July 2021 | Vol. 8 Iss. 07
FREE RECORD SALES TAX REVENUES UNCLE SAM SHIELD HOMEOWNERS FROM PROPERTY TAX HIKE By Carl Fauver | c. fauver@mycityjournals.com
P
erhaps more than any other single reason, the case can be made that COVID-19 saved Taylorsville residents this year, from the kind of property tax hikes homeowners in neighboring communities have endured over the past several years. First, our old friend coronavirus prompted many city residents to shop closer to home, leading to yet another record year for Taylorsville sales tax revenues. And second, the pandemic prompted Uncle Sam to commit $12.3 million dollars to the city, over two years. The influx of federal dollars means property taxes will remain unchanged and the city council was able to earmark extra funding for a couple of different projects. “[Raising] property tax is not in my vocabulary,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. “We are managing our funding very well. I am delighted sales tax revenues are up. I think residents appreciate how important it is to shop locally. We’re also seeing growth in new home building.” But what about a year from now, after that spigot of millions of federal dollars is shut off, post pandemic? “We won’t spend money we don’t have,”
The aging canal bridge across from the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center will have this well-worn railing replaced, following a last-minute adjustment to the new
Continued page 4 Taylorsville City budget. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
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Westside Cougars win girls tackle football championship
Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.
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A crash course on the Salt Lake Valley’s water supply
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Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center officially opens
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By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com
ranite School District will be launching a centralized online learning option for their students in fall 2021. Stephanie Wood, the associate director for Granite Online Learning, advised that there are many important factors when considering online learning. Although Granite School District has offered online classes for years, those have typically only been supplemental. They’re an excellent way for high school students to dual enroll in college classes or free up their schedule for more electives. However, during the pandemic, they had to adjust to teaching more students and courses online. “We all learned a lot during the pandemic year of what students need and want and ways they can be successful,” Wood said. “So, we felt like it was important to build a program to help support students who need an online learning experience.” With that in mind, the district set to work creating Granite Online Live. The program will be available to students in grades K-12, and it allows them to complete all of their required coursework online. They’ve created a synchronous program, meaning that students will have live instructions online every day. The district has already hired new staff to work exclusively on the online program. That way, teachers won’t have to balance online and in-person students as many did during the previous school year. Anyone interested in registering can meet with their principal or counselors to talk about the program. Wood said they’re holding off on registration until late July and early August because circumstances may change for families between now and the start of the school year. Wood said she’s excited for every student
to have online or in-person school options depending on what works best for them and their family. She also said there are a lot of factors parents and students should consider in the decision. Online learning presents unique challenges that will work better for some students than others. Wood said it’s important for students to stay organized and on task without the in-class structure. It’s also essential for students to be comfortable navigating the technology necessary for their online classes. Wood also made it clear online learning is not the right choice for every student. “We anticipate that most of our students will want to return to school where they have their teacher and their friends and all of the wonderful things that happen in our buildings,” she said. Many students struggled with online classes during the pandemic and will be excited to return to normalcy. However, some students thrived in the online environment and found many benefits to staying home. “It provides them some comfort of feeling like they’re in a place where they feel safe,” Wood said. “Those are all things that are sometimes hard for students when they’re in a large building with lots of students to navigate hallways and lockers. Doing an online option, they don’t have to do those things. They’re focused on their learning, and their relationship with their teacher, and building their knowledge and relationship with their peers.” Granite Online Live will be an option for any students in the Granite School District. Wood said they are excited to provide this online alternative so every student can thrive in the learning environment best suited to them. l
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Starting in fall 2021, Granite School District will be launching a centralized online learning option for their students. (Photo by Thomas Park/Unsplash)
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Continued from front page Overson said. “We are doing what we promised: bringing in new businesses. As long as we do that and people continue to shop locally, we should be fine.” For the first time in the 25-year history of Taylorsville, sales tax revenues for fiscal year 2021 (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021) were pacing to surpass $10 million. City Chief Financial Officer Scott Harrington reports that this is the fourth straight year for a new record in sales tax revenues. “Back in 2008, before the Great Recession, the city set a new sales tax revenue record, at $8.4 million,” Harrington said. “But the recession hit us hard and dropped sales tax revenues for a decade. Finally, in 2018, we barely beat that 2008 record. Since then, we set another record ($9.1 million) in 2019 and another in 2020 ($9.6 million). This year we are on pace to have $10.3 million in sales tax revenues.” In addition to residents consciously trying to shop more in Taylorsville, city officials believe two other key factors are helping to boost sales tax. First was last October’s opening of the Target store in Taylorsville (5800 South Redwood Road). And second, the city is now receiving sales tax revenues for all purchases made by city residents on Amazon. “It is super tough to enforce getting our proper sales tax revenues from online businesses,” Harrington said. “But we are getting it from Amazon, and that’s a very big chunk of it.” As for the coronavirus-related federal funding, Harrington said the city received $3.2 million late last year. Leaders were also to receive another $4.5 million sometime last month (it had not arrived by press time, but was expected). Yet another $4.5 million is then due from Uncle Sam sometime before June 30, 2022. That influx of $12.3 million over about 20 months has made balancing the books easier— for now. But those millions will not be a part of the next Taylorsville budget, a year from now.
Journals T H E
However, along with those unusual onetime funding boosts, the city has also undergone some hefty one-time expenses this year. Most notable of those were extensive city hall remodels, to mitigate disease, construction and landscape work on the new Centennial Plaza, south of city hall and start-up costs for the new Taylorsville Police Department, while the city was still paying its final few months of law enforcement fees to the Unified Police Department. Before its final, unanimous vote to approve the $33,356,500 FY 2022 budget, city council members voted to earmark funding for a couple of priorities: $500,000 for construction of a wall on the west side of 2700 West, starting at 5400 South and progressing toward 6200 South $100,000 for new pickleball courts $100,000 placed into reserve for the new Taylorsville Police Department, in the event unexpected cost overruns occur $60,000 for repairs to the bridge in front of the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center (1500 West 4800 South) $25,000 for repairs to the skateboard area in Taylorsville Park (4700 South Redwood Road) $8000 for the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center to pursue inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and to seek matching funds from national foundations. City Engineer Ben White reports that the half-million dollars for the wall on 2700 West will not fund the entire length, from 5400 South to 6200 South “but should get a lot of it done.” “I want to get the design work done by the end of this year and get crews working on it as early as the weather will allow in 2022,” White said. “It could be we can get 70% to 80% of the wall done with that much money. At that point we would probably approach the council to see if they can identify the rest of the money needed to just finish it [all the way to 6200 South].” Meanwhile, White describes the $100,000 earmarked for pickleball courts as a “placeholder.”
A late change to the new Taylorsville City budget provides extra funding for the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center to make repairs and pursue a position on the National Register of Historic Places. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
“I’m not sure when work would begin on pickleball courts, because first the council would have to decide where they want them,” White said. “Pickleball cost estimates are about $60,000 per court; so that $100,000 would not even cover two courts. It could be we do not break ground on new pickleball courts until additional funding can be allocated to the project.” There are now only two public pickleball courts in all of Taylorsville, located in Millrace Park. The courts are fine and functional in the middle of the day. But because the courts run east–west, players complain the bright sun is in their eyes in the early morning and near sunset. White reports that it will also likely be early next year before improvements are made to the bridge in front of the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center. “The $60,000 identified for that project will allow us to completely replace the aging bridge railing,” he said. “We do not believe there are any structural problems with the bridge. But the railing is cracked throughout and has been a problem for years. It will be good to replace it.” The first of these “special projects” like-
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ly to be completed is the $25,000 in improvements to the skateboard park. Just minutes before city council members were to approve the budget, the Mike Hasebroock family (Mom, Dad and four kids) appeared before the council complete with a PowerPoint presentation, showing some of the dangerous disrepair at the park. Moments later, their efforts were rewarded when the council earmarked the repair funding. “We live nearby and my kids walk to the skateboard park often,” Hasebroock said. “When they told us about the repairs that are needed, we encouraged them to do more than just complain, to take action. That’s what led to our appearance before the city council. We weren’t expecting such an immediate response (the $25,000 repairs allocation). We are all very excited about it.” “My goal is to complete the skateboard park repairs before the end of the year,” White said. When all was said and done, all but $21,000 of the $33 million-plus budget had been allocated. And, again, that includes $4.5 million in federal money that won’t be available a year from now.l
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Summer school in session—crossing guard urges keeping kids safe by driving aware and following laws By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjouirnals.com
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Substitute crossing guard Gene Panek is stationed just west of Fox Hills Elementary in Taylorsville, where he helps kids cross safely for summer programs. (Heather Lawrence/ City Journals)
rossing guard Gene Panek says he is sad, but not surprised, when drivers carelessly whiz by his stop. Parked on a residential road just west of Fox Hills Elementary School in Taylorsville, Panek is substituting for the regular guard. He’s been a crossing guard for six years. “Ok, see that van?” Panek asks, pointing out a car that pulled through his corner. “That driver has kids in the car, so I think maybe she’s going to the school, probably for the summer meal program. She didn’t stop at the stop sign, she knows school is open and she was looking down at her phone as she turned,” Panek said. These are the kinds of things Panek sees all the time, and he’s concerned that they will end in an accident where a child is hurt. This summer, more than 9,000 students will be participating in summer programs at nearly every school site in Granite District. With that in mind, GSD urges drivers to please drive safely around school areas. That includes stopping at crosswalks, slowing down for flashing lights and generally being aware. “The traditional school year may have ended, but our schools are used through the summer for many things. Kids walk to and from school for breakfast and lunch, and sum-
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Taylorsville City Journal
mer school started June 7,” said Ben Horsley, communications director for GSD. Horsley said that nearly all of the district’s 90 sites have some sort of summer programming, so chances are good there are kids in your neighborhood walking to and from school or a bus stop each day. “Failure to drive responsibly around schools puts our students at risk. Vehicles must slow down in active school zones, follow the directions of crossing guards and be generally aware. “Please be on alert during morning and afternoon commutes. Pay attention to school buses that have their stop signs out or lights flashing. Please follow the directions of cross-
ing guards and obey speed limits in school zones,”Horsley said. Panek said speeding and distractions from phones are big concerns. “On 6200 South cars just don’t slow down. They think the rules are for everyone else, not for them. There are some people who are conscientious. But others won’t stop even if I have a cone out or I’m in the middle of the crosswalk with my stop sign. I guess they’re oblivious,” Panek said. “I wish people would pay attention,” he continued. “I’ve seen people looking down, looking at their phones. They’re not looking ahead at all, or maybe they’ll glance up. They think on a [residential] road like this
there’s no one. But it only takes a second to cause an accident.” School districts always have some programming during the summer, and several schools participate in meal programs (see www.graniteschools.org for a full list). But Horsley said the numbers of students involved are up this summer. “It varies from site to site, but we have roughly 9,000 students district wide involved in some sort of summer programming. It’s almost twice as many as usual. “Many are in intense programs to make up class credit due to instruction missed during the pandemic. Some are participating in summer band or orchestra
classes. And many are doing meal programs,” Horsley said. Panek has a few reminders for drivers to help keep kids in their communities safe. “Always stop completely at stop signs. Pay attention to flashing school zone lights, cones and speed limits. Put your phone away and look up. Stop 15 feet before a crosswalk. Wait until the crossing guard is completely out of the crosswalk before driving through, even when turning right.” Panek’s reminders and Horsley’s advice hit close to home: Horsley answered questions for the Journal after dropping off his child for a summer reading program. l
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July 2021 | Page 7
What’s your legacy?
