January 2021 | Vol. 21 Iss. 01
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PANDEMIC PREGNANCY by Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com
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n September 2020, West Jordan native Shaylynne Troester was days away from delivering her first child. The second grade teacher had taken two weeks off work at the recommendation of her doctor. At her 39 week appointment, she made the choice to be induced. Hospital policy required mothers to be tested for COVID-19 before arriving at the hospital for induction, and Troester was scheduled for induction on a Tuesday. She received her test the previous Thursday, fully expecting it to come back negative. Instead, a few days later, the health department notified her that she was COVID positive. “If I’d waited to go into labor I wouldn’t have known,” Troester said. “I had no symptoms; I felt completely fine. It was a shock.” It was frustrating, too: she was asymptomatic and yet had to planned for a labor that would look very different from what she had envisioned. “It was our first baby; we had no idea what we were doing,” she said. “I felt physically fine, but it was a lot to process.” “I don’t know what to expect” Berkley Meisenbacher of Midvale is ex-
pecting her first baby in May. She works as a medical surgical nurse at Jordan Valley Medical Center West Valley, wears protective equipment at work and said most patients are tested for COVID before being sent into surgery. But there have been a few patients that have “slipped by,” and aren’t tested until after she’s seen them. Before finding out she was pregnant in September, Meisenbacher wasn’t too concerned about getting COVID, because her sister contracted it and recovered fully. But “now that I’m pregnant,” she said, “the thought of getting COVID is very frightening to me. I don’t know what to expect because there is so little research done about COVID because it’s so new.” There are many unknowns about the risks COVID-19 poses to pregnant women. Of the information we do have, much is positive. It seems there is little risk of a COVID-positive mother transmitting the virus to her baby, and those babies who do contract it after birth tend to recover well. “The best data suggests that in-utero transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is rare, but possible,” said Dr. Erin Clark, an asContinued page 5
After delivering her baby while COVID positive in September, second-grade teacher Shaylynne Troester says it’s the return to normal life that stresses her most. “Are we going to be in school next week?” she wonders. “Will I have to quarantine again? The unknown of what it’s going to look like in a week—that’s my biggest concern.” (Photo courtesy Shaylynne Troester)
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January 2021| Page 3
Local organization raising awareness of radon gas dangers By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
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an Poulsen was 60 years old when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She was confused because she had never smoked a day in her life. After a little research, she learned that her cancer was caused by a chemical in her very own home, one that is invisible, odorless, tasteless and otherwise impossible to detect without a test: Radon. Poulsen was lucky in that she was able to beat her cancer diagnosis, but only after having undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries, including the removal of one of her lungs. But many are not so lucky. Each year, radon is responsible for an estimated 21,000 deaths in the United States alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure to radon usually happens in one’s own home. The gas forms naturally when uranium in soil or rock breaks down, according to the American Lung Association. It then “enters a home through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings.” Luckily there are relatively inexpensive tests available to measure the level of radon gas in a home. The only problem is that they need to be done regularly. Poulsen’s home was tested for radon over a decade before her diagnosis and the results showed a radon level of 2.2 pCi/L, much less than the recommended action level of 4.0. However, radon levels can rise over time and home renovations can also lead to increased exposure. Poulsen’s family, for example, added a walk-out basement. Following her diagnosis, they had their home tested again and the result was 24.9 pci/L, more than six times the recommended EPA action level. “If we had known, we would have had our house tested and remediated immediately after we had it remodeled,” said Poulsen. Poulsen’s journey led her to help form the Utah Radon Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of this rarely-talked-about issue. They hold regular radon awareness seminars, offer free testing kits to qualified individuals and lobby local lawmakers to adopt reasonable measures related to radon safety. This month, for example, they’ll be encouraging a number of Utah cities including Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Herriman, Millcreek, Sandy and South Jordan to join the
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Common radon entry points found in homes. (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
EPA and many others across the country in designating January as Radon Action Month. National Radon Action Month “provides a fresh opportunity at the beginning of each new year for all Americans to protect their families by becoming more aware of radon, testing their home, and mitigating radon if the test finds a
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Continued from front page sociate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Utah. Unlike a virus like Zika, the novel coronavirus likely does not pose unique risks to unborn babies; that is, “it does not appear to cause birth defects or miscarriage.” Instead, the threat of COVID-19 to pregnant women is that it magnifies already existing risks. “The most recent U.S. data shows that women who are pregnant are about three times more likely to be admitted to the ICU and to require a ventilator compared to similar women who are not pregnant,” Dr. Clark said. “Pregnant women are also about 70% more likely to die of COVID-19.” Pregnant women with other health issues are at even higher risk. When it comes to women of color, the numbers are even more alarming. Almost all non-white groups in the U.S. face a disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19 and a disproportionate risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Compounded, these numbers paint a dismal picture. Still, absolute risk to pregnant women remains low. And given the short time frame researchers have had to gather data, studies’ sample sizes are simply not large enough to paint an accurate picture of the likelihood of severe COVID-related illness during pregnancy. Despite her diagnosis, Shaylynne Troester delivered her baby without complications. She credits the staff at Jordan Valley hospital for helping her remain calm. Each nurse that entered her room wore full protective gear, and staff tried to limit the number of times they entered the room during labor. But her husband was allowed to be with her, even without a COVID test, and he could come and go freely. In the end, she feels her delivery “wasn’t all that different from normal.” There was just one sign that the novel coronavirus had entered her body: blood clots in the placenta. Both pregnancy and COVID-19 individually increase a person’s risk of blood clots; together the risk is even higher. Troester’s doctor mentioned this at her 32-week appointment and told her if she ever were to test positive, she would be closely monitored and put on blood thinners. “I feel like my doctor was on top of it compared to some of the other doctors I have heard about,” Troester said. “Typically, if you are diagnosed with COVID, they put you on blood thinners right away. A lot of doctors are not following that. Some say it’s not proven.” When Camille Wright of Draper contracted COVID in her first trimester of pregnancy this August, she received a 14-day course of blood thinners. She was also told that because of the risk of clots, she would not be allowed to carry past 39 weeks. That was OK with her. Though Wright has fully recovered, her case was not asymptomatic. She found out
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she was pregnant on a Friday at the beginning of August; that Sunday she was scheduled to leave for a family reunion in Idaho. The Wrights—Camille; her husband, Jonathan; and two children—hadn’t seen any family since December. The reunion was “well done,” she said, held in an old campus dormitory. Every family had its own lodging and bathroom. Indoors, everyone wore masks; all meals were eaten outside. No one was allowed within 6 feet of Camille’s grandparents. “We had a great time,” she said. But the day before reunion ended, one cousin came down with a headache. The next morning, as everyone was packing to leave, he couldn’t taste anything. The Wrights were supposed to spend more time in Idaho but instead went home. A week later, everyone in her household had tested positive for COVID-19. Wright said she got it the worst and describes her husband as having “a head cold,” while her 3- and 1-year-old children had “runny noses for maybe an hour.” Within a week, she had learned both that she was pregnant and COVID-positive. And though she felt unwell, it wasn’t always possible to know whether her symptoms— nausea, intense headache and fatigue—could be attributed to COVID or early pregnancy. “I always get pretty sick with pregnancy,” she said. But this time, she spent “six days in bed. I have never done that in my life.” Wright never felt so sick that she was truly alarmed. She hadn’t even had a prenatal appointment yet but called her doctor and was prescribed blood thinners. At her 12week appointment, she learned more about the pandemic-era policies: that she wouldn’t carry past 39 weeks, an extra ultrasound would be done at 32 weeks and at 35 weeks they would begin stress tests. “Most of these are preventive, because they don’t really know,” Wright said. Recently she heard of a study underway in Utah to investigate whether COVID patients without symptoms severe enough for hospitalization would benefit from taking common medications to reduce the risk of blood clots. “I’m so glad I was on [blood thinners],” she said. “But I wonder, ‘Would it have been good for my husband to be on them? My kids?’”
