operates the senior center, Taylorville City also provides bus drivers, custodians and other services to the facility. And, it was the city that officially accepted the donation, through Resolution No. 26-20. “Whereas Taylorsville City has received a charitable donation in the amount of $10,000…” the resolution begins. It then goes on to explain exactly how that five-figure donation is to be spent. “(The anonymous donor) has designated the donation be used in support of improvements at the center, including the purchase of a new stove and (upgraded) chairs, for the A new stove will soon make its way into this Salt Lake County Taylorsville Senior Center benefit of those who utilize the facility. This kitchen, thanks to a generous donation from someone who offers volunteer assistance there thoughtful gift will provide lasting benefits to regularly. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
operates at this time. Lorang is one of three fulltime employees at the senior center. There’s also one parttime staff member working in the kitchen. The lunches served each day at the center are prepared at a centralized location, then reheated at the Taylorsville site. Lunches are free, with a $4 donation recommended. Dozens of other people who make the senior center run smoothly are volunteers. These include people who help cover the front desk and others who decorate the center. They’ll soon be hard at work on Halloween decorations, if they aren’t up already. A volunteer advisory committee also provides guidance for the Taylorsville facility. The Salt Lake County Taylorsville Senior Center is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Now that we are moving out of summer, our slower season, we are seeing more visitors returning to the center,” Lorang said. “Our exercise classes, two per day, each have about 30 people in them. We also have a pickleball class twice each week. We’re so grateful Taylorsville City put the four courts in so close to our center. Our seniors are on them all the time.” Learn more about all of the other programs the Salt Lake County Taylorsville Senior center provides at saltlakecounty.gov/ aging-adult-services/community/senior-centers/taylorsville. l
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Taylorsville City Journal
KID’s 10-year-old water tank changed the game
New construction elements created a more efficient tank. By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
K
earns Improvement District recently celebrated a milestone: the 10th anniversary of the completion of a 5-million-gallon (5 MG) water tank that paved the way for future growth. Located at 5350 W. 5400 South, near the KID offices, the original concrete tank, complete with a wooden roof, was a remnant of the World War II era and served Camp Kearns around 1942. Replacing the tank meant rethinking how it could maximize capacity while working within the constraints of the existing facility. “It was quite a large tank and we still had to keep the business open, but situate the tank so that it fit back there in the corner,” said KID General Manager/CEO Greg Anderson. “In some places on the site, there was only five feet of separation between the fence and this large tank.” The 2016 water tank project was done through Gerber Construction, with Structural Technologies providing the design that used post-tensioning systems and reinforcing steel for the tank.
Kearns Improvement District celebrates a decade of growth that began with the 2016 water tank project at 5350 W. 5400 South. (Photo courtesy of KID)
The project replaced two tanks at the location: a 1 MG and a 2 MG, utilizing tendon technology that reduced the amount of concrete used and eliminated cracks to prevent leaks. Structural engineers had to get creative when placing the tank that measured 192 feet in diameter and 24 feet deep. It worked so well that all new KID
water tanks have used the same technology. Over the next 10 years, KID plans to build four new tanks, with two of those being 5 MG tanks. Locations for those tanks include two near Mountain View Corridor (one at 6200 South and the other at 5400 South). “That is in anticipation of the growth we’re experiencing out on the west side,”
Anderson said. “[The design] actually saves the district money because it uses less concrete. So it’s cheaper to build and the crackfree aspect of it has been great.” Aging infrastructure is another ongoing challenge for the water district. KID replaced the original 16-inch steel line that was used to supply water to Camp Kearns from the east side of the Salt Lake Valley, with a 30-inch water line to address increased capacity. The district serves more than 60,000 people across Kearns as well as areas in West Valley, West Jordan, and a small part of Taylorsville. Anderson said KID aims to provide high-quality water despite economic and supply challenges. He said KID is always looking for grants and federal funding to help reduce the costs of these projects while providing residents on the west side of the valley with the “highest quality of water they can get.” He said it’s an honor to serve the community by providing safe drinking water and sewer services. “There are a lot of obstacles that we’re facing with additional tariffs and with additional costs that seem to escalate,” he said. “We recognize how difficult that is on our customers. We try and absorb as much of that as we can, but we are striving to make sure that we are providing the best value that they can get.” l
Hilltop Gospel Choir Fifth Annual Gospel Music Workshop Gospel Music Workshop with Guest Clinician Reginald Golden Sandy, Utah—September 2026— Registration is now open for the Fifth Annual Gospel Music Workshop hosted by Hilltop Gospel Choir, taking place October 9–11, 2026, at Hilltop United Methodist Church in Sandy, Utah. This year’s featured clinician is REGINALD GOLDEN, acclaimed conductor of the internationally renowned Howard Gospel Choir and an experienced vocalist, educator, and workshop leader. Golden has led performances and masterclasses around the world and has collaborated with celebrated artists including Yolanda Adams, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, and Sounds of Blackness. He has also performed at the White House and served as a cultural ambassador through international gospel tours.
This workshop is an amazing and unique opportunity for community members of all backgrounds and musical ability to experience the profound beauty and joy of Gospel and African American sacred music. During the workshop, participants will develop and expand on their musical skills, but also find connection, healing, and peace through singing and shared purpose. Whether you are an experienced singer or participating in a choir for the first time, this workshop offers an inviting and uplifting environment where each person and voice is valued and celebrated.
What: Gospel Music Workshop hosted by Hilltop Gospel Choir When: Friday, October 9, 2026 6:30–9:30 p.m. Saturday, October 10, 2026 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (lunch provided) Sunday, October 11, 2026 Worship Service | 10:30 a.m. Sunday October 11, 2026 Concert | 5:00 p.m. Where: Hilltop United Methodist Church 985 E. 10600 S. Sandy, UT 84094 Register: hilltopgospelchoir.org/ gospel-music-workshop/ More Information: info@hilltopgospelchoir.org 801.571.5777 SPONSORED CONTENT
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
October 2026 | Page 9
El motor invisible de Utah: Como las empresas de limpieza mueven la economía del estado
El trabajo de limpieza trasciende la simple tarea doméstica o comercial, es un servicio esencial que sostiene la salud pública, la estética urbana y la calidad de vida de toda la sociedad. By Marisol Camacho m.camacho@mycityjournals.com
D
etrás de los deslumbrantes edificios en construcción y la calidez de las residencias familiares en Utah, existe un motor invisible pero imprescindible, el trabajo de limpieza. En un estado que experimenta uno de los crecimientos económicos e infraestructura más acelerados de Estados Unidos, la comunidad hispana se ha consolidado como la columna vertebral de este sector, demostrando profesionalismo y una ética de trabajo insustituible. Según cifras de la Asociación Nacional de Constructores de Vivienda (NAHB), los trabajadores hispanos representan hoy cerca del 32% de la fuerza laboral en la construcción a nivel nacional, casi el doble de su participación en la economía general. Y en Utah, uno de los estados de mayor crecimiento del país según el Departamento de Servicios Laborales de Utah, ese porcentaje se siente todavía más cerca de la mitad en muchos proyectos.
Según cifras de la Asociación Nacional de Constructores de Vivienda (NAHB), los trabajadores hispanos representan hoy cerca del 32% de la fuerza laboral en la construcción a nivel nacional. (Marisol Camacho/City Journals)
Alan Martínez, ingeniero de piso mexicano con cinco años de experiencia en proyectos de construcción, lo confirma desde su día a día. En su edificio trabajan alrededor de 16 personas de limpieza, y calcula que la proporción entre trabajadores latinos y estadounidenses ronda el 50-50. Para él, la limpieza no es un detalle menor, es lo que define la percepción final de cualquier obra. “Si el edificio no está limpio, al final va a ser un edificio feo”, explica que, “La mano latina es primordial”, al destacar la
participación de los hispanos en sectores esenciales para el crecimiento del estado. Su experiencia también evidencia otro elemento de la realidad laboral latina, la barrera del idioma. En reuniones y jornadas de trabajo, muchas veces es necesario traducir instrucciones para facilitar la comunicación entre trabajadores. Aun así, asegura que basta con dar una indicación clara una sola vez para que el trabajo se cumpla con disciplina y sin necesidad de repetirlo. De educadora a control de calidad La historia de Milanyela Gentile, venezolana y profesional de la educación, refleja otra cara de esta realidad. Al llegar a Estados Unidos, la limpieza fue su primera oportunidad laboral. Lo que comenzó como una alternativa terminó convirtiéndose en una experiencia de aprendizaje y crecimiento. Milanyela recuerda que los primeros meses fueron duros, tuvo que aprender de nuevo a limpiar, bajo normas y protocolos profesionales. Pero también encontró algo inesperado, que el trabajo en equipo y los valores de disciplina y paciencia que asimiló en la universidad, se aplican igual en una cuadrilla de limpieza que en un aula. “Es un trabajo digno que te enseña a ser humilde”, afirma, e insiste en que ningún oficio debería denigrarse, porque todo trabajo es importante.
“En nuestros países dejamos profesiones, pero aquí descubrimos nuevas fortalezas. La limpieza no es solo pasar un trapo; tiene normas, procesos y exige una enorme disciplina. Para ella, el cansancio de jornadas de hasta 12 horas se transforma en motivación: Cada espacio que limpiamos lo hacemos con amor y esmero. Además, es la semilla para grandes sueños, como emprender una empresa propia”. Ambos entrevistados coinciden en algo esencial, la comunidad latina llega a Estados Unidos con una disposición particular hacia el esfuerzo. Alan lo describe como ganas de sacar adelante trabajos que otras personas no quieren hacer. Milanyela lo llama, simplemente, amor por el trabajo bien hecho, ese cuidado extra que convierte una tarea rutinaria en un servicio hecho con orgullo. Sus historias son un espejo de miles de latinos en Utah que, como Milanyela, dejaron carreras profesionales en sus países de origen y hoy sostienen escobas o como Alan dirigen el mantenimiento de una empresa. No es resignación, es resiliencia. Utah crece a un ritmo que pocos estados igualan, cada edificio nuevo, cada casa entregada impecable, tiene apellido latino. Reconocerlo no es solo justicia laboral, es entender que la dignidad de un trabajo no depende de cuánto se vea, sino de cuánto sostiene a los demás. l
★LEADING THE WAY. DELIVERING RESULTS. PUTTING PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST. ★ PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST Protecting Salt Lake County through accountability, prevention, and strong community partnerships.