Westside Cougars win girls tackle football championship
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By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
n two years’ time, the Kearns area girls tackle football team has gone from winless to undefeated state champions. “I feel these girls accomplished everything they wanted,” Cougars’ head coach Crys Sacco said. With a few minor changes for last season’s runner-up, the team seemed more focused on its goal and its experience helped them over the edge. It changed its name this season to the Kearns Cougars to reflect the school its team members represented. “We had girls from Kearns, Granger and Hunter,” Sacco said. “The championship trophy is going in the Kearns trophy case.” Kearns won the championship 28-7 over the Herriman Sting. The Sting scored in the final quarter to tighten the game but not before the Cougars had taken charge. “The game was back and forth until we wore them down,” Sacco said. “As the game went along, we started to dominate them. We played them early in the season, and they are a tough team.” The Cougars played in their first season three years ago. They did not score one touchdown. Last year, they improved and made it to the championship game, losing to Valkyrie 12-0.
“This year we said, ‘We are going to do it,’” Sacco said. “Our seniors have gotten experience. Some of them have started playing rugby, and I think that has really helped them become better players.” Essence Charles started at quarterback; she comes from a family that loves football. “That is a football family, and she has played boys football,” Sacco said. “[Charles] makes everything look flawless. She is a true leader. I know she learned a lot as a leader on this team.” The Cougars made it look easy. They won all six of their regular season games. That included a 14-7 victory over Sam Gordon and the Herriman Mustangs. Gordon is one of the inaugural members of the league and a leader on and off the field. In the playoff semifinals, the Cougars avenged last season’s championship loss by defeating Utah Valley Valkyrie 21-0. The Utah Girls Tackle Football League is a place where many girls experience contact sports for the first time. “We had girls playing rugby too this spring,” Sacco said. “Jasmine [Roth] came from Idaho, and this was her first year. We wanted to give her a chance, and it has changed her life. She might try out for the
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Falcons (women’s team) next season. Naliyah Rueckert is a player we couldn’t have done it without. She played in the Pro Bowl last season with us.” Sacco and HeaNisi Kinikini were the head coaches. Nephi Toafe was the team’s offensive coordinator, and Renica Lese Rueckert ran the defense. “We had such good support, dinners the night before games; it was fun,” Sacco said. The Cougars team included Alyssa Burnside, Angie Chapman, Essence Charles, Brianna Fowler, Ashley Hawkins, Hiva Kinikini, Lili Kinikini, Rian Kornik-Neebling, Kiona Lole, Samahra Lopez, Lionala Mayorga, Riley Moreno Hillman, Paris Ott, Jasmine Roth, Naliyah Rueckert, Karma Soaia, Leneja Toafe, Raven Toki-Mauigoa, Nakaiya Wiley, Monalani Siliga and Tusisoloa Siaia. The League played its first game on April 7, 2015. Since then it has grown. This season it fielded 32 teams over four divisions and included 650 girls. The high school division had 14 teams. The league recently lost its court case against the Utah High School Activities Association for girls-only football teams to be a sanctioned sport. “Girls and women are now breaking barriers in football, as referees, coaches and players. The Utah Girls Tackle Football League is thriving and participation is exploding,” league officials said in a statement. The UGTFL offers football for girls in the spring and is currently a club sport in Utah. The league is the first of its kind in the country. l
The Kearns Cougars girls tackle football team completed an undefeated season with a championship game victory, 28-7 over Herriman. (Photo courtesy of Crys Sacco.)
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July 2021 | Page 9
A crash course on Salt Lake Valley’s water supply
W
ater is one of those things that people take for granted. We don’t really talk about it much until it becomes an issue. So now that Utah and the rest of the southwest are experiencing historic levels of drought, some Salt Lake valley residents might be realizing how little they know about the topic. So here’s a crash course lesson on the valley’s water supply. Who manages the valley’s water supply? The answer to this question depends on where you live. If you live on the west side of the valley, then most of your water comes from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. They collect water from Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs, as well as a collection of reservoirs in the Uinta Mountains. Twenty percent of its water also comes from groundwater, pumped from wells scattered around the valley. The District then sells this water wholesale to cities including Draper, Herriman, Bluffdale, Riverton, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, Taylorsville, Midvale and West Jordan. It also counts among its customers a few intermediary districts such as the Granger Hunter Improvement District, the Kearns Improvement District and the Magna Water Improvement District. While these smaller districts purchase as much as 90% of their water from Jordan Valley, they also supplement that with their own water supply from wells in the area. The other big player when it comes to providing water to the Salt Lake Valley is the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy. As its name suggests, this district provides water to Salt Lake City and Sandy City, the first and sixth most populous cities in the state. But wait, there’s more! Salt Lake City’s Public Utilities department is responsible for more than just its own residents. They also provide drinking water for Cottonwood Heights, Millcreek, Holladay and parts of South Salt Lake and Murray. More than 60% of all that water comes from the streams of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon. That water is filtered by facilities owned by either the Metropolitan Water District or SLC. For example, the treatment facility at the mouth of Big Cottonwood is owned by SLC, while the treatment facility for Little Cottonwood is owned by Metropolitan Water District. Additionally, some cities own and operate their own water infrastructure to supplement what they purchase from their respective districts. Sandy City, for example, collects and treats water from the Bell Canyon Reservoir. Many cities also rely on various canals throughout the valley as a source of secondary water. How much does our water cost? It can be quite expensive to collect, treat, transport and deliver water to the over 1 million people who live, work or play in the Salt
Page 10 | July 2021
By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
(Justin Adams/City Journals) Lake Valley. The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District operates on an operations budget of about $79 million per year, while the Metropolitan Water District has a budget of about $48 million. Where does that money come from? The largest revenue source ($48 million) for the Jordan Valley is from its wholesale contracts with its various member agencies. An additional $7 million comes from retail customers, usually homeowners in unincorporated areas that purchase water from the district directly. The second-largest source of revenue for the district is property taxes, which comes in at about $20 million per year. As a special district with taxing authority, water districts are able to levy a property tax on residents within the district boundaries. The property tax rate for the JVWCD is .0004%. The MWDSLS is below .0003%. While residents around the valley have likely seen their rates increase over the years due to inflation, they’re still paying much lower rates than many people around the country, according to Linda Townes, public information manager for Jordan Valley. That’s because Utah’s mountainous landscape allows gravity to move our water for us, rather than paying for pump stations which use a huge amount of costly electricity. Who is running these districts? Between such large budgets and the task of managing a resource as crucial as water, it bodes asking who’s in charge of these districts. Special districts are typically run by a
The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District maintains a Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan, as an example to residents of how yards can be re-landscaped to be more water efficient without sacrificing aesthetics. (Wikimedia)
board of trustees. The JVWCD operates under a board of nine members. While the MWDSLS has a seven-member board. Members of the board aren’t elected. Instead they are appointed by various legislative bodies from within the district’s boundaries. Appointees can be elected officials themselves (such as South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey or Herriman City Councilmember Sherrie Ohrn who serve on the JVWCD board) or they can
be city employees or even private residents— whatever the nominating body thinks will best represent their interests. As a governmental body, districts are required to hold regular public meetings. They also publish their budgets and other reports each year to keep residents informed. Are we in danger of running out of water? Between the state’s historic drought and rapid population growth, some residents may
Taylorsville City Journal
wonder if we’re running out of water in the Salt Lake valley. In short, the answer is no, residents of the Salt Lake valley don’t need to worry about rationing water anytime soon. When it comes to growth, Townes said that water consumption hasn’t increased at the same rate as the population, suggesting that the District’s water conservancy efforts and efficiency standards have been effective. “The good thing we’ve seen with growth is that we really expected our water use to skyrocket with the population growth and it hasn’t,” she said. “It’s stayed pretty steady, which means conservation is working. It’s happening. We are seeing a change.” There are also still untapped sources of water which could come into play down the road. According to Townes, the JVWCD expected to begin developing the Bear River in 2015. However, a combination of other new sources and increased water efficiency made that unnecessary. Now, they may not have to dam the Bear River until 2060. “It’s a pretty cool river and one of the last ones that’s not damned. We don’t want to develop it. It’d be great if we didn’t have to, but it’s our job to make sure there’s enough water for people,” Townes said. The MWDSLS is also in good shape when it comes to water supply. Speaking to the Sandy City Council last month, general manager Mike DeVries said there’s no need to worry.
