April 2022 | Vol. 9 Iss. 04
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COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD TO REVIEW TAYLORSVILLE POLICE OFFICER USES OF FORCE AND HIGH-SPEED CHASES By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
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our men and one woman – all longtime Taylorsville residents – have been tabbed by Mayor Kristie Overson to serve on the city’s new Community Advisory Board. After undergoing several weeks of training, Dan Armstrong, Randy Freestone, John Lefavor, Dean Paynter and Lynette Wendel will be tasked with reviewing uses of force, high-speed chases and internal allegations of misconduct for the Taylorsville City Police Department. “It was a difficult decision because we had many very qualified members of our community apply,” Mayor Overson said. “Finalists interviewed with myself and a small panel of others. Then the final decisions were mine. I chose the best of the best; and I’m excited for this advisory board to get together.” Others on the interview panel included Police Chief Brady Cottam, city Chief Financial Officer (and Assistant City Manager) Scott Harrington, and the management team leader who coordinated the year-long project to form the Taylorsville City Police Department, Jay Ziolkowski. “Now that the mayor has made her selections, the five appointees will be introduced to the entire city council, probably at one of their April meetings,” Ziolkowski said. “After that, they will undergo several weeks of training, reviewing police department policy, joining officers for ride alongs, things like that. The training will be informal – not like a classroom setting. We just want to make sure they don’t go into it cold.” City and police officials have long wanted to see the Taylorsville Community Advisory Board up and fully functional by
The recently established Taylorsville City Police Department will soon have a group of five residents in place to review law enforcement issues
Continued page 4 including use of force and high-speed chases. (taylorsvilleut.gov/services/tvpd)
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Continued from front page the one-year anniversary of the department’s creation. Since Police Chief Brady Cottam and his staff began serving and protecting Taylorsville residents last July 1, the new board has three months left to become fully operational to meet that goal. “We have prioritized three primary areas the board will review,” Ziolkowski continued. “These are officer uses of force, high-speed chases and internal investigations of possible officer misconduct.” Several different things fall into the “use of force” category. “Any time one of our officers fires their weapon, obviously that is a use of force that will be reviewed by the board,” Cottam explained. “But if an officer uses their taser, deploys pepper spray or uses their baton, those incidents will be reviewed as well. Also, if one of our canine officers bites a suspect, the circumstances around that will be discussed.” Each of these uses of force occur very infrequently. Cottam estimates, department wide, officers only use their tasers perhaps twice a month. Pepper spray is deployed once or twice per quarter. And officers rarely even carry batons. He estimates their use will likely be reviewed by the board no more than once or twice a year. The five-member advisory board will review case specifics and will render opinions as to whether an officer should be disciplined or even terminated for a particular offense. However, case-by-case board conclusions will serve only as recommendations to the Taylorsville City Police Department. “I enjoyed the (advisory board applicants’) interview process and, overall, I was extremely impressed with all of them,” Cottam concluded. “I told the mayor ‘You have a really tough decision – but, the good part is, you cannot mess up.’ I was confident no matter which five people she chose, it would be a good panel.” Here are a few details about the five peo-
Journals T H E
ple chosen to serve on the Taylorsville Community Advisory Board: Dan Armstrong – Armstrong retired last December from the Taylorsville City Council after serving two terms (eight years). Armstrong is also in the process of selling his interest in the accounting firm he founded. During his final two years in office, Dan also served as the council liaison to the city’s volunteer Public Safety Committee. “Even though I decided not to run for re-election, I knew I wanted to remain involved in the community,” Armstrong said. “When I first heard about this advisory board being created, I thought it would be a fun challenge to help out. I like working with Chief Cottam and the mayor.” Randy Freestone – Freestone works for Steve’s Automotive Specialists in Clearfield and has lived in the same Taylorsville home since 1986, long before the city incorporated. His two daughters are Taylorsville High School graduates. “I think creating an advisory board like this is a very smart move, because it makes the police department more open and holds officers more accountable,” Freestone said. “I have watched Chief Cottam rise up through the (law enforcement) ranks and I think he is a good leader. He’s not afraid to hold his officers accountable.” John Lefavor – Lefavor graduated from Taylorsville High School in 1983 before embarking on a 30-year law enforcement career, working for the University of Utah, Park City and – for the final 19 years of his career – West Valley City PD. “Initially, I worried being a retired police officer might lead people to think I am trying to position myself on the board to defend officers,” Lefavor explained. “But my intent is to bring experience to the position. Nobody dislikes officers who act improperly more than good police officers. The bad ones make the job so much more difficult for the good ones to do.” Dean Paynter – Paynter is retired from a
The new five-member Taylorsville Community Advisory Board has been selected in yet another step the recently-created city police department is taking to be transparent. (taylorsvilleut.gov/services/tvpd)
long career in television journalism as a producer and news director. He also spent eight years teaching broadcast journalism at BYU. Except for moving to Houston for one year, Paynter and his wife have lived in Taylorsville since 1981, raising five children. “Our police officers are responsible for our safety and keeping the peace; but they also have a wonderful opportunity to be ambassadors for the city,” Paynter explained. “I want to do what I can to help ensure our residents don’t have negative experiences with their police. Taylorsville is such a fantastic city. I was thrilled when the city council voted to reestablish our own police force. It just feels like they are now closer to our local government.” Lynette Wendel – Wendel has already volunteered for many years as a member of the Taylorsville Planning Commission, where she is vice chair this year. Wendel is also an active member of the city’s Public Safety Committee. And for the second time in as many years, she
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is running for a seat in the State House of Representatives. “I applied for a position on the community advisory board because I know the hard job our police officers have and I love to support them,” Wendel said. “In 2017, I went through the 13-week Citizen’s Police Academy (operated by the Unified Police Department and Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office) where I started to learn just how hard (police officer) jobs are. If we can provide them with another perspective, I believe they will be able to do their jobs even better.” Officials say each of the five Taylorsville Community Advisory Board appointments are for two years. However, there is no set limit on how many times they can be reappointed to their post. Board members do not represent any particular geographic regions of Taylorsville City. These are not elected positions.l
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Taylorsville City Journal
Taylorsville City employee summits Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
“W
e saw thousands of zebras, water buffalo, wildebeests; animals as far as the eye could see – to the horizon.” And to think, that spectacular view is not even the one Karyn and Brian Kerdolff recently travelled nearly 10,000 miles to see in Tanzania. At least it wasn’t their “top priority” view. First and foremost, the Taylorsville City Global Information Systems Planner and her husband spent 38 hours in transit – flying up and over the North Pole – to take in the view atop Africa’s highest point (19,341 feet) – Mount Kilimanjaro. While you and I were stocking up on Super Bowl party snacks – the day before the big game, Feb. 12 – Karyn and Brian were boarding a plane bound for San Francisco. From there they flew up over the pole, to Doha, Qatar… laid over for eight hours… and then flew to Kilimanjaro Airport, about 65 miles from the peak. “We’re both age 31, have no children yet and figured this was the kind of dream vacation we ought to take while we can,” Karyn explained. “We are more long-distance backpackers than mountain climbers. But climbing Mount Kilimanjaro does not require any technical gear. So, we were confident we could do it.” The Kerdolffs moved to Utah from Cincinnati, Ohio just four years ago. Karyn says one of the biggest reasons they moved west was to be closer to adventurous outdoor recreational opportunities. “We’ve hiked to the top of Kings Peak (Utah’s highest summit, at 13,528 feet),” she added. “We’ve also hiked the Washington State peninsula and the Teton Crest Trail (about 40 miles).” That Teton Crest Trail – southwest of Grand Teton National Park – is actually 5 miles longer than the hike the Kerdolffs took to summit Kilimanjaro. “We hiked 35 miles in seven days, Feb. 15 to 21, led by guides and, honestly, going slower than we would have on our own,” Karyn explained. “The guides slow the pace because you are spending that time acclimating to the altitude. They had oxygen available. But you don’t need it, if you acclimate to the thin air properly.” All that walking was done by natural light – from dawn to well before dusk – until “summit day.” “On summit day, we started from the basecamp at about midnight, all wearing headlamps (for the first time on the journey),” Kerdolff said. “We were nearly to the summit as the sun came up. It was so cold. I was wearing all the layering I had – and wishing I’d brought my snow pants also.” But in the next breath Karyn adds, the view was worth the discomfort. “The air is thin and you are exhausted, but then you get to look down into the cen-
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
ter of the (Mt. Kilimanjaro dormant volcano) crater,” she said. “You can also see permanent glaciers. And, off in the distance, Mount Meru.” Mt. Meru is another dormant volcano – the fifth-highest peak in Africa – about 45 miles west of Kilimanjaro. Even before the Kerdolff's Feb. 27 return to Utah, Karyn’s “boss” – Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson – and her co-workers got to see the climb had been a success. “As her Taylorsville family, we were so excited to see Karyn’s picture before she returned,” Overson said. “I’m not sure whether she emailed it to someone – or posted it somewhere online – but it was fun to see. I know she was planning the trip for a long time, and did a lot of walking to train for it. We were happy for her and her husband.” Once the mountain climb was behind them, Karyn and Brian turned their attention to lions, wildebeests, zebras, water buffaloes, giraffes, and the like. “We were above the timberline for most of our Mt. Kilimanjaro hike, so about the only animals we saw were during the first few days: blue monkeys (named for the bluish tint of their face) and (black and white) colobus monkeys – oh, and ravens,” Karyn added. “But we knew we would see plenty of animals during our 4-day safari after the hike – and we did.” The Kerdolffs got to rest their legs as they visited Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park. “We were around a lot of big animals and you never saw anyone outside their vehicle, except to go to the restroom,” Karyn explained. “We stopped to eat lunch in our vehicle one day, and had huge elephants just 15 feet away. We also saw lions, baboons, antelope, mongooses and off in the distance, a single rhino.” The Kerdolffs also witnessed something even their guide described as rare to see. “As we were leaving Serengeti National Park, we stopped to watch a cheetah stalking and hunting an antelope,” Karyn said. “The cheetah didn’t get the antelope that time. But we saw it running at full speed.” Kerdolff also added, their time spent on safari was anything but “roughing it.” In fact, she invoked the hybrid word for “glamorous camping.” “We slept in tents most of the nights – but they were equipped with running water and showers,” she said. “This was real glamping – particularly compared to the way we normally backpack and camp. We also had guides walk us back to our tents each night. They weren’t so worried about big animals like lions attacking. They were watching out more for hyenas, who like to take off with your boots or other things.” Karyn says she and Brian never would have spent the time and money to go to Tanza-
Taylorsville Global Information Systems Planner Karyn Kerdolff and her husband Brian recently made their way to Africa, and to the top of one of the tallest mountains in the world. (Courtesy Karyn Kerdolff)
Taylorsville City employee Karyn Kerdolff and her husband Brian begin the final day of their ascent on Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. (Courtesy Karyn Kerdolff)
nia just for the safari portion of their trip. But, she considered it a great way to end their time on the African continent. “The (Mt. Kilimanjaro) hike was definitely the main thing – the biggest part of our trip – and it was such a relief once we finished that,” she concluded. “We knew we had accomplished what we set out to do. But the safari was such a fun, contrasting activity. It was a lot of sitting and riding. But seeing the wildlife was incredible. They were just two totally different things. I can’t really say one was more ‘fun’ than the other – but finishing the climb was definitely more personally satisfying.” After hiring on with Taylorsville City in
August 2019, Karyn is now back at her planning department desk – undoubtedly with a few of the African adventure pictures somewhere in sight. She and husband Brian say it will be a while before their next world travelling adventure. But they’re already pondering it. “I think next on our list are the Dolomite Mountains in Italy or the Patagonia region at the southern tip of South America (shared by Argentina and Chile),” she said. “But I would also definitely return to Tanzania. The people were so friendly and personable – very kind to us.” l
April 2022 | Page 5
A work party, ‘Movies on the Plaza’ and a first-of-its-kind triathlon all coming to Taylorsville soon By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
T
wo full years of “we really can’t do that because of the pandemic” has gotten pretty tiresome for volunteer members of the Taylorsville Parks & Recreation Committee. So now that Anthony Fauci, Rochelle Walensky, Spencer Cox and even your most germophobic neighbor are all saying we can poke our heads out a little, the 10-member ‘fun & frolic’ committee has lined up a huge array of outdoor activities for the coming months. Free movies on the lawn? Check. Food trucks? Check. A spikeball tournament (for those who know what that is)? Check again. Oh, and how about a unique type of ‘triathlon’ committee members cooked up on their own? Yep, that too. Taylorsville City Council Vice Chair Meredith Harker is the elected body’s liaison to the Parks & Recreation Committee. “Our members have come up with a lot of great ideas to get residents active again, now that we can finally do a little more,” Harker said. “We have about ten members – although we’d love a few more. They want to give people reasons to get out and have fun.” Indeed, during a recent report to the city council, P&RC Chairman Jared Smith reported his group’s top two priorities are to bring people together and to encourage health and fitness. As an 11-year physical education instructor for two Granite District elementary schools – including Taylorsville Elementary (2010 W. 4250 S.) – Smith likes to say “I play for a living.” “Our committee meets on the first Thursday of each month at city hall,” Smith said. “We have ten active members; but we could use twice that many. The more people involved, the more ideas we have. And if we had 20 members, it would be less work for each of us.” As the P&RC chair for the past 3 years, Smith invites anyone interested in joining the group to call or email him, at 801-982-1847 or jared-smith@mail.com. In the meantime, here’s some of what the committee is up to – starting with a scheduled work party later this month: April 23 – Labrum Park planting party We first introduced you to the “Loving Labrum Park” project a year ago, right after the P&RC secured a $7,400 grant from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District to help fund improvements at the tucked away site, north of 6200 South (6041 S. Jordan Canal Road, about 1900 West). Unfortunately, COVID-19, inflation and supply chain issues slowed down the committee’s progress on the park. Well, those issues and one other. “As we began digging around in the area where we plan to plant new foliage, we discovered a hard layer cap over what once was a landfill,” said P&RC member Aaron Johnson.