TRUST, FAIRNESS, & RESPECT Building community trust through transparency, integrity, and community-based policing.
PROVEN RESULTS • Ended jail overcrowding releases • Restored full staffing • Implemented treatment and re-entry services • Strengthened gang prevention
BUILDING ON OUR PROGRESS
In my next term, I will continue working with the Salt Lake County Council and Mayor to address jail capacity, invest in prevention and treatment, expand accountable alternatives to incarceration, and support the deputies and staff who keep our communities safe.
www.rosieforsheriff.com Paid for by the Committee to Elect Rosie Rivera
Page 10 | October 2026
Taylorsville City Journal
California sleep company donates over 4,000 pillows to Granite School District teachers Honeydew’s policy is that for every pillow purchased another pillow is donated to someone in need. By Lizzie Walje l.walje@mycityjournals.com
G
Southern California-based Honeydew Sleep Company, focuses on improving the lives of others through sleep related products. (Honeydew Sleep)
ranite School District teachers spend their days supporting students. Recently, Honeydew Sleep Company found a way to offer some support in return. At the beginning of September, Southern California-based Honeydew Sleep Company donated over 4,000 pillows to Granite School District educators. Per the event’s press release, Honeydew emphasized the importance of giving back to educators in the classroom, stating the donation was “a gesture of appreciation for the work [teachers] do for students and their communities.” On the morning of the donation day, Honeydew representatives kicked off operations early, first visiting Skyline High School in six in the morning. Following Skyline, representatives also stopped by Taylorsville High School and Hunter High School, wrapping up the day’s festivities in the afternoon. Throughout the day, representatives donated a complimentary pillow to countless educators and secondary educators within Granite School District. Honeydew Sleep Company was established in 2017 by Jonathan and Evita Kunkle. For nearly a decade, Honeydew has manufactured a variety of sleep products, principally among them, pillows. Per the company’s website, Honeydew seeks to “change the world through better sleep.” Pillows have become an area of specialty for Honeydew, as they believe in the importance of sleep hygiene and
regulation. “Our pillows are handcrafted with utmost quality, purpose and passion. Our hearts are poured right into the innovative design, the luxurious fabrics, the carefully cultivated fill, every stitch and every seam,” per their website. Honeydew has a long established history of philanthropy work, maintaining a permanent policy where every pillow purchased results in another pillow donated to someone in need. They routinely engage in philanthropic donation work, particularly centered around the holiday season. “Our work has always been driven by our core belief that every person deserves comfort, care, and the chance to wake up restored. Quality sleep is the key to living our most vibrant lives,” per their website. Granite School District’s own philanthropic organization, The Granite Education Foundation, helped facilitate the September donation day alongside Honeydew. The Granite Education Foundation focuses specifically on reducing barriers between students and learning, regularly hosting or collaborating on various community outreach projects, specifically targeted toward educators and students. For this event specifically, The Granite Education Foundation aided significantly by helping outline and execute the logistical components of the day. Back at Skyline High School, following all of the necessary preparations, Honeydew distributed pillows ahead of the Labor Day weekend. During the event, Honeydew representatives took the time to thank and acknowledge Granite educators while discussing the importance of sleep hygiene and comfort. Teachers then received their pillows and got to test them out in real time. l
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October 2026 | Page 11
The races you can’t afford to skip: Salt Lake County’s 2026 candidates
Three new representatives will join the Salt Lake County Council for 2027. By Shaun Delliskave s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
N
ational and state races may receive most of the political attention this election season, but farther down the November ballot Salt Lake County voters will make decisions about the people who oversee some of the government functions closest to home. Who watches the county’s money? Who administers its elections? Who prosecutes criminal cases? Who oversees the county jail? And who sits on the council that approves the county budget and makes decisions affecting more than a million residents? On Nov. 3, voters will select candidates for four Salt Lake County Council seats as well as county auditor, clerk, district attorney and sheriff. The ballot includes longtime officeholders, former elected officials, attorneys, accountants, law enforcement officers, businesspeople and political newcomers.
County Council at-large A: A countywide choice
The largest field is for County Council at-large A, a seat elected by voters throughout Salt Lake County rather than from a particular council district. Republican Kathleen Anderson, Democrat Zach Robinson, Constitution Party candidate Gregory Beglarian, Forward Party candidate Maleah Bliss Caulford and unaffiliated candidate Olghen Ocean Saintelus are competing for the seat. Anderson is a small-business owner who has lived in Salt Lake County for more than three decades. Robinson has worked as a firefighter and paramedic and served two terms on the Sandy City Council. He holds a master’s degree in public administration and currently works at University of Utah Health. Unlike the three district council races, every Salt Lake County voter will have an opportunity to vote in the at-large A contest.
District 1: Northern Salt Lake County
In County Council District 1, Democratic incumbent Jiro Johnson faces Libertarian Casey Poe. No Republican qualified for the general-election contest. District 1 covers a portion of northern Salt Lake County and includes communities in and around Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake and West Valley City. Johnson, who was appointed, is seeking another term on the nine-member County Council, where council members approve the county budget, adopt ordinances and make policy decisions affecting county services.
District 3: Murray, Midvale and central county communities
One of the more locally significant council races is District 3, where voters will choose a successor to Republican Councilmember Aimee Winder Newton. Republican Mike Bird faces Democrat Luke Maynes for the open seat. District 3 encompasses Murray, Taylorsville and Midvale, along with portions of West Jordan and West Valley City, putting the contest before voters across a substantial portion of the central county. Maynes works as a systems analyst and project manager for a technology company, experience that includes examining organizational processes and systems. He also serves as vice chair of a community council in Midvale. Bird has been involved in Republican politics and community activities in the district. Because Winder Newton is not seeking another term, District 3 voters are guaranteed to send a new representative to the County Council.
District 5: Southern Salt Lake County
Another open council seat is being contested in the rapidly growing southern portion of the county. Republican Traci Crockett faces Democrat Sara Cimmers for County Council District 5. The district includes Bluffdale and Riverton and portions of Draper, Herriman, South Jordan and West Jordan. Crockett has previously held elected office, serving two terms on the Bluffdale City Council. She advanced to the November
a primary. Gill prevailed in June with approximately 52% of the vote to Robinson’s 48%. Davis is an attorney who worked as a Salt Lake County deputy district attorney from 2017 to 2021, where his work included felony prosecutions and the creation of the office’s cybercrime prosecution unit. Davis currently works as corporate counCounty Auditor sel and director of cybersecurity for Woodbury For Salt Lake County auditor, voters Corporation. He also served as an Army infancountywide will choose between two candi- try officer and deployed twice to Iraq. dates whose professional backgrounds are Sheriff directly connected to financial oversight. Democratic Sheriff Rosie Rivera faces Republican Chris Harding, the incumRepublican Shane Manwaring. bent auditor, faces Democrat Ali Cloward. Rivera has served as sheriff since 2017. Harding was elected in 2022 and is a certified public accountant, Certified Inter- She began her law enforcement career in 1993 nal Auditor and Certified Fraud Examiner. and spent more than two decades with the The auditor operates independently from Unified Police Department before becoming other county offices and conducts audits and sheriff. The office oversees Salt Lake Couninvestigations involving county finances ty’s jail system and performs other statutory public-safety responsibilities. and operations. Manwaring is a law enforcement offiCloward is a director at a national consulting firm and a Certified Internal Auditor. She cer and military leader with more than two earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees decades of experience. He has served with the in accounting from the University of Utah and Unified Police Department and as a colonel in works professionally with organizations on the Utah Army National Guard, giving voters a contest between two candidates with lengthy internal controls, risk and accountability. careers in public safety.
election after narrowly defeating Chris Null in the June Republican primary, 51% to 49%. Cimmers is a community advocate who has been involved with issues affecting families and children. Like District 3, District 5 will have a new representative following the election.
County Clerk
There is less uncertainty surrounding the race for Salt Lake County clerk, an office elected countywide. Democratic incumbent Lannie Chapman is seeking another term without a Republican challenger.
District Attorney
One of the county’s most closely watched contests could be the race for Salt Lake County district attorney, another office decided by voters throughout the county. Democratic incumbent Sim Gill faces Republican Kent Davis. Gill has occupied the office since 2010 and has worked as a prosecutor for more than three decades. Before reaching the general election, however, he faced a challenge from within his own party. Assistant Utah Attorney General Shawn Robinson defeated Gill at the Democratic convention, but the nomination proceeded to
Important ballot information
The county races will share the Nov. 3 ballot with a number of federal and state contests. Voters can see exactly which candidates and issues will appear on their individual ballot through Utah’s official voter information website, Vote.Utah.gov. The site allows voters to look up their sample ballot, check or update their voter registration, find voting locations and review other election information. Voters can also obtain election information through the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Elections Division at www.saltlakecounty. gov/clerk/elections/. Vote-by-mail will remain available for the 2026 general election. One important change is that mailed ballots must be received by the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day, rather than simply postmarked by the deadline. Utah’s general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. l Buy a MEXICAN COKE and get a six-dollar
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Taylorsville City Journal
City of Taylorsville Newsletter 2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
—Mayor Kristie S. Overson
WHAT’S INSIDE – OCTOBER 2026 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 TVPD News, Page 4 Heritage Remembrances, Page 7 Environment, Page 8
October 2026
Taylorsville Park, Summit Park Projects Enter Final Stretch
MAYOR'S MESSAGE Friday nights at Centennial Plaza had a rhythm all their own this year. From May through September, Starry Nights @ the Plaza filled the heart of our city with live music, food trucks, movies under the stars and, best of all, neighbors and friends gathering together. While I’m never quite ready for our final Starry Nights evening to arrive, I couldn’t be more pleased with this year’s season. Week after week, there was something new to enjoy, and seeing so many of you make Starry Nights part of your Friday night plans was truly wonderful. Our 2026 lineup featured an incredible variety of performers, with everything from rock, country and acoustic favorites to jazz, bluegrass and Broadway. Talented local performers shared the stage throughout the season, giving us plenty of great music and a chance to enjoy the arts right here in our own community. Of course, Starry Nights has always been about more than the music. The Food Truck League food trucks gave us something delicious to look forward to each Friday, while five outdoor movie nights offered families a chance to spread out a blanket or bring a lawn chair and enjoy a movie under the stars. We also hosted the popular Kids Market twice this year, giving young entrepreneurs a place to share their creativity. And Night Out Against Crime with our Public Safety Committee added even more variety to the Starry Nights season. What I appreciate most about Starry Nights is the easygoing sense of community it creates. You see neighbors visiting with one another, children playing on the plaza lawn and families enjoying dinner together. Some come specifically to hear a favorite band, while others stop by simply to see what is happening. However you joined us, you helped make these evenings special. Centennial Plaza was created to be a gathering place for our community, and Friday nights like these show exactly what we hoped it could become. With the outdoor stage, natural amphitheater and Plaza +ART sculptures surrounding us, it is a place where music, art and community all come together. Putting on a season-long series takes tremendous work, and I am grateful to our city staff, all the performers, the Food Truck League, vendors, partners and everyone else who helped make Starry Nights possible. Most of all, thank you to everyone who joined us throughout the season. The music may have wrapped up for another year, but the memories remain.