“Despite poor precipitation and snow pack conditions, because of storage and Metro’s various water supplies, we’re in a healthy state when it comes to supply for our member cities. We’re not anticipating any sort of shortages for our metro at this point,” he said. It’s also important to know that most of the state’s water systems are self-contained. For example, the systems that supply water throughout Salt Lake County aren’t connected to systems for other nearby counties. So if there are water shortages in other parts of the state, it wouldn’t be possible for them to dip into the supplies of the Jordan Valley or Metropolitan Districts, even if they were willing to share. How can we conserve more water? Whether from continued growth or continued droughts, water conservation will be increasingly important for residents of the Salt Lake valley. From the water districts themselves, to municipal governments to residents’ households, there’s a lot that can be done. At the district level, the JVWCD has set a good example by relandscaping all of their facilities to be water efficient by replacing turf with vegetation that’s more at home in Utah’s desert climate. The District also provides a number of programs, rebates and incentives for residents to improve their water efficiency. Those can be found at www.utahwatersavers.com. City governments are also getting in on the conservation effort by requiring new de-
Nearby reservoirs like Jordanelle and Deer Creek play a critical role in the Salt Lake Valley’s water supply chain. (Wikimedia)
velopments to meet certain water efficiency standards. Many cities have also taken proactive measures during our current drought. Cottonwood Heights, for example, announced that its popular splash pad at Mountain View Park would remain closed throughout the summer. Herriman City paused a requirement for developers to install landscaping on new projects, allowing them to delay the addition of extra vegetation until after the summer months. Residents, meanwhile, have many options
for conserving water. They can do small things like take shorter showers or turn off the faucet while they brush their teeth. They can take advantage of the previously mentioned programs and get a more water-efficient toilet or relandscape their yards. But the most effective and easy thing they can do, according to Townes, is simply water their lawns less. If everyone adjusted to watering their lawns just one less day per week, it would have a huge impact on the region’s water supply outlook. l
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter 2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400
MAYOR'S MESSAGE Dear Friends and Neighbors, After a full year of work and planning, the day has arrived: Our new Taylorsville City Police Department is up and running. It officially launched on July 1 at midnight, and we couldn’t be more pleased. The department is made up of the most Mayor Kristie S. Overson outstanding people around. In all, it encompasses 70 individuals, including our chief and his two deputy chiefs, 10 sergeants, 50 officers and seven support staff members. I had the opportunity to welcome them recently to a two-week House Academy training and it was truly inspiring to see the entire force together. It is incredible to go from, ‘How do we get this started’ to ‘Now, it’s here.’ Putting together an in-house police force is not a job for the weary. Fortunately, we had the best people at the table to solve every problem and literally check every box. We’ve worked to dot each ‘i’ and cross all the ‘t’s — from putting together a budget and reaching out to the community to determining strategic partners, solidifying the transfer of assets, making crucial human resources decisions, finding storage, and finalizing policies and procedures. We were so fortunate to have Taylorsville’s former Assistant Fire Chief Jay Ziolkowski heading our Project Management Team. The team has met every week since July 1, 2020, to ensure everything was covered. I don’t think a meeting was missed. I also want to thank our new Chief Brady Cottam and Deputy Chiefs Todd Gray and Brett Miller for all of their good work. They are true leaders and I know they are up to the task of leading our new department and keeping our community safe. I also want to thank former Chief Tracy Wyant, who led our Taylorsville Precinct for eight years during the city’s full duration of its contract with the Unified Police Department. We are grateful for Chief Wyant’s enduring commitment to our community and for all his help in assisting our early planning efforts. We can’t say thank you enough to these great leaders for all they have done for us. Seeing our men and women in blue with their Taylorsville patches and badges, as well as our Taylorsville police vehicles with their lights and sirens, brings a smile to my face. We honor and support our officers and send them every best wish as they go forward as TVPD. –Mayor Kristie S. Overson
WHAT’S INSIDE – JULY 2021 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 Business, Page 6 Heritage Remembrances, Page 7 Environment, Page 8
www.taylorsvilleut.gov
July 2021
New Police Department Launches After Yearlong Transition
Following a formal swearing-in ceremony and a fun kick-off barbecue with family members, the new Taylorsville City Police Department has officially launched as of July 1. Work to form the new department has spanned the past year, after city leaders decided last July to bring police services in-house. Shortly after that decision, former Assistant Fire Chief Jay Ziolkowski was appointed to lead the Project Management Team to ensure an effective transition. Ziolkowski also organized a Community Outreach Group, which conducted a SWOC analysis examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of forming the department and helped formulate TVPD’s key values of transparency, connection, collaboration, respect and innovation. The new department is led by Chief Brady Cottam and Deputy Chiefs Todd Gray and Brett Miller. (Read more from Chief Cottam on Page 4 of this section). In all, the city received 289 applications for the 70 jobs in the new department. More than 125 interviews were conducted and 72 background checks completed. Seventeen members of the department were hired from Unified Police Department, 18 from West Valley, 11 from Salt Lake City, six from West Jordan, four from Sandy, three from Murray, two from South Salt Lake, two from the University of Utah, one from the Utah Highway Patrol, one from South Jordan, one from Vernal, one from Clearfield, one from Herriman, one from the City of Taylorsville, and one from outside the field. “The new department truly includes the best of the best,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “There’s a great cohesiveness and energy. It’s exciting to see it all come to fruition.”
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EVENTS JULY 2021 July 4 – all day Independence Day.
July 5 – all day Independence Day observed. City Offices are closed.
July 7 & 21 – 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
July 10 – dusk Movies in the Park @ City Hall, west lawn. Showing is the original ‘Jumanji,’ with Robin Williams.
July 13 – 7 p.m. & July 27 – 6 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.
July 23 – all day Pioneer Day holiday. City Offices are closed.
July 24 – all day Pioneer Day. 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
City of Taylorsville Newsletter West Point Development to Replace Former Kmart Property A new development is planned for the southwest corner of 5400 South and Bangerter Highway. Replacing what is known by many as the ‘old Kmart property’ will be a striking new mixed-use project featuring 647 residential units, swimming pools, a clubhouse, retail space and other amenities. Plans call for a high-quality, high-caliber design that will fit the area well, said Taylorsville City Planning Director Mark McGrath. The new West Point development will be built on the 16 1/2-acre site, including just over 15 acres comprising the current shopping center and an additional acre that is the pad location on the northeast corner. “One thing to note is that all the buildings will be unique in their architecture,” McGrath said. “The development team has come up with a plan that makes these buildings compatible with each other but they are unique both in terms of size as well as their building materials.” The Thackeray Company, based in Salt Lake City, plans to construct at least 10,000 square feet of retail space in addition to the apartment units. The plan also calls for 996 parking stalls. “The shopping center would be torn down in its entirety and replaced with five new buildings,” McGrath said. “There will be four, five-story buildings that will be 100% residential.” The front building closest to 5400 south will be a mixed-use, three-story building. “It’s proposed to have approximately 10,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor and two levels of residential above that.” The development was made possible following unanimous votes of both the Planning Commission and City Council in support. The property had been zoned “regional commercial” and is now classified for “mixed use.” “The State of Utah, between the 2010 and 2020 Census, is the fastest growing state in the country,” McGrath noted. “Salt Lake County, over the next 50 years, is expected to add about 600,000 residents. There is very little property left that is still undeveloped.” That makes the West Point development particularly important, he said. Goals for the project include utilizing eclectic architectural styles to create a vibrant and sophisticated environment, incorporating attractive and diverse hardscaping and landscaping to create community gathering spaces and using high-quality materials to construct the buildings, architectural features, signage and other features. The intent is for building faces to act as a backdrop for the public spaces below, according to a guidebook provided by the architecture firm Dwell Design Studio. “They should be sophisticated, refined and designed to define individual buildings. … Entrances also should be architecturally interesting, so they are easily recognizable and create a sense of arrival.” McGrath noted that the project also focuses on pedestrians and walkability, especially on the northern portion of the area. “Wide sidewalks and trees add to a really high-quality walking environment.” McGrath acknowledged some concerns from residents about building height, which is why city planners encouraged the design team to push buildings as far north as possible to create an inviting environment, he said. “You can see that there are 13 different building materials on the five buildings. Materials will overlap between buildings, but all buildings will be using different materials as well. The buildings will have alternating rooflines. Even though they are residential buildings, they will incorporate the mixed-use character, such as a storefront at the leasing office.” The project will be built in three phases. The first phase will be the northern portion of the project, the three buildings closest to 5400 South. Phase 2 will be the southeast quadrant of the project and the parking structure. Phase 3 will focus on the southwest quadrant.
July 2021
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
COUNCIL CORNER By Council Member Dan Armstrong The month of July is one of the happiest in my book. It is a month of celebration, both on a state and national level, and it is a month to remember and reflect. The Fourth of July always brings grand festivities. I enjoy gathering with family and friends and celebrating the birth of our nation. In Taylorsville, our big firework shows take place during Taylorsville Dayzz in June, and we did it up big this year with a Birthday Bash in commemoration of our city’s 25th anniversary. Due to this year’s drought and dry conditions, we urge residents to use caution with fireworks, which are often best left to the professionals. Enjoy the big, professional shows and consider limiting personal fireworks this year as a matter of safety. There are many other ways to celebrate — from backyard barbecues to simple gatherings with friends and family. On this day, I like to reflect on our nation’s history. Each Fourth of July, we mark our independence and birth of the United States of America as a nation. The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Representatives had been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2 and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes, according to Oak Hill Publishing which prints facts about the U.S. Constitution. July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence that is now
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We Wish You a Happy and Safe July Fourth and 24th displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, however, it wasn’t until more than 40 years later that the day was celebrated. After the War of 1812, printed copies of the Declaration of Independence began to circulate again, all with the date July 4, 1776, listed at the top. The deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on July 4, 1826, also may have helped to promote the idea of July Fourth as an important date to be celebrated. Celebrations of the Fourth of July became more common as the years went on and in 1870, almost 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was written, Congress first declared July 4 to be a national holiday as part of a bill to officially recognize several holidays. This month, we also celebrate our own state origins with Pioneer Day on July 24. The day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where they settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois, and other locations in the eastern United States. “Determined to settle in an isolated region, the pioneers made their way across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains to Utah,” according to the Library of Congress. “They lost many of their party to disease during the winter months. By the time they reached Utah, the desolate valley was a welcome sight. Potatoes and turnips were soon planted, and a dam was built. With solemn ceremonies, the settlers consecrated the two-square-mile city, and sent back
Primary Election Planned for Council District 5 Although the races for Mayor and Council Members in Districts 3 and 4 are uncontested, there will be a primary election on Aug. 10 to determine which two of three candidates in District 5 will advance to the Nov. 2 general election. Pr imar y ballots will be mailed to registered voters in District 5 during the week of July 20. If you prefer to vote in person, you may do so on Election Day at Taylorsville City Hall, the Taylorsville Library, the Taylorsville Senior Center or any number of vote centers scattered around Salt Lake County. B a l l o t s fo r t h e g e n e ra l election will be mailed during the week of Oct. 12.