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Taylorsville elected officials would like to see a new city park go in on these vacant 16 acres the city owns, north and west of the water tanks at 6200 South 3200 West. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
“That meant we could not dig into the dirt as deep as we had planned – and we had to bring in a lot of topsoil. It slowed everything down.” The area the committee is working on is 5,600 square feet, or .13 acre, next to the park’s playground equipment. Because it will require the hand planting of about 300 plants, it’s a labor-intensive undertaking. The committee scheduled the planting project for this month because April is “World Landscape Architecture Month,” as proclaimed by the American Society of Landscape Architects. “I am a part of the Utah ASLA chapter and we always do service activities to mark the month, which is intended to celebrate landscape designs on public and private spaces,” Johnson said. “I expect about a dozen Utah ASLA members to help us plant that day. The Taylorsville Youth Council has also pledged to help out. But we could still use more volunteers.” Anyone interested in helping with the April 23 Loving Labrum Park planting project is encouraged to wear work clothes, bring a rake or shovel, wear gloves and prepare to fill the area with $3,500 worth of drought-resistant foliage. Johnson is also designing interpretive signs for the project so visitors will be able to easily identify what plant types they are looking at, in case they want to consider some of the same water stingy plants for their own yards.
Water will be churning with activity this summer in this part of the Jordan River, adjacent to Millrace Park, when the Taylorsville Parks & Recreation Committee introduces residents to a unique new kind of triathlon. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
Taylorsville City Journal
May 14, June 25 and July 16 – Taylorsville ‘Triathlon’ The annual Taylorsville Dayzz 5K run has been around for years, routinely drawing 300 to 400 competitors. This year, P&RC members want to use that successful 5K as a linchpin to create a new activity: the first-ever Taylorsville Triathlon. But committee chairman Smith is the first to admit, it’s not competitive; it’s just for fun, and it’s unlike any triathlon you’ve heard of before. “We want to raise the public’s awareness of the Jordan River and its recreational opportunities,” Smith explained. “The river’s been cleaned up. It’s safe for canoes and kayaks. You can float it on a tube. You can even swim in the Jordan River.” The first leg of the triathlon, on May 14, is intended to let participants see the river – but not yet enter it. The bicycling portion of the triathlon will be held that day, on the Jordan River trail, starting and ending in Millrace Park. Triathlon participants will be able to view the portion of the river they will be entering two months later, when it’s warmer. The second leg of the triathlon will be the Taylorsville Dayzz 5K on June 25. As always, that race will offer a variety of prizes for top finishers in many different age classes. But those prizes will be unrelated to the triathlon. Then the triathlon will finish in the Jordan River, July 16 – when it will be plenty hot for getting wet. “We want people to know you can use the Jordan River; it’s not dirty and gross like it used to be,” Smith added. “So, we are inviting people to jump into the river on that day, any way they want: in a canoe or kayak, on an innertube or just in a swimsuit.” That particular stretch of the Jordan River actually runs nearly as much to the east as it does to the north, from Millrace Park (1150 W. 5400 S.) to Little Confluence Park (677 W. 4800 S.). The distance is a little over a mile. Registration for the Taylorsville Triathlon is being completed through the city website. The cost is just $10 more than the 5K run ($40 rather than $30) to cover the cost of your “I Survived the Taylorsville Triathlon” t-shirt. May 14 – Food truck season opens On the same day as the bike ride portion of the triathlon, Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson will welcome hungry patrons back to the city’s food truck night. The Food Truck League of Utah first coordinated weekly truck visits outside city hall in 2019. However, the combination of coronavirus and on-going construction of the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center and Centennial Plaza pretty much wiped out the culinary visits in 2020 and 2021. Overson’s Executive Assistant Jen Andrus promises the trucks will be back with a vengeance this year. And after purchasing your food, there will be entertainment while you eat. “We will have six to eight food trucks parked in front of city hall every Saturday night, except one,” Andrus explained. “We
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
Taylorsville residents are invited to help plant foliage at Labrum Park on April 23 in an effort to make a part of the park start to look more like this drawing. (Taylorsville Parks & Recreation Committee)
told the Food Truck League not to come on Taylorsville Dayzz weekend (June 25). Other than that, they will be here from 5 to 8:30 p.m., each Saturday through August 27, and possibly beyond. We’re now working to line up entertainment on those nights as well. Most of it is already scheduled.” On five of the food truck nights, the P&RC will present free movies from the stage of the new Centennial Plaza outdoor amphitheater. There will also be musical entertainment on many of the Saturday nights, including at least two performances by Taylorsville City Attorney Tracy Cowdell’s rock ‘n roll cover band, De Novo. May 21 – Spikeball tournament In addition to the triathlon, another Taylorsville first is coming to Millrace Park, courtesy of the Utah Roundnet Association, the governing body that coordinates spikeball tournaments all across the state. Spikeball features two, 2-person teams that compete by bouncing a softball-sized (but much softer) ball on a 3-foot diameter net, in a frame just 6 inches above the ground. It’s been described as a combination of volleyball and 4-square, with the action fast for competitors and fun for spectators. “Our committee is not involved in organizing this tournament; but we have helped them line up use of Millrace Park,” P&RC Chairman Smith said. “They told us to expect 50 to 80 nets going at once; so, it will draw a lot of visitors to our area. Utah Roundnet keeps rankings, and many Taylorsville residents are among the top 100 in Utah. There will be a lot of local players participating.” The single-day Millrace Park tournament is part of what Utah Roundnet calls its “2022 Major Tournament Series.” From March through August, the tour stops in: American Fork, Centerville, Draper, Provo, St. George and Taylorsville. The spikeball state championship will be held Sept. 24. A new park coming? One final note from the Taylorsville Parks & Recreation Committee is not yet offi-
Following COVID-19 interruptions over the past two summers, food trucks will return to Taylorsville City Hall this summer, along with “Movies on the Plaza” on five of the Saturday nights. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
cial, but is getting a lot of “buzz.” The mayor and city council are discussing the possible creation of a brand new, 16-acre city park, on the northwest corner of 3200 West 6200 South, the site of a long-covered landfill. The acreage, east of Summit Vista retirement community, currently has a pair of large water tanks on it. An open gate and sign welcome dog walkers into the area; but it is otherwise undeveloped. Councilwoman Harker wants the area improved for Taylorsville recreators – and she hopes the name “Tank Park” sticks. “A park designer has put some preliminary drawings together and we’ve had a couple of meetings so far,” Harker explained. “But we don’t have a cost estimate yet, so we aren’t far along. Right now, there are (ventilating) pipes sticking into the ground all over the area (allowing gases from the decaying landfill under the surface cap to dissipate). But it’s a big area and I think we could put it to great use, if we can find the money to do it.”