A “BABY BUST”
Unsurprisingly, the uncertainties associated with the pandemic—and accompanying financial crisis—has experts predicting a serious decline in births in the coming year. A November article in “The Atlantic” proclaimed “Here Comes the COVID-19 Baby Bust” and cited economists who predicted 300,000 to 500,000 fewer births in 2021. But should prospective parents allow the risks of COVID to determine their family planning? “My job revolves around talking to women about potential pregnancy risks, which exist for every pregnancy, regardless of circumstances,” Dr. Erin Clark said. “I describe all pregnancies as a ‘leap of faith,’
The uncertainty of the pandemic and financial crisis has experts predicting a “baby bust” this year: a decrease of 10 to 15% in the number of babies born in 2021. (Photo by Heather Mount)
We both realize that this pandemic isn’t going to last forever. What’s most important to us is family and even though I’m pregnant during a pandemic we are thrilled to be having a baby. Berkley Meisenbacher
since even with the recommended cautious optimism nobody knows with certainty how things will turnout. ‘The leap’ just feels a bit wider during the current pandemic.” Berkley Meisenbacher said that despite the unknowns, now felt like the right time for her and her husband to start their family. “We both realize that this pandemic isn’t going to last forever,” she said. “What’s most important to us is family, and even though I’m pregnant during a pandemic, we are thrilled to be having a baby.” COVID-19 didn’t strongly influence Camille Wright’s decision to get pregnant either. “Before pregnancy, I scanned [the research] a little bit,” said Wright, who is also trained as a nurse, but she didn’t worry too much because she knew there wasn’t a lot of data. After her diagnosis, she started digging into the data more and became more worried. “I began to have thoughts of, ‘Oh no, what did I just do? Was I irresponsible?’” But her doctor put her at ease, telling her, “You can’t put your life on hold.” Ever since her 20-week ultrasound, where the baby was found to be growing normally, she’s felt at ease.
VACCINE CONCERNS
While a vaccine promises to soon help the world regain some normalcy, some women may have concerns about receiving a vaccine whose safety data is lacking when it comes to pregnancy. “While pregnant women are at higher risk for severe COVID-19,
pregnant women have unfortunately not been included in the current vaccine trials,” Clark said. “The theoretic risk from vaccination is low and the potential benefit is high, but pregnancy data is desperately needed.” Though she’s not on the frontlines, Meisenbacher may be ahead of the general public in line to receive a COVID vaccine because of her job. “I think before I decide to get it, I would do my own research to see if there are any rules or regulations about pregnant women receiving the vaccine,” she said. “It would make sense to give pregnant people the vaccine first because they are high risk, however because we don’t really know the effects of course there’s going to be some cautionary guidelines.” Today, Troester and Wright are fully recovered. Troester’s baby never did test positive or show any symptoms of COVID-19, and eventually both her mother and motherin-law were able to come help her during the early postpartum weeks. She wore a mask for the first few days with her baby but didn’t let her diagnosis stop her from breastfeeding and doing skin-to-skin time. “Babies are faring so well,” she said. “That’s the greatest blessing of COVID.” Her advice? “I just would say if you are pregnant and you think you do have COVID, just get tested,” said Troester. “I had no symptoms, but I could have thrown a blood clot, and we both could have died.” l
January 2021| Page 5
BEST PHOTOS OF 2020: WEST JORDAN
Councilmember Zach Jacob speaks to a small group gathered to witness the singing of the diversity resolution, including Police Chief Ken Wallentine, President of the local NAACP Jeanetta Williams and Imam Shuaib Din. (Photo courtesy West Jordan City)
Stuart Palmer is a former police officer who is training to be a licensed clinical social worker and hopes to help other officers through counseling and hippotherapy. (Erin Dixon/City Journals)
Kylan Shorts already set the career team assist record. On Jan. 17, he set the single-game record. (Photo courtesy of Dave Reeder.)
Page 6 | January 2021
The JEF board recognized Kathe Riding as Jordan School District’s Outstanding Principal of the Year because of her persistence in supporting teachers, students and families at Majestic Elementary and Columbia Elementary. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Education Foundation.)
Demonstrators begin their march July 6 at Veterans Memorial Park. The organizers chose to hold the event in West Jordan to recognize that racial and social inequities matter in every community, not just metropolitan centers, and to give a voice to families living in West Jordan and other smaller cities. (Photo by Chanel Tan.)