For further information regarding elections, go to slco.org/clerk/elections
LEFT TO RIGHT: Dan Armstrong (District 5), Curt Cochran, Chair (District 2), Meredith Harker (District 4), Anna Barbieri, Vice Chair (District 3), and Ernest Burgess (District 1)
word that the ‘promised land’ had been found. By the end of 1847, nearly 2,000 Mormons had settled in the Salt Lake Valley.” The Utah holiday has been celebrated in many ways, including large statewide Days of ’47 activities as well as community events, from games and music to parades and rodeos. Some even mark the day with “pie and beer.” Regardless the tradition, it is a day to celebrate our roots and history and all those who make up our state today. We wish everyone a very happy and safe July Fourth and Pioneer Day. Thank you for all you do to make our community, state and nation so magnificent and worthy of celebration each year.
Officials Urge Caution with Fireworks this Summer Due to the ongoing drought and resulting extremely dry conditions, fire authorities and city officials are urging extreme caution this year when handling fireworks. Each year, the Unified Fire Authority publishes an interactive Fireworks Restrictions Map. This year's map can be found at: https://unifiedfire.org/maps/2021fireworks-restriction/ Once there, you can zoom in and out or select a city or specific area to see exactly where fireworks are restricted. Generally, discharge is prohibited within 200 feet of waterways, trails, canyons, washes, ravines or similar areas such as designated wildland interface areas. Accordingly, the map shows fireworks are prohibited along the length of the Jordan River. Personal fireworks also are restricted at parks within the city and along the I-215 corridor. By law, sales of legal fireworks are allowed beginning on June 24 and ending on July 25. Discharge dates are the two days before, day of, and one day after July 4 and July 24. Hours of discharge are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. On July 4 and July 24, fireworks are allowed until midnight. It is an infraction carrying a fine of up to $1,000 to discharge fireworks outside of legal dates and to use fireworks in an area where fireworks are prohibited. "We urge everyone to be extra careful," said Mayor Kristie Overson. "Particularly, with the drought and dry conditions, it might be best this year to forgo fireworks and find other ways to celebrate the July holidays." She noted that Taylorsville's big fireworks shows take place during Taylorsville Dayzz in June. "We hope residents consider leaving fireworks to the experts this year and enjoy the professional shows rather than ignite personal fireworks. It’s good to be cautious, especially this year.”
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Our New Police Department Shines Bright
Water Conservation: If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It
By Chief Brady Cottam For the past several months, so many people within the community and city have worked exceptionally hard to bring together an incredible team of individuals, who will now collectively serve as your new Taylorsville City Police Department. As of this writing, officers and staff support have integrated well with respect to bringing their talents and previous experiences together to ensure a positive culture within the department and quality services to the community. These efforts are encapsulated in our core values, which are: Transparency, Connection, Collaboration, Respect and Innovation. I am confident in our personnel. We have hired good, proactive people who are great problem-solvers — the epitome of our role within the community. They are doing good things in life, which I believe translates to doing good in their profession. In addition, they are “career orientated” not just “job centric,” which makes them not only better at their craft but fosters a long-term commitment to the profession as well. As a department, know that we are “aiming for the stars” in all our efforts. We want this to be a department of which everyone within the city can be proud. In turn, we are confident we will be a destination department for interested officers in the future, not just a stepping-stone for those on their way to “bigger and better.” We are committed to rewarding our personnel for their positive interactions, but also holding them accountable for actions when things are amiss. The City Council, Mayor and city administration are committed to the funding and continued support of our new department, thus providing our officers with the tools and training needed so desperately in today’s world of policing. Bringing these components together, the community can be assured we are fully engaged and look forward to perpetual service to all. Thank you so much for your support. We look forward to serving our Taylorsville community going forward for many years.
MOVIES IN THE PARK City Hall West Lawn Movies start at dusk 11th ber Tour' m e t ld Sep ls Wor l 'Tro
7th ust Aug nward' 'O
10th nji' July l Juma a gin 'Ori
By John Purvis Taylorsville Green Committee Chair The water situation is dire this year, with low snowpack the last several years, low reservoirs, an increasing population and too much grass. In declaring a state of emergency due to continued drought conditions, Gov. Spencer Cox noted that Utah experienced a record dry and near-record hot calendar year in 2020. Over the years, my wife, Linda, and I have taken steps to reduce water use. We replaced our grass parking strip years ago with ground cover, lavender and other nice plants, and connected tubing and drip connections to existing water lines at less than $10 (and plugged the rest). It has saved me a lot of water use and looks great. No gas is required as there’s no mowing, and it’s low maintenance. We watch our watering schedule and water deep when we do. As time goes by, we’re also replacing grass with other stuff. Grass is for recreation and pretty boring to look at. If you’re looking to make a change, Conservation Gardens is a lot of help and it’s free. Visit https://conservationgardenpark.org/ Now, something I didn’t expect. I don’t pay much attention to bills, but last year summer, we received an interesting one with our water use way high and a statement, "The water meter has registered a continuous flow of water to your property for more than 15 consecutive days. This may indicate a leak." It also provided a site helpful in finding this leak. (Leaks might include an outside faucet, sprinkler system valves, a stop and waste valve that is not fully on or off, a toilet flapper valve, a toilet running, faucet leaks, etc.). Once you look, you may be surprised to find where the water is going. Our leaks were at three locations. A toilet flapper valve, which builds up calcium deposits after a while, was fixed by simply wiping it off vigorously. Also found were leaks at the front and backyard sprinkler valve boxes. These were major leaks; combined, they amounted to maybe two drops a second. Not a big deal, but that adds up to over 800 gallons a year. It also makes the bottom of the valve box wet, muddy and a great place for spiders, centipedes and maybe a crawfish! For grins, and because I’m an engineer and wanted to know about the bill, I first called the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District, specifically Director Dan McDougal at 801-968-9081. If you have questions about water use or leaks, TBID is a great resource. They are very nice and will help you out; they’ll even come by if needed at no extra charge. Apparently, their meters located on your park strip can detect leakage as low as 0.08 gpm. These units are transmitters and can be accessed by you, though you need a pentagon-shaped wrench or a decent pair of Channellock pliers. According to McDougal, someday, data may be available in real time on your computer. But for now, you can view your water meter. After all, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. So, try reading it a few times with your sink or sprinkler flowing and then everything off. Wait 30 minutes to an hour between readings. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to read your meter on YouTube, of find the entire manual at https://www.neptunetg.com/products.
July 2021
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
New Arts Center Marks Opening with Ribbon Cutting, Performances From a ground-breaking ceremony two and a half years ago to a ribbon cutting on May 26, the MidValley Performing Arts Center is now complete and ready to welcome performers and audiences alike. “It is beyond what we could have ever dreamt it to be,” said Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson. “The Performing Arts Center is simply beautiful.” Taylorsville City leaders joined colleagues from Salt Lake County in celebrating the new facility. Prior to cutting the ribbon, remarks were given by Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, Mayor Overson, the county’s Division Director for Arts & Culture Matt Castillo, Salt Lake County Council Member Aimee Winder Newton, and Lynette Owens, executive director and artistic administrator of the Lyrical Opera Theater, which performed a “Classy Concert” as part of the program. Mayor Overson noted that it has taken the work of many hands over many years, as well as their visionary commitment and leadership, to make the
theater a reality. She also recognized the Namba family, who once operated a small farm on the site. “This area already comes with such a legacy that will only continue to grow well into the future,” she said. “We are fortunate to have access to this marvelous new facility and that it is right next door.” In complement, the Arts Center and City Hall comprise Centennial Plaza that is now under construction and will also feature walkways, landscaping and public art, a kitchen and outdoor stage, green space and arbors, and waterwall signage. “It will be a community space for all to enjoy – whether you are taking in a show or visiting in quiet leisure,” Mayor Overson said. With 70,000 square feet, the Arts Center includes a 400-seat proscenium theater, the 200-seat Studio 5400 theater and a fully functional rehearsal space. It is managed by the county’s Arts & Culture Division, with ticketing through ArtTix. See www.saltlakecountyarts. org for the latest event information.
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| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
Business is Thriving in Taylorsville with Several New Openings Several new businesses have opened in Taylorsville over the past few months, celebrating with ribboncutting events and other festivities. They include:
#1
EoS Fitness PHOTO #1
EoS Fitness’ new gym in Taylorsville is its largest in the state. Located at 5546 S. Redwood Road in The Crossroads of Taylorsville shopping center, the new location boasts 53,000 square feet that includes the highest-quality equipment and amenities. The new gym celebrated with a Ribbon Cutting on April 30, joined by city officials and representatives of ChamberWest. “We are thrilled to have EoS Fitness here,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “The gym is amazing. The facility, including its pool and studio space, weights and other equipment, is top notch. It is not only clean and well organized but provides such a fun, inviting environment for everyone to exercise and work out.” The gym in Taylorsville is EoS Fitness’ ninth location in the state and third in Salt Lake County.
#2
Pinecrest Dental PHOTO #4
The business moved from just over the border in Murray to its new custom-built, state-of-the-art medical facility at 6065 S. Redwood Road. Joining city officials, the Youth Council and representatives from ChamberWest, Pinecrest Dental doctors and staff celebrated their grand opening with a Ribbon Cutting on April 20. “They have created an office that is warm and comfortable, even for children,” Mayor Overson said, “and most of the needs of their patients can be met with services offered there in their office, without having to visit a specialist.” They provide general and family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, oral surgery and restorative dentistry, as well as Botox, inhouse financing and tele-med visits.
Located at 1859 W. 5400 South in The Crossroads of Taylorsville shopping center, The Joint Chiropractic celebrated its grand opening earlier this year. It is the nation’s largest network of chiropractors. “The Joint Chiropractic is a wonderful addition to Taylorsville, and we are grateful they have selected our city as their newest location,” said Mayor Overson. “We appreciate their service and mission to improve quality of life through the care they offer.” The Joint Chiropractic takes a patient-centric approach to pain relief and preventative care. In addition to Taylorsville, it has more than 500 locations across the country and more than 1,000 licensed doctors of chiropractic care. More than 12 million patients have visited Joint Chiropractic offices.