Because it was once a landfill, city officials say the acreage is not suitable for any type of construction requiring deep digging for building foundations or other, similar improvements. At the moment, “Tank Park” is being optimistically discussed, but with no timeline for possible construction. For now, then – thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Taylorsville Parks & Recreation Committee – residents will instead have to content themselves with: bike riding along the Jordan River, watching movies in Centennial Plaza, running the Taylorsville Dayzz 5K, enjoying food truck cuisine outside city hall, floating or swimming the Jordan, watching or participating in a spikeball tournament and listening to the likes of De Novo and other musical groups outside city hall. Come to think of it, perhaps Tank Park can wait for a bit. l
April 2022 | Page 7
Five Taylorsville Boy Scouts honored simultaneously during unique Eagle Court of Honor By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
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n historic night for Taylorsville Boy Scout Troop 117 saw five different young men each receive their Eagle Scout awards during the same ceremony. The prestigious BSA Eagle Court of Honor is normally reserved for a single Scout to receive congratulations from fellow Scouts, friends and family. But Scoutmaster Steve Plothow offered his Scouts an opportunity to do things differently this time around and they jumped at it. “We’ve not had a combined Eagle Court of Honor since two brothers received the rank advancement together, back in 1995,” Scoutmaster Plothow said. “I believe the Eagle Court should be a special night, reserved for a single honoree. But the circumstances were unique this time – and all the boys seemed to like the idea – so we did something different.” Like so many things over the past two years, those “unique circumstances” were thanks in large part to COVID-19. Because so many public gatherings were curtailed by the pandemic, Plothow suddenly had multiple Scouts all needing to be properly recognized. Another factor contributing to the situation was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ decision to end its 105-year sponsorship of the Boy Scouts of America at the end of 2019. The move reportedly shrunk the number of Scout troops across northern Utah from 7,200 to just 110. While most boys ended their Scouting experience at that time, others scrambled to join the few remaining troops. Plothow’s previous Boy Scout troop was among those that lost Church sponsorship. But they were one of a handful of troops that secured sponsorship instead from the Salt Lake County Firefighters employee union (IAFF 1696), allowing them to continue operations under their new 117 troop number. “When we first made that change (January 2020) I had 40 boys register, from 10 different troops, Centerville to West Jordan,” Plothow added. “I didn’t know how I was going to handle that many boys. We moved our meeting place to the (Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center) dairy store. With 35 boys in there, you couldn’t hear a thing. We started feeding them pizza, just to quiet them long enough to conduct the meetings. Then, after only a few gatherings, COVID hit and we were shut down again.” Troop 117 members met over Zoom for a year, finally returning to face-to-face meetings a year ago. That led to a normal, single-Scout Eagle Court of Honor last summer – followed by another eight months, before the quintet of Eagle Scouts were recognized inside the Taylorsville City Council chambers on Feb. 19. “City officials told us we were the first group to rent out the council chambers since before coronavirus hit,” Plothow said. “We read a letter Mayor Overson wrote to the boys
Page 8 | April 2022
Nicholas Bennett, Xaden Sumsion, Caleb White, Luke Smith and Koleby Goodson (L-R) were all recently honored by Taylorsville Boy Scout Troop 117, during a unique, five-scout Eagle Court of Honor. (Dawn Sumsion)
congratulating them. It was a nice event.” Among the honorees were two young men who had earned the rank advancement some time ago, but had never received an Eagle Court of Honor. A third boy went through the ceremony just days before departing on a mission to Mexico for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.. And another enjoyed the ceremony less than six months before he will enter basic training for the Marine Corps Reserves. All five of the Scouts – Nicholas Bennett, Koleby Goodson, Luke Smith, Xaden Sumsion and Caleb White – received matching, embroidered neckerchiefs, featuring an eagle along with their names and the date of the ceremony. The event was attended by about 130 people. Dawn Sumsion is the mother Xaden, a Taylorsville High School senior – and the one bound for military boot camp in August. “I think the combined Eagle Court of Honor was very cool,” she said. “It was great for them to acknowledge everyone. (Scoutmaster) Steve (Plothow) is an awesome leader. He really cares about the boys and wants them to succeed.” Xaden is Dawn’s second son to earn his Eagle Scout rank, following older brother Kahner, who now attends Salt Lake Community College. Xaden’s father, Shane, is another Eagle Scout in the Sumsion family. “It was great to have my dad and brother there,” Xaden said. “They sat in the Eagles Nest (an area set aside during the ceremony, for all Eagle Scouts in attendance). My two younger brothers, Jozef and Kyson, were also there. They want to be Eagle Scouts, too. Then there was my mom, an uncle and two grandparents (at the ceremony). It was great.” Sumsion is one of those who had to trans-
It was nearly standing room only for a recent Eagle Court of Honor inside the Taylorsville City Council chambers, as five different scouts were honored for the same prestigious rank advancement. (Steve Plothow)
fer into Troop 117 after his Church-sponsored troop was disbanded. “It was quite a blessing to find Steve’s troop,” Xaden concluded. “He made the meetings fun and got people excited to attend. I joined Boy Scouts at age 11 and have worked for (my Eagle rank advancement) for seven years. It was quite a journey and helped me to grow as a person. I learned skills I know I will use for the rest of my life.” Plothow isn’t sure when his troop will hold its next Eagle Court of Honor. But he promises, more are coming. “I have six boys who are Life Scouts (the rank just below Eagle),” Plothow added. “I have challenged each of them to have their Eagle Courts of Honor before the end of the year. I plan to go back to honoring each of them in separate Eagle Courts. This five-Scout ceremony was fun and different. But I still think each Scout who earns their Eagle deserves their own
moment in the sun.” Next up for Taylorsville Boy Scout Troop 117 is a fundraiser pancake breakfast outside the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center (1488 W. 4800 S.) on Memorial Day morning (May 30). “The Scouts will have a flag raising ceremony that morning, and adults will be cooking pancakes on two or three griddles outside the heritage center,” Plothow said. “After breakfast, my Scouts will conduct a ceremony to retire worn out United States flags.” A month after the fundraiser breakfast, Troop 117 members will spend the final week of June outside Cedar City – not far from Brian Head Ski Resort – at BSA Camp Thunder Ridge. Plothow says he’s not taken a troop to that weeklong high adventure camp in a dozen years – back when the church still sponsored Scouting and only surgeons and bank robbers wore face masks.l
Taylorsville City Journal
West Lake STEM Junior High School rebuilds after earthquake By Liz Craker | l.craker@mycitujournals.com
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onstruction is underway for the new West Lake STEM Junior High School, at 450 W. 3400 South in West Valley City. The occasion was marked with a groundbreaking ceremony March 18 to celebrate the continuation of school’s almost 60-year history. The ceremony, two years from the date of the earthquake in 2020, featured short speeches from school leaders and local representatives, as well as selected student performances. The original building sustained significant damage during the earthquake, leading to a temporary relocation of the school. Following extensive building assessments, the Granite Board of Education decided to rebuild instead of repair the original damaged structure. “After the earthquake, the school was relocated to the old Westbrook Elementary school campus at 3451 W. 6200 South,” principal Tyler Howe said. “The original building had been in West Valley since 1964.” “This is a home to our community. It’s exciting to watch the next chapter open, and our students get to be the authors of that chapter,” Howe added. The new West Lake building will be modeled after an existing Utah middle school building, Hidden Valley Middle School, that
was completed in 2020. Howe said the new building will incorporate space for collaborative learning with rollaway walls that will shift four sets of classrooms into one. Because the school has a STEM focus, hands-on learning and collaborative learning are a central part of the curriculum which the layout will support, he said. “While the school currently has seventhand eighth-grade students, the new building will accommodate three grades to be prepared for sixth grade if the school expands,” Howe said. Enrollment has been steady throughout the move from the original campus, according to Ben Horsley, Granite School District communications director. “It is a popular school location because of its STEM focus,” he said. “We are essentially building a new school at the same cost of what it would have been to restore the old building,” Horsley said. “The original building was built in 1963 at the cost of $2.4 million, and the new building will cost $55 million.” It is anticipated the new building will be ready August 2024. The school currently has 775 students and 40 teachers. Howe has been the principal for six years.
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
West Lake principal Tyler Howe celebrates with community at the school groundbreaking. (Photo courtesy of Granite School District)
“It’s a little part of history. It’s difficult when you lose your facility. There is a sense of identity with a building. West Valley is a great community with strong families and to have a junior high school right in the middle
is binding. There is a neat pride in the community for the school. People who haven’t been in the building in decades are calling for memorabilia and picking up bricks,” Howe said. l
Diamond Tree Experts
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Business Spotlights are a service offered to our advertisers to help them inform our readers about their businesses. For information on scheduling a Spotlight, please call us at 801-254-5974 or email us at ryan.c@thecityjournals.com
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TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
If it’s moist, the tree is getting enough water,” Trent says. One way to help your trees stay moist is with mulch, and spring is a perfect time to add mulch to your yard. Mulch improves soil moisture and prevents soil from drying out too quickly. Customers might not know that Diamond Tree has a vibrant green waste-to-mulch program. All tree branches, stumps and trunks are converted into mulch; they have colored mulch in red, dark brown, chocolate brown, black to just a natural color for
decorating your yard. They also have a fine mulch product that’s good for gardens to break up the soil. They will have an organic mulch or soil product to fit any of your needs. Diamond Tree also excels in tree trimming and removal, so if you have a dead or damaged tree, they can grind the stump and roots so another tree can be planted in the same location. If you have damaged branches, they can come and remove those for you and trim your tree for optimal growth and health. Damage to trees and shrubbery can come from pests, diseases, or pollution, but the experts at Diamond Tree can identify the problem and create solutions for long-term health. The company provides soil testing, tree spraying and deep-root injections to promote viability. “We’ll come out and take a look at it and let you know what’s going on with your tree,” says Diamond Tree CFO Elvin Serrano. “If anyone ever calls for tree work, we always send an estimator to provide a free expert evaluation of the tree and estimate for any work needed.” That personal service is one reason Diamond Tree Experts is a leader in the industry. Building long lasting relationships is a big factor in the success of the company. Hiring professionals who are hardworking and trustworthy is a must for Diamond Tree and has helped establish its legacy of excellent customer service. “When I’m taking care of customers, I’m making sure I’m treating everybody’s yard like it’s my own backyard,” Trent says. For more information or to have an expert check out your trees, call 801-938-4345 or visit DiamondTreeExperts.com.
April 2022 | Page 9
Entheos Academy continues enrichment program throughout the pandemic By Liz Craker | l.craker@mycityjournals.com
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ntheos Academy, a service learning public charter school in Magana and Kearns, has found creative methods to keep its enrichment programs running the past two years in spite of pandemic restrictions. “We've found ways to safely continue the Discovery program for our kindergarten through eighth-grade students, along with our middle school Adventure program, during the pandemic,” Service Learning Director Manager Melanie Louviere said. “Instead of leaving campus for activities or bringing people into the school, instructors taught things they already knew or learned new skills.” Prior to the pandemic, the Discovery program classes were led by people in the community. “We feel that it is important for the school and the students to have those community relationships,” Louviere said. "As Discovery Coordinator, I enjoy that I am able to search and find classes that will allow our student body to explore unique and different classes,” Alicia Seely said. “At the end of their session, whether they enjoyed the class or not, they stepped out of their comfort zone and tried something new. They learned something new about themselves.” According to Louviere, the Discovery enrichment program has been in place
several years and is at no cost to students. “This gives students an opportunity to find new interests and skills regardless of talent level and financial situation,” Louviere said. “It offers students from lowerincome families opportunities they might not be able to do otherwise.” The grade levels choose topics for month-long projects, and the groups have been meeting one afternoon a week either during the school day or outside school hours. The program has included classes such as coding, science, Zumba, pickleball, Quidditch, fine arts, sports, sewing, floral design, leather crafting, stage makeup, glass fusing and culture-related projects. “Even though it looked different, students were still able to do all these things during the pandemic,” Louviere said. She added that this year the program was able to go back to in-person programming by bringing back outside instructors. In addition to the Discovery program, the Adventure program has been able to again take students out in the field for hands-on learning while camping in various tourist places like Dinosaur National Monument and Moab. Each trip includes six to eight students for a three-day, twonight trip. “The programming is built around current curriculum and includes some service work,” Louviere said.
Students learn new skills in a scuba diving class. (Photo courtesy of Entheos Academy)
Page 10 | April 2022
A student logs experiences during an Adventure program trip. (Photo courtesy of Entheos Academy)
The sixth-grade group goes to Cedar City to study archeology and ancient civilizations, ecosystems, mountains and deserts. The seventh-grade group goes to Moab as part of a combination of Utah studies class and career and college awareness.