www.taylorsvilleut.gov
T
wo major park projects are moving closer to completion in Taylorsville, with construction at both Taylorsville Park and Summit Park expected to wrap up by the end of the year. The projects build on improvements completed at both parks last year and will add more opportunities for walking, recreation, gatherings and outdoor activities across the city. At Taylorsville Park, 4721 S. Redwood Road, Phase II construction is focused on making the long-standing community park more connected and easier to navigate. Improvements include a circular walking path, expanded landscaping, upgraded irrigation systems, an additional pavilion, 120 new trees and a new park entrance at Redwood Road and 4700 South. “This latest work is all about making the park more complete, more connected and even more welcoming for everyone who visits,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. The work follows the park’s first phase of improvements, completed last year, which brought a new playground, restrooms, basketball court, pavilion, expanded parking and a large, modern skate park that has quickly become one of the park’s standout features. Pickleball courts near the Taylorsville Senior Center and improved roadway access from Redwood Road also were added as part of the revitalization. Across the city, work also is progressing on Phase II of Summit Park, located at the northwest corner of 6200 South and 3200 West. PARKS CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS
PAGE 2
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Emergency ...................................................................................................911 Police Department ............................................................... 801-840-4000 Utah 211 resource network ...................................................................211 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline ...................................................................988 Poison Control Center .................................................... 1-800-222-1222 Animal Control Shelter ....................................................... 801-965-5800 Animal Control After Hours Dispatch............................ 801-840-4000 Building Inspection ............................................................. 801-955-2030 Chamber West (Chamber of Commerce) ...................... 801-977-8755 Fire Department ................................................................... 801-743-7200 Gang Tip Line ......................................................................... 385-468-9768 Garbage/Recycle/GreenWaste Pick-up ........................ 385-468-6325 (Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling) Granite School District........................................................ 385-646-5000 Health Department ............................................................. 385-468-4100 Highway Conditions (from cell phone) .............................................511 Park Reservations ................................................................. 385-468-7275 Public Works (Salt Lake County) ....................................... 385-468-6101 Dominion Energy ................................................................. 800-323-5517 Rocky Mountain Power ...................................................... 888-221-7070 Salt Lake County Recycling/Landfill .............................. 801-974-6920 Taylorsville Bennion Improvement District................. 801-968-9081 Taylorsville Food Pantry ..................................................... 801-815-0003 Taylorsville Senior Center .................................................. 385-468-3370 Taylorsville Code Enforcement ........................................ 801-955-2013 Taylorsville Justice Court ................................................... 801-963-0268 Taylorsville Library ............................................................... 801-943-4636 Taylorsville Recreation Center ......................................... 385-468-1732 Swimming Pool (Memorial Day to Labor Day) ........... 801-967-5006 Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center ........................... 801-281-0631 UDOT Region 2 ...................................................................... 801-975-4900 Utah Transit Authority (UTA)............................................. 801-743-3882
EVENTS OCTOBER 2026 Oct. 3 – 9 a.m. Unified Fire Authority’s Pancake Breakfast @ Fire Station 118. Enjoy a delicious free breakfast, meet local firefighters and get an up-close look at UFA’s fire engines and trucks. It’s a fun, familyfriendly way to spend the morning and get to know the firefighters who serve Taylorsville.
Oct. 7 & 21 – 6:30 p.m. City Council Meeting @ City Hall. Address the Council during Citizens' Comments. Agendas are always available online.
AS SH H B OO OO DD A B
Join in the Taylorsville Halloween Fun Run on October 24, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Valley Regional Park, open to all ages! The registration fee is $5 for up to 6 runners, until they sell out. Each runner receives a race specific trick-or-treat bag for collecting goodies along the route. Registration is required. Scan the QR code to register. Bag pickup is from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. the morning of the dash. Dress in creative costumes for a fun 2k run—no timing chips or trophies, just a great time with the community!
Oct 2-3 Miss Utah Volunteer Pageant 2026
Oct 8 Choral Arts Society of Utah presents Songs for a New Season
Oct. 8 – 7 p.m. An Evening of Art @ Centennial Plaza. Come to an evening of art and hear from artists David Habben and Ben Behunin. The event is free but you can purchase raffle tickets for a chance to take home a piece of original art donated by the artists. The tickets are only $1 each.
Oct. 12 – Holiday Enjoy the long weekend. City Hall and TVPD's regular offices, as well as the Taylorsville Municipal Court located in West Jordan, are closed on Monday for the holiday, reopening Tuesday.
Oct. 13 & 27 – 6:30 p.m.
Oct 10 Allegiant Dance Crew presents 2016 - A Time Capsule
UPCOMING EVENTS
Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall. The Planning Commission meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
Oct. 16 – 5 p.m. & Oct. 17 – 10 a.m. Art Show @ Centennial Plaza. The free show will feature a wide variety of artwork, showcasing the creativity and talent of local artists. Awards will be presented Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m. Stop by, explore the displays and enjoy a colorful celebration of art and creativity in Taylorsville!
Find our calendar of events every month on the city’s website, where you can also submit your own events for possible publication. Go to www.taylorsvilleut.gov
MID-VALLEY
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Oct 15-25 Voodoo Theatre Company presents Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Oct 23-24 Express Dance Company presents Panic!
Oct 29-30 Fairest of Friends Collective presents Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera
Oct 31 GET TICKETS AT SaltLakeCountyArts.org
SLC Guitar presents SLC Guitar Halloween Showcase
October 2026 COUNCIL CORNER By Council Member Merdith Harker What makes a city a community? It’s more than the streets we drive on, the parks we enjoy or the neighborhoods where we live. A strong community is built through connections, with our neighbors, local businesses, families, city leaders and one another. One of the best ways to create those connections is through community events. Community events remind us that a city isn't simply a collection of houses and buildings. It's a collection of people. That is why Taylorsville City is excited to offer a wonderful lineup of events this fall and holiday season. Whether you're looking for family fun, a chance to support a local organization, an opportunity to enjoy the arts or simply a reason to get out and meet your neighbors, there is something for everyone. UFA Pancake Breakfast. Oct. 3 — Start your morning with good food and good company at the UFA Pancake Breakfast. It’s also a chance to visit with our first responders and let them know how much we appreciate all they do for our community. Taylorsville Art Show. Oct. 16-17 at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center — Come celebrate the creativity and talent of artists in our community. Supporting the arts enriches our city and gives residents a chance to experience the incredible creativity found right here in Taylorsville.
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
PAGE 3
More Than an Event: Building Community in Taylorsville Boo Dash Fun Run/Walk. Oct. 24 at Valley Regional Park — Put on your favorite costume and join us for the Boo Dash! This fun run/walk is a great way to get active, enjoy the outdoors and have some Halloween fun with family and friends. Pre-registration is required, so be sure to sign up in advance at taylorsvilleut.gov under the Our City and Taylorsville’s Boo Dash tabs. City Tree Lighting. Nov. 30 at Taylorsville City Hall — The holiday season officially begins in Taylorsville with our annual City Tree Lighting at City Hall. Gather with your neighbors as we celebrate the season and light up the city. Enjoy some hot chocolate, sing a few carols and get into the holiday spirit. Saturday with Santa. Dec. 5 at the TaylorsvilleBennion Heritage Center — And, of course, no holiday season would be complete without Santa! Bring the family to Saturday with Santa for a festive celebration and a chance to make some special holiday memories. Wreaths Across America. Dec. 19 at Taylorsville City Hall and Taylorsville City Cemetery — Join us at 10 a.m. at City Hall for this meaningful holiday tradition honoring the veterans who served our country. Following the ceremony, community members are invited to help place remembrance wreaths on veterans’ graves at the Taylorsville City Cemetery. You can also take part by sponsoring a wreath in honor of those who served. Go to taylorsvilleut.gov under the Our City and Wreaths Across America tabs.
Left to right: Bob Knudsen, Chair (District 5), Curt Cochran, Vice Chair (District 2), Ernest Burgess (District 1), Meredith Harker (District 4) and Anna Barbieri (District 3)
Each of these events is different, but they all have something important in common: They bring people together. These moments help create the relationships and memories that make a community feel like home. So, mark your calendars, invite your family and friends and come participate. You don't have to live in a particular neighborhood, know anyone when you arrive or have a special reason for coming. Just come. Meet someone new. Make a memory. Celebrate Taylorsville. Because community doesn't happen by accident. We build it together.
