G O OD NE IG HBOR
NEWS
JUNE 2020
Paid for by the City of West Jordan
M AYO R ’S M E S S AG E TO 2 0 2 0 G R A D S Congratulations! I know your graduation day isn’t exactly what you anticipated, but it is a special moment, nonetheless. Enjoy it. You are a part of a special moment in history. You will remember this day for the rest of your life. I also want to congratulate the parents of our graduates. Your support of these students has been essential to what they’ve achieved, so it is your moment too. Enjoy it and remember how unique it truly is. Students, when you get your diploma, as impressive as it is, it will not contain and instruction manual to take you through the rest of your life. That’s good. There are no limits on what the future may hold for you. Some of you may become the scientists who irradiate pandemic disease, while others may enter the field of journalism to cover unbelievable events. I believe a fair number of you will become independent entrepreneurs, establishing your own business, as I have. Perhaps one or two of you may even serve as Mayor of our great city. Over the years, as I built up my own business, established my family and home in West Jordan and even now, as I serve as Mayor, I have worn many hats. During that same time, I’ve established a real-life collection of more than 400 hats. I have practical hats to block the sunshine and others that protect my head from rain. I have work hats for safety and hats that are downright ridiculous, like a flamingo that flaps its wings. I am going to share with you a little bit about a few of the most important hats I own. It’s my believe that relying on each of these six hats will truly help you live up to your infinite potential. I am going to start by telling you about my favorite hat. It was given to me by a friend for my birthday over 20 years ago. It’s a turtle. It has four legs and a head that sticks out. Some people think it’s silly when they see me wearing my favorite hat. That’s fine. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about this very special hat. I know what it means to me and I wear my favorite hat with pride. Graduates find strength in following your own inner compass. Do not let what others think, affect your infinite potential. While there are those who think my turtle hat is a little silly, it’s my funny hats, like this flamingo cap that cause people to giggle and guffaw. I love bringing a smile to those around me.
Graduates look for the opportunity to serve others and make their lives better. When you wear that traditional mortarboard hat, or graduation cap, remember that is the hat of a learner. One of the keys to my success as an entrepreneur has been continuous learning. In fact, after years of working as an independent electrician, my business grew even stronger as I helped others with continuing education courses to stay on top of changing technology. Graduates, one of the keys to your success will be to invest in a lifetime of education and never give up on learning. In my role as an electrician, and even now as Mayor, I have often donned a work hat. Depending on the role you choose to fill, you could wear a medical cap, a football helmet or a hard hat. However, finding success while in your respective hat will only come with hard work and dedication. Graduates, nothing will be beyond your grasp if you simply work hard every day. I really enjoy a good party hat, I have several. Graduates remember to celebrate the small wins, the big wins and the nearly wins in life. Celebrating the milestones in life will keep your spirits positive and your will to succeed engaged. Finally, I’d like to share with you my top hat. This is my fancy dress hat. My “better” hat. This is a hat I pull out only on special occasions. Graduates remember that each person you encounter is special. While there will be special occasions, like today that you might be asked to wear the better hat, never forget that we all have infinite potential. As you move forward in life, you will experience unexpected obstacles. You will encounter doubters. You will make mistakes. But, as you wear your favorite hat with pride, don your funny hat in the service of others, place the learning cap on your head, dive in with your work hat, celebrate in your party hat and occasionally rely on your better hat you will succeed. Hats off to you, the graduating class of 2020!