West Jordan City Journal
Foundation members surprise Copper Hills High School teacher Rae Boren at her home. (Jordan Education Foundation)
Damon Ruesch slides in safely to third base during the Grizzlies victory over Jordan High School in the Last Chance baseball tournament. Copper Hills rebounded to finish third in the Last Chance baseball tournament after its season was cancelled due to the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Dave Reeder.) Navigator Pointe Academy students create bookmarks to donate instead of having a holiday party. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)
Ashley Booth said they planted “everything” in this year’s garden—except corn. “I prefer not to plant something that will cause raccoons to want to come to my property, eat more corn and then find a snack in my hen house,” she said. (Photo by Ashley Soots/ sootsphotography.com)
Riverton Elementary vice principal Amy Adams gets her hands dirty on a life-changing trip to the Dominican Republic in January where The Majestic Elementary community members make their voice heard at a public hearing to keep the school open. (Heather Reich/Majestic Elementary) she helped build a school. (Photo Courtesy Lifetouch)
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January 2021| Page 7
BEST OF PHOTOS WEST JORDAN
Local toy collector Ben Hansen taking part in “Trade Night” at Rogue Toys in February. (Jordan Hafford/City Journals)
Carlos Moreno said he “never expected” to be honored for his work encouraging Utah Latinos to become more involved in their communities. Moreno was honored as a Distinguished Leader at the Living Color gala for his work helping several cities establish diversity committees. (Photo courtesy Carlos Alejandro Moreno.)
Dirk Burton takes the oath of office as West Jordan’s 14th mayor, accompanied by his wife, Janet. (Erin Dixon/City Journals)
22-year-old track record caption: Austin Klingler finished his school record 800-meter race in 1 minute 51.11 seconds. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Hatch/ Jaguar Track Club)
Page 8 | January 2021
The Wellness Center is furnished with the personal rocking chairs of the principal and assistant principal, a teepee made by the principal’s sister and a colorful rug donated by Furnishh. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)
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The South Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Jordan Education Foundation and Walmart South Jordan held their 7th annual Christmas for Kids event last week. "We didn't want to disappoint the students, so we had to pivot and adjust the event to make it Covid-safe for everyone." This year Christmas for Kids was turned into a 5 day event. Teachers did an amazing job working with 451 deserving Middle and High School students creating Christmas lists from Walmart.com. The Community registered to be volunteer shoppers from December 7th through the 10th. The volunteer shoppers selected items on the students list and paid for them with generous donations from area Businesses and Community members. On Saturday December 12th, students arrived at Walmart to pick up their gifts in a Covid-safe drive through" said Brian Synan the President and CEO of the South Jordan Chamber of Commerce. The annual event brings Business and Community together to spread Christmas cheer to deserving students. Christmas for Kids has helped over 2,000 students have a wonderful Christmas since its inception in 2014. "We had to find a way to move forward with the event this year and with the help from everyone, we were able to make it happen" Synan said.
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January 2021| Page 9
The pros and cons of Jordan District’s Flexible Fridays By Jet Burnham|j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
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ordan District officials implemented a new school schedule this year. Students attend in-person school Monday through Thursday, with Friday designated as a virtual learning day. Students have either online assignments or a takehome packet from each class to complete from home on Fridays. Teachers can also invite small groups of students to come to school for a few hours on Fridays for learning activities or remediation.
FLEXIBILITY OF FRIDAYS
The flexibility of the Friday schedule allows teachers to meet the needs of their students in creative ways. “We have great confidence in the ability of our teachers to tailor instruction to the needs of students, but they don’t always have space to do that within the traditional structure,” Superintendent Anthony Godfrey said. “We’ve heard feedback about exciting things that are happening in our schools. Students have been able to learn in ways that hadn’t been possible before and to feel connected to each other and the school in ways that were not previously possible.” Midas Creek teacher Julie Ribar doesn’t usually have time to teach STEM topics to her fifth graders. However, the flexible Friday schedule enables her to hold enrichment learning experiences. Her husband, who is studying technology and engineering with a teaching emphasis at BYU, works with small groups of students on engineering activities for a few hours on Fridays while Ribar works individually with students on academics. “This has been a great opportunity for my students,” Ribar said. “Many of them have expressed interest in becoming engineers when they grow up.” At Mountain Point Elementary, student leaders participated in a virtual leadership conference on a Friday instead of missing school to travel to a conference as they normally do. The kindergarten team has been able to introduce coding activities to small groups of students on Fridays. At secondary schools, students can schedule time to work with teachers but also participate in activities normally held after school. Drama teacher Michael Draut invites the West Hills Middle stage crew to meet on Fridays instead of after school when students may have conflicts. On Fridays at Oquirrh Hills Middle, while students wait to meet with teachers or wait for the bus home, they participate in enrichment activities—history lectures, wood-burning demonstrations and open-sewing sessions. At Herriman High School, club members use Friday hours to organize service projects and hold activities.
TIME TO CATCH UP
The biggest benefit of the Friday schedule is that teachers are able to provide enrichment and remediation activities which target the individual needs of students. “We knew that there would be gaps from spring learning that would need to be filled,” Godfrey said. “Having flexibility on Friday to form smaller groups of students, whether in person or virtually, so that teachers could follow up on gaps in learning that they had observed during the week, we thought would be a good way to help boost students after the difficult learning circumstances they had gone through the spring.” Ashley Chappell, mother of three, said one of her children fell behind in math with remote learning and has been able to use Fridays to catch up. “Having the opportunity for small-group learning and more individualized time with his teacher has been a huge blessing,” she said. “If he doesn’t grasp a concept 100%, his teacher has asked if he can come so she can make sure he is solid and good to go for the next week or a test they are tak-
Page 10 | January 2021
ing. It’s been wonderful, and I hope it never ends.” Kindergarten teacher Meline Hansen said the time to work individually with students on Fridays is a gift. “I have a solid block of time with students who need extra help or extra challenge without having to worry about keeping other students engaged in independent tasks,” she said. Midas Creek third grade teacher MaryAnn Birch said the benefits of working with smaller groups on Fridays are clear. “You can target students who need specific skillbased interventions,” she said. “Teachers and students can strengthen their relationship in small groups. Students tend to be more engaged when there is a small group. You can get students who normally don’t interact to talk and ask questions. Teachers can create lessons that are more interactive and exciting.”
A GIFT FOR TEACHERS
Student instruction is only scheduled for a few hours on Fridays. For the remainder of the day, teachers participate in professional development, staff meetings and lesson planning. “We did not select this model because it is the best learning model,” Jordan District Board of Education member Darrell Robinson said. “We selected this because teachers are required to work both face-to-face and online. It is the only way we could think of to give teachers some prep time to do what we asked them to do.” Hansen said having a productive solid block of time for collaboration and planning has been great for teachers who have had to adjust to fewer direct instruction hours. Middle school teacher Jamie Buttars said there are numerous advantages for both teachers and students. “Teachers are able to give more personalized help to the students so they are more successful,” she said. “Friday has also been a life saver for students that have been quarantined. It allows them a time to come in and get caught up without having a lot of added stress. Teachers are also able to plan better lessons. So even though students are technically losing 30 minutes of class time a week, they are learning just as much while in school.”