“Our school believes that all students have skills and talents, and these programs give them an opportunity to use those,” Louviere said. “It is such an important opportunity for them, and it builds their confidence and skills.” l
A student experiences rock climbing. (Photo courtesy of Entheos Academy)
Taylorsville City Journal
Health department seeks films sharing stories of resilience By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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spiring filmmakers who have a story to tell of resilience can showcase their short original film in Salt Lake County Health Department’s fourth annual film festival. The contest is open to seventh- through 12th-grade students who live in Salt Lake County. The 30- to 60-second films are to show or discuss how they, or those around them, have demonstrated resilience in mental health, physical health and/or social health. This year’s theme, “Stories of Resilience” was determined by the Salt Lake County Healthy Teens Coalition. “The youth expressed sincerely the need to expand on our theme from previous years,” said Julia Glade, Salt Lake County Health Department healthy communities coordinator. “We value the youth voice, especially when it comes to learning how public health topics have an impact on them and their community. The film festival is a terrific opportunity to motivate teens to continue engaging in these important conversations about to their physical, mental and social health, especially after the last two years they’ve endured during the pandemic.” Film submissions will close Thursday, April 7 at 11:59 p.m. mountain time. Film submissions will be ranked in originality,
relevance to the theme and technical expertise. To learn more about the festival rules, submission information and resources, visit SaltLakeHealth.org. The contest first began as the Kick Ash Film Festival in 2019, with previous festivals asking students to target their films to other youth about the dangers of youth e-cigarette use. Post-festival evaluation efforts found that 78% of teens who participated had a changed (more negative) perception of e-cigarettes, Glade said. The community also supported the expanded vision of the film festival. “It’s a fun event and the community sponsors value the youth’s vision and values on health topics and the impact these have on them and their families. It’s motivating to hear teens talk to their peers and their families about mental, physical and social health issues and hear their stories about resiliency through film,” she said. Sponsors, including Get Healthy Utah, HealthChoice Utah, Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital and Unite Us, have donated prizes and cash to the top three winners in grades seven through nine, and also in grades 10-12. Winners will be determined by a panel of judges from Salt Lake County
Draper Park Middle School winners of the film festival school award pose in 2019 at Salt Lake County’s inaugural film festival. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Health Department and the festival’s sponsors. There are audience choice top three prizes, with online voting available April
15-22. The festival will show winning films at a virtual screening event April 28. l
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Utah House race: District boundaries change, but the opponents remain the same – Wendel vs. Dunnigan By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
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f Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed could stage a made-for-Hollywood rematch 40+ years ago, why not Lynette Wendell and Jim Dunnigan in 2022? For those not old enough to remember, Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky was a huge underdog in the original film against the established heavyweight boxing champion, Creed. It was pretty much like nearly every Democrat in Utah who ever faces an incumbent Republican, in any race. But with the Penguin in his corner (Burgess Meredith), Rocky barely lost. Kind of like Wendel, at the height of the pre-vaccine pandemic, in November 2020. Seventeen months ago, Jim Dunnigan (R) was the 18-year established incumbent in House District 39. Yet his win over challenger Lynette Wendel (D) was another “barely,” 7,836 votes to 7,752. The Republican calls it the closest of the ten races he’s run since 2002. But Dunnigan-Wendel II will be much different this November, because the shape of their political “boxing ring” has been significantly reconfigured. Thousands of mostly Kearns voters who saw those names on their ballot two years ago will see new names this time around. Likewise, thousands of mostly West Jordan voters will see Wendel and Dunnigan’s names for the first time. They all have our founding fathers – and Utah redistricting map makers – to thank for the change. Near the top of the United States Constitution – Article 1, Section 2, to be specific – the U.S. Census is legally mandated. The coast-to-coast head count occurs every 10 years in years ending in zero. Then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson conducted the first census – which was “coast-to-wilderness” rather than coast-to-coast – in 1790. The 2020 census determined each of Utah’s 75 House districts would have to grow from about 36,000 residents to 43,000. To accomplish these once-a-decade changes, House district maps were redrawn. That’s why, starting next year, Taylorsville residents will be represented by four different State House members (although two of them only have a very small percentage of city voters as their constituents). And that new map is also why, this time around, thousands of Taylorsville, Kearns and West Jordan voters will see new names on their ballots. The House District in question has also been rebranded, from District 39 to District 36. In broad strokes, the reconfigured district now lies between Bangerter Highway and Redwood Road, from 4700 South to 7800 South. Nearly two-thirds of the district remains Taylorsville voters. But a full 35% of the new District 36 constituents call West Jor-
Page 12 | April 2022
dan home. “That part of West Jordan is a more Republican area and I look forward to getting to know the people there,” Dunnigan said. “I think the climate will be more favorable to Republicans this time, now that we have a Democratic president. I received no help from the top of the ticket two years ago.” Challenger Wendel believes the shape of the new District 36 is no accident. “There is evidence voter voices in our city were intentionally segregated and diluted as a result of my successful (2020) campaign,” she said. “Incredibly, we closed a 12-point gap on an 18-year incumbent by connecting and serving the people of Taylorsville and Kearns. But I am committed to no negativity or drama (in this campaign). I (will) stay focused on my merits and contributions to our community.” The challenger Wendel, 53, is also looking forward to meeting those thousands of West Jordan voters who did not have her name on their 2020 ballot. “COVID-19 really restricted our personal engagements (in 2020) so I think campaigning will be better this time,” she said. “We had volunteers call homes. My campaign was always about connecting the community. We hosted an event at Taylorsville City Hall in September 2020 to provide flu shots, and continued with community service events throughout that year.” Dunnigan, 69, is also looking forward to meeting voters face-to-face, who he has never represented before. “I have always worked for westside issues, not just Taylorsville or Kearns issues,” he said. “I have been getting to know West Jordan’s Mayor (Dirk Burton) and other leaders in the city.” The Utah House member who represents the next largest number of Taylorsville residents, Karen Kwan (D), is also seeing her district reshaped and renumbered. Since 2017, she has served District 34. Now, with Murray voters out, mostly replaced by West Valley City residents, Kwan’s title will change to District 31 Representative, if reelected “We now have 17 Democrats (in the Utah House, out of 75 seats), which is the highest number we’ve had in my six years up there,” Kwan said. “During this (just ended) session, Democrats did well – with more Republican support for our bills than ever before.” As to whether she supports Dunnigan or Wendel in their election rematch, Rep. Kwan… well… offers a political answer. When asked ‘Has incumbent Republican Representative Dunnigan represented Taylorsville residents adequately?’ Kwan responded, “One-hundred percent…but a Democrat would be better.” But Kwan also quickly adds, she’s not
After narrowly losing her Utah House race to incumbent District 39 Representative Jim Dunnigan two years ago, Lynette Wendel will challenge him again in the fall, this time in the reconfigured House District 36 race. (facebook.com/votelynette )
After serving on the Taylorsville City Council years ago, Jim Dunnigan shifted to the Utah House, where he’s held the same seat since 2003. For the second time in as many years, Democrat Lynette Wendel will challenge him for that post – now reconfigured and renamed District 36 – this fall. (facebook.com/JimDunniganPage)
found endorsements to mean a whole lot to Taylorsville voters. “Official endorsements do little; it’s about engaging with voters,” she said. “When I knock on doors, people talk about issues, rather than (political) parties.” Rep. Kwan’s Republican opponent for her reconfigured Utah House District 31 seat is Andrew Nieto. Learn more about each of their campaigns at karenkwanforutah.com and nieto4house31.com. Wendel and Dunnigan both have long track records of service to Taylorsville residents. In addition to serving in the Utah House for 20 years, Dunnigan also chairs the annual Taylorsville Dayzz celebration committee. And, a generation ago, he was one of the city’s original city council members. Wendel, meantime, has served on the
Jim Dunnigan has represented Taylorsville residents in the Utah House for 20 years. He will seek an eleventh two-year term this fall, running against challenger Lynette Wendel – the same opponent he narrowly defeated two years ago. (facebook.com/JimDunniganPage)
As a Taylorsville community activist, Lynette Wendel spends a lot of time on Utah’s Capitol Hill. This fall – for the second time in as many years – she will again try to unseat 20-year incumbent House Representative Jim Dunnigan. (votelynette.com)
Taylorsville Planning Commission for years, and is now its vice chair. She’s also a member of the Taylorsville Public Safety Committee. And, just a couple of weeks ago, she was one of five people selected to review Taylorsville Police Department activities on the Community Advisory Board, starting July 1. Dunnigan and Wendel both say they are excited to meet the new West Jordan voters in their reshaped Utah House district. Each are soliciting campaign donations now. Wendel held a public campaign kick-off event on March 19. At press time, incumbent Dunnigan was still planning a similar event. To learn more about the Dunnigan-Wendel II combatants, visit votelynette.com or electdunnigan.com. At each of their campaign websites you can sign up to receive their respective email newsletters, or donate time or money to their election efforts.l
Taylorsville City Journal
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
www.taylorsvilleut.gov
April 2022
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400
MAYOR'S MESSAGE Dear Friends and Neighbors, Thanks to our outstanding committees and teams of volunteers, this spring and summer promise to be filled with fun and I can’t wait. From concerts and movies to a Bike, Run, Float “triathlon,” every month is filled with plenty to do. Mayor Kristie S. Overson Toward the top of the list is our first-ever Starry Nights @the Plaza. We want to make this a recurring event at our new Centennial Plaza. These nights may feature concerts or performances, movie nights and games, or an evening when you can grab a yummy bite at the food trucks. We envision these Starry Nights as a time when friends and family can gather at Centennial Plaza for an evening out together. This year’s first Starry Nights @the Plaza will celebrate the opening of the stage at Centennial Plaza. It’s set for Saturday, May 14. The food trucks arrive at 5 p.m.; we’re planning a short ceremony, and local rock band De Novo is headlining ‘til 9:30. (See an ad for the event on Page 2 of this section). More Starry Nights planned this year feature our outdoor movies that have become a tradition outside City Hall. Now they will be movies on the plaza. The first movie night is scheduled for June 18, featuring “Back to the Future” and live music by De Novo beforehand. Also new this year is our Bike, Run, Float triathlon. The event features our 5K held each year as part of Taylorsville Dayzz, as well as family-friendly, non-competitive Bike and Float events. First, bike or ride along the Jordan River on May 14. Next is the 5K on June 25. Then, float the Jordan River on July 16. Participate in one leg of the laid-back triathlon or all three! (See more information on Page 6 of this section). Speaking of Taylorsville Dayzz, it’s set for June 23, 24 and 25 with the accustomed carnival rides and food booths, parade, petting zoo, concerts, car show, 5K and, of course, the best fireworks in the state. (Find more on Page 6). Other events planned this summer include the Taylorsville Arts Council’s Willy Wonka Jr. on June 8-10, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on July 11-16. You also won’t want to miss the Green Committee’s Annual Cleanup Day on June 18 (See Page 3). There’s even more planned, the details of which simply won’t fit here. So check back to this space or to www. taylorsvilleut.gov. It’s a spring and summer of fun for Taylorsville! –Mayor Kristie S. Overson
WHAT ’S INSIDE – APRIL 2022 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 Getting to Know TVPD, Page 4 Heritage Remembrances, Page 7 Environment, Page 8
Consider Waterwise Vegetation When Planting This Spring
Spring has sprung in Taylorsville, and with the new season comes several opportunities to plant with a waterwise mindset. It’s a practice that emphasizes using plants that require less water, as well as grouping plants together by water needs to encourage more efficient water use. The spring weather is a perfect reminder to keep in mind the low rainfall and high temperatures expected this year as the days soon turn to summer, said Mayor Kristie Overson. “We all want to be mindful of conserving water, particularly this year as drought conditions affect us again statewide.”
To that end, Taylorsville is among several cities across the Wasatch Front who partnered with the Utah Rivers Council in an effort to incentivize water conservation and recycling. Through its RainHarvest Utah project, the Rivers Council has offered discounted rain barrels. The 50-gallon barrels collect runoff from roofs and gutters, which can then be used for watering lawns and gardens. Barrels can be purchased at www.utahrivers.org/ rainharvest, or at your local home store. Taylorsville had partnered with the Rivers Council to offer 100 barrels at a discount, and more than 101 residents had reserved those barrels reaching the subsidy amount before the city’s partnership had even been announced. Since its inception, the RainHarvest Utah program has helped Utahns save millions of gallons of water, and continued use of barrels could reduce demand for water by 10% to 20%. “We are so proud of our Taylorsville residents and the conscientious efforts they are making,” Mayor Overson said. “Every effort counts as we work to conserve water.” The Taylorsville Green Committee is also sponsoring a class where residents can learn about the Localscapes method in creating their ideal yard. The event on Thursday, April 14 will be presented by sustainable landscapes expert, Cynthia Bee, of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. It runs from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, and participants must register at
SPRING PLANTING CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Emergency ...................................................................................................911 Police Department ............................................................... 801-840-4000 Poison Control Center .................................................... 1-800-222-1222 Animal Control Shelter ....................................................... 801-965-5800 Animal Control After House 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
Stay Safe Against COVID with These Guidelines Salt Lake County, including Taylorsville, is now listed at a “medium” level for COVID transmission, meaning residents should decide whether to wear a mask based on their own underlying risk of serious illness, as well as the risk of those close to them. Dr. Angela Dunn, executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department, recommends doing the following to stay safe against the virus: • Keep up to date on recommended COVID vaccinations, including boosters when eligible. • Isolate at home and get tested for COVID if you have symptoms. • Wear a high-filtration mask when indoors in public — if certain personal circumstances apply. • Seek early treatment if you test positive and are at high risk for serious illness. • Maintain an overall healthy lifestyle, including good nutrition and regular physical activity. “Ensuring you and your loved ones are up to date on your COVID vaccination is still the single best way to prevent serious disease and death,” Dunn said. “Please be aware and respectful of what the people around you are doing, and also consider the people in your life who may be at higher risk than you.” Salt Lake County health officials also urge residents to seek testing if they develop symptoms, and otherwise stay home. Testing at the first sign of symptoms is important so those who qualify for available treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies or antiviral medication, can begin that treatment within the necessary timeframe.