7-Eleven PHOTO #5
Jersey Mike’s PHOTO #3
The new sandwich shop celebrated its grand opening with a Ribbon Cutting on March 29. Jersey Mike’s is located in The Crossroads of Taylorsville shopping center at 5586 S. Redwood Road. With their opening, the shop held a pair of fundraisers. First, franchise owners Matt and Maria Switaj, along with general manager Jessi Adams, raised more than $1,200 for Taylorsville High School. The store also participated in a Day of Giving on March 31 in which 100% of all sales were donated to the Make-a-Wish Utah foundation. Mayor Overson, who joined city officials and representatives of ChamberWest in welcoming Jersey Mike’s to Taylorsville, noted the great location of their shop. “Thank you for coming to Taylorsville,” she said. “Your store is inviting and your food delicious. There’s nothing like a sub served the ‘Mike’s way.’” Jersey Mike’s is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Joint Chiropractic PHOTO #2
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7-Eleven has opened a new store in Taylorsville at 5419 S. 4015 West, and they threw a party to celebrate. A clown tied balloons, the Kearns Jr. High School band played some tunes, cake and Slurpees were served, and a big crowd cheered as a ribbon was cut to mark the grand opening. Festivities took place on May 13. “We are so excited to have a new 7-Eleven in Taylorsville,” Mayor Overson said. “The location, right here on the corner, is perfect and the store is inviting, colorful, clean and well organized. I look forward to visiting often to grab a snack or fill up my car.” The new 7-Eleven in Taylorsville is open 24 hours a day for your convenience. Read additional details and more about other new businesses opening in Taylorsville on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov.
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July 2021
Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES
From 1996 to 2021, look how far we’ve come in 25 years. The Taylorsville Bennion Heritage Center folks have been keeping track of our history for a quarter century, including the pre-incorporation before we became a city. It’s mighty fun to look back and see snippets of what went on in 25 years. We have journals full of history that track our success. This small space doesn’t do justice to all our accomplishments but we thought you’d enjoy seeing a few pictures from over the years, including the program of the musical history “Over Jordan” from 1997, the city’s floats from 1996, 2016 and 2018, and a page from the Taylorsville Journal featuring the Taylorsville Dayzz schedule in 2015. Take a trip down memory lane if you’ve lived in Taylorsville/Bennion all your life, or soak in a little history from where you live now. Happy Birthday, Taylorsville!
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive
The Taylorsville Senior Center is Moving Closer to Normal The Taylorsville Senior Center, 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive, is adding more programs each month. Fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a mask inside. Lunch is offered daily from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. You can view the program schedule online by going to their website: www.slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center Please call 385-468-3370 to register for a class or program offered at the center. All activities are subject to adjustments as regulations changes. Please follow them on Facebook and sign up for their email blast to receive current updates.
Don’t Miss These Library Events The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of July. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events: Summer Reading Challenge | Tails & Tales Tuesday, June 1-Saturday, July 31 Tails and tales keeps you and your furry, fishy and feathered friends entertained this summer as you read, create, learn, play and connect your way to prizes. For more information visit: thecountylibrary.org/summer
Virtual Lecture | Hamilton: How the Musical Remixes American History Monday, July 12, 7 p.m. Dr. Richard Bell, professor of History at University of Maryland, will examine the musical, Hamilton. Learn about the cultural impact and how the story compares to actual events in American history. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/2ycyku54 Digital Activities Do these online activities at any time. Challenge yourself with digital escape rooms, STEM activities, and arts and crafts tutorials for kids, teens and adults. Click on the kids tab to see the library’s new animal activities: I Spy Animals and Tails & Tales. http://thecountylibrary.org/events/digital-activities
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
Spotify The County Library has Spotify. Follow their page for fun playlists. https://tinyurl.com/3j8vvcpk
July 2021 | Page 19
ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY PAGE 8
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
JULY UPDATES INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC BAG FREE DAY On July 3, Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District will join other organizations around the world in support of International Plastic Bag Free Day (http://www. plasticbagfreeday.org/). There are a lot of good ways to celebrate, and the easiest requires a simple resolution from each individual. Even if just for one day, choose paper over plastic; or even better, bring your own bags to the retailers to pick up your goods. Some stores even offer discounts or other perks for customers who bring their own!
FIREWORKS DISPOSAL The summer holidays are quickly approaching. Fireworks and barbecues are common ways to celebrate. WFWRD reminds all residents that fireworks and fire pit/barbecue ashes must be completely cooled before placing them in the waste cans. Smoldering fireworks or embers will melt the can and create a larger fire hazards on disposal trucks.
Continuous Flow? Save Water and Money by Repairing Leaks Is your landscape sprinkler stopand-waste valve or sprinkler valves leaking? Does your toilet tank continue to fill time after time? Is the kitchen sink doing that drip, drip, drip thing? If you received a notice in the message box on your TaylorsvilleBennion Improvement District bill, it means the water meter has registered a continuous flow of water to your property for more than 15 consecutive days. This may indicate a leak in your system, small or large, that is increasing your usage. Take the time this summer to find and repair any leaks in your plumbing system, which will help you save water and money. If you have any questions regarding this ar ticle, please contact the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District office at 801968-9081, or visit TBID’s Continuous Flow website page at www.tbid.org for additional information.
CAN PLACEMENTS Please remember to keep your garbage/recycle/green cans at least 3 feet away from each other and from other objects, such as cars, trees or mailboxes. This space is needed for the automated collection arms on collection trucks to safely grab and empty the cans.
Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District asks all residents to be aware of marked and identified bicycle lanes in front of their residence, and to make sure that they do not place their cans in these lanes, which cause obstacles and hazards for bicyclists.
Page 20 | July 2021
RECYCLING
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Taylorsville City Journal
A speed skater could win medal at Summer Olympics By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
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n Olympic speed skating medalist, major league baseball player and a member of the United States Olympic qualifying baseball team. Eddy Alvarez is on top of the world. As a member of the U.S. Olympic baseball team, Eddy Alvarez played in all four qualifier games and hit .273, had two doubles and a triple. He helped USA baseball secure a spot in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Alvarez won a silver medal in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics as a member of the 5000-meter relay team. He was the first Cuban-American to be part of an Olympic team. Only five athletes have won medals in the winter and summer games, including only two Americans, Eddy Eagan (boxing and bobsled) and Lauryn Williams (sprinter and bobsled). If Alvarez is named and part of the Olympic baseball team he has the opportunity to be the third. As a member of the Miami Marlins organization, Alvarez made his major league debut last season. He is currently playing with the Marlins AAA organization in Jacksonville, Florida. “The skating community has always been very supportive of my dreams,” Alvarez said last season after his initial major league game. “They did everything in their power to help me
proceed.” His first love was baseball. As a toddler, his father would take him to the ballpark, and he was mesmerized with the game. He started rollerblading at 5 years old and speed skating at seven. At 11 he won a national level speed skating championship. In high school, he played baseball well enough to earn several scholarship offers. He turned them down to pursue a skating career. After years of chronic knee pain, he decided to take a break from speed skating and joined the Salt Lake Community College baseball team as a walk-on. He batted .303 and was named All-Conference. His knee pain continued and later had knee surgery before returning to speed skating as part of the 2014 Olympic team. After the Olympics in 2014, he signed with the Chicago White Sox and spent six years in the minor leagues. He finally played a game in the majors in 2020. He got his first major league hit Aug. 9 against the New York Mets. “The ball from my first hit will go right next to my medal,” Alvarez said. “Eddy is a good athlete,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after his debut last season. “I expect him to be successful. He is well versed and has lots of experience.”
Eddy Alvarez, a former speed skater and SLCC baseball player was a member of the U.S. qualifying team for the Tokyo Olympics this summer. (Photo courtesy of USA baseball.)
Team USA clinched a berth in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games June 5 with a 4-2 victory over Venezuela. The six-team Olympic baseball tournament is scheduled to begin Tuesday, July 27. The U.S. joins Israel, Japan, Korea and Mexico. The final team will be determined in a qualifying tournament June 22–26 (af-
ter press deadline). The USA has qualified for all but one Olympic tournament since baseball was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1992. It won a gold medal once in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. It also won a gold in 1988 when baseball was a demonstration sport. l
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July 2021 | Page 21
Psych 101: Narcissistic abuse centers on control and manipulation By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournal.com
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Narcissism next!” requested a reader after reviewing the previous article covering gaslighting. OK—let’s do it! (This is where I feel obliged to share a warning. The following article discusses topics of abuse and may be triggering to some.) In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), narcissism is categorized as a Personality Disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder has been primarily recognized through behavioral patterns steeped in a need for admiration and a lack of empathy. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder tend to have a grandiose sense of self-importance, believing they are special and unique. In turn, they frequently have a lack of empathy and tend to be envious of others or believe others are envious of them. They may also be preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty and ideal love. Conversations around recognizing narcissistic traits and managing relationships with narcissistic individuals have gained more popular attention in the last few years. Now, there are two types of narcissism widely recognized. Overt or grandiose narcissism is primarily described above. Individuals may be arrogant and preoccupied with success, wealth, attractiveness and power. However, there’s a less explicit type of narcissism.