SURPRISE BENEFITS
There have also been some unexpected benefits to the alternative schedule. Some parents have seen a decrease in their child’s stress levels when they know they have a day to catch up or that they can get help from the teacher without the whole class listening in. Additionally, school custodians have benefitted from having fewer people in the building on Fridays. “Fridays allow them the ability to do projects that they put off during the week while they were cleaning and disinfecting throughout the school,” Godfrey said. Being assigned virtual classwork on Fridays has been a benefit for Kim McDermaid’s daughters who often miss school on Fridays to participate in weekend softball tournaments. “This year was so nice with the virtual Fridays so that they could get on and work on their assignments through the day as we had time,” she said. Jordan School Board President Bryce Dunford said when classes are virtual on Fridays, there is less contact tracing and fewer days quarantined students are missing class. Oquirrh Hills Middle Principal Donna Hunter has noticed students taking more responsibility for their education, requesting to come in on Fridays to work with a teacher instead of waiting to be invited. “We’ve got special ed kids that asked to come in on
Hands-on enrichment activities are possible on Fridays when there are fewer students in the classroom. (Principal Carolyn Bona/Mountain Point Elementary)
Friday so that they can get extra help on their homework; they didn’t used to do that,” Hunter said. Many special ed students couldn’t stay for after school study hall because they have to catch a bus home. Buses run on the alternative schedule on Fridays.
PROBLEMS WITH THE SCHEDULE
The four day in-person and one day virtual learning was the most popular option of both parents and teachers who responded to a survey sent out by the Jordan board of education this summer. The alternative Friday schedule was planned to be temporary, but the board voted to extend it through the rest of the school year. And yet, there are some who do not like the schedule. The Friday schedule is a burden to some families who lack access to computers and internet. Instead of asking students to come in or to complete virtual assignments, Teri Gomez, a teacher at Columbia Elementary, assigns a packet for students to work on at home. Other families are unable to get their kids to school and home in the middle of the day because of childcare or transportation conflicts. In response to such a situation, teachers at Mountain Point Elementary work together to coordinate inviting children from the same family to in-person sessions on the same Fridays to reduce the burden on some families who are struggling. Marc Taylor, choir teacher at Copper Hills High, said the teachers who are loving the Friday schedule are those who can easily teach their content online. However, classes such as choir, require in-person class time. And with only four classes a week, Taylor said his students are missing out on rehearsal time. Taylor has only asked his top group, performance Madrigals, to come in on Fridays. However, he has had some problems getting them all there. Some families
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treat it like a three-day weekend and make Friday plans. Other students are using Fridays to work more hours at their part-time jobs. “You can ask your kids to come in, but you can’t grade the kid or penalize them for not being here,” Taylor said. “It’s completely optional and up to them whether or not they want to come into school on Friday. The teachers have no power on Fridays.” Birch invites eight students in each Friday to work on filling learning gaps but said without parent support, the groups cannot be effective. Because attendance is optional, she has never had all eight students show up. “Not having students attend on Fridays makes it more difficult to teach everything in four days compared to the five we had before,” Birch said. One kindergarten teacher has found that Fridays are not what she hoped they would be. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with my students doing inter- A first grade teacher at Mountain Point Elementary works with small groups of students on Fridays. (Principal ventions,” she said. “What it’s turned into is Carolyn Bona/Mountain Point Elementary) a prep day. I won’t complain about the prep; it has been a huge help. However, my students aren’t as far along this year because they can do in an hour and that constitutes to make Friday activities more engaging to I’ve lost academic time. I send home Friday for them being in school. Two out of my meet them. work and some parents make sure their kids three kids have never been asked to come in “For each grade, the plans have evolved do it while others don’t. I’ve had parents and have never had a Zoom call or anything into using more data to create more specific complain I’m expecting too much on Friday to interact with their teacher. My other kid and targeted interventions or enrichment acand others that feel I’m not doing enough. has been invited to come to school once for tivities,” sixth grade teacher Gina VondwinIt’s a lose-lose situation.” an hour.” gelo said. WHAT DOES FRIDAY LOOK LIKE? Alison Johnson said for her daughter, a Some grades focus on providing more Many parents are baffled and frustrat- junior at Copper Hills, her only requirement student-driven learning activities and utied with the inconsistency of expectations on on Fridays is a dance practice. lizing small groups to reduce distractions. Fridays among teachers, schools and grade “She hasn’t needed extra time with Many are able to focus on just one subject levels. teachers on Fridays so, other than dance in for the entire block of time on Fridays and to Erin Weist said her middle school kids the morning, Friday’s are pretty much a day use data to determine which students should never have any instruction or assignments off,” she said. be invited in each week. Some are able to but use Fridays to complete homework, One parent said her child is rarely in- provide a variety of enrichment activities while her elementary kids have worksheets vited to school on Fridays because he hasn’t only possible with small groups. Other teams and virtual work assignments every Friday. needed remediation. have found Fridays are more effective when Stacey Ratliff said her kids keep fairly “So often the kids ahead are the ones they send work home for those who are not busy on Fridays. left behind,” she said. “They aren’t given invited to attend that day as well. “They usually do their online programs anything to challenge them because all the PARENT SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL (lexia, imagine math),” she said. “Teachers focus is on the kids behind.” Godfrey encourages parents and stucall in kids on rotation, so every kid has that Godfrey said the wide range of what dents to share any questions, concerns or more one-on-one instruction at some point. Fridays look like is because it is meant to be success stories about Fridays with their It’s also the day my third grader takes online flexible. school’s administrators. He emphasizes that spelling and vocab tests. Yes, they are usu“We set parameters at the district lev- parents should be checking with students ally done faster than the in-person half day, el that were broad enough to allow for cre- each week to find out what is expected and but I don’t feel like it’s wasted. My middle ativity but also established a way to provide supporting their students to meet them. schooler has assignments fairly regularly but for a level of expectation with different pa“Parents have always been an essential not for every class. And the school has been rameters at the elementary, middle and high partner in effective education and that is true open for enrichment activities and needed school level,” he said. now more than ever,” Godfrey said. help, but she’s only done that twice.” The virtual Friday schedule was impleAlso, the Friday schedule is still new, The lessened workload and enrichment and parents and teachers are still adjusting. mented last year at Real Salt Lake Academy activities are for in-person students only; re“This is a new approach that we’re try- High School. When the Jordan board voted mote learners enrolled in the district’s online ing in the midst of a lot of other new things to open schools this year with the virtual Fricurriculum have a regular full day of instruc- happening and so it will take time, as always, day schedule, other districts soon followed. tion on Fridays. Bre Silva said that means to see the full potential of the program and to The alternative schedule was made possible her son, a remote learner, doesn’t have the work out any kinks,” Godfrey said. by an exception made by the State Board of same opportunity for one-on-one interacHeading into the second half of the Education to allow virtual learning hours to tions with his teacher. year, teachers are still learning how to uti- count toward the minimum hour and days of Some parents believe it would be more lize Fridays to best meet the needs of stu- annual instruction requirement. l beneficial for kids to be in school on Fridays. dents and families. At Mountain Point Ele“I think Fridays are a joke,” said one mentary, teachers meet regularly to discuss parent. “My kids are given a few worksheets their students’ needs and to brainstorm how