TAYLORSVILLE'S 1ST
EVENTS APRIL 2022 April 2
Taylorsville Community Gardens opens. Cost is $25. Contact Toni Lenning at 801-414-4192, if interested.
CENTENNIAL PLAZA 2600 W. TAYLORSVILLE BLVD.
Plaza @the
SATURDAY, MAY 14
April 6 & 20 – 6:30 p.m.
City Council Meeting @ City Hall and online. Watch a live-stream of the meeting on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov
April 12 – 7 p.m. & March 26 – 6 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.
April 14 – 7 to 8 p.m.
Localscapes: Creating Your Ideal Taylorsville Yard @ City Hall Council Chambers. Register at eventbrite.com. See Page 5.
April 17 – All day Happy Easter!
April 22 – All day
Earth Day. (Taylorsville’s Annual Clean-up Day, previously held on Earth Day, is set for June 18. See ad on next page).
April 23 – 9 a.m.
Loving Labrum Park spring planting @ Labrum Park, 6041 S. Jordan Canal Road. Volunteers needed. Bring gloves, shovels and hand shovels. See Page 3.
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
OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE STAGE AT CENTENNIAL PLAZA FEATURING : Welcome by Mayor Overson, Food Trucks Arrive, 5 PM Entertainment by De Novo Opening Ceremony Special Musical Performance (TBA) Mayor's Remarks De Novo Closes it Out
7 PM 7:30-9:30 PM
April 2022
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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COUNCIL CORNER Thank You to Our Legislators for Representing Taylorsville So Well By Council Member Curt Cochran This past month, the Utah Legislature finished its 2022 session. We would like to applaud those individuals who choose to serve their communities at this level. Most are not professional or full-time politicians but rather, they are everyday people like you and me who want to represent our state and make life in Utah better. You may even have a representative or a senator as a neighbor. I know they would appreciate your recognition and gratitude for the job that takes them away from their regular jobs and their families. Overall, the Legislature was very busy this year, potentially reviewing 4,629 new bills. About 11%, or 512 bills, were passed. While there is not room in this article or this entire paper to note all of the bills, there were a few that caught my eye. Including them here does not mean I am either for or against the bills; I just found them interesting. They are: HCR0007 Concurrent Resolution Regarding Improving Air Quality Through Enhanced Zero Emission Rail encourages the replacement of traditional rail locomotives in certain areas. HB0173 Jordan River Recreation Area Amendments adjusts the zone boundary for the Jordan River Recreation Area from 4800 South to 5400 South
(Taylorsville and Murray) and appropriates $475,000 for improvement projects/educational programs. HCR10 and HB0319 are agreements for the state to work with the Jordan River Commission on any project that involves crossing the river. SB0110S01 Water as Part of the General Plan requires a water-use and preservation element to be part of a municipal or county general plan, coordinating and integrating land use with water use, preservation and demand. SJR10 Joint Resolution Emphasizing Desire and Readiness to Host a Future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games emphasizes the State of Utah and Salt Lake City's desire to host a future Olympic and Paralympic games. HB0409S1 Recreation Infrastructure Amendments creates the Outdoor Adventure Infrastructure Restricted Account, which diverts some state sales tax revenue to be used for new construction, upgrades, repairs and acquisition of recreation infrastructure. HB0186 Vehicle Registration Amendments adjusts the annual and six-month registration fees for electric and hybrid vehicles. HB0404S1 Large Public Transit District Amendments requires the Utah Transit Authority in their procurement process to compare costs of different types of zero
g g n i n i v v LLooLABRUM PARK Spring Planting Project
6041 S Jordan Canal Rd | Taylorsville
LEFT TO RIGHT: Bob Knudsen (District 5), Curt Cochran (District 2), Anna Barbieri, Chair (District 3), Meredith Harker, Vice Chair (District 4) and Ernest Burgess (District 1)
emissions propulsion systems for passenger railcar or 10 or more passenger buses for a zero emissions projects, and consider various factors. I would encourage, if you are interested in more information on these and other bills, to visit www.wfrc.org/billtracker or https://le.utah.gov/ popularsubjects.jsp. I would also encourage a visit to the Capitol during the next legislative session. It’s a great way to get a better idea of how democracy works in our state, as well as the process our elected state officials undergo to represent our residents. Thank you again to our legislators for a job well done!
ANNUAL CLEANUP DAY Saturday, June 18th 8AM TO NOON @TAYLORSVILLE HIGH
NORTHWEST PARKING LOT For Taylorsville residents only PLEASE DO NOT BRING: TIRES AND MATTRESSES COMMERCIAL DISPOSAL FREON IN APPLIANCES AMMUNITION MEDICAL WASTE LARGE APPLIANCES
Saturday, April 23rd
9:00 a.m.
Please bring gloves, shovels, hand shovels We will be planting 300 waterwise and native plants. We can use all the help we can get and appreciate all volunteers! Sponsored by the Parks & Rec Committee
You can take motor oil to some auto parts stores or Oil Change Stations. Just verify that they are a recycling center for oil. Contact City Council Member Meredith Harker with questions, 801-573-6502
**WE WILL BE ACCEPTING: HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE GLASS AND PAINT ELECTRONIC WASTE DOCUMENT SHREDDING
PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE BULK WASTE GREEN-YARD WASTE RECYCLING DONATIONS OF GOOD QUALITY
Please contact Green Committee Advisor Ernest Burgess at 801-654-4482 or by email eburgess@taylorsvilleut.gov for more information or to volunteer.
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
TVPD’s Special Victims Officers Do a Difficult Job Well Get to know the new TVPD. Check this space each month for articles highlighting the units and employees that make up the Taylorsville City Police Department. Our Violent Crimes Unit, supervised by Sgt. Cheshire, includes a special victims unit, domestic violence unit, mental health unit and a victim advocate unit. Over the next couple of months, we will be highlighting each of these units. Sgt. Cheshire joined us from West Valley Police Department with an impressive résumé. He has served in several different capacities, including as a patrol officer, K-9 handler, special investigations detective, narcotics detective, hostage negotiator, special victims detective, patrol sergeant and violent crimes sergeant. The Violent Crimes Unit falls under the Special Operations Division, supervised by Deputy Chief Miller.
The special victims unit (SVU) within it consists of two full-time detectives and a sergeant, who combined have more than 33 years of law enforcement experience. SVU investigates crimes related to child abuse, child and adult sex abuse and vulnerable adult abuse. Additionally, they assist other detectives in our Violent Crimes Unit. Det. Baty is one of our full-time SVU detectives. Prior to working for TVPD, she worked with West Valley Police Department where she had been assigned to the SVU unit for the past four years. Det. Lenz joins us from South Salt Lake
Police Department. His initial aspirations in law enforcement were to work as part of a full-time motor/traffic unit. However, he found himself being asked to assist with investigations related to crimes against persons. He proved to be a very capable detective and now sees himself on a different path. He has experience working investigations related to every type of person crimes. He recently joined our SVU unit where his experience and training will be more focused. Our TVPD SVU unit has investigated and solved several crimes related to the cases they investigate. These detectives understand the severe emotional impact these types of crimes have on victims. They understand the importance of closure and the role they have in helping victims find closure. SVU detectives receive specialized training. They also must follow a very specific investigative procedure. The training they receive in combination with the procedures they follow is essential to the investigation and prosecution of a case. As an example, they undergo specialized training related to interviewing children. The techniques they use ensure that children can adequately describe what occurred in their own words. Additionally, they work side by side with the Children’s Justice Center, which provides trauma recovery resources for children. Our victim advocate, Merari Lopez, also works with our SVU unit in helping to provide services for adult victims. Our SVU detectives, like any working person, enjoy their time away from work. It is important that they do, as these types of investigations can weigh heavy on an investigator. In their free time, they enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, riding motorcycles, exercising, coaching sports or simply hanging out with their families. TVPD is honored to have an outstanding team of detectives working as part of our Violent Crimes Unit.
TVPD Employee of the Month Please join us in congratulating Det. Baty as our latest employee of the month. As we learned in our TVPD unit highlight, Det. Baty has worked in law enforcement for more than six years. Prior to joining TVPD, she worked for West Valley Police Department. She spent two years in patrol and has spent the last four assigned as a special victims unit detective. Det. Baty was nominated as employee of the month by a fellow officer in patrol, Officer Wells. Officer Wells had taken an initial report involving a report of an abuse. A suspect was identified, and the case was assigned to Det. Baty. Officer Wells described Det. Baty as more than capable to thoroughly investigate this case. Due to the sensitive nature of the cases investigated by our SVU unit, no details will be released. It is sufficient to say that Det. Baty did a remarkably thorough job. Det. Baty was able to identify victims who had not yet been connected to this suspect. Additionally, she was able to re-open a case that had been inactive for several years. As outlined above in our unit highlight, these detectives investigate some of the most heinous crimes. The impact of these crimes is severe and frankly unrelatable to most of us. Though we cannot adequately sympathize, we can show empathy. Det. Baty continuously shows empathy for the victims she is trying to assist. This shows in her dedication as she investigates these types of cases, offers what assistance she can and does so with the hope that victims can find closure and move forward. Thank you, Det. Baty, for your dedication to our SVU unit!
If Criminals Stop in Taylorsville, TVPD will Catch Them Chief Brady Cottam wants criminals to know that if they come to Taylorsville, TVPD will catch them, and that's just what his officers did during two incidents this past month. On March 16, TVPD arrested a serial aggravated robbery suspect. There is evidence to tie this suspect to at least five aggravated robberies that occurred within the last month. Multiple agencies had been on the lookout, with previous robberies taking place in Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake and Unified Police Department jurisdictions. The suspect, David Harris, allegedly robbed the True Value store in Taylorsville. He was reported to be in possession of a handgun during the robbery and two juveniles were threatened. One of TVPD's street crimes detectives located the suspect vehicle leaving the area. Additional resources were requested while officers simultaneously began to develop a plan to safely take the suspect into custody. But Harris fled in a vehicle, and a monitored pursuit was initiated.
Tire deflation devices were quickly and successfully utilized. The suspect vehicle began to slow and came to a stop. Then, Harris, who was driving the vehicle, fled on foot. A female passenger also fled on foot, struck an officer and attempted to strike another before she was taken into custody. Harris was also pursued on foot and taken into custody. After his arrest, Harris was found to have been in possession of a replica handgun. "I commend our officers," Chief Cottam said. "They worked hard and smart to apprehend this suspect and prevent further crime." The incident marked the second arrest of an aggravated serial robbery suspect by TVPD this past month. On March 2, Thomas Riessen, who is suspected of committing nine robberies throughout Salt Lake and Utah counties, was arrested by TVPD with the assistance of West Valley City Police Department, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service. He was arrested after being tracked to a residence outside of Taylorsville.