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Covert or vulnerable narcissism may be identified through self-absorbed and/or passive-aggressive behaviors. Individuals with covert narcissistic traits may be highly sensitive and have a history of impersonal and difficult relationships. Narcissistic abuse has been recognized as a type of interpersonal abuse (and/or domestic abuse) and is beginning to be formally recognized in various governmental and legal documents and policies. On the surface, it may be difficult to differentiate narcissistic abuse from typified interpersonal abuse. This tends to make narcissistic abuse more complicated and harder to prove. Some of the key reported differences include increase frequency and explicit intentionality. “The idea is that they totally know what they are doing,” reported an anonymous survivor. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder tend to exhibit numerous abusive behaviors. They may make attempts at isolation in order to maintain control and attention in the relationship, driving away friends and family relations of the other person. They tend to control finances, monitoring money closely, and only allowing limited access to certain funds. In abusive relationships, including those involving individuals with narcissistic personality disorder, there’s frequently a
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Page 22 | July 2021
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cycle of abuse involved. Psychologists have deemed the phases of abuse as idealization, devaluation and discarding. In idealization, otherwise known as “lovebombing,” the individual may shower the other with praise and gifts. This builds a sense of safety and trust. In devaluation, the individual may use what was disclosed during the idealization phase as ammo to instill emotional responses and a sense of worthlessness. Then, the individual discards the other before starting the cycle over again. Additionally, abusive relationships commonly involve manipulation tactics such as being overly critical and controlling, manufacturing situations to elicit emotional distress, engaging in hot and cold behavior, stonewalling, triangulating, blaming, shaming, deflecting and projecting. Narcissistic abuse can occur in any relationship. While some of the focus above is on abuse in romantic relationships, it’s important to remember narcissistic abuse can be prevalent in friendships, familial relationships and working relationships. Those with narcissistic personality disorder tend to be in-
terpersonally exploitative as they take advantage of others to achieve their own ends. For example, friendships may only be maintained on a superficial level. If you, or someone you know is experiencing abuse, some steps of recovery to enact right now may include: validating the survivors experience, identifying abusive traits, breaking habits of empathizing with the abuser, validating one’s own reality, creating or relying on a solid support network, grieving the good parts of the relationship, resolving trauma, improving self-love, and learning to recognize red flags and set boundaries. In Utah, resources for domestic violence and interpersonal abuse include: the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, Utah Community Action, Utah Association of Family Support Centers, YWCA Utah’s Domestic Violence Shelter Programs and the Statewide Domestic Violence Info-line LINKline. Research from Shahida Arabi, Sandra Brown, Thomas Crawford, Ramani Durvasula, Harold Koenigsberg, Kristian Markon, Kati Morton, Rebecca Shiner, Jennifer Tackett, and David Watson. l
Taylorsville City Journal
Utah Food Bank to distribute 200,000 meals this summer By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
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hat fits in a 10-inch by 8-inch by 7-inch box? If you said 14 meals for a Utah child, you would be right. As part of their Summer Food Service program, the Utah Food Bank provides meal boxes to individuals 18 and younger each week throughout Utah. The boxes are free and are design for one person for seven days— seven breakfasts and seven dinners. If a family has four children, they get four boxes. Each box includes a sample menu. For example, breakfast one is a cereal bowl and regular applesauce. For dinner two, the menu is cheddar cheese cup, sunflower kernels, MJM Pizza Crackers, flavored applesauce and vegetable juice. Other items on the menu are Pop-Tarts, barbecue chicken salad, breakfast bar, Jack Link’s Original Chicken Tender Bites, and beef sticks. The kids are given 14 small cartons of milk with their box. These boxes are distributed in eight Utah counties, including Salt Lake County.
Salt Lake County
In Salt Lake County, the Utah Food Bank provides hot meals at various locations Monday through Friday. The meals are prepared in the Utah Food Bank kitchen and delivered in electric hot boxes, which keep the food warm for up to four hours. The Utah Food Bank can provide these 200,000 meals because they are partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This partnership extends the Kids Café program throughout the summer. The 200,000 meals are served at 40 sites across the state. Some programs are open sites meaning first come, first served. Other sites are enrolled programs that have specific requirements. There are 16 sites across the valley, including Boys & Girls Clubs, community centers and libraries. Libraries are included because the Utah Food Bank found that many children spend their days at the library but never had food. A complete list and details like times, locations, and dates is available at www.utahfoodbank.org/SummerMeals/.
Utah Food Bank
“Most people, when they come home, they wonder what they are having for dinner. I drive home wondering if every child in Utah has a dinner,” Ginette Bott, president and CEO of Utah Food Bank, said. The Utah Food Bank partners with 205 agencies across the state. In 2020, they distributed 62.5 million pounds of food at no cost to the receivers or the agencies. Utah Food Bank is the largest food distributor in the state. Since 1904, the Utah Food Bank has tried to learn more efficient ways to obtain products and meet the needs of the people of Utah. With the increase in the refugee population, the Utah Food Bank has learned how to meet
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
“Most people, when they come home, they wonder what they are having for dinner. I drive home wondering if every child in Utah has a dinner.” – Ginette Bott their dietary needs. Utah Food Bank does not consider itself a transportation company nor a human need company. “We just quietly go about feeding kids,” Bott said. Bott mentioned that sometimes they are Contents of a meal box given to kids by the Utah Food Bank this summer. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals) criticized for giving out ramen noodles. Her response is she would rather have a child’s belly full of noodles than having them cry because they are hungry. Bott pointed out that the Utah Food Bank always needs food, time and money. She also said if a person ever needs help, call 211 or go to the Utah Food Bank website.
Grocery Rescue program
The Grocery Rescuer program is a partnership with 270 grocery retailers. Retailers provide food that is nearing the expiration date but is still healthy and wholesome to eat. Refrigerated trucks provided by the Utah Food Bank and partner agencies operate six days a week throughout the state, picking up the food donations. The food goes directly to food pantries to be distributed within 24 hours. The donations primarily are daily consumables, including fresh produce, dairy and meat. Without this program, such items would end up in the landfill. In 2020, 16 million pounds of food was distributed to help end hunger. Walt May, a program director, offered a way anyone can help with this program. May suggested that they will give you the freshest meat or cheese when you go to the deli at the grocery store. This allows the retailer to freeze the older meat and cheese and donate it to the program. “Buying sliced deli meat or cheese helps feed people of Utah,” May said. l The Utah Food Bank does much more than collect food. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
July 2021 | Page 23
Coronavirus increases demand for Family Support Center services in Taylorsville By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
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esidents of LifeStart Village, a single-parent housing complex in Midvale, operated by the Family Support Center (FSC) of Taylorsville (1760 West 4805 South), are getting a new chest freezer, courtesy of a recent financial donation from the PacifiCorp Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Rocky Mountain Power. The $1,000 donation for the freezer, in fact, is the smaller of two donations the electrical utility made this spring to the FSC. PacifiCorp Foundation also provided the organization with an additional $3,000 to fund clinical services, primarily at its Taylorsville location. “That $3,000 donation will fund 25 clinical sessions, each 60 to 90 minutes, for uninsured families and individuals who need our services,” said FSC Development Director Bobbi Jo Lord. “We serve families that have suffered many types of traumatic experiences: domestic violence, PTSD, homelessness and others. Rocky Mountain Power and PacifiCorp have made important financial donations to us for years. They are amazing.” Since 2013, in fact, the utility has donated $38,050 to the Taylorsville Family Support Center. Lord reports that the company has donated more but “that’s as far back as my database goes.”
Overall, this spring, the PacifiCorp Foundation funded 209 safety and wellness grants like these—totaling more than $525,000—across the six states it serves. “We celebrate these heroic organizations that have continued to reinvent and reimagine ways they can help our communities’ most vulnerable,” said Lucky Morse, director of commercial accounts and community relations for Rocky Mountain Power. “Although we see brighter days ahead, Rocky Mountain Power remains deeply committed to supporting the work of these organizations, helping to fortify our communities, so they are strong and resilient.” Serving Taylorsville and surrounding area residents for nearly 45 years, the Family Support Center employs 32 people, 90% of them full time. “One of our most popular and critical programs are our three crisis nurseries, in Midvale, Sugar House and West Valley City,” Lord said. “From July 2019 through June 2020 (the most recent statistics), we had 816 different children stay with us 4,463 times. Our crisis nurseries provided 19,562 hours of care over that year.” FSC officials are also proud to note, their crisis nurseries remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit with social distancing restrictions.