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January 2021| Page 11
Schools flip-flop learning methods to keep providing instruction to students By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
“I
didn’t know what to expect,” recalled a Canyons School District parent after his first child’s school changed to virtual learning after positive COVID-19 cases reached a 1% limit for the school. “But it hasn’t been too bad,” continued Marc Hone, even as his three oldest children who attend three different schools all were learning online in late November, following health guidelines to temporarily close their schools. “We rely on Canvas (online learning platform), teacher emails and frequently look at the schools’ websites to ensure they’re getting their assignments done.” This has been a different experience from last spring when all schools were suddenly put on soft closure for the rest of the school year following Gov. Gary Herbert’s mandate in response to the pandemic. With four of his five kids then in school, it was a scramble to meet with teachers who held Zoom meetings at the same time and having limited devices, he said. “It was a disaster last March, just terrible. We were strapped to devices and it was too much screen time. Some classes, it was hard to get on the livestream,” he said. “Now teachers are better prepared, each student is given a Chromebook from school and we’re OK as long as the internet holds up.” A Granite School District parent, who only agreed to speak anonymously, said when her two high school students at the same school have flipped to virtual learning, each child has had different experiences. For her freshman, there has been tears and stress keeping up with a 4.0 grade-point average, but her child has been able to do it. “She’ll work in front of the computer for six hours, take a break and then, do some more. I asked, ‘Aren’t you done?’ And she said, ‘Well, that was my schoolwork and now, I’m doing my homework.’ And she’ll be there for more hours. This is too much. I think that the quantity needs to be lessened, but the quality needs to remain,” she said. Her other high schooler, a 4.0 GPA junior, has seen a total disruption in academics, his mother said. “There’s been a lack of consistency with live instruction and support from some teachers,” she said. “He’s kind of crushed academically because of the stress and everything that goes with it. He’s not sure now that he wants to go to college; kids are starting to lose sight and lose hope. It’s proving to be really, really difficult.” Throughout Canyons, Granite, Jordan and Murray school districts, several schools, most commonly secondary schools, had transitioned to remote learning up to three times since school opened in August. Each time, in-person teachers flip-flopped their teaching platforms to online. Most districts are following Salt Lake County’s health guideline of closing schools for two weeks following an outbreak of 15 positive cases at the schools. Canyons Board of Education set a 1% positive case threshold to trigger a closure. Many students and family fear the disruptions in education with inconsistent learning when students or teachers are in quarantine or isolation or when entire schools flip-flop. Alta High senior Coleman Hone, who is also taking classes at Canyons Technical Education Center, said the uncertainty of his schedule has been hard. “I come home from my morning at CTEC to learn that Alta is online,” he said. “This isn’t what I’ve grown up with all my life. It’s just inconsistent learning and it throws me off.” His principal, Brian McGill, said it’s been challenging for his school community. “It’s really, really difficult on teachers and our kids,” he said. “Students need stability. Some kids quarantined one, two and three times in six weeks just by sitting next to kids who tested positive. It’s hard on kids to stay up on studies and hard on our
Page 12 | January 2021
At Murray High, a classroom sits empty as students went online after the school reached 15 or more positive COVID-19 cases for the second time this fall. (Scott Wihongi/Murray High)
teachers preparing for all eight classes online.” In the 12 weeks since school opened, Alta has flipped to virtual learning three times. “School became unmanageable with so many teachers and staff out. It became a challenge to find substitutes and run school,” McGill said, adding 80% of administrators’ time was contact tracing. Granger High also has flip-flopped three times. “While we are becoming more efficient in our use of technology in attempting to engage students, it is still difficult,” Principal David Dunn said. “Establishing a set schedule for teaching and having students log on has been much more effective in getting students to engage. We set deadlines, but we work with students individually according to their needs.” However, he added, “First term, we did see an increase in students getting ‘F’ grades. A support system has been put into place to try and help those students get caught up.” Cottonwood High flip-flopped twice, sent teams to students’ homes to support students, and has seen improvement in student learning—after implementing ideas from other schools, including a set schedule. “We found that with our students, and it was toward the end of the first quarter, our participation was terrible,” Principal Terri Roylance said. “Kids just did not follow up at home. I ended up mailing all first quarter report cards home to the families with on the back side a little infographic and letter from me saying why did we fail so many kids and it’s because kids did not engage whatsoever. Not all, but many.” Brighton, like many schools when they flip, learned online teaching is more effective with a schedule. “The first time, we didn’t require synchronous learning, but instead, let student set their own pace,” Principal Tom Sherwood said. “We learned that they’d procrastinate through the roof, had other concerns at home which made it hard to focus, had troubles with bandwidth, and other issues. It sounded great, but it didn’t work out that way.” At Murray High, Principal Scott Wihongi said that transition to online learning needs to find a balance. “Teachers continue to explore how much is too much when it comes to fully online learning,” he said, adding that the school flipped to virtual twice before December. “They are finding that