April 2022
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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SPRING PLANTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 eventbrite.com under Localscapes: Creating Your Ideal Taylorsville Yard. (See accompanying article). “We'll be teaching the basics of the proven Localscapes method, introducing free local resources, and showing attendees how to take advantage of substantial rebates available to residents through the Localscapes Rewards and Flip Your Strip programs,” Bee said. “Many Taylorsville residents have already completed successful Localscapes projects.” Another waterwise effort is the Loving Labrum Park spring planting project, sponsored by the Taylorsville Parks and Recreation Committee. It’s scheduled for Saturday, April 23 at 9 a.m. at Labrum Park, 6041 S. Jordan Canal Road. The committee is asking for volunteers to help plant 300 waterwise and native plants at the park that day. (See ad on Page 3). In addition, residents can find online at www.taylorsvilleut.gov a Tree Resource Guide that describes trees recommended for parking strips and other areas. The guide includes detailed descriptions of various trees, including their size, appearance and climate tolerance. The guide also includes a list of trees to avoid. There are also a number of waterwise flowers that can be planted. Did you know, for instance, that spring bulbs are waterwise? They enjoy the moisture of winter and spring and then after they bloom, they go dormant and need minimal water during the summer. Other waterwise flowering plants, according to gardening writer Lisa Watters-Lain, include: • The Coneflower – Purple is the most well-known coneflower blossom color, but its flowers also are available in a wide range of colors from white to yellow, orange to red. They can be planted in full sun. • Rudbeckia – This tough perennial scoffs at crummy mountain soils, easily producing waves and waves of bright summer flowers. A longtime favorite, it most commonly is referred to as a Black-eyed Susan. • Lavender – This beautifully scented plant needs hot, dry weather, and summer is the best time to add a new specimen to the garden. • Gaura – The hotter the better for this mountain wildflower, also called Whirling Butterflies. It loves full sun, sandy, loamy, well-drained soils making it drought tolerant. “We thank our Green Committee and Parks and Recreation Committee, as well as our many volunteers and all residents, for drawing attention to this important issue,” Mayor Overson said. “We are so grateful for their ongoing care of our community and environment, and efforts to be water conscious.”
Create Your Ideal Yard, Learn about Localscapes on April 14 Looking to improve the curb appeal of your yard while reducing the amount of water and work? Come learn the Localscapes method that has already been used by dozens of Taylorsville homeowners. Hear about local resources and rebates to help you accomplish your yard goals. Join us Thursday, April 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 2600 W. Taylorsville Blvd. Seating is limited and registration is required at eventbrite.com under Localscapes: Creating Your Ideal Taylorsville Yard. The class, sponsored by the Taylorsville Green Committee in coordination with the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District, will be presented by sustainable landscapes expert Cynthia Bee, of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. “Whether you're planning to install a new landscape or upgrade your existing yard, this class is the place to start,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “We hope residents will take advantage of this great opportunity and thank the Green Committee for putting it together.”
PAGE 6
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
Taylorsville Dayzz is Set for June 23, 24 and 25 Celebrate this year’s Taylorsville Dayzz on June 23, 24 and 25, with plenty to do for everyone – from carnival rides and food booths to the parade, petting zoo, concerts, car show, 5K and, of course, the best fireworks show in the state. The city’s preeminent event brings a show-stopping line-up featuring on Thursday evening at 7 p.m., the Beatles tribute band Imagine, with the West Valley Symphony of Utah and Cannoneers of the Wasatch. At 9:30 p.m., enjoy a Movie in the Park, showing “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” On Friday, the Taylorsville-SLCC Symphony Orchestra performs at 6:30 p.m., followed at 8 p.m. by Shania Twain, Pat Benatar and Dolly Parton tribute artists. Don’t miss the fireworks that night at 10 p.m. Then, on Saturday, Abba tribune band Abbacadabra will be on stage at 7:30 p.m. Look to the sky for the skydivers at 8:30 p.m., followed by the Fireworks Extravaganza at 10 p.m. The festivities all take place at Valley Regional Park at 5100 South 2700 West. “It’s Taylorsville Dayzz’ 26th year and we can’t wait to celebrate,” said Taylorsville Dayzz Chairman Jim Dunnigan. “We’re looking forward to another spectacular year!” New this year: the annual 5K race will be incorporated into a triathlon (see accompanying story for details). Participants can participate in the race as part of the triathlon or just run in the 5K as a single event. The 5K and Kids Run is set for Saturday, June 25, with the 5K starting at 7 a.m. and the Kid’s Race beginning at 7:45 a.m. Register at www.taylorsvilleut.gov Also on Saturday, the parade, with about 90 entries, starts at 9 a.m., running from 1900 West along 5400 South before turning north at 2700 West and finishing just past the park. “It is such a fun way to celebrate our community and kick off the summer with family and friends,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “We are so grateful to our Taylorsville Dayzz Committee for planning this wonderful event each year. It’s definitely become a tradition not to be missed.”
Run the Taylorsville Dayzz 5K or Make it a ‘Triathlon’ The annual Taylorsville Dayzz 5K and Kids Run is open for registration with an exciting new addition for 2022: the Taylorsville Triathlon (bike, run, float). The 5K and Kids Run will be held on June 25 at Valley Regional Park, with the 5K beginning at 7 a.m. and the kids race at 7:45 a.m. With chip timing, loaded swag bags, race T-shirts and finisher medals, this race is sure to be fun for the whole family. Don’t forget about the fun finish line area with prize money, raffles, music and treats. The race is a great way to get out, get active and start off a day of Taylorsville Dayzz fun. The registration fee for the 5K is $30, and it’s $15 for the Kids Run. T-shirts are included only if you sign up by June 12 at midnight. You can also join the triathlon fun this year, as we bike/roll, run and float together as a community. The triathlon roll and float events will be family friendly and noncompetitive. The registration fee for the triathlon is $40 (which includes the 5K registration fee). If a registered participant completes all three events, they will receive
a triathlon specific T-shirt and bragging rights! The bike ride/roll event is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m. This portion of the triathlon will start at Millrace Park and travel the Jordan River Parkway Trail. Participants will turn around at Little Confluence Park and head back to Millrace Park. This event will not be timed and participants are encouraged to wear costumes and to decorate their bikes, scooters, rollerblades, skateboards or anything else that rolls down the parkway. Water and snacks will be provided at the finish line. The “Float the River” event is scheduled for Saturday, July 16, at 10 a.m. The water portion of the triathlon will start at Millrace Park and travel down the river to Little Confluence Park. This event will not be timed and participants can complete this section in their own tube, kayak, inflatable boat, raft, paddleboard or canoe. Water and snacks will be provided at the completion of the event. For more information and to register, visit runnercard.com. You can find the race listed under “road races.”
April 2022 Taylorsville Bennion Heritage
REMEMBRANCES
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive
Enjoy Lunch at the Taylorsville Senior Center Lunch is available at the Taylorsville Senior Center for seniors age 60 and over from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for a suggested donation of $4. You can visit the center’s website at www.slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center for menu and activities information. The Taylorsville Senior Center is located at 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive and can be contacted by phone at 801-385-3370.
Don’t Miss These Library Events The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of April. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events:
This month, the Taylorsville Historic Preservation Committee would like to feature some items from the museum’s downstairs bathroom. We have a nice medicine cabinet full of relics and antiques, including items that were used by men for shaving purposes. These photos feature a men’s shaving mug and brush, an old straightedge razor and razor strap and a double-edge razor, most likely from the 1940s. Also pictured are tools that women used to cut and curl their hair. The curling iron would be set on the coal stove to heat it up; then if a girl wanted curly hair, she would also heat up the Marsell iron (similar to a crimping iron today). Lots of women in the 1930s loved finger waves with “spit” curls framing their faces. See these styling tools and much more in person at the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center. The museum is open Tuesday mornings, 9 to 1 p.m., Wednesday evenings, 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
ROBOTICS MONTH All of April Learn about robots, physics, math and more with the County Library's Create Space, online resources. Take and make activities that stoke interest in robotics and STEM-related fields. Check out the online calendar to find programs and take-home activities near you. ADULT LECTURE SERIES | U.S. Grant and the Surrender of Appomattox Tuesday, April 12, 7 p.m. Register at: thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries Dr. Joan Waugh will shed light on the complicated history behind the myth and memory of the military surrender that ended the American Civil War, primarily through the perspective of General Ulysses S. Grant. Waugh is a professor emeritus of the University of California, Los Angeles history department. She researches and writes about 19th century America, specializing in the Civil War, Reconstruction and Gilded Age eras. Waugh has published many essays and books on Civil War topics including U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth and The American War: A History of the Civil War Era, co-authored with Gary W. Gallagher. She is president of the Society of Civil War Historians. ADULT LECTURE SERIES | POLYNESIAN WAYFINDING Tuesday, April 26, 7 p.m. Register at the countylibrary.org/LectureSeries Mark Ellis, a crew member and student of navigation with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, will highlight the history, traditional knowledge and the art and science of Polynesian wayfinding. Ellis was born, raised and currently resides with his family in Nu'uanu, O'ahu. He had the honor to sail on the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, the Alahula Kai o Maleka Voyage and recently returned from a Voyage to Papahānaumokuākea. Mark is currently a Senior Instructional Designer with Kamehameha Schools.
April 2022 | Page 19
ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY PAGE 8
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter TBID Collaboration Results in Significant Energy Savings
APRIL UPDATES Seasonal Container Reservation Program Begins The Seasonal Container Reservation Program (SCRP), previously known as the Area Cleanup Program, is officially underway. Containers become available for reservation four weeks before the scheduled Taylorsville SCRP dates. Residents will receive a postcard in the mail notifying them that reservations are now available. Once the postcards are delivered, you can reserve a container for the following dates:
Zone 1: June 8 to 15 Zone 2: June 16 to 23 Zone 3: June 24 to July 5 Containers will be dropped off sometime between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the scheduled day. WFWRD staff will try to ensure that residents have up to 24 hours with the container. Driveways must be cleared, accessible and have enough room (approximately 10 feet by 20 feet) for the container to be placed off the street and public sidewalk. If the driveway is inaccessible, the container will not be delivered, and you will lose your opportunity for the container at your residence. Please visit the WFWRD website to see what is and is not allowed in the containers.
Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District gives a hearty congratulations to its staff for their efforts to obtain substantial energy savings by partnering with Rocky Mountain Power and Cascade Energy. Through their collective efforts, the TBID is expected to reduce energy consumption by 1,357,615 kWh annually. This will result in savings of approximately $50,000 each year and a one-time rebate from Rocky Mountain Power of $27,152. Great job to everyone involved for making this a reality!
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 Twitter.
R E C Y C L I N G
Commit to Recycling for Earth Day Earth Day is coming up on April 22. Help celebrate by reducing the use of disposable plastics and recycling clean. For more information on Earth Day events and sustainable practices visit: www.earthday.org. To help residents of the district practice clean recycling habits, WFWRD has recycling guides that can be found on their website. Additionally, you can now find WFWRD on Instagram. To learn more about clean recycling, follow WFWRD on Instagram @wasatchfrontwaste. As spring inches closer, we can help divert green waste from landfills. Remember that by reducing contamination and keeping plastic garbage bags out of your blue and green bins, the district can continue to keep costs low for residents. Find more information about smart recycling by using the accompanying QR code. Page 20 | April 2022
Taylorsville City Journal
Falls are Leading Cause of Fatal, Non-fatal Injuries Among Seniors From 2018 to 2020, unintentional falls accounted for 974 fall-related deaths in Utah; 87% of those deaths were among Utahns 65 and older (SALT LAKE COUNTY)—Unintentional falls are the number one cause of death and injury disability among Utahns 65 and older. Falls are also the second leading cause of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries among seniors. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in four adults in the United States age 65 and older report falling each year; this results in about 36 million falls each year. Fortunately, we can prevent many falls among older adults.