Mayor Dirk Burton
Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2020 West Jordan High could not be more proud of our graduates. Each graduate has worked hard and endured so much to get to this point. As we move forward, we will miss the energy, excitement, and experience that they brought to our school and its many programs. We appreciate that our Sr.’s have finished strong this year, despite the challenges of being away from their friends, teammates, clubs, performing arts programs, and teachers who looked forward to seeing them each day. We appreciate the support from our WJH school community. Each Senior that receives their diploma has had a team of supportive teachers, parents, family and friends supporting, pushing, and at times, pulling them to the finish line. Each graduate of WJH is an example of perseverance, hard work, a positive attitude, and commitment to the students who will follow in their footsteps. We love our Jaguar graduates and will miss each of them. The graduating class of 2020 will now take the lessons learned over the last several years and apply them to their college courses, career, and personal relationships and will add to the long history of excellence of both WJH and West Jordan City. It’s a great day to be a graduating Jaguar! The Administrative Team, Faculty and Staff
Copper Hills High School – Students Graduating with Honors VALEDICTORIAN Grace Kaye Bramlage SALUTATORIANS Logan Keith Christensen, Cory Michael Neilsen ALPHA URSA Isabelle Edith Smith MAGNA CUM LAUDE Cole Bassett Logan Christensen Nathan Colton Megan Elsasser Lyndi Greenhalgh Cade Hastings
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
New Website Gives Resources to Families in Need, Families Who Want to Help
COVID-19 Forces Cancellation of ‘Western Stampede’ Events
The Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) has rolled out a new website allowing individuals to find an emergency food storage organization near them. The COVID-19 pandemic has left many families without a steady income, resulting in more households having to rely on emergency food services. To help the community know what resources are available to them SLCoHD, along with tech company AQUEHS Corp., launched FeedUT.org. Although the site was originally intended for people in need to locate foodservice sites, the health department now sees the site as a resource for people who want to help. In short; what was initially being used for families to find food, can now also be used for families to donate food. “We developed FeedUT.org to help families in our own neighborhoods access healthy, nutritious foods,” said Anni McKinnon, SLCoHD healthy living program manager. “But when the pandemic began directly affecting our community, we found we already had a resource available for people looking for an easy, efficient way to help.” SLCoHD is encouraging residents to donate or volunteer to foodservice organizations, while also following “Stay Smart, Stay Safe” public health order guidelines, such as wearing a cloth face covering and maintaining a minimum of 6 feet of distance from those outside their household. “We’re dedicated to continuing to be here as long as possible. We are facing increased demands with decreased resources,” said Jessica Roadman of Crossroads Urban Center. “Your generosity allows us to continue being there for those in need.” Visit FeedUT.org to locate a food service organization near you or to donate/volunteer to an organization in your community.
Like many other cities around the state, the City of West Jordan has made the difficult decision to cancel its long-standing and largest event of the year; the Western Stampede. “This was a difficult decision, the Western Stampede is not only an event that brings people within our city together, but brings in people from all over the state,” said West Jordan Mayor, Dirk Burton. “Because of its popularity, we recognize it will be difficult to comply with social distancing guidelines, put forth by the health department. Our residents’ health and safety are our top priority.” Mayor Burton held off on making the decision as long as possible, in hopes that State and County public health guidelines would be further relaxed. However, contractual agreements required a decision now. “In addition to concerns regarding social distancing at such a popular event, Salt Lake County is not currently accepting applications for mass gatherings,” Burton said. “We don’t know if or when those applications will be taken this summer. It’s important that the city not expend funds on an event that may not take place.” The city has seen success over the last couple of weeks with socially distant events, like a flag display in Veterans Memorial Park and Friday night family flix, viewed at home utilizing Netflix. Planning is underway for additional activities that will take place through the end of the year. “I’ve asked staff to start looking forward to next year’s Western Stampede. We’ve already made plans to ensure it will be more spectacular than ever before,” said Mayor Burton.
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
Biking in West Jordan Among Mayor Dirk Burton’s many hobbies; which include collecting hats and cleaning up his neighborhood park, is something he’s been doing since he can remember. “I’ve enjoyed riding bikes ever since I was a little kid,” said Mayor Burton. “I had one little single-speed. We used to call them sting rays.” Riding a bike is a staple of most everyone’s childhood. Giving children a small sense of independence in form of transportation. What some of us left behind with childhood, Mayor Burton took with him. Just as he did then, Mayor Burton rides his bike any day the weather is good. “I still enjoy riding bikes,” Mayor Burton explained. “The bike I ride today is the same bike I bought in 1979.”
Save Water and Money! While his current bike does have some much-needed upgrades, due to decades of miles, the bike is still the same frame as it was when Jimmy Carter was in office. “A lot of the bike lanes we have in West Jordan are on the side of the road,” Mayor Burton said. “Quite often this time of year there is a lot of debris there. Our streetsweepers are out sweeping the streets to make riding bicycles in our city safer.” The City of West Jordan has more than a dozen existing bike trails. The city has recently released a map showing where you can already ride. If you’re anything like Mayor Burton, you will be out on these trails whenever the sun is shining. “I like the sounds, I like the smells, I like the outdoors, and being on a bicycle gives me that.”
DISCOUNTED RAIN BARRELS AVAILABLE TO SALT LAKE COUNTY RESIDENTS The Utah Rivers Council is partnering with Salt Lake County Watershed Planning & Restoration to offer rain barrels to save water and improve water quality. Salt Lake County residents can purchase the rain barrels for just $50, while supplies last, at a significant discount from the barrel’s $129 retail price. Residents can order the discounted rain barrels now at http://utahrivers.org/rainharvest/. With one of the lowest snowpacks in recorded history, conserving water is more important than ever. Urban Utah residents have the highest water use (per-person) in the U.S. and rain barrels are one of many tools Utahns can use to reduce our high water use. Over 3,300 barrels have been purchased through the Utah Rivers Council’s RainHarvest program, which means that 165,000 gallons of water are saved every time it rains enough to fill a 50-gallon barrel. Capturing rainwater also improves water quality by storing water on site and preventing urban runoff from flowing through streets and gutters and washing pollutants into streams and lakes. Rainwater harvesting is legal in Utah. After the barrels are purchased online, residents can pick them up at a designated date and location where volunteers will be on hand to teach participants about the importance of rainwater harvesting and other water conservation strategies.