they have to scale back work a little more since it takes students longer to do it in the home setting.” Hillcrest High School math teacher Matt Snyder said that when his school flipped around Thanksgiving, they had a schedule for a sense of accountability. “Students need a structure to be successful; it improves productivity,” he said, adding that the last Wednesday online, only two of his 95 students during the day were absent—about the same as a winter day in a non-COVID-19 year. “Students learn better with interaction. I usually greet students when they come into my classroom, so I make sure I do that when I see them log on. It adds some personality and helps them from feeling so isolated, but if someone were to come by my classroom and see me just talking without anyone here, they’d think I was crazy. It’s strange to be here all alone teaching.” The transition to virtual learning was not what Hillcrest sophomore Campbell Hone expected. “I thought I could sleep in, but there’s a schedule and a procedure to take attendance; I can’t wear PJs and we have to have our (Chromebook) camera on,” he said. “Even so, I don’t feel as connected to other students and my teachers; the class discussions online don’t give off the same intense learning vibe. I don’t want to miss out on my education, but it’s hard to sit in front of a screen.” While some students are self-motivated and disciplined to learn online, Murray’s Wihongi points out: “In-person learning is much preferable in many areas because of that direct support, connection and structure. Some students are clearly struggling without that.” Administrators and parents say students are missing education in a social environment. “Students want to learn in school, have access to teachers and discussions face-to-face with their classmates. Learning alone is not the same,” Brighton Principal Sherwood said. That’s what parent Karla-Ann Whitaker said about her son, Jack, who was learning online while Indian Hills Middle flipped in late November. “He misses his friends, flirting with girls and seeing his teachers,” she said. “It’s been a pain in the butt. We’ve had tech issues and called the school, we’ve needed different links to have him connect with his classes, his grades have declined. He needs to be self-motivated and stay off his phone, but it’s hard. I know
West Jordan City Journal
teachers are trying and we need to do what is safe, but it’s a tough adjustment.” She said that as a single mother who is working and going to school full-time herself, she relies on him to watch his younger siblings, and that isn’t always taken into account with how much longer it takes to do homework online. Jack supports his mother’s assessment. “It’s terrible; it’s non-stop Zoom meetings and teachers can only help so much when they’re there and I’m at home on my own,” he said, adding that he has asked for more explanation with math in an email or the next Zoom call, but then he’s also waiting for those to happen. “It’s definitely slowing down the progression of learning.” Indian Hills seventh-grader Addison Hone agrees: “I can’t stop by after school to ask a question to a teacher. I have to email or ask in a Zoom call and hope there’s not a glitch.” While she appreciates the efforts her teachers have made, Addison said, “It’s a lot harder to be interactive. They can’t see if your hand is up. It seems like there’s a lot more work with less instruction.” Engagement and a sense of belonging is what is missing this year, administrators said. “It’s hard when we’re not in-person to engage,” Mountain Creek Middle School Assistant Principal Tim Brooks said. “We are not sure where students are, what they’re doing, what’s going on, and we can’t see their expressions as teachers walk the aisles. We try to overcome that with having cameras on, but it’s still hard. We don’t have the same assemblies and talent shows; teachers can’t give them high-fives. It’s like giving kids a Snickers and saying eat it, but you can’t take off the wrapper. We’ve all been learning to be more appreciative, become more patient, get creative and have humor during this time.” Brighton’s Sherwood agrees: “What’s missing is all that makes high school fun and draws kids in—after-school socials and clubs, wearing school colors to football games, belonging to a school community and buying in to that culture.” At Alta, McGill said keeping students and staff motivated has been challenging. “The magic and beauty of what a comprehensive high school can bring is taking a hit,” he said. “It is also heartbreaking when students practice and rehearse for upcoming performances, only to find out that they are postponed or canceled.”
WestJordanJournal .com
Middle school student Jack Whitaker gets on Zoom to follow along with his Indian Hills teacher in what seemed to him as “non-stop Zoom meetings” during his online school day. (Photo courtesy of Karla-Ann Whitaker)
Murray’s Wihongi agrees the school year looks different. “Missing this year is the overall energy and spirit normally associated with our high schools. Our classrooms and hallways are less busy; our activities and assemblies can’t move forward as normal, so it definitely takes the wind out of the sails, so to speak,” he said. Teachers and administrators are finding positive outcomes to the changes of education this year. In the classroom, Hillcrest’s Snyder said students are communicating better. “There’s been phenomenal eye contact with me as masks are forcing eye contact—and better communication. They say what they need to say. Students following the health guidelines and
mask mandates has exceeded my expectations. They’re treating me and others around them who may be terrified to be here with care and respect,” he said. Murray High’s Wihongi looks to the future of education. “Our method of curriculum delivery and access will be a huge silver lining to this. We’ll have more options for students to access their education and all of our teachers will be able to blend online and in-person instruction much more proficiently,” he said, adding that, “Snow days will become online learning days. But what remains clear, though, is that in-person learning is the most effective method of learning, hands down.” l
January 2021| Page 13
New government, new construction and a note about the budget By Erin Dixon | e.dixon@mycityjournals.com
W
est Jordan 2021 in three topics: new schedule and get it taken care of now so we government, filling in the last available can show the residents we’re taking care of land in the valley, and a note on the budget. them. In the past, a resident would have to NEW GOVERNMENT talk with a city manager. How often did that Before the beginning of 2020, West Jor- happen?” dan city operated with a manager-council. The In contrast, Whitelock is unsure a strong head was a Chief Executive Officer hired by mayor has as much control as residents may the council. It was this person’s responsibili- want. ty to direct city staff and implement decisions “I also believe both the current mayor made by the council. The mayor was only the and others thought with a citizen whom the head of the council. populace chose that individual could bring Now, West Jordan has a mayor-council immediate results to their issues,” Whitelock form of government, also known as a strong said. “Even with our current form, there are mayor form. The mayor is now the head of the processes and finances that dictate what can city and is no longer part of the council. The be done.” council makes the decisions separately and the Resident Brandy Wright has interacted mayor is responsible to have staff carry out with the new form and mayor this year and those decisions made. had her own thoughts to share. Dirk Burton is the first strong mayor and “I like and support the new form of govtook office this January. ernment,” Wright said. “I am not impressed Burton previously served on the city with the leadership of the mayor in general. council from 2016 to 2019 under the manag- My interactions have been that he likes to be er-council form of government. said he didn’t the good guy, shake hands and do photo ops know what was coming his way. but leaves the hard stuff to his staff (layoff pro“I really didn’t know what to expect,” he cess is one example of this).” said. “I knew it would be a learning curve all More details about how the change the way around. We did make a couple of boo- of government came about see this arboos here and there.” ticle: https://www.westjordanjournal. Burton was in favor of the strong mayor com/2020/01/06/294213/a-new-face-forform of government even before he took of- west-jordan BUILDING AND BUILDING AND fice. “I always believed the top person running BUILDING West Jordan has some of the last bare, unthe city should be an elected official,” Burton developed land in the valley. Layne Western, said. “I think it’s better for the residents.” After the form of government was voted West Jordan building official, reported in Noin, the council and legal team spent the past vember on what is going on that land. Most of the space is being covered by two years combing code and adjusting statements and responsibilities to remove the CEO non-residential space such as office