Cremation Services You can count on a variety of options for cremation when you choose Larkin Mortuary.
LOCAL FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED Taking Care of your Family’s Needs every step of the way
You may choose a burial plot, urn garden, scattering gardens, columbarium niche, or memory wall at our cemetaries. Choose traditional funeral services or life celebrations to honor the life of your loved one. Let our team help you choose an urn, vault, and memorials: We can also help with flower arrangements, catering, and grief resources. To bring awareness to the dangers of falling and offer prevention tips to older adults, the Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) offers Stepping On—a free, evidence-based fall prevention program that empowers older adults to carry out health behaviors that reduce the risks of falls. This program is designed for people who are living at home and have experienced a fall or are concerned about falling. Stepping On participants learn from experts about risk factors, strength and balance exercises, home safety strategies and medication review. Research has found that Stepping On participants reduce their risk of fall by as much as 31%. Stepping On sessions meet once a week for two hours. One workshop is 7 weeks long. Participants can expect to engage in educational activities and low impact, light physical activity. A fifteen-minute break and refreshments will be provided each session. Enrollment for three upcoming workshops is now open and space is limited.
ALTA VIEW HOSPITAL
9660 South 1300 East, Sandy (inside building #5) Thursdays, April 14–May 26 2:00-4:00 p.m.
KEARNS LIBRARY
4275 West 5345 South, Kearns Tuesdays, April 19–May31 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
VIRTUAL (LIVE VIA WEBEX)
*Informational session at 1:00 p.m. on April 6 Wednesdays, April 13–May 25 1:00-3:00 p.m. Registration for each workshop will close after the first session. To register, visit livingwell.utah.gov or contact Brooke Maruyama, SLCoHD Injury Prevention Health Educator, at BMaruyama@slco.org or 385-468-5268.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
Larkin Mortuary 260 East South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 363-5781
Larkin Sunset Lawn 2350 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84108 (801) 582-1582
Larkin Sunset Gardens 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 S.) • Sandy, UT 84092 (801) 571-2771
Larkin Mortuary Riverton 3688 West 12600 South Riverton, UT 84065 (801) 254-4850
LarkinMortuary.com April 2022 | Page 21
Bennion Junior High wrestles at district finals By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
T
he wrestling team at Bennion Junior High School is the second largest in the Granite School District. Its coaches credit the team for its success and growth. “With Covid we have been unable to wrestle consistently for two years,” Bobcats wrestling head coach and social studies teacher Ash Porter said. “The kids come and bring their friends. It is lots of fun.” Granite School District offers junior high programs in several sports. Wrestling is one that introduces student athletes to the competition in hopes they will continue to participate. “It seems that half our team are first-year wrestlers,” Porter said. “We want to win, but we like to teach the kids the fun of wrestling.” Bennion had 25 wrestlers participate in the recent Granite School District Divisional tournament. The largest team in the tournament, Porter pointed out they had several student athletes that could not participate at the last minute. Porter is able to team up with long time friend and a former student athlete Mason James. They both work to teach the students. Porter coached James when he was a junior high wrestler. “I love to be out here and share what I know,” James said. “We have some experienced wrestlers on the team.” Jaoquin Ruiz is the son of world champion wrestler Brandon Ruiz and his sister, Cheyene, is a two-time state champion at Taylorsville High School. “I started playing rugby,” Jaoquin said. “I think it is fun to compete. As a wrestler, I am accountable for how well I do or don’t do. I started training with my dad and he taught
me a lot about the sport. I think dad is my favorite person to wrestle.” Jaoquin is a seventh grader at Bennion. He hopes to continue to participate in sports. “My rugby team was not that great, but I really like wrestling. Bennion is a great school and I knew that they had been a past district champion. That is one of the reasons I chose to come to school here. I really like my coaches and what they teach me,” Joaquin said. Bennion finished third in its divisional tournament. The Bobcats had top finishers in several weights. At 265 lbs, Wes Hall finished first, Dayton Mierra third and Sam Seui fourth; 190 lbs, Dallas Nieuwland, second; 170 lbs, Joaquin Ruiz, first; 152 lbs, Lealan Holyfield, first; 145 lbs, Jason Peterson, fourth, Brayden Dukatz, fifth;138 lbs, Gunner Johnson, second, Addison Goff, third; 131 lbs, Josh Moore, fourth, Sam Farnsworth, sixth; 120 lbs, Tavion Silcox, second; 115 lbs, Ryken Watson, second, Kody Nguyen, sixth; 110 lbs, Tanner Kimball, fourth, Demi Miller eighth; 105 lbs, Junior Togai, fourth; 98 lbs, Bruno Fonesca, fifth; 91 lbs, Kayla Mardini, second, Vaimalili Malili, fourth; 84 lbs, Tanner Telford, first, Colton Cotner, fourth; 77 lbs, Thomas Gorst, first. “We have several weights we are very good at. Some of them are bullies and really work hard to become better,” Porter said. Granite School District sponsors its junior high sports programs as learning opportunities for its students. They offer basketball, soccer, volleyball, cross country, wrestling and track and field.
Seventh grader Joaquin Ruiz took first place at 170 lbs at the Granite School District divisional. (Greg James/City Journals)
“I think our program has been a success,” Granite School District Athletic Director Chris Shipman said. “They seem to enjoy it.” sporting season begins with an intramural school competition. Every student that wishes to play can join the after-school program. As the two-week trial period ends the coaches select all-star teams to compete against other schools from the district. l
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Student group pushes for carbon-free energy use in Granite School District By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
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group of current and former students in the Granite School District is on a mission to get the district to reduce its carbon footprint by using entirely clean energy by 2040. The Granite Clean Energy Team is gathering signatures on a petition to urge the Granite School Board to adopt a resolution committing the district to using 100% clean electricity in its more than 80 schools across central Salt Lake County by 2030. It would also call for an end to using fossil fuels for school buses and other district vehicles, heating and cooling systems, and cooking by 2040. “It includes incremental goals to build on the district’s ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption,” said team leader Ava Curtis, a senior at Taylorsville High School. She said the student-led initiative is similar to one in the Salt Lake City School District in 2020 that resulted in its board passing a resolution to move to clean power and weaning itself off fuels over that same 2030-40 schedule. Curtis and her cohorts have met with Granite board members several times over the last couple of years to get them to approve the resolution. “We’re just hoping
we can gather some public support so they (board members) can see this is really something they should be prioritizing.” The petition had over 1,000 signatures as of mid-March from “students, parents, teachers and community members,” according to Curtis. “We’re also asking the community to call the Granite School Board and voice their support for clean energy.” The Utah chapter of the Sierra Club is providing some logistical, messaging, and financial assistance to the Clean Energy Team. Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley said while the Clean Energy Team’s drive to put the district on a zero emissions and conservation path is laudable, it likely won’t happen as envisioned by the group and its supporters. “Our board doesn’t engage in the resolutions business,” Horsley said. “The goals outlined in the resolution are not attainable,” he added, referring to the 2030 Student-led Granite Clean Energy Team is working to reduce the school district’s use of fossil fuels. (Photimeline. to courtesy Ava Curtis) “We’ve been very honest with them of the mix. ue my passion for clean energy in college.” about some of the things that are a little Meanwhile, Curtis won’t stop trying She wants to pursue environmental studies more feasible and some that are not.” to make a difference when her high school at the University of Utah or the University Energy-saving equipment has been career ends in May. “I’m hoping to contin- of Washington. l installed at some schools, Horsley said, citing solar panels at newer facilities like South Kearns and Olene Walker elementary schools. The cost of doing the same at older schools usually doesn’t make financial sense. “We want to do what’s right by our taxpayers and be fiscally prudent while pursuing any and all energy-efficiency opportunities to the highest degree possible,” Horsley said, noting that the budget can cover only so many things while the district carries out its core mission of educating students. Neil Armstrong Academy is a STEM-focused elementary school in West Valley City. It opened in 2013 and its construction was able to include a geothermal heating and cooling system. It pulls heat from 200 to 300 feet below underground through a system of pipes to warm a buildMcDougalFuneralHomes .com. ing. “Even on the coldest winter day, the earth is going to have a substantially highWhy preplan with us? If you appreciate peace of mind, you’ll er temperature than the air,” said Granite Assistant Superintendent of Support Serunderstand why it makes sense to preplan with us. vices Don Adams. The geothermal system can also send ∙ Spares your family from making detailed decisions at an emotional time warm air on hot days back to the ground to ∙ Ensures that wishes are expressed help cool the building. Electric pumps cir∙ Prevents overspending and can lock in costs culate the air. Several other district schools use such energy where the geology allows. ∙ We specialize in Pre-Arranged Funerals, Wills, Trusts, Burial Plots & Cremation That is one example of how the district is trying to reduce its environmental We are experts at preplanning and know all of the issues that impact and cut energy costs. “The easiest way to not pollute, to use energy wisely, may arise. Call us, you’ll be glad you did. is to conserve,” Adams said. Motion and daylight sensors on lights, good insulation, Located at 4330 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT 84123 and energy-efficient windows are also part
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A geothermal system at Neil Armstrong Academy uses the earth’s warmth to heat the school building. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
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Ukrainians living in Utah raise funds for humanitarian shipments to their homeland By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com
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hen the Russian army invaded Ukraine at the end of February, the Utah Ukrainian Association was inundated with calls from people wanting to help. Within a few days, the association, in partnership with its sister organization in Idaho, had a plane full of supplies heading to Europe. Utah Ukrainian Association boardmember Yulia Holko was born in Ukraine and moved to the United States in 2001. Ten years ago, she relocated to Utah where she lives in Salt Lake County. “Thankfully, my immediate family is here but I have lots of extended family in Western Ukraine,” Holko said. “Even when they’re not being bombed, there are lots of air raid sirens going off and planes flying overhead, because it’s psychological warfare, too. It’s very hard to process. Members of our community have been under shock and stress.” The Utah Ukrainian Association, and the 1,500 Ukrainians living in Utah, jumped at the chance to help their fellow countrymen and homeland. Members have organized rallies at the Utah State Capitol and are asking people to sign a petition to bring Ukrainian refugees to Utah. Currently, it will take up to three years to get refugees resettled in the United States. The group wants to speed up the process as millions of Ukrainians have been displaced. “People leave their home and leave everything behind,” Holko said. “Often, the only clothes they have is what they’re wearing.” The association is accepting donations for the next shipment. Nonperishable foods, sleeping bags and solar power banks to charge phones are top items, along with clothes for warmer weather like T-shirts, light jackets, jeans and shoes.