“Each of our support programs was affected a bit differently by the pandemic,” Lord said. “Our LifeStart Village was the hardest hit, because many residents suffered a decrease in income or lost their jobs entirely. We also lost a lot of our volunteers because of the virus. It was a very high-stress time—all-hands-on deck.” As the Family Support Center’s cadre of volunteers began sheltering at home— like nearly everyone else, during to worst coronavirus months—funding for the organization became even more critical. “During the first couple of months of the pandemic, my team conducted a “Keeping Home Safe” fundraising campaign,” Lord said. “From April through June last year, we raised $100,000 to help keep our services going. Some of the money came through bigger grants; but most of it came in smaller donations; a lot of it from first time donors. I think the pandemic helped raise public awareness of the Family Support Center.” The FSC did hire one additional therapist during the pandemic. They are also working now to hire two new case managers. “The aftermath [of COVID-19] is going to be just as challenging as the first couple of months of the pandemic,” Lord said. “We are still seeing an increase in suicides. Recent studies show, domestic violence grew during the pandemic also.” Utah Domestic Violence Coalition offi-
cials report, our state saw a 25% to 50% increase of incidents during the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims one in four women and about one in 10 men have experienced sexual or physical violence or stalking from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Federal funding through the Cares Act and the Paycheck Protection Program also helped to keep the Family Support Center afloat during COVID-19’s darkest days. The FSC also turns to Taylorsville elected officials each year, for a slice of the city’s Community Development Block Grant pie. “We apply for CDBG funding every year from Taylorsville, and normally receive between $8,000 and $13,000 annually,” Lord said. “We are very close with the mayor. Taylorsville is great to work with. We also receive donations for various activities from the Taylorsville Exchange Club.” With better public awareness than before the pandemic—and with volunteers beginning to return to the fold—Family Support Center officials are optimistic the months and years to follow will be a little less stressful than the past 16 months. To learn more about the many services the Family Support Center provides, visit familysupportcenter.org or call 801-9559110. l
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The Family Support Center in Taylorsville operates crisis nurseries in three locations. (Family Support Center)
Page 24 | July 2021
Taylorsville City Journal
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July 2021 | Page 25
Police Department takes charge of residents’ safety By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
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n the day Taylorsville City celebrated 25 years of incorporation (July 1, 2021), the community also welcomed back—for a second go-around—its own independent police department. The first stand-alone Taylorsville Police Department was disbanded in 2012, when city officials decided it would be more effective and economical to contract their law enforcement services with the Unified Police Department. But after years of watching their fees go up, without a corresponding improvement in service, the city council voted unanimously last year to go it alone, again. One of the first moves the city council made was to hire recently retired Unified Fire Department veteran Jay Ziolkowski as its Taylorsville police transition team leader. He reports that the team has been busy but not overwhelmed as it attended to every detail in building a 69-employee agency from scratch. “We began meeting once a week last summer and have been meeting at least twice a week, since April,” Ziolkowski said. “Our biggest challenge came early, when [UPD Taylorsville Precinct] Chief [Tracy] Wyant changed his mind about becoming our chief. I had already checked that box. But since then, everything has gone pretty smoothly. A lot of that is due to how much the city council supports law enforcement. That has helped the hiring process a lot.” One of the primary reasons the city council voted last year to leave UPD was its feeling the county law enforcement agency was not doing enough to keep staff salaries competitive with other Salt Lake Valley agencies. In fact, during his final few years as Precinct Chief, Wyant never had 100% staffing. There was money for more officers but not enough qualified applicants—due, in part, to below average wages. New Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam reports that is an issue his new department faced head-on. And, as a result, they were flooded with applications from more than a dozen Utah police departments. “I was extremely pleased with all the applications we received—160 to 170 of them,” Cottam said. “It was quite the task going through all those resumes. On average, our officers are starting out, earning 2% to 8% more money than they were. But it is not just the pay. The word is out, how much [the Taylorsville City Council and administration] support law enforcement. People want to work in a department where they are appreciated.” With 25 years of law enforcement experience, Cottam was in the new agency’s leadership picture from day one. Originally, he was to be one of two deputy chiefs under Wyant. When Wyant chose instead to retire, Cottam was named Taylorsville police chief last winter. The second deputy chief Wyant had selected, Todd Gray, from the West Valley City
Page 26 | July 2021
Deputy Chief Todd Gray, Deputy Chief Brett Miller and Chief Brady Cottam (L-R) are at the helm of the brand-new Taylorsville Police Department, which officially began protecting city residents and property July 1. (Taylorsville City)
Police Department, remains in that role, under Cottam. In February, the No. 3 person in the new department was hired. Like Cottam, Brett Miller comes to the new agency from the UPD Taylorsville Precinct. He was originally hired as a lieutenant. But during its June 16 meeting, the city council officially approved Miller’s appointment, instead, as the second deputy chief. “I’ve known Brett for years; in fact, I worked with his father, Scott Miller, when he was in our department,” Cottam said. “Brett was the [UPD] street crimes supervisor. He has a really good reputation. He’s an outstanding individual with an amazing mind. I feel very confident we have the command structure we need.” Miller will be over all Taylorsville Police Department investigations. Gray, meanwhile, will oversee patrol officers. Under Cottam, Gray and Miller, the new police agency has 10 sergeants, from four Salt Lake Valley police departments: Murray, Salt Lake City, UPD and West Valley City. “I was a detective for UPD [Taylorsville Precinct] and have 11 years law enforcement experience,” new Sgt. Orin Neal said. “Taylorsville has always felt like home, because no city administration supports police more. It was an easy choice [to move from UPD to the new agency]—a no brainer.” New Sgt. Jake Hill agrees. “I have 13 years of law enforcement ex-
perience and am coming over from West Valley City,” he said. “I know the reputation Taylorsville has (for supporting police) and I am looking forward to working here.” Like Sgt. Neal, another new sergeant migrating over from the UPD Taylorsville Precinct is 18-year police veteran Kresdon Bennett. “I enjoy the [Taylorsville] city administration and culture,” Bennett said. “I appreciate Chief Cottam’s vision for where he wants the department to go.” The new sergeants also report, all Taylorsville City officers will be equipped with body cameras starting on day one. And department brass continue to explore the possibility of creating a citizen advisory board, to allow the public more opportunity to understand how and why their officers carry out their duties the way they do. The 10 Taylorsville Police sergeants were hired in mid-May. The department’s 50 police officers joined the agency in mid-June. Generally, those officers are earning $27 to $37 per hour, depending on their years of experience. Cottam reports that other law enforcement agencies start offers as low as $20 per hour. Rounding out the roster of 69 Taylorsville City Police Department employees are six civilians: evidence, office and records managers, two office specialists and a victims’ advocate. Despite recent controversies in the Salt Lake City Police Department and elsewhere,
Cottam also remains committed to operating a three-dog police K9 squad. “This is not something we need to push the panic button on [due to negative incidents in other jurisdictions],” Cottam said. “Dogs are a valuable tool. We don’t need a knee-jerk reaction. Fortunately, we have been able to hire some previous [dog] handlers with a lot of experience. Sgt. Jake Palmer from West Valley City [PD] will be our K9 supervisor. We feel we will have a very good program.” Cottam said Palmer is now working through recognized, professional K9 vendors to locate the animals. After being properly trained, the K9 squad is expected to be fully operational sometime next year. Initially, the Taylorsville Police Department will partner with neighboring agencies for certain specialties, such as SWAT team responses. But Cottam said his department could develop its own SWAT team in the years ahead. “The Taylorsville City mayor, council and staff are all tremendous,” Cottam said. “Residents are going to have quality officers protecting them, because those officers feel supported. Negative [media] coverage of policing [nationwide] has forced a lot of good officers to leave the field early. And fewer people are now going into police work. But with the administrative support we have, I’m confident our department will do well.” l
Taylorsville City Journal
Taylorsville High creates a virtual art show during the pandemic
I
n a typical academic year, Taylorsville High School hosts an in-house student fine art show. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the art department adapted to a virtual presentation. Nicole Lavely, one of the art teachers at Taylorsville High, was responsible for organizing the online show this past school year. For most students, participating in the end-of-theyear show was voluntary. However, AP art students were required to present a portfolio as part of their coursework. Along with allowing students to present their art while maintaining social distance, the virtual format also made the art show more accessible. Instead of going to the school at a particular time to view the student’s work, friends and family can go to the website to view the pieces at whatever time works for them. It also makes it possible for the students to share their work with people who live out of state. Because of this convenience, Lavely said she might continue to implement a virtual art show in upcoming years along with an in-person event. Using a virtual format was a great way to adapt the art show for the 2020-2021 school year. However, according to Lavely and her students, there were many other changes and challenges they faced throughout the class. “If you know me, you know that I absolutely love my job and I work really hard and I have fun with it, but this year has been by far the hardest yet. It felt like I was juggling two jobs having the face-to-face and the online students,” Lavely told the City Journals. This balancing act was a struggle that many teachers faced during the past year as they tried to make their classes accessible to online and in-person students. On top of that, Lavely had the challenge of taking something as handson as art and adapting it to a virtual model. She put together simple kits at the beginning of the year that her online students could use from home. Because they weren’t on campus, Lavely couldn’t make the variety of supplies she usually lets students experiment with available. Lavely also typically assigns collaborative projects that she had to skip this year. “I just felt like I couldn’t give my students the full experience that I normally would...” Lavely said. “So, I felt like they did miss out on some opportunities, which made me sad.” One of Lavely’s students who did her classes in person, Kaitlyn Hansen, talked about how beneficial she found that creative environment. “I was able to work side by side with other incredibly talented artists who happen to be some of my closest friends. It was nice to have a break outside of the reality of chemistry, math, history, etc.” Hansen saw her art class as a relief from the typical stresses of the day. This was the case for many students, but the strangeness of working in the pandemic still affected the class. Another art student, Heba Alhamdani, talked about how difficult she found navigating
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com her senior year amongst all the changes.
“There were definitely days where I felt overwhelmed,” Alhamdani said. “It didn’t help that we shut down three times (two weeks per shut down) and had distance learning Fridays; because of that, we regularly missed time in class that we would’ve had in a normal school year. Some days I’d stay up late finishing projects so I could be on track to submitting my portfolio to the college board.” Jason Dieu, another art student, discussed how that feeling of stress seemed to be present throughout the entire school. “I loved my art classes this year, but the pandemic really did impact how everything was handled,” Dieu said. “You can tell that this year didn’t feel the same. Everyone had that slight hint of burnout, and while we tried to continue normalcy, we realized that we don’t know what normalcy truly is.” Despite the hardships, many students said art was the perfect outlet for what they were going through. By persevering and finding workarounds, like the virtual art show, students could still progress through the class and their projects. “Some of the things that some of my students did create in response to everything that came out of this was really special. I feel like people who needed art gravitated towards it and used it to their advantage to get through this time,” Lavely said. One student, Miles Moore, said that though the school year was challenging, he also thought it made him a better artist. “Because of Covid, I was able to really work on my projects more than I have in previous classes,” Moore said. “I was able to grow and learn in so many ways. In art class, we left behind the stress and constant motion of the world to create and imagine and that has helped me so much.” l
Left: Heba Alhamdani stands with two pieces, “Pen of A Thousand Stories” (on the right) and “I ‘C Major’ Talent” (above), at the Granite School District’s Best of the Best’ art show. (Photo courtesy Heba Alhamdani) Above: Miles Moore, a student at Taylorsville, displays his landscape art piece. (Photo courtesy Miles Moore)
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July 2021 | Page 27
Salt Lake County’s $46 million Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center officially opens By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
A
For the first time ever, Salt Lake County now owns and operates a performing arts venue outside the downtown Salt Lake area, following the May 26 ribbon cutting inside the new architectural marvel, adjacent to Taylorsville City Hall. “We are so pleased to open the new Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center today,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson told the assembled dignitaries and media members. “This new venue is an important cultural asset in Salt Lake County and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting the arts and enhancing the quality of life in our valley. Taylorsville deserves a site like this. I also love your plans for your open space.” Wilson, of course, was referring to what will be called “Centennial Plaza,” west of the arts center and south of Taylorsville City Hall. Work continues on the $750,000 outdoor amphitheater and several other amenities, with a scheduled opening closer to Labor Day. Among the other arts center ribbon cutting speakers were Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson and the city’s representative on the Salt Lake County Council, Aimee Winder Newton. “It has been a thrill to watch this beautiful venue go up right outside our windows on the Taylorsville City Hall campus,” Overson said.