and indusand establish the mayor as the new head of the trial. In 2020, 3.4 million square feet of city. “We’re still finding things in code that non-residential land was constructed, which don’t apply to the change in form of govern- blew the previous building record, 1.1 million square feet in 2006, out of the water by three ment so we clean those up,” Burton said. Councilmember Kayleen Whitelock has times. Over the past six years, “non-residenbeen on the council since 2018 and has expe- tial building square feet—we typically issue rience interacting with both forms of govern- around 200,000-600,000 square feet of nonresidential buildings per year,” Western said. ment. The largest space built this year was an “We have almost had a full year of the new form,” Whitelock said. “Just as I felt pri- Amazon building covering 1.5 million square or, the form is not nearly as important as the feet. And next year? “In our first quarter (for people filling the seats.” Changing form did more than switch 2021), we’ve already issued permits for building 675,000 square feet,” Western said. around who was in charge, however. Some notable installments are an Aligned “I also shared my concern [beforehand] it would cost more, and it does,” Whitelock Energy expansion, at 240,000 square feet; said. “The council now has two full-time em- Parasol Warehouse that will manufacture viployees, and in my opinion, we also need our tamins, at 187,000 square feet; and Rush Funown council—possibly just a contract attorney plex, at 74,000 square feet. Legislation and lobbying for the cities whom we can consult when needed.” With a strong mayor, do residents see interests West Jordan City contracts with a lobbyanything different? “The mayor has the ability to adjust some ist, Lincoln Shurtz from Legislative Insight. of the scheduling,” Burton said. “Thirty-eight In November, along with the mayor, Shurtz hundred West, that road was scheduled to be presented to the council what he saw as opporrepaved next year. I said move it down the tunities for West Jordan to be heard. He also
Page 14 | January 2021
In Jan 2020, West Jordan city changed form of government. (Photo/Erin Dixon/City Journals)
gathered ideas from council members about what they would like to see happen on capitol hill during the legislative session in January. Because of the pandemic, the state capitol building will not be as open to the public in person as usual. “I really do think for us, there is going to be a unique opportunity for access because the public won’t be able to be there in such a robust fashion,” Shurtz said. “I do think we will have opportunity to have a disproportionate impact on the legislature on some of the key priorities.” On the 2020 Utah State ballot was Amendment G, which allows the state to use income tax for Medicare, Medicaid and disability services, money that used to be exclusively for education. This amendment passed by a narrow margin of 54%. Shurtz said that the passing of this amendment may be helpful for the city. “It will make our job for advocating for more infrastructure and money for local governments easier because it allows us access to a pot of funds that has previously been constitutionally protected for education,” he said. “It’s going to give the state far more options to figure out what the priorities are for the state.”
DEVELOPMENT HANDS
IS
IN
side authorities. “I would like our state representatives to remember that we believe local government governs best,” Whitelock said. “I have a better opportunity to speak to residents and what they want in their community. Our city has the most undeveloped land, and we haven’t told other cities how to develop their land, and we don’t think it’s justifiable to be told how to develop ours.” Councilmember Kelvin Green suspects that part of the problem is a debate about who is truly in control. “The reason why the development community wants regional development is because they only want to have to deal with five people not 15 cities,” Green said. “We have a whole ton of developers within the state legislature and are heavily pushing their own agenda.” If the city is concerned about who has the most influence over build-out, Shurtz confirms there is a way to retain some authority. “One of the best defenses is a good offense,” Shurtz said. “We need to put a plan together so they know how we intend and what our master plan looks like for the undeveloped lands within our city.”
BUDGET UPDATE
When Gov. Gary Herbert shut down
WHOSE much of the state businesses in March because
Who will ultimately be responsible for the development of the remaining land in West Jordan? As a professional lobbyist, Shurtz spends a lot of time with state leaders and legislators. “There have been far more conversations around regional planning than I have ever seen, which really just means ‘how can we take this away from cities and/or counties and give it to a regional authority?’” Shurtz said. Whitelock prefers land development decisions remain in the hands of the city, not out-
of the pandemic, West Jordan leaders prepared for a drop in sales tax revenue. Some employees at the city were laid off, hiring was frozen, and the city prepared to borrow from its own General Fund. Fortunately, residents continued purchasing groceries and home improvement supplies, which tempered the loss. “Fortunately, it was a lot higher than our worst-case scenario was,” Burton said. “It wasn’t the same as what we thought it would be [before the pandemic], but we won’t have to pull as much from our rainy-day fund.” l
West Jordan City Journal
G O OD NE IG HBOR
NEWS
JANUARY 2021
Paid for by the City of West Jordan
M AYO R ’S M E S S AG E Happy New Year! The year 2020 was one for the history books – not just because of a global pandemic, or a presidential election, but locally as well. For the first time in its history, the City of West Jordan moved to a strong-mayor form of government. I have proudly represented West Jordan as Mayor for a year, and I couldn’t be more delighted with all the progress our city has made. Stepping into this office last year, I knew there would be new challenges no Mayor before me has met in our city. Little did I know, just how difficult the coming year would be. Three months after taking office, we were hit with a virus that changed everything. Some businesses closed for a short while, several city events were cancelled, and schools were closed. The Coronavirus changed everyone’s lives in some way or another and it was no different for the city. We were forced to make some tough decisions, but each time we were faced with a difficult obstacle, we knew we had to rise up and figure it out. Through it all, we kept the city going. Our goal was to continue to provide city services without interruption. Our city staff has performed admirably. We’ve been able to continue our regular operations, along with accomplishing the following residentfocused initiatives: • Customer service calls are now answered by a live operator between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. • New, easier-to-read utility bills are being distributed to residents. • Adjustments were made to the water rate, to ensure greater equity in utility billing – you pay for what you use. • A new online bill system is being developed to ease payments to the city, decreasing the number of visits to City Hall. It will launch this year. • We passed a conservative 2020-21 budget, which will have limited impact on the city’s emergency funds, despite the challenging economy. • We maintained 100% staffing for police officers and fire fighters, amidst city-wide layoffs. • We’ve kicked off work on a new city website that will be launched in 2021. • We’ve expanded our economic development initiatives, under a newly appointed director. • Using CARES Act funds from the federal government, we were able to assist in offering grants to many local businesses. As we begin this new year, we will be met with new challenges – we will address them head on. I work hard to make myself available to any resident who needs me. I’ve been known to drop by homes or stop and chat with someone while out riding my bicycle. I will continue to work hard for the city and you, our residents. I look forward to what we can accomplish, together, in 2021. May you and your family have a healthy, and happy new year.