West Jordan Animal Shelter in need of donations
2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT The latest Water Quality Report has just been released, and we are pleased to report that our drinking water meets all federal and state requirements. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires water providers to report to their customers on the quality of their drinking water each year. Most of the the city’s water supply comes from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. The water supply is supplemented with well water from May through October. The latest report is available online at WestJordan.Utah.gov. For questions or concerns, please call 801-569-5700.
The West Jordan Animal Shelter needs your help. It has recently taken in several rabbits and could use some bunny food and hay. Shelter employees say the rabbits are also huge fans of bunny treats called “yogies.” The shelter employees say kitten season is fast approaching which means they will be in need of soft kitten food and soft cat food. If you would like to donate, check out the shelter’s wish list on Amazon by visiting http://a.co/4gR9S4h for dog supplies and http://a.co/9dRV0yF for cat supplies. West Jordan Animal Shelter: 5982 West, New Bingham Hwy, West Jordan 801-282-3951
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JUNE
2
PLANNING COMMISSION
JUNE
JUNE
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5
Join virtually on YouTube 6 p.m.
COPPER HILLS HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PARADE
WEST JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PARADE
Copper Hills High School 2 p.m.
West Jordan High School 11 a.m.
JUNE
JUNE
JUNE
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
PLANNING COMMISSION
DRIVE-IN MOVIE
Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.
Join virtually on YouTube 6 p.m.
JUNE
JUNE
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West Jordan Rodeo Arena
JUNE
20-28
24
27-28
STORY WALK
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CHALK ART FESTIVAL
Bingham Creek Trail
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J U LY
J U LY
J U LY
INDEPENDENCE DAY
PLANNING COMMISSION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CITY OFFICES CLOSED
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Small Business Spotlight – Glover Nursery Glover Nursery deems itself “Utah’s First Family Nursery.” They have been serving people for more than a century. Rod Glover’s grandfather, Albert, first opened a nursery and got a Utah business license in 1895. “I am a fourth-generation nursery man,” Glover said. “I have two daughters, two sons, and then a grandson here at the nursery- so I have six generations of being in the nursery business.” The original Glover Nursery was actually ‘Jordan Garden Center’ in Midvale. That location still exists, but they don’t offer any plants for sale. Instead they sell equipment such as; mowers and blowers. Rod Glover was working in the nursery before many of us even start the first grade. “I started working when I was six-years-old,” Glover said. “I have a social security page that shows I had 25 dollars put in that year.” For Glover, the nursery is a way of life. Today his business is booming, with many people forced to stay home, they are now taking to home and garden projects. “It’s absolutely overwhelming,” Glover said. “Gardening is a therapy. Now with COVID-19, people are tending to their gardens, it’s something everyone now has time for.” Glover nursery is usually packed on weekends during the spring and summer. But now, Rod says he is overwhelmed with the amount of people coming into the nursery. Because his crews are so busy, he’s had to close Sundays and close earlier during the week. “Our sales are exceedingly strong,” Glover explained. “We’re surpassing every record we’ve ever had.” Among the green foliage and vibrant flowers, it’s easy to spot the efforts Glover Nursery is taking to keep its customers safe. Employees are directed to wear masks when in contact with other employees or customers, signs are posted everywhere reminding people to stay 6-feet apart from one another, and plastic shields are posted in front of cashiers to keep employees safe. “We’re doing the best we can,” Glover said. When it comes to what people are buying most, Glover says perennials are selling like hot cakes. Those are plants that bloom over the spring and summer, die during the autumn and winter, and then return back in the spring. Glover nursery could credit more than a century of experience as to why it’s succeeding during a pandemic, but Rod Glover said it best when he pointed out that gardening isn’t just a task on a weekend checklist, it’s a way to heal, when we all need it most. To learn more about Glover Nursery visit: Glovernursery.com
Follow the City of West Jordan on Twitter and Facebook Get up-to-date information on what’s going on in the city. Join us for virtual tours of our departments, giveaways, event information and much more! The City of West Jordan 8000 S. Redwood Rd., West Jordan, UT 84088 Join the conversation! (801) 569-5100 West Jordan – City Hall www.wjordan.com
West Jordan Police Dept. 8040 S. Redwood Rd. West Jordan, Utah 84088 801-256-2000 801-840-4000 Dispatch
TWITTER: @CityWestJordan FACEBOOK: @WestJordanCityHall Visit Westjordan.utah.gov for direct links.