“We are so proud to be a part of this project and we look forward to welcoming visitors.” In exchange for siting the new arts center in Taylorsville, city leaders partnered with the county in making a financial contribution and providing the venue’s land through a longterm ground lease. The city’s participation in the partnership is valued at $5 million. Because it is a county facility, city leaders and administrators will not be involved in operating the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. However, from the very beginning—after the project was first announced in December 2016—city officials participated in the design of the new facility, serving on various advisory boards. For County Councilwoman Winder Newton, the ribbon cutting was particularly meaningful, since she was actively involved in the mid-1990s effort to incorporate her home city. “Taylorsville became a city in 1996 and we celebrated our first birthday by producing a musical called ‘Over Jordan,’” she told the ribbon-cutting audience. “The performance honored the heritage and history of the area and was written, produced and directed by Taylorsville residents.” She went on the explain, there were no indoor stages or comfortable seats available for that performance. Instead, it was staged
outdoors, at the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville campus. “I’m sure at that time, not a single one of us would’ve imagined that our city, 24 years later, would be home to a beautiful theater like this,” Winder Newton said. “I’m grateful to Taylorsville for stepping up and working with the County to make this happen and pleased to work with my fellow council members to fund and support this important project.” The three primary rooms in the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center are the 438-seat main stage theater, the 214-seat black box theater (called “Studio 5400”) and the multi-use rehearsal and event space dubbed the “Centennial Room.” There are also separate dressing rooms for the two theatres, along with state-ofthe-art sound and lighting systems. “This is such a fantastic facility,” Taylorsville City Council Chairman Curt Cochran said after the ribbon cutting. “Who would have ever thought a farm and strawberry fields 25 years ago would one day become this? I appreciate the vision of our past city leaders, to maintain this space until they found the best use for it.” Because Utah achieved statehood in 1896 and Taylorsville incorporated in 1996, the community was nicknamed the “Centennial City.” That’s why the open space west of the new arts center will be called “Centennial Pla-
CELEBRATING
za.” That is also the origin for the name of the art center’s rehearsal space. However, Salt Lake County officials also expect the “Centennial Room” to be used for business and corporate events, family reunions, high school proms and a variety of other purposes. With one entire wall mirrored, the room feels twice the size it is, and also gives practicing performers the opportunity to see their every move. Following the May 26 ribbon cutting, members of the public enjoyed their first walks through the new Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center the following week, with open house self-guided tours on June 1, 3 and 5. The next week, Body Logic Dance Company presented the first official ticketed performances inside the new arts center. Before COVID-19 disrupted our lives for more than a year, the Taylorsville Arts Council had hoped to stage the first performances in the new arts center. Instead, the local volunteer artists will make their debuts in the Mid-Valley PAC later this year and early next year. “The four-woman stage production ‘Winter Wonderettes’ will be performed December 2–4 in Studio 5400,” Arts Council Co-chair Howard Wilson said. “Then, the Taylorsville Arts Council’s first-ever performance in the large theater will be ‘Joseph & the Amazing
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Technicolor Dreamcoat,’ Jan. 31 through Feb. 5, 2022.” The just-created Taylorsville City Police Department also put the arts center to use on June 21, using the facility to host its swearing-in ceremony for the department’s 63 new officers and leaders. Even on non-performance days, the Mid-Valley PAC ticket office will be open six days a week, with tickets available to purchase for performances at all Salt Lake County facilities. Information about upcoming performances is available at saltlakecountyarts.org. The arts center project will not be 100% completed until sometime this summer, when a piece of public art will be installed just outside the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. The piece—from Tooza Design of Salt Lake—will feature metal, color, reflective components and custom etchings. Titled “One Hundred Items,” the piece is scheduled for installation later this month. Meanwhile, the other piece of public art commissioned for the arts center now hangs overhead inside the PAC’s spacious lobby. Created by New York City-based artist Danielle Roney, “Adagio” is a sculpture created from 1,343 highly polished stainless-steel spheres on a linear frame. The artist says the shape was developed from a dancer’s movements, captured digitally. l
2021 EVENING S ERIES Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov July 9-10, 12, 15-17 ................................... Shrek The Musical July 23 ....................... Beehive Statesmen Barbershop Chorus Aug 6-7, 9, 12-14 ......................................... Disney's Newsies Aug 11..... Jenny Oaks Baker, Violin & Cello Workshop Concert Aug 21 .................................................. Clayton Smalley Band Aug 27-28 ...................................... "A Celtic Summer's Night"
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The only thing missing from the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center ribbon cutting was this piece of public art, scheduled to be installed outside the main entrance later this month. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
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July 7 ........................................................... Irish Step Dancing July 14 ................................. Belle & Mrs. Potts, Character Visit July 21 ........................................ Wild Wonders, Animal Show July 28 .................................. Firefighter's Soak (Softball Field)
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This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Museums & National Endowment for the Arts.
July 2021 | Page 29
Drought and fireworks… a bad combination
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When Governor Cox asked all of us to pray for rain several weeks ago, my family and I talked about additional ways we could do our part. We made the decision to turn off the water while brushing our teeth, shorten our showers, and only water our lawn twice per week. We also made the decision not to do fireworks this year because of all the dry brush and potential impact on resources should something go awry. Most of Utah is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought. As Governor Cox explained recently, this is either the worst drought since 1956 or the worst drought ever. We have seen our reservoirs and lakes at record lows. In addition to the little precipitation over the last year to refill our lake and rivers, we also have more people than ever consuming water in this state. Luckily Utah has done a great job of planning for the future; but if we don’t cut back on water usage this year, we may find ourselves in a position where we will need to ration water in future years. Little things make a big difference when it comes to water conservation. There are things you can do like not letting the water run full blast while brushing your teeth or washing your pets near vegetation to get a secondary benefit. Utah’s slowtheflow.org has great advice for how to act during a drought. I found very help-
ful their tips on lawn management, namely: 1) water your lawn twice a week, 2) don’t water if it’s windy, 3) water in the evening or before 10 a.m., 4) prioritize your watering in the following order: trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, grass, and 5) raise your mower to leave your grass longer. You should also check out utahwatersavers.com, where you can find details on rebate programs for taking all sorts of water wise steps. While I can understand the desire to have the greenest lawn in the neighborhood, this year it’s cool to have yellow or brown lawn. You are showing your neighbors that you care about them and are conscientious water consumers during the drought. Paired with being water wise is being fire smart this summer. This includes the small things, like discarding of cigarettes in the proper receptacle and not driving over or parking your car on dry vegetation. It also includes the more mindful things, like only starting campfires in cement or metal firepits, never leaving them unattended, and fulling drowning them until cool to the touch. Utahfireinfo.gov has even more information to consider for your summer plans. Lastly, consider going to a planned city fireworks show for the holidays rather than having your own fireworks. It saves money, and it’s much safer
since local fire departments are onsite at those planned fireworks shows. Usually on the 4th and 24th of July we get together with neighbors and light fireworks in our circle. Not this year. Due to the high risks that fireworks pose, we will be having a barbecue and playing games to celebrate the holidays. I’m a big fan of liberty and freedom, but I’m also a big fan of personal responsibility, so join me in watching your water usage and forgoing fireworks this year. Let’s be smart and be part of the solution!
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Taylorsville City Journal
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It’s been said that when we make plans, God laughs. Do you think that’s a silly giggle or a maniacal James Bond villain laugh? The last few weeks brought a string of first-world irritations that felt like a game of Whac-a-Mole. I hit one problem and another one popped up. I pound that problem but end up hitting myself in the face with a rubber mallet. I can hear God LOLing from here. Despite our daily devotion to it, our TV stopped working. We shook the remote and pushed buttons as hard as we could, but there was still no picture. Just a dark, mocking abyss. We decided to run away from our responsibilities by driving to Idaho and checking-in at an Airbnb. (The room was nice, but the bed was shaped like a taco. I slept on the couch so I didn’t roll over in the night and suffocate my spouse.) Every 50 years, my husband likes to visit Yellowstone, so we left our Airbnb and drove to the national park to snap pictures of the bison, tiptoe around the geysers and marvel at the wondrous number of people who had the same idea. #HelloCOVID After getting lost in Yellowstone and stopping for Mexican food so we didn’t starve to death, we crossed the Teton Pass just as the sun was setting. Deer lined the road, waiting for the right moment to lunge in front of our car. We’d see their eyes glow-
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Why hasn’t Elon Musk created self-healing windshield glass? We made it back home, picked up the dog and gave everyone their Yellowstone golf balls and Idaho potholders. I looked forward to a nice hot shower but (joke’s on us) the hot water heater stopped working and was chuckling with God and the TV. They all had a good laugh together. We forked out more cash so we could have hot water, collapsed into our non-taco bed and slept. A few days later, my husband said, “We have a gas leak in the basement.” It took me a minute to understand what he was saying because he was so calm. My husband is notoriously terrible under stress. “Why are we still in the house?” I asked. “Where else would we be?” He responded. “Not in a house that could explode if we make toast.” We hustled everyone to the neighbor’s lawn until the gas company gave us the okay. The water heater had been installed incorrectly but our house wasn’t going to blow up. Today, at least. I rarely look at the dark side of life and by the end of the week I was chortling right along with God, the TV and the water heater. Sometimes, LOLing is the only thing you can do.
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July 2021 | Vol. 8 Iss. 07
FREE RECORD SALES TAX REVENUES UNCLE SAM SHIELD HOMEOWNERS FROM PROPERTY TAX HIKE By Carl Fauver | c. fauver@mycityjournals.com
P
erhaps more than any other single reason, the case can be made that COVID-19 saved Taylorsville residents this year, from the kind of property tax hikes homeowners in neighboring communities have endured over the past several years. First, our old friend coronavirus prompted many city residents to shop closer to home, leading to yet another record year for Taylorsville sales tax revenues. And second, the pandemic prompted Uncle Sam to commit $12.3 million dollars to the city, over two years. The influx of federal dollars means property taxes will remain unchanged and the city council was able to earmark extra funding for a couple of different projects. “[Raising] property tax is not in my vocabulary,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. “We are managing our funding very well. I am delighted sales tax revenues are up. I think residents appreciate how important it is to shop locally. We’re also seeing growth in new home building.” But what about a year from now, after that spigot of millions of federal dollars is shut off, post pandemic? “We won’t spend money we don’t have,” Continued page 4
Westside Cougars win girls tackle football championship Local Postal Customer ECRWSS
page 8
The aging canal bridge across from the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center will have this well-worn railing replaced, following a last-minute adjustment to the new Taylorsville City budget. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.
page 10
A crash course on the Salt Lake Valley’s water supply
page 28
Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center officially opens
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