Special Pricing for Taylorsville Residents
TAYLORSVILLE CITY CEMETERY PLOTS AVAILABLE PLEASE CONTACT SEXTON SUZIE SMITH — 801.671.2078
PAGE 4
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
Night Out Against Crime Brings Community, Public Safety Together Check this space each month for news about the Taylorsville Police Department (TVPD) and their valuable service to our community. Taylorsville’s Night Out Against Crime brought residents and public safety professionals together Aug. 7 for an evening of safety, learning and fun at Centennial Plaza. Hosted by the Taylorsville Public Safety Committee, the annual event gave residents a chance to visit with TVPD officers, firefighters and other public safety partners. Police and fire vehicles, safety demonstrations, UHP’s seat belt convincer, Animal Control, Neighborhood Watch information and community booths were among the activities and displays. The evening also coincided with Starry Nights @ the Plaza, adding food trucks and free live music to the festivities. TVPD Chief Brady Cottam has described connection and collaboration as two of the department’s core values, and Night Out Against Crime offered residents a chance to see both in action. “Events like this give us a chance to talk with residents outside of an emergency and simply get to know one another,” Cottam said. “Those relationships matter, and we’re grateful anytime we can spend time with the community in a positive, relaxed setting.” The Public Safety Committee is already looking ahead to next year’s Night Out Against Crime, with plans to once again bring residents and public safety teams together for an evening of community, education and fun.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH The Taylorsville Police Department is pleased to recognize Officer White as its October Employee of the Month. Officer White joined TVPD after serving with the Sandy Police Department. He is currently assigned to the Patrol Division and serves as a member of TVPD’s SWAT team. Sgt. Griffith nominated Officer White for his exceptional response to a burglary-in-progress. Officer White arrived on scene, assumed command and quickly recognized the potential dangers involved. He requested additional resources as officers worked to contain the residence and established communication with the homeowner, who was monitoring interior security cameras and providing important updates about the suspect inside the home. During the incident, officers learned that a firearm was in an upstairs bedroom. Recognizing the potential danger if the suspect gained access to the weapon, Officer White developed a plan to safely take the suspect into custody while protecting the officers on scene. He organized an
immediate action team and gave the suspect multiple opportunities to surrender peacefully. When those announcements went unanswered, a K-9 was deployed to assist in searching the residence. Officer White continued directing officers as they methodically cleared the home and worked to limit the suspect’s access to other areas of the residence. “Your actions throughout this incident exemplify the highest standards of the Taylorsville Police Department,” Sgt. Griffith wrote in his commendation. “Your initiative, professionalism, communication and tactical edge provided a successful outcome, and that should be recognized and commended.” Officer White’s performance demonstrates the importance of preparation, teamwork and leadership when responding to critical incidents. His ability to remain composed, use available resources and make sound decisions under pressure helped bring the incident to a safe resolution. Congratulations, Officer White, and thank you for your outstanding service to our community.
October 2026
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
Fall Festival Celebrates Season, Taylorsville History Pumpkins, music, chalk art and plenty of creativity filled the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center as families and neighbors gathered for Taylorsville’s fourth annual Fall Festival. Held Sept. 19, the free event was organized by the Taylorsville Heritage Preservation Committee and featured live music by John and Jeff of Crossfire, pumpkin decorating, face painting, quilt displays, pottery demonstrations and tours of the museum and new learning center. Members of the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee and Youth Council also lent a hand throughout the event. “The Fall Festival is such a fun way to bring people together while also celebrating the history and traditions that make Taylorsville special,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. “We’re so grateful to the Heritage Preservation Committee and everyone who helped make the day possible.” The annual celebration offered plenty of opportunities for families to spend time together, get creative and learn more about the community’s past while enjoying the start of autumn. But there’s always time to discover more at the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center, 1488 W. 4800 South. Stop by throughout the year to learn more about the people, places and stories that have shaped Taylorsville.
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| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
PARKS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The 16-acre park opened its first phase last year with a playground, pickleball courts, restrooms, parking and a large pavilion. Since then, families, pickleball players and other visitors have made regular use of the new space, which offers expansive views across the valley. Phase II will significantly broaden the recreation options at Summit Park with an impressive bike trail winding throughout the park and featuring wooden riding elements and switchbacks along the north side, a dog park, additional walking trails, a skate area and an overlook plaza designed to take advantage of the park’s hilltop setting. “We’re excited to see the next phase take shape,” Mayor Overson said. “These additions will create even more opportunities for residents to get outside, stay active and enjoy this beautiful space together.” The improvements at both Taylorsville Park and Summit Park have been supported through Salt Lake County’s Tourism, Recreation, Culture, and Convention program, along with matching funds from Taylorsville City. The projects reflect the city’s continued investment in parks and public spaces, with each designed to offer a different mix of recreation and gathering opportunities. While construction at both parks is expected to finish by the end of the year, the city plans to celebrate their grand openings in the spring. Ribbon-cutting celebrations will be held at each park, with Summit Park’s event also expected to include an informal bike demonstration highlighting the new trail. Additional details will be announced as plans are finalized. Together, the improvements are expanding opportunities for residents to gather, play, exercise and enjoy the outdoors in different parts of the city. The projects also continue the city’s efforts to create updated recreation spaces that can serve a wide range of ages, interests and activities. “It’s exciting to see these parks becoming such vibrant places for our community,” Mayor Overson said. “There is so much here for families, friends and neighbors to enjoy together, and we can’t wait to officially celebrate both parks in the spring.”
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
October 2026 Taylorsville Bennion Heritage
REMEMBRANCES Volunteers Help Keep Taylorsville History Alive
By Susan Yadeskie The Taylorsville Historic Preservation Committee is made up entirely of volunteers. Not only do members spend many hours preserving the history of Taylorsville from 1848 to 1949, but they also are skilled at giving tours of the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center, the one-room schoolhouse, the blacksmith shop and the new learning center. These volunteers have been with the committee from three to 26 years. That is dedication! We are now looking for new volunteers who would like to learn to conduct tours and be willing to do some cleaning while they are at the museum. Those who love yardwork may volunteer as well! We also regularly look for volunteers to help with Saturday events. We usually have three to four main events for the community each year. This is a great way to learn more about your community and Taylorsville history. Please contact Susan Yadeskie at 801-209-8435 if you are interested in volunteering. We have small farm animals at the museum. In the past, we have had small sheep or goats, as well as chickens and rabbits. This is a fun way for families, especially children, to see what it was like on a farm. The animals are a favorite during the school tours we give throughout May. Currently, we have four spaces for animals. Guests may see the animals at the museum during regular museum hours. The gates are kept locked when the museum is closed. There is no charge to keep animals at the museum. However, we do expect those who have animals there to clean the stalls weekly and give their animals the greatest care. We will not accept applications for cows or horses. If you are interested in housing small animals at the museum, please contact Toni Lenning at 801-414-4192. Toni will explain the expectations and have a contract for you to sign.
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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Taylorsville Library Events The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of October. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events: WALKING BOOK CLUB — Thursdays in October, 10:30 a.m. Walking Book Club is for readers interested in a weekly walk session and book discussion. The group reads one book over the course of three weeks, discussing the book in segments. Take a 30-minute walk along the paths behind the library and then participate in a 30-minute book discussion. “The Travelling Cat Chronicles “ by Hiro Arikawa reading schedule: Oct. 1: Prologue – Part 2 Oct. 8: Part 3 – end “The Book of Hope” by Jane Goodall reading schedule: Oct. 29: Part 1 – Part 2: Reason 2 (Pages xi – 109) Nov. 5: Part 2: Reason 3 - end TEEN OUTDOOR GAMES — Thursday, Oct. 1, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Come play Crossnet, Jazzminton and other fun outdoor games. Snacks provided. READATHON — Friday, Oct. 2, 1 to 5 p.m. Get cozy for the Utah Statewide Read-A-Thon. Drop in to read between 1 and 5 p.m. at the Taylorsville Branch. Pajamas welcome! GERMAN COW BELLS with Rick Schwimmer — Monday, Oct. 5, 6 p.m. Celebrate Oktoberfest. Enjoy a concert of unique musical renditions played on traditional German cowbells. ME TIME FOR TEENS + LOOM KNITTING — Wednesdays, Oct. 7 and 14, 4:30 p.m. This free six-week program is designed for teens ages 13 to 17. Participants will learn practical strategies for managing stress, anxiety, negative thinking and mild symptoms of depression while creating fun loom-knitting projects. BLOOD DRIVE — Thursday, Oct. 8, 1 - 7 p.m. Donate blood with the American Red Cross during upcoming blood drives at the County Library and make a life-changing difference in our community. Register at redcrossblood.org or 1.800.RED.CROSS. DROP-IN HALLOWEEN PARTY — Thursday, Oct. 15, 10:30 a.m. to noon. Join in a morning of spooky fun with games, crafts, and trunk-or-treating. Meet an owl from the Ogden Nature Center. Costumes welcome! Outside on the grass. Drop in between 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. MAD SCIENCE: SPOOKY SCIENCE — Friday, Oct. 16, 10:30 a.m. Enjoy a fun and interactive science presentation with Mad Science. DISCOVERY FRIDAY — Friday, Oct. 23, 4 p.m. Each month, the library will have a unique combination of STEAM activities, crafts, games, movement and more! ADULT LECTURE | Edgar Allen Poe and the Modern City — Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. Register at: thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries Tour the four American cities that shaped Edgar Allan Poe’s career during the 1830s and 1840s: Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York with Dr. Scott Peeples. CHARACTER STORYTIME: BUBBLE FAIRY — Wednesday, Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m. Meet Sage the Bubble Fairy. Enjoy a special story-time with a story, bubbles and fun. Costumes welcome.
TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive
October Activities The Taylorsville Senior Center has planned a variety of classes every month. Classes are free for those over age 60. Among the activities scheduled this month: CANDIDATES DAY — Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 10 to 11 a.m. for our Candidates Day. This is a great opportunity to meet candidates running for office, hear from them and learn more before casting your vote in the November election. Humana will be providing refreshments around 9:45 a.m. for everyone to enjoy. We hope you’ll join us for this informative and important event! HAPPY HALLOWEEN — Get ready for a spooktacular day of fun on Friday, Oct. 30. Come dressed in your favorite costume and enter the Costume Contest for a chance to win prizes for first, second and third place, generously provided by the Advisory Committee. Find the center’s full calendar and Senior Scoop Newsletter online at saltlakecounty.gov.
ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY PAGE 8
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter TBID Offers Convenient Ways to Pay Your Bill
OCTOBER UPDATES Leaf Bag Drop-off Program With fall now here, don’t worry about piling up your leaves. Your team at Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District is ready to help with the cleanup. Every autumn, WFWRD sets up convenient leaf bag drop-off locations so you can clear your leaves without overloading your curbside waste containers. When your bags are full, bring them to one of the leaf bag drop-off sites. WFWRD will have these sites available for leaf bag drop-off from Oct. 15 through Nov. 30. Check their website for more information and a list of drop off locations. Remember: • It is OK to set the bags on the ground near the WFWRD the containers when full. • Please do not dump garbage, yard waste or other items at the leaf bag collection sites. • Leaves are not accepted in blue recycling cans. • This program is funded through residential user fees and is intended for district residential customers only.
Glass Recycling 101 Did you know that glass is one of the few materials that can be recycled again and again without losing its quality? By recycling glass, you can help conserve natural resources and reduce the energy needed to produce new glass. Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District, in cooperation with Momentum Recycling, makes recycling glass easy. WFWRD provides free public glass recycling drop-off bins at several locations throughout the district. Visit the WFWRD website to find a location near you. Note: Drop-off locations are for residential glass recycling only. Glass must be placed directly inside the designated bins. Please do not leave bags, boxes, or other materials on the ground. Looking for an even easier option? Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District residents can sign up for curbside glass recycling for just $8.50 per month, allowing you to recycle glass conveniently from home.
Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District offers several convenient ways for customers to pay their bills, whether online, by phone, through the mail or in person. For online payments, visit www.tbid.gov and select Pay Bill Online. Customers can make a one-time payment or sign up for online account access. Payments also may be placed in TBID’s secure drop box in the parking lot at 1800 W. 4700 South. Follow the signs to the drop box, and please do not leave cash. Customers who prefer to pay by mail may send a check or money order using the return envelope provided with their bill. Be sure to include the payment and proper postage. Payments also can be made by phone by calling 801-968-9081. Credit cards, debit cards and bank accounts are accepted, and a customer service representative can assist with the payment. For those who prefer to pay in person, the TBID office is located at 1800 W. 4700 South and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District by calling 801-968-9081 or visiting www.tbid.org. Follow TBID on Facebook and X.
Youth Sports
atTaylorsvilleRecreation Center Last Call for Fall Registration Junior Jazz
Kindergarten–2nd Grade Begins October 17
Diversion Rate With your help, WFWRD is holding strong with its districtwide 2026 Diversion Rate Goal of 18%. The district's diversion rate is the percentage of residential municipal waste diverted from the landfill through reuse, reduction, recycling and composting programs. Below are the tonnages for our community from January through July 2026:
Indoor Soccer 1st–9th Grade
Begins October 24
REGISTER TODAY A AY slco.to/taylorsville-programs
‘Ghost Adventures’ celebrities investigate The Great Saltair at ParaCon finale
Salt City ParaCon’s inaugural year draws such a wealth of local participation that the 2027 paranormal conference is already scheduled. By Cassie Goff c.goff@mycityjournals.com
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hat’s up with Utah, man?” asked Aaron Goodwin, “Ghost Adventures” TV personality, actor and producer. “There’s something going on with the land. It’s just weird.” Goodwin and Jay Wasley, his fellow “Ghost Adventures” actor, producer and director, were in town for the first-ever local paranormal conference known as Salt City ParaCon. Salt City ParaCon drew local paranormal enthusiasts together for various paranormal guest speakers, panel discussions, workshops, local vendors and late-night investigations of The Great Saltair. “We love all things spooky and paranormal,” said local haunt actor Kookie The Clown. “The people here are amazing. It’s a great community.” David Sandoval, Salt City ParaCon’s event planner, was inspired by events like Vernal’s PhenomeCon and Pennsylvania’s Pennhurst ParaCon. He wanted to create a space and community in Utah specifically focused on the paranormal, as opposed to other areas of supernatural focus like Big Foot, aliens and skin walkers. “I didn’t know what to expect for the turnout,” Sandoval said. “Once we got Jay on board, it snowballed. Everybody in the community knows Jay.” As he was planning an event of this scale for the first time, Sandoval took care to pick and format the 45 local vendors into the conference. He wanted to have paranormal investigators included, of course, but he also
David Sandoval, Salt City ParaCon’s event organizer, and Aaron Goodwin, “Ghost Adventures” TV personality, prep to investigate The Great Saltair. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
wanted to bring in skeptics to balance out the vendor floor. “I always like the idea of a conversation,” Sandoval said. “I wanted to have both sides of the argument.” “The mystery of the paranormal has to have definitive answers,” said Zayne Searle from the YouTube show “The Unknown Investigators.” Sandoval personally buys into the “residual energy” theories to explain the paranormal world and to understand what we don’t know after death. “Past, present and future are happening all at the same time,” he said. During the daylight hours of the ParaCon weekend, attendees were able to browse local artist booths, snack on food from local artisan trucks (like The Haunted Wagon Philly Cheesesteak and Crazy Chicken), and listen to panel discussions and guest speaker presentations. “We love coming out to build connections with the overlapping community,” said Ollie Odinson, content creator of Slash Lake City. But after the sun went down, they were able to explore The Great Saltair (12408 W. Saltair Drive) in Magna with investigations led by Goodwin and Wasley. (Because as Sandoval noted, any paranormal conference must “end with a ghost hunt.”) “We asked the ghosts if they came to our booth,” said Amber Galer, Curst Beauty wholesale director. “They said yes.” After the Salt City ParaCon weekend was over, Sandoval shared that some of the vendors reported back to him with some of the biggest sales days in their entire business careers. Sandoval has already made announcements for Salt City ParaCon 2027 with returning appearances from Goodwin and Wasley, and new attendance confirmed by Amy Bruni, Jessica Chobot and Patti Negri. “I don’t want to keep it exclusive to the paranormal,” Sandoval said. “We’re reaching out to other celebrities that don’t believe in ghosts.” (Sean Kanan from “Karate Kid”/”Cobra Kai” has already signed on.) Salt City ParaCon 2026’s local art vendors included Curst Beauty (www.curstbeauty.com), Erica Lackey (on Instagram @ bone.n.ware), Chesley Jewelry (www.chesleyjewelry.com), Haderlie Designs (www. haderliedesigns.com), ideas2ink (www. ideas2ink.net), Haunted Haven LLC (with Northern Utah Paranormal) (on Facebook @Haunted Haven Paraphysical Shop), The Traveling Whisper (on Instagram @the_travelingwhisper), Kookie Creations (on Instagram @kookiezcreationz), and Slash Lake City (on Facebook), Local paranormal services attending ParaCon included: Wasatch Investigative Society for Paranormal Studies (WISPS) (www.advancedparanormal.com), Beehive
“We’re pumping up and supporting other women in the community,” said Amber Galer, Curst Beauty wholesale director. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)
Skeptics (www.beehiveskeptics.com) and “The Unknown Investigators” (on YouTube). Salt City ParaCon’s artwork and logo were designed by Claudio Bergamin (on Instagram @claudiobergamin.art). Salt City ParaCon 2026 was sponsored by Western Paranormal Society, Fear Factory,
Castle of Chaos and Nightmare on 13th. Salt City ParaCon 2027 will begin on April 15, 2027 and run through April 17, 2027 at Asylum 49 in Tooele (140 E. 200 South). To learn more, or to buy tickets, visit their website at: www.saltcityparacon.com. l
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October 2026 | Page 21
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Page 22 | October 2026
The City Journals, a conglomerate of community newspapers, has been bringing your hyperlocal news directly to your mailbox (for free!). That means we are sitting through city council meetings, following school boards and local elections, and covering high school sports, neighborhood issues, new businesses and the people doing interesting things down the street. Hi, I’m Cassie. You’ve likely seen my byline before, or at least flipped through something I’ve reported on. I’m an individual part of the bigger team of writers here who has been bringing you the local news you love. I started at the City Journals in 2015 and, even though an 11-year career may seem like a good chunk of time, it’s nothing in comparison to the rest of our editorial team. Our Salt Lake County Editor, Travis Barton, has been with us for just as long; our Davis editor to the north, Becky Ginos, has been monitoring the pulse of Davis County since the pandemic; and our humorist extraordinaire, Peri Kinder, has been bringing the laughter for decades. For more than 35 years, the City Journals have delivered community newspapers free to readers. Today, our 38 reporters produce roughly 190 to 220 original local stories each month across 15 communities in Salt Lake and Davis counties, each are embedded within the communities we serve. Oh! My colleagues would be upset with me if I didn’t mention the majority of us are award-winning journalists. “It’s amazing how you can turn some handwritten notes into a full, beautiful story,” said our account executive Marc Davis. It’s not unusual for a City Journals reporter to be the only journalist in the room at a local government meeting. That kind of reporting isn’t glamorous, but we think it matters. We want to keep doing that—and do more of it. Like local news organizations everywhere, we’re figuring out how to sustain and expand our reporting as the way people get their news changes. We want to publish more frequently online, spend more time on stories that deserve deeper reporting and continue putting reporters in the rooms where decisions about your community are being made. That takes time and resources. We’re asking readers who find value in the City Journals to consider supporting our work. If one reader in each household contributed even $2 to $5 per month ($24 to $60 per year), it would give us more resources to put directly into local journalism. There’s no paywall attached to this request. We’ll keep delivering the City Journals and reporting the news of our communities. We’re simply asking those who are able—and who believe local reporting is worth having—to help us do more of it. Your support won’t go unnoticed. Because we’re reporters, we think you should know what happens next. As this effort grows, we’ll report back to you about what reader support has allowed us to accomplish. To support your City Journal, visit donate.thecityjournals.com or scan the QR Code on this page. We welcome your direct communication. Please keep talking to us. Tell us what we’re missing. Ask us questions. The relationship between our reporters and the communities they cover is what makes this kind of journalism possible. From the entire City Journals team – With dedication to informing and, most certainly, celebrating our communities, Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
Taylorsville City Journal
Could your home be exposing your child to lead? Children can look healthy while lead poisoning quietly causes harm. By Shaun Delliskave s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
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s public health agencies prepare for National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week this fall, Salt Lake County health officials are reminding parents that childhood lead exposure can be difficult to detect and may come from more sources than many families realize. National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week will be observed Oct. 25-31 with the 2026 theme “Keep Kids Safe from Lead.” The annual campaign, coordinated nationally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, emphasizes learning about potential lead hazards, testing children who may have been exposed and identifying lead sources in homes. The issue has particular relevance in Salt Lake County because of the age of some of its housing stock. According to Gabriel Moreno, partnerships manager with the Salt Lake County Health Department, more than 30% of homes in the county were constructed before the federal
government banned consumer use of leadbased paint in 1978. “Many parents assume they’d know if their child had been exposed to lead,” Moreno said. “In reality, kids can look healthy, active and happy while lead quietly affects their learning, behavior and development.” That concern is consistent with CDC guidance. Most children with lead in their blood do not show obvious immediate symptoms, and a blood test is the best way to determine whether exposure has occurred. The CDC says no safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Even low levels have been associated with developmental delays and difficulties with learning, attention and behavior. Older paint remains a well-known potential source, particularly when it deteriorates into chips or dust. However, exposure can also occur through contaminated soil, some plumbing and water fixtures, certain toys and consumer products, and dust created during renovations. Lead can also enter a home indirectly. People working in occupations involving lead can carry contaminated dust home on clothing, shoes, tools or other items. Moreno said jobs such as construction, auto repair and plumbing may present potential
exposure risks. Because symptoms alone are not a reliable indicator, health officials encourage parents who believe their children may be at risk to discuss blood lead testing with a health care provider. “A blood test is the only way to know for sure, and right now, too few children in our community are getting tested,” Moreno said. Medicaid covers blood lead testing for enrolled children, and many private insurance plans also cover testing. Salt Lake County offers free testing to qualifying families. Testing is only part of the county’s prevention effort. When lead is detected in a child’s blood, the Salt Lake County Health Department’s Lead Home Visiting Program can help families identify possible sources and determine ways to reduce further exposure. Qualifying households may also receive assistance through the county’s Lead Safe Housing Program to address lead hazards. The goal, health officials emphasize, is to identify risks before they cause further harm. National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week encourages families to learn about lead hazards in their surroundings, consider whether their children should receive a blood lead test and determine whether older homes may contain lead hazards.