“The support has been amazing. People have been turning out and speaking out,” she said. “It feels like anything we need, there’s a local business willing to donate funds. We were just a small organization before the war and we had to scale up really quickly.” A benefit concert held at The Cathedral of the Madeleine in late March, brought the community together for prayer, music and solidarity for the Ukrainian people. “Voices for Ukraine” featured artists from the Utah Symphony, Utah Opera, University of Utah, Ballet West Academy and The Madeleine Choir School. Ukrainian musicians and multicultural vocalist Alex Boyé also added their talents to the event. Although the concert was free, the standing room only event raised more than $16,000 from donations and sales to provide life-saving supplies for Ukrainian refugees, and those still trapped in Ukrainian cities. Kateryna Hansen, a Utah Ukrainian resident, spoke at the “Voices of Ukraine” benefit. She detailed harrowing accounts of friends and family members, escaping into Poland or hiding in bomb shelters and basements. “In less than one month, the country I know has been turned upside down,” Hansen said. “Children are dying. The dead have been left in the street for days until they can be buried in mass graves.” Hansen asked benefit attendees to reach out to senators and congressmen, asking for more military and air defense support as the war rages in Ukraine. The Utah Ukrainian Association will continue to send shipments to eastern Europe. The plane filled with donations flies from Idaho to Germany, then trucks carry the items to
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Utah Ukrainians, and their supporters, rallied at the Utah State Capitol in March to show solidarity and support to their family members and friends in Ukraine. (Photo courtesy of Tom Haraldsen)
Poland and then to Ukraine. Information about donation drop-off locations in Draper, Riverton, South Jordan and Taylorsville can be found at UtahUkrainians.org. “In this war, where so many lives and values are at stake,” Holko said, “we’re not allowed to fail.”l
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Supporting small businesses is good for the economy By Robert Spendlove | Zions Bank Senior Economist
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
er Sentiment Survey. The survey found less pessimism toward business conditions in the Beehive State, where only 36% of Utahns have an unfavorable outlook. There may be some relief ahead for small businesses. The Federal Reserve is taking aggressive action to control price increases. The Fed hiked the key short-term interest by a quarter point in March, marking its first rate increase in more than three years. Up to six additional rate hikes are expected this year, which could cause interest rates to increase by as much as two percent. Their hope is to deflate some of the bubbles that have formed because the overheating economy. Another positive sign for small businesses is Utah’s strong job market. All of Utah’s 10 major private-sector industry groups posted year-over-year job gains, according to Utah’s Department of Workforce Services. Utah’s annual total employment has increased by 4.2 %, adding 66,000 jobs over the past year. However, the Russian war with Ukraine is adding more uncertainty to the economy, just as it is turning the corner on the COVID pandemic. The war has pushed already high oil prices to new multi-year highs. The war is also disrupting the supply of wheat, which will pressure food prices, and nickel, which is an essential ingredient in stainless steel and a component in lithium-iron batteries. This will add yet another element of uncertainty to the small business recovery. In the meantime, the best way to help ensure the survival of our favorite neighborhood small businesses is to support them as much as possible. Robert Spendlove is senior economist for Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.Al
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recently visited Weller Book Works in Salt Lake City. The 93-yearold independent bookstore is among the treasured small businesses in Utah that give our neighborhoods their distinctive flavor and create a feeling of community. Small businesses like Weller Book Works not only have an important place in our hearts, but they also play a vital role in our economy. In Utah, 99% of companies are considered small businesses and they employ 45% of state’s workforce. Nationally, small businesses have accounted for two-thirds of net new job creation since 2000, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. They also keep money close to home. If you spend $100 at a local small business, roughly $67 stays in your community. Small businesses have been a key driver of Utah’s economic rebound from the pandemic, though they still face enormous challenges. With inflation now at a 40-year high, one in four small business owners report that inflation is their biggest concern, according to the March NFIB Small Business Optimism Index. Much of this inflation is caused by struggles in the supply chain, and 92% of small businesses say they have been impacted by supply chain disruptions. Small businesses also continue to grapple with labor shortages. Almost half of business owners could not fill job openings, the NFIB survey found. Given these pressures, it’s not surprising that 63% of Utahns have an unfavorable outlook on business conditions nationally over the next 12 months, as measured by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Utah Consum-
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April 2022 | Page 27
Female golfers will mix business and fun at the Copper Rock Championships in April By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
F
ormer Utah Senator Pat Jones understands not all business discussions happen in the office. Often, valuable deals are made on a golf course. When she realized many women aren’t usually involved in golf tournaments, she understood how often they are left out of important business decisions. As the CEO of the Women’s Leadership Insititute, Jones organized a women’s golf clinic and tournament where they could build relationships, learn the basics of game and golf etiquette, participate in a scramble, and put themselves in a better position for inclusion. “What I’ve learned, and I knew it intuitively, is that golf is the language of business,” Jones said. “That’s just how business has worked for so many years. It’s important for women to learn a sport that can help further their careers.” The program was so successful that the WLI entered into an exclusive three-year charity partnership with the LPGA Epson Tour at the Copper Rock Golf Course near Hurricane, Utah. The event is a week-long immersion for female leaders in Utah with the opportunity to play with top golfers and network with other professionals. This year’s Copper Rock Championship event will run from April 18-23 and feature 220 pro female golfers. Last year’s event was a success, although Jones admitted she was a little intimidated playing with pro golfers. She even took a few lessons. “I felt I had to play in the Pro-Am,” she said. “Since I was encouraging women, I felt I had to walk the talk. I can’t wait to go again this year. The pro golfers were so generous with their time and advice.” The event starts on Monday, with the WLI Pro-Am, fol-
lowed by a Meet the Pros Night on Tuesday. Wednesday is the ElevateHER Challenge Luncheon with keynote speaker Sharlene Wells Hawkes. The luncheon will be a time to recognize companies that have accepted the ElevateHER Challenge. Thursday through Saturday is the Copper Rock Championships where the women can cheer on their Pro-Am teammates as they vie for the title. “ElevateHER is a corporate challenge with six actions companies can take based on best practices that will elevate women in business,” Jones said. The program’s goal is to increase the number of women in leadership positions and the retention rate of female workers. Companies are asked to increase the number of women who serve on community and corporate boards, establish a women’s leadership development program, close wage gaps, and encourage women to run for public office. WLI started in 2015 to elevate female leaders in Utah. With the WLI Career Development Series, companies can sponsor female leaders, investing in their future. “It’s been hugely popular,” Jones said. “Companies who have accepted the challenge can send female leaders, mid to senior level. When women go back and teach their teams, it helps them be seen as the leader they are. It’s really magical.” WLI also offers a Political Development Series that coaches women who want to run for office. The program started seven years ago and more than 300 women have completed the course. Several women currently serving as mayors in Utah went through the program. “I couldn’t be happier with how this is shaping up,” Jones
The 2021 Copper Rock Championship was won by Bailey Tardy, who prevailed by three shots. The 2022 championships and WLI Pro-Am run Apr. 18-23 at Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah. (Photos courtesy of Copper Rock Championship)
said. “[Men] are our allies and advocates for women. There are some awesome men in our state. They are part of the solution.”l
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Salt Lake County Council approves funding for new trails
f you’re like me, having a peaceful place to walk with your family, your dog, or even by yourself is a high priority. More trails for walking, running, and biking is something we hear over and over from county residents, so in February the Salt Lake County Council approved $10 million for the design and implementation of new trails throughout the valley! In addition to the funds to build more trails, we also allocated $1 million for trail maintenance. Funds for these projects came from a designated fourth quarter choice transportation fund and were generated in 2019 through sales tax dollars specifically allocated for projects like this. Previous trail funding has come from a variety of sources including grants, UDOT, and collaboration with cities. Salt Lake County already boasts some great trail options. The Jordan River Parkway is a north-south system of trails that parallel the Jordan River, connecting 45 miles through Salt Lake County. The trail further connects to neighboring counties, allowing for travel to Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake. Parley’s Trail is the first east-west trail linking the Bonneville Shoreline trail on the east to the Jordan River Parkway to the west. The trail connects a variety of neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Millcreek, South
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Salt Lake County Council | District 3
Salt Lake and West Valley City. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is also continuing on the south end of the valley. An option for those in the middle of the valley is using existing canal networks. The County has been able to obtain an executed trail agreement with some of the canal owners. This trail agreement allows Salt Lake County to use the canal maintenance road as public space for a trail. The canal company benefits from having their dirt maintenance road paved and the County provides a trail system that is separated from vehicle traffic. If the canal owner is not interested in entering into a trail agreement the County is unable to use the space as a trail, but we don’t give up easily! Future trail development is dictated by the countywide regional trails master plan. The first master plan was completed in 1993. An updated countywide regional trail master SALT LAKE VALLEY JOURNALS 7.73x5.49.eps
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plan is planned for 2023 and from that point forward the plan will be updated every 10 years. Having a robust trail system throughout the Salt Lake Valley benefits everyone. More open space will expand access and raise the quality of life for all of us. The past two years have taught us the importance of pri10/6/2014
oritizing our mental and social health. Being outdoors is a natural antidepressant as sunshine naturally increases serotonin and endorphins that boost energy and reduce pain. I hope you’ll take some time to enjoy the Salt Lake County trail system and all the benefits it has to offer. l
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I leaned toward the young man next to me. “Do you come here often?” I whispered, like a crazy lady. It sounded like a bad pickup line at a laundry-themed bar. He shifted his body away from me and continued Tik Toking. My finger dripped blood on the floor. My brain conjured a Broadway musical set in a laundromat. It could have country-western songs, cowboy boots, and line dancing on the machines. It would be called “Bleach, please.” I googled “Broadway laundromat” on my phone. There it was: “Honky Tonk Laundry.” Well, I tried. I moved clothes from the washer to the
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Call Jeff at 801-347-1150
A Local Utah Company
24 Hour Emergency: 801-484-0506 www.sugarhousehvac.com
GUTTER REPAIR
ROOFING
CarSoldForCash.com
Jack’s Pro Gutter and Cleaning 85% of gutters are repairable!
21 years experience - licensed and insured SENIOR DISCOUNTS
De-icing and leaf protectors Call or text Jack
801-865-6382
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
801-272-7000
All types of roofs
$650 OFF any reroof over 2,000 sq. ft.
dryer (another eight quarters!) and sat mesmerized as my clothes flailed through the hot air, like a wacky inflatable man at a car dealership. Then, time was up. I took my stilldamp clothes and waved farewell to my new friends, eyes locked on their screens. I returned home to find my husband pacing and muttering. “I’m so agitated. You just wring me out. Am I bleaching to the choir? Can we have soap-a-pillas for dinner?” Now that our new washer is connected, we’re as happy as two peas in a Tide pod. I’ll let myself out.
LEAFGUARD RAIN GUTTERS
Guaranteed not to clog for as long as you own your home. If it clogs, LeafGuard will come out and clean it for you.
One-Piece System, Professional Installation
CALL AND RECEIVE A $200 VISA GIFT CARD WITH YOUR LEAFGUARD PURCHASE!
Free Estimate - 385-300-0869
TREE SERVICES
INTERMOUNTAIN TREE EXPERTS
Removals . Trimming . Pruning Licensed and Insured / 15 Yrs Experience
801-244-3542 FREE ESTIMATES
YARD SERVICES
Affordable Yard Care / Tree Trimming & Removal Flower Beds, Hedges, Railroad Ties, Mulching, Sod, Mowing, Concrete Senior Discounts
Call Dan:
801-518-7365
LANDSCAPE MATERIALS
REPLENISH LANDSCAPE
Barks, Colored Mulch, Compost, Soil Blends, Playground Chips, Sand-Gravel, Landscape Fabric & More
801-252-5962
4660 S 200 W Murray
Mention this ad for 10% Off
CONCRETE WORK
Reasonable Prices, Quality Work, Prompt Service Flat work, Driveways, Patios, RV Pads, Sidwalks, Etc.
Call Dan:
801.518.7365
TREE SERVICE
TarabetzYard Care and Tree Service Trees trimmed, shaped or removed. Storm damage, green waste hauling. Mulch. Licensed and Insured Call for your free bid
Steve Tarabetz 801-913-9385 FLAT ROOF SPECIALISTS
OLYMPUS ROOFING
801.887.7663 SERVING WASATCH FRONT SINCE 1973
PAINTING
FULL SERVICE PROFESSIONAL PAINTING Interior/Exterior Residential/Commercial Over 20 Years Experience LICENSED AND INSURED
For Immediate Service Call
801-865-4049 April 2022 | Page 31