Salt Lake County wants families to consider their risk of lead exposure. (Photo courtesy of the CDC)
Salt Lake County residents with questions about testing or lead exposure can call or text the county’s Lead Poisoning Prevention line at 801-382-8877.l
Parents have a voice in how School LAND Trust dollars help students
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t one Utah school, the priority might be reading intervention. At another, it could be additional classroom support. A third school might decide educational software is what students need most. Who sets the priorities? In Utah, parents have a voice and a vote through school community councils. For the 2026-27 school year, $134 million in School LAND (Learning and Nurturing Development) Trust funds will be distributed to Utah district and charter schools, benefiting more than 658,000 students at more than 1,000 schools. School allocations are largely based on enrollment. For parents who want a greater voice in their children’s education, serving on a school community council can be one of the most direct ways to make a difference, said Jessie Stuart, assistant director of the School & Institutional Trust Beneficiaries’ Advocacy Office. “I feel like the trust lands story is one of the coolest stories out there,” she said. “These lands are put in trust to generate revenue for public schools.” Utah’s trust lands were established when the state entered the Union. Revenue is generated from trust lands through activities such as oil and gas, mining, solar power, real estate development and other uses. The money is invested, with earnings distributed
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
to beneficiaries. “The beneficiaries of these trust lands are the K through 12 school kids who these teachers are teaching every single day,” Stuart said. When funding is distributed to schools, parent involvement in the local decision-making becomes critical, Stuart said. At Draper Elementary, Principal Scott Jameson starts by explaining the LAND Trust program to council members — parents, employees in addition to himself. “We start with data, identify our highest needs, then we develop goals and come up with an action plan,” he said. “We can put that money toward meeting our highest needs.” Draper’s 2026-27 plan includes goals to increase mathematics and literacy proficiency by 1% to 3%. “The greatest power of this whole thing,” he said, “is all that money is based on what the school needs.” Principal Suzie Williams, of Columbia Elementary in West Jordan, said LAND Trust dollars often support paraprofessionals who provide interventions and classroom assistance. “We typically use it for support staff so we can provide intervention and individualized instruction for students with instructional aides and classroom aides,” she said. “We can provide rotation teachers to give our
teachers planning and collaboration time.” Principal Justin Pitcher, of Cottonwood High School in Murray, said last year’s council determined the $265,000 LAND Trust dollars would support instructional coaching, assessment coordination, additional teacher periods and educational software. “We need parents to be involved in our school community councils, so we can appropriate the funding in ways that will benefit our students with the parent input,” Pitcher said. Parents bring a perspective educators may not always have. “Parents themselves give input and insight to a school which we don’t always see,” Jameson said. “Educators are experts in instruction. They’re experts in working with large groups of kids, but parents help us to hone down to individuals.” Pitcher said SCCs bring together those perspectives. “The power of a council allows us to be able to work through really hard decisions, and come to a consensus,” Pitcher said. That parent voice has a long history in Utah. Utah PTA members began advocating for reform of the trust-land system in the 1980s. “Today, those efforts bring millions of dollars every year to Utah’s schoolchildren,” Utah PTA President Julie Cluff said.
“What’s even better is that it’s not just today’s kids who benefit, it’s tomorrow’s kids too.” That’s an important lesson: the LAND Trust fund isn’t simply money to spend. “They are an investment in students and school community councils that give families a voice in determining how that investment can have the greatest local impact,” said Williams, who served on a LAND Trust committee for three years. “Parents do not need to be education experts. They simply need to know their community, care about students and be willing to participate.” l Local School LAND Trust distribution 2026-27 Canyons District $6,039,052 Davis District $12,599,737 Granite District $10,227,609 Jordan District $10,473,694 Murray District $1,269,968 Salt Lake District $3,505,362 All Charter Schools $17,295,728 Source: School Children’s Trust Office, Utah State Board of Education. As required by law, estimates are based on October 2025 enrollment data.
October 2026 | Page 23
Paddle the River participants drum up excitement for Get to the River Fest
The first Paddle the River event in the four-week series for Get to the River Festival started with plenty of people looking to get involved. By Anna Nielsen a.nielsen@mycityjournals.com
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n early September, community members gathered to paddle the Jordan River (Pia Okwai) from General Holm Park in South Salt Lake to Pioneer Crossing Park in West Valley City as part of the Get to the River Festival. Alongside bike rides, bird walks, trail clean ups, film screenings, yoga, dance performances and more, the first and free Paddle the River event was a quintessential part of the annual month-long festival, now in its 13th year. Festivities span the 50-mile length of the Jordan River Parkway, with events at parks, trails and, of course, on the river itself, everywhere from Utah County to Davis County. After paddling between the parks, participants enjoyed a drum circle session at the river’s edge with Drum Utah. “What a beautiful way to enjoy the river,” Susan Klinker with the Utah Cultural
Paddlers exit the river to get in touch with nature in a new way—through connecting to its rhythms. (Anna Nielsen/City Journals)
Celebration Center said. “We love working with Drum Utah. This is the fourth year we’ve done it, and this year we connected it with the float coming down, which made just a beautiful, beautiful evening and a wonderful way to kick off the Labor Day weekend.” Nels Anderson, owner of Drum Utah, brings his instruments and instruction to gatherings like this as his full-time job. “Events like this get people to notice things
like how the changing wind feels, maybe we’re changing rhythm with the way the weather’s working. When the wind is really calm, I notice everyone is in a serene state, and kind of hard to amp up, but I’m not going to try to push them. I just let them experience this place where you kind of feel a little bit reverent or sacred. You sit by a big river and it makes you breathe deeply. You can tell how it affects people’s attitudes.”
Tiffini Adams from West Valley thought the festival was awesome. “It’s a beautiful way to experience the beauty that’s in our own backyard and gives a really unique perspective on our beautiful river.” The river is known as Pia Okwai (Big Flow) by the Indigenous Shoshone and Goshute people and weaves its way north from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, passing through 16 cities. The Jordan River’s riparian area is a crucial ecological site as the habitat for hundreds of species and millions of migratory birds, as well as other creatures, including humans, who have relied on the river for thousands of years. It has tremendous ecological, cultural, recreational and economic value. Through outdoor recreation, conservation, the arts and social opportunities, the festival’s goal is to “highlight this amazing slice of nature through the most urbanized and populated region of Utah’s Wasatch Front, sparking discovery, stewardship, creativity, and fun” at the Jordan River year-round, per their website. If you missed the boat on the limited-space river float, fear not, the Jordan River Commission website offers a water trail map with entry and exit points to help create a paddle plan of your own. Visit jordanrivercommission.gov/maps-trail-guides/water-trail/.l
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Teal, purple and red pumpkins: The color-code of Halloween porch pumpkins explained Painted pumpkins are meant to bring awareness and spark conversation about health and safety topics. By Anna Nielsen a.nielsen@mycityjournals.com
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project for awareness and consideration began: the Purple Pumpkin Project. Started by Ron Lamontagne in Connecticut for his son with epilepsy, the display of painted purple pumpkins are meant to prompt the question: “Why is your pumpkin purple?” and start a conversation about epilepsy awareness. Purple is the official color of epilepsy awareness, as of 2008 with the founding of Purple Day by a girl with epilepsy named Cassidy Megan. Purple was her favorite color, and lavender as a symbol has an association with things that are hidden or overlooked, such as epilepsy in this case. The Purple Pumpkin Project is now an annual tradition by the Epilepsy Foundation
of America and has spread to other countries. The Foundation encourages participants to join their local pumpkin-painting event and tell their individual stories (sharing them on social media, too) when asked “why is your pumpkin purple?” 2012 was a big year for pumpkin projects and also saw the creation of the nonprofit The Pink Pumpkin Project, an effort for breast cancer awareness based out of New York with the motto “Giving Hope to Fighters, One Pumpkin at a Time.” October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In 2018, Mothers Against Drunk Driving designated red pumpkins as a talking point for awareness around Halloween being
one of the deadliest DUI holidays, with marketing stating: “Join us by displaying a red pumpkin as a reminder to designate a sober driver this holiday season. Red pumpkins create a conversation as a unique way to encourage the public to talk about these issues and make them think.” Dark blue pumpkins are another symbol of Halloween, one for autism awareness. There is not a clear origin story around an organization for this effort, but for several years, dark blue buckets have grown in popularity through social media for trickor-treaters who may be nonverbal or potentially have a sensory-processing disorder, with the hope that the blue bucket will provide recognition for them to be welcomed without proclaiming “trick-or-treat!” Promoters of the blue pumpkin/blue bucket aren’t looking to start a conversation, but simply to help people receive patience, understanding and accommodation. Another more informal piece of pumpkin symbolism comes in the color white. Many within the pregnancy and infant loss community opt to remember their babies who have passed away with a white pumpkin on their porch during Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in October. Rounding out the rainbow, yellow pumpkins were chosen to represent childhood apraxia of speech (which may also prevent a child from being able to say “trickor-treat) by mother Laura Slatter, who cites the Teal Pumpkin Project as inspiration. l
welve-year-old Charlotte has celiac disease, and her friend and neighbor Liv has a nut allergy. The girls love trick-or-treating together each year, but so many of the treats they bring home on Halloween eve they can’t eat. They tend to relinquish a large portion of their stashes to friends. But, when they spot a house with a teal pumpkin out front, their eyes light up with excitement, because this signals that there may be inclusive options for them there. The Teal Pumpkin Project was started in 2012 by the director of FACET, a Tennessee-based food allergy group, Becky Basalone. Now, Food Allergy Resource and Education promotes the annual activity of offering nonfood items on Halloween across the US and beyond, citing on their website that one in 13 children have food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities, and encouraging participants to paint a pumpkin teal, put out a sign, or “get creative and add some teal lighting.” Teal was chosen for its bright, easy recognizability from afar. In addition to being displayed on porches, some children may carry teal totes/candy baskets to signal that Participants painting purple pumpkins at Epilepsy Foundation Utah’s Purple Pumpkin event they have a food allergy. last October. (Epilepsy Foundation Utah) Charlotte says the people who participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project make her feel included. “When I was younger, sometimes kids would bring cupcakes or cookies or doughnuts to class for their birthday, and I felt so bad seeing everyone else eat theirs while I had to watch with nothing. I was little enough that sometimes, it was so hard to resist that I would eat one too because I felt left out. I knew it would make me so sick, but it’s hard to resist when you’re a little kid, • FREE no-obligation design consultation and I didn’t want to feel so sad and alone or • Custom-built to fit existing spaces different,” she said. • Fast, professional installation When fall rolls around, her neighborhood goes all-out with elaborate decorations. • Lifetime Warranty* for peace of mind Getting in the spirit last year, Charlotte’s family set up an “I Spy”-themed trick-ortreat trading table for their version of the Teal Pumpkin Project. “Everyone was excited to come to our house, it had the neighborhood talking all night. People thought it was so fun and different from what they’d seen before. My friends told me they thought more people should do things like this more often,” she said. AS SEEN IN “I think pumpkin projects are a good way for people to consider others and show support for each other, and you can get creative,” she said, adding that she looks forward to another fun display this year. ©2026 ShelfGenie SPC LLC. All rights reserved. Locally owned and operated franchise. Offer valid at participating locations only. Limit one offer per household. *Applies to Classic and Designer line. EXP 12/31/26. 2012 was also the year another pumpkin
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Gardner Village WitchFest: An inside look behind the spellbinding scenes and cackling hosts When the witches fly at Gardner Village, visitors come from every corner of the United States for a chance to dance, dine and mingle with these bewitching, green-faced ladies. Creative designers Keri Taylor and Jami Christensen reveal how the magic begins. By Collette Hayes c.hayes@mycityjournals.com
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or many years, WitchFest has cast its spell over Gardner Village. It begins with an unusual mid-September breeze from the east stirring the village with the first hints of the witching season. The crisp air, tinged with the scent of fall and something mysterious, carries a faint cackle of laughter drifting on the wind, hinting that magic is on the move. Swirls of capes and shivers of mischief can be seen and heard as brooms swoop down into the village. Long before WitchFest became the village’s signature celebration, Gardner Village hosted another autumn tradition. The village began hosting the Scarecrow Festival in the early 1990s to benefit the Utah Boys Ranch. The event grew so successful that the village could no longer accommodate it. “In 2000,
we knew we would lose the festival because it became too big for our location and available manpower,” village Marketing Director Marcia Johns said. As they went their separate ways, the village generously gave the event’s trademark name and the festival’s core traditional format to the Utah Boys Ranch. Yet one pressing question lingered: What would happen when hundreds of visitors arrived at the village during the UEA weekend, as it was formerly known, anticipating the excitement and enjoyment of the Scarecrow Festival? In the midst of a routine business meeting, only weeks before the Scarecrow Festival was scheduled to occur, village co-owner Joe Long sparked an idea: “Let’s do witches,” he suggested. Then added, “What if we do an event called Witches Night Out? He looked across the table at Marcia and said, “You be in charge.” And with that, WitchFest was officially created. “The first year of Witches Night Out we hired a DJ and played music and gave away $100 gift certificates the night of the event,” Johns said. “The second year, 2001, is the year we decided to add the witch displays. The original creator, freelance designer Becky Hogan, was tasked with creating larger-than-life witches. The first
Page 26 | October 2026
year we displayed 10 witches with some even being motorized.” The village worked with David Breitenbeker of Design Werks, a local firm specializing in special effects and designs, to create the faces. According to Johns, village designer Keri Taylor now makes the witches’ faces from sculpted Styrofoam and also carves the eyes and noses. The basic form of the witches is then created and welded together. After the bodies are assembled, Taylor and her sister, Jami Christiensen, custom-make all the clothes, with an exception this year, when they squeezed a large farm gal who had flown in on her broom from Kansas into a pair of store-bought size 52 overalls. “Most years, the witches get redressed,” Taylor said. “Jami is great at coming up with the main ideas, and then we make and handsew the clothing onto the witches.” For years, Lucinda the Gardner Village witch has enchanted promotional media with her charm. She is the creative person behind the live Gardner Village witches often seen strolling and cackling throughout the village. “Lucinda used to be a hostess at Archibald’s,” Johns said. “She just worked at the restaurant as a little job when her kids were at school. Someone at the restaurant called me and told me I needed to hear her “witch cackle.” I ran over to the restaurant, and after a brief audition, I hired her immediately for a live village witch.” Generations of families have enjoyed visiting WitchFest every year. Among the familiar sights and traditions, one witch in the village is set up as a photo-op place. Lucille sits on a park bench with her arm resting across the back of it. Guests mark the growth of their children every year by having them cozy up to her for a photo. Beginning in 2011, Tara Bowcut started photographing her son with the witch when he was just a toddler. She comments on the Gardner Village Facebook page, “This witch is my son’s favorite! We’ve taken a picture with her every year!” Each village store centers around spellbinding witch vignettes and offers all kinds of tricks, treats, potions and pointy Halloween hats for little witches needing a new one. Looking for a new pet? How about a pet bat? Witch Lottie has many caged meat-eating vampire and ghost bats on display. Take advantage of free entry to the Big Splash Competition, where each year witch Pamela Anderson—affectionately named by her creators—shows off her Olympic-worthy diving form as she plunges into the village pond. Practical pest control gardening tips, like how to ‘whomp’ tarantulas with a broom, are always available from witch Turnip, who can be found bustling around tending her garden throughout the festival. These magical happenings are just a
Looking for a new pet? How about a pet bat? Witch Lottie has many caged meat-eating vampire and ghost bats on display. (Collette Hayes/City Journals)
small part of what draws an ever-growing crowd to the village each fall. WitchFest has grown in popularity, attracting guests from all over Utah and the U.S.—some even booking flights around the scheduled time of their favorite events. Admission is free to the public, except for a $10 per-car fee on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, which covers the parking lot service hired to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all who visit, as well as common-area maintenance and cleaning crews. A late morning walk through the village in the fall is filled with enchantment. Make sure to stop in for a bowl of Archibald’s butternut squash soup or a slice of their famous seasonal pumpkin pie cake. If a live witch or two happen to pull up a chair at your table, which is quite possible, smile and snap some photos for an album soon to be filled with magical mischief, making your friends green with envy. WitchFest 2026 at Gardner Village takes place from Friday, Sept. 18 to Saturday, Oct. 31. For event schedules and details, visit https://www.gardnervillage.com/witch-fest.l
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UHSAA’s new Composite Realignment Index to form all classifications in all sanctioned sports
The UHSAA Board of Trustees meets in November, with meetings to be held through December on realignment before it makes its final placements on Dec. 17. By Brian Shaw b.shaw@mycityjournals.com
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tarting this December, the Utah High School Activities Association is doing business differently. On Aug. 21, the UHSAA announced at its next Board of Trustees meeting in November that it will be using a different set of metrics to determine how Utah high schools will be placed into classifications over the next two school years. “Beginning with the 2027-29 alignment cycle, member schools (from Class 1A to 6A) are placed into classifications using a Composite Realignment Index (CRI), which combines school enrollment, socio-economic status (SES) and competitive performance,” read the release. The No. 1 determinant factor according to the UHSAA? School size. That alone will carry 77% of the weight for each Utah high school. After that though, things look a bit
more interesting. Thirteen percent of a school’s score will be weighed by socio-economic status. And, before anyone presumes that portion will be based solely on said high school’s economic disadvantage, that’s only part of the equation. It includes the share of K-12 students within that school’s boundaries that are at said disadvantage, also. Finally, 10% of a school’s overall Z-score is to be weighted by its competitiveness, or, how it actually performed in the sports it offers to its students. How will this score be given? By taking a school team’s Post-Season Ranking or State-Meet Finish, in which its final MaxPreps and RPI will be combined into a single numerical value. If you’re asking whether or not it will be graded on a curve against the schools in the same classification that same season, the answer is yes. From there, the UHSAA will take an average of that school’s previous three seasons in said sport. Schools will then be given Z-scores ranging from -2.08 to +1.16. It’s at that point that all six classifications from 1A to 6A will be drawn across it. According to the UHSAA, the score decides the order—where the lines fall, however, will be a judgement call. The UHSAA’s Board of Trustees will have its preliminary meeting Nov. 19 to
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The UHSAA’s new CRI assigns a final Z-score to each school based on three criteria: school enrollment size, socio-economic status and competitiveness. (File photo City Journals)
hold initial discussions on the new CRI criteria and make its first placements of member schools. On Dec. 1, schools will then be able to
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apply for a higher classification in a specific sport or activity and also make recommendations for geographic consideration at the second trustees’ meeting. It will also serve as the second round of adjusted school placements for the trustees, who will also begin placing schools into regions in their respective sports. On Dec. 8, the public will have their first chance to weigh in on the new CRI, via a Zoom meeting. The board will then reconvene the following day on Dec. 9 to make their second region placement, and on Dec. 17 will make its realignments final. According to the UHSAA, “realignment includes both a general alignment and a separate football alignment. Region assignments are finalized in December of even-numbered years, with competition under the new alignment beginning the following August.” l
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LOCATIONS FOR CONCERT VENUES Red Butte Garden 2188 Red Butte Canyon Road, Salt Lake City Sandy Amphitheater 1245 E. 9400 South, Sandy Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre 5150 Upper Ridge Road, West Valley City Maverik Center 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City
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Oct. 14: Gary Clark, Jr., Eccles Theatre Oct. 14: Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth,” Kingsbury Hall Oct. 15: Kacey Musgraves, Delta Center Oct. 16 and 17: RedWest country festival, Utah State Fairpark Oct. 16-18: Blueys Big Play, Eccles Center Oct. 20: Gorillaz, Delta Center Oct. 21: Phoebe Bridgers, Delta Center Oct. 23: Zoltan Kaszas, Eccles Center Oct. 24: The Flashback Tour, Eccles Center Oct. 28: Leonid & Friends, Eccles Center Oct. 28-30: Relics and their Humans, Kingsbury Hall Oct. 29: Smashing Pumpkins, Delta Center Oct. 30: Dan and Shay, Delta Center Oct. 31: Fuerza Regida, Maverik Center
The Depot 13 N. 400 West, Salt Lake City Delta Center 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City Kingsbury Hall 1395 E. President’s Circle, Salt Lake City Ogden Amphitheatre 343 E. 25th Street, Ogden Zions Bank Stadium 14787 Academy Parkway, Herriman Rice-Eccles Stadium 451 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake City Gallivan Center 50 E. 200 South, Salt Lake City Deer Valley 2250 Deer Valley Drive South, Park City Canyons Village 4000 Canyons Resort Drive, Park City America First Field 9256 S. State St., Sandy Utah State Fairpark 1000 W. North Temple, Salt Lake City Library Square 200 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City Eccles Theatre 131 S. Main St., Salt Lake City Abravanel Hall 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City
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October 2026 | Page 29
Give people grace
S
eptember 11th marks 15 years since my 57-year-old mom passed away in a car accident. It was the first time I’d ever lost someone that close to me so suddenly, and it was jarring. In the days that followed, I thought often about how precious life is— and how quickly it can change. My parents were driving down to St. George for a water conference that my dad needed to attend. As they traveled on I-15 near Leeds, a terrible storm came upon them. Their car slid off the road and rolled several times. My mom was killed instantly. My dad survived with only a few bumps and bruises, but his heart was broken by the loss. My brother, Mike, and I drove to St. George and reached my dad at the hospital around 4 a.m. Later, after trying to sleep for a few hours, I awoke hoping it had all been a nightmare. Instead, I faced the bitter reality that my mom was gone. We had a funeral to plan and a long road ahead as we helped my dad begin to recover. The first time I went to the grocery store after the funeral, everything felt strangely
Aimee Winder Newton
Salt Lake County Councilmember District 3
normal. People wandered the aisles, chatted with one another and went about their errands. Meanwhile, my life had changed. My grief was heavy. I felt broken and numb, still trying to understand how my mom could be here one day and gone the next. I probably looked fine—just like any other shopper. But I was not fine. I share this with you because there are thousands of Utahns going about their lives with heavy hearts. Just because we can’t see their injuries, trauma or sorrow, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Sometimes when we are dealing with heavy burdens, we may not be our
best selves. Do you ever see people who seem agitated or just generally grouchy? We never really know what they are going through or the struggles that have been heaped upon them. Recently, I learned of a family grieving the death by suicide of a 14-year-old girl. Her loved ones are devastated and searching for answers. Others in our community are coping with life-threatening illnesses or a new cancer diagnosis. Some are experiencing addiction, mental illness, housing insecurity, domestic violence or abuse. Many are caring for an aging parent, worried about a child, struggling financially or simply trying to make it through another day. It is so important for us to give people grace. I am reminded of a quote often attributed to author Ian Maclaren: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” We rarely know the whole story of the person in front of us — the coworker who snapped at us, the driver who cut us off, the neighbor who hasn’t returned a wave in weeks. Behind an ordinary Tuesday there might be a diagnosis
just received, a marriage falling apart, or a grief that has no expiration date. Fifteen years later, I still miss my mom every day. That loss taught me that kindness costs us nothing, and we never know when it might be exactly what someone needs to keep going. A text to a friend who has gone quiet. A phone call to check on a friend. Patience with the cashier who seems short-tempered, or the driver going too slow. None of us can fix another person’s grief or struggle. But we can meet a stranger’s rough edges with curiosity instead of judgment, and a friend’s silence with a check-in instead of assumption. That is the kind of community I hope we keep building here in Salt Lake County. If you are carrying something heavy right now, please know you are not alone, and there is no shame in asking for help. And if you’re not sure who around you might be struggling, consider assuming that someone is, and treat them accordingly. It is a small shift that can make a real difference.
LDS Earth Stewardship hosts Great Salt Lake photographer
Chris Carlson’s images highlight the lake’s diversity and beauty. By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
C
hris Carlson has a deep connection to the Great Salt Lake. Not only is he a descendant of the Garr family, who settled Antelope Island, but he’s dedicated himself to photographing the lake’s ever-changing landscape. News about the Great Salt Lake’s demise is everywhere, from the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times. According to Grow the Flow Utah, the statistics are dire. The lake is eight feet below the minimum healthy level, 56% of the lakebed is exposed and it’s not quite 31% full. Carlson has a different story to tell about the lake. He addressed the Northern Wasatch chapter of the LDS Earth Stewardship during an event in August at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington. At the event, Carlson shared images he’s taken of the lake over the years. His message is one of hope, stewardship, conservation and beauty. “Sometimes when you’re out there, and you have your camera, Heavenly Father just serves you the image,” he said. “If you want to love the Great Salt Lake, go out and spend time with it, because it’s remarkable.” Carlson published a book of photos highlighting the lake’s stunning scenery and interconnectedness. “Preserving Greatness” includes more than 200 pictures, documenting the natural wonder found in and around the Great Salt Lake.
Page 30 | October 2026
The photos came about as his father was dying from Alzheimer’s. Carlson spent hours on Antelope Island, searching for solace and peace during that difficult time. He noticed how quickly the lake was disappearing, much like his father. “Just like my dad’s memories and his mind were leaving, the memory of this place is going to leave if someone doesn’t capture it,” he said. “So that turned from a meditative, therapeutic exercise into an obsession. I spent a lot of time there in the early mornings.” Carlson grew to love the Great Salt Lake, from the migratory birds to the bison. He explored all areas of the lake, documenting its beauty, its loss and its capacity for wonder. He’d always considered himself a landscape photographer, but after witnessing the wildlife on the lake, he became an expert in capturing the perfect animal image. His connection to the animals that live there became a gift. “What I’ve learned, and this is the spiritual part for me, is that eye connection is everything,” he said. “I don’t know what heaven’s like, but I know it’s not going to be heaven if we don’t have animals there.” Carlson hopes that using creativity to address environmental issues will get more people earnestly engaged in saving the lake. He recently organized a Great Salt Lake fashion show, featuring couture designed by local college students studying fashion. The goal is to raise $300,000 that will go directly to conservation efforts. He encourages residents to go out on the Great Salt Lake, get to know its landscapes, its birds, its animals and its tenuous plight. Carlson
Chris Carlson’s image of Stansbury Bay on the Great Salt Lake is one of hundreds of images he took for his book, “Preserving Greatness.” (Photo courtesy of Chris Carlson)
wants people to visit Antelope Island to see the bison and antelope, walk along the south shore at the Great Salt Lake State Park and take time to visit the Spiral Jetty artwork. “There are young people in Utah who are paying attention, who are turning their love for this place, and grief about what’s happening, into something tangible,” Carlson said. “I encourage you, however you can, to use your voice to try to make people aware of it. Write your legislators in the House and in the Senate, and try to find ways to conserve your personal
water use.” The Northern Wasatch chapter of LDS Earth Stewardship is a nonprofit focused on stewardship, environmental education and inspirational collaborations. “We gather people who care for creation,” said Sara Johnson, the chapter’s chairperson. “It’s for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but we invite all to come.” For information about membership and future events, visit ldsesnorthernwasatch. substack.com. l
Taylorsville City Journal
W
hat if your worst day became your villain origin story? The day you lost your temper at Walmart. The day you kicked the office water cooler. The day you screamed at your partner in the grocery store and became a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons. What if your greatest shame or embarrassment became your legacy: forever. I’m afraid we’ve judged Disney villains too harshly. What if they were normal people having a tough day? What if their bad decisions defined them for generations? Take Ursula the Sea Witch. She ran a powerful, women-owned business, granting people their heart’s desire. What did she get? Impaled on the bow of a ship and labeled as a fast-talking, predatory loan officer for eternity. Were her tactics questionable? Of course. But she was also an octopus. What about Snow White’s Evil Queen? She bought into the idea that youth is everything and had a questionable relationship with mirrors, but one poison-laced apple and suddenly she’s a witch. Maleficent’s curse on Sleeping Beauty was an overreaction to not being invited to a baby blessing. Cinderella’s stepmother just wanted Cinderella to do some damn chores. Does that make her evil? Cinderella could have at least unloaded the dishwasher instead of dressing up her mice. Maybe these villains were all having a
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
Welcome to the Dark Side Peri Kinder Life and Laughter
terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But understanding why someone acted badly isn’t the same as excusing that behavior. We’ve all been there. We’ve said things we’ve regretted. We’ve hurt people’s feelings. We’ve done stupid things. Hopefully you didn’t try to skin 101 Dalmatians, but really, who hasn’t wanted a coat as soft as a pile of puppies? Who hasn’t gone all Queen of Hearts and yelled, “Off with his head!” during a stressful work meeting? No one? Just me? Was Beauty’s Gaston intentionally terrible? Maybe his father never taught him to respect women and never scolded him for putting his disgusting feet on the table. His public humiliation seemed to push him into “Kill the Beast” mode, but that’s no excuse for his villainous behavior. The way we treat each other matters. How often have we made someone the villain? The driver who honks immediately after the light turns green was obviously raised
by feral wolves. The woman having a meltdown at Starbucks becomes a “Karen” and is publicly shamed on TikTok. The neighbor who disagrees with you politically becomes your nemesis. And now our bad days can be recorded, posted, commented on by strangers and picked apart by internet trolls before we even figure out what happened. Life feels so prickly. We’re walking around like a cactus, trying not to stab someone in the thigh. I don’t think anyone wakes up and thinks, “I’m going to be an incredible jerk today.” Well, except some politicians. Who hasn’t felt rage, hopelessness or fear? Humans act irrationally. Sometimes we’re exhausted, sometimes we’re at wit’s end or sometimes we just can’t hear our co-worker chew his sandwich for one more minute. We are so quick to judge, so fast to condemn. Trolling has become a favorite pastime for many people, and I don’t mean the ones who live under bridges. I’ve often fallen into the role of villain. I’ve posted rage-bait; I’ve gauged a person’s character by the color of their hat or by the number of American flags stuck to their Ford F-150. We need to remember that everyone is carrying a heavy load, even the people we want to push off the castle. I know I’ve been the villain in someone’s story. Haven’t we all?
Peri Kinder is an award-winning columnist and journalist who has written for The City Journals since 2004. She also hosts the Life & Laughter podcast. Peri can be reached at peri.k@thecityjournals.com.
October 2026 | Page 31
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