Mayor Dirk Burton
WestJordanJournal .com
The Season of Potholes – How to Easily Report them to the City Online Potholes can be considered the ‘pests’ of the roads in the winter months. A pothole that goes unfixed, can grow bigger, and eventually cause damage to unsuspecting cars driving through them. That’s why it’s up to you to report them to the city! How do potholes form? Potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water, after the water enters the ground under the pavement. Freezing temperatures become the perfect ingredient for that water to freeze and expand. This makes the road bend and crack, ultimately leaving a big gap behind. What is the City of West Jordan doing to try and prevent potholes from forming? West Jordan City crews fill about 1,400 potholes every year. In order to prevent potholes from forming in the first place, crews overlay and repave city streets each year. But, with more than 800 miles of streets, and a limited asphalt budget, it’s anticipated that some of those cracks will be missed. How do I report a pothole? In just five easy steps: Step 1: Go to http://bit.ly/WJSERVICE Step 2: Choose from the list until you find the request you would like to make Step 3: Click ‘Submit a report’ Step 4: Fill out the form Step 5: Click “Report it” You should receive a confirmation email following your submission. Someone from the city will be in contact with you throughout the process to ensure your request was completed. If you have problems filling out the form check out this video on the city’s Facebook page: https://bit.ly/howtoservicereq If you are still experiencing issues call 801-569-5174. How long does it usually take to get a pothole filled? West Jordan Public Works Operations respond to pothole reports within two working days after receiving the notification. If the pothole is dangerous or is causing problems with traffic, crews will respond immediately. January 2021| Page 15
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
West Jordan Target Store Offers Employees Relief During COVID-19 Pandemic The Target store in Jordan Landing is one of the city’s largest employers. During the holidays, the store hired seasonal workers upping their employee tally to around 180. Like every other shopping center, Target has had to change the way it’s doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jayme Mudrow has been the store director at the Jordan Landing Target for eight years. She said she, and her team, are doing everything they can to keep employees and guests safe. “I think that every little thing helps, we just want to do our part to make sure that everybody who comes through our store feels comfortable,” said Mudrow. But Mudrow isn’t just talking about guests. Target is also doing what it can to make employees feel safe and secure. Along with free access to virtual health care, daycare for
employee’s children, and a $200 holiday bonus, the shopping center has also upped its salary for employees. “So many of our team members are just working so hard,” said Mudrow. “At the beginning of COVID we did give everybody a temporary $2 raise, and then by the end of July we went ahead and just made that change to be permanent.” Regardless, Target’s goal was to get to a $15 starting salary by 2021. The pandemic gave them the opportunity to make that change early. Mayor Dirk Burton met with Mudrow and other store employees in December to show his appreciation about what Target is doing to make West Jordan a great place to live and work.
City of West Jordan Offering Curbside Christmas Tree Pick-up The holiday season is over. Many people are now returning gifts, making resolutions for the new year, and taking down their holiday decorations. The City of West Jordan offers its residents the option to pick up and dispose of their real Christmas trees. This year it is no different. Starting December 28th through January 29th, residents can place their Christmas trees curbside on their trash collection day. Residents may also opt to drop off their tree at a designated drop-off location. The three drop-off locations include: • The parking lot at the County Pool/Gene Fulmer Rec Center located at 8125 S. 2200 W. • The parking lot of Constitution Park located at the southeast corner of 3285 W. 7000 S. • The south parking lot at the West Jordan Soccer Complex located on the west side of 4000 W. at about 8070 S. Trees will be delivered to the Trans-Jordan Landfill to be composted. Please do not bag your trees, be sure that all your ornaments, tinsel, and other décor are removed. If your tree has been flocked (given a treatment to make it look like snow is on the branches) it will not be collected. This program is only for real trees, artificial trees will not be accepted. If you have any questions regarding this program, call: 801-569-5700.
Page 16 | January 2021
West Jordan City Journal
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
Want to Have a Say In Your Community? JOIN THE CITY’S SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE Providing the best possible future for West Jordan. That is what the City’s Sustainability Committee considers a top priority. “We’re focused on finding solutions to problems that impact all residents,” said committee member Mitchell Larson. “We try to find ways to reduce waste, be more conservative with water, and promote clean air here in the city.” Larson has been a member of the committee for a little over two years now. The group discusses issues from recycling and clean air to residential landscaping and toilet replacement. While the topics the group focuses on are about reducing our environmental footprint, it isn’t just about ‘going green.’ “While we do look for ways to help the city, we are also looking to create and find resources for residents so they can lower that water bill and cut costs each month,” said Larson. The programs Larson is talking about include rebates, such as, receiving up to $100 dollars just for replacing your old toilet, or offering 50-percent off a new ‘WaterSense’ smart controller for watering your property. Councilmember Kelvin Green is the council liaison for this group. Green said joining this group can give residents a better understanding of how the city makes decisions that impact them. “The more citizens can understand the way things work in the city, the better involved they become,” said Green. “Here you can learn ways to reduce your water usage and still keep your yard looking good. Becoming more waterwise helps both the city and the individuals’’ pocketbooks.” According to the Division of Water Resources, a typical Utah household uses twice as much water outside as necessary. All that additional water usage can add up substantially at the end of the month. “Last year we started working on getting a water conservancy educational program going that could be offered at local schools to community members,” said Larson. The group is also working toward introducing a clean air ordinance for the city, as well as events that could provide more education to the community when it comes to sustainability. Currently, the committee is looking to grow and is hoping to find new members who are passionate about their community – no particular background necessary. “If you have any extra skill sets to offer that’s helpful, but it’s good to get as many perspectives as possible,” said Larson. “I don’t have a background on working in these types of projects, while some of our other members do. We are just interested in different perspectives.” “If you want to help make our city an even better place to live, this is a great place to start,” said Green. “We need community involvement to help bring West Jordan together. We need neighbors helping neighbors.” The committee meets the third Thursday of the month, virtually for now. The meetings run about an hour, and individuals do not need to be a member to attend. If you are interested in joining this committee or have questions call: 801-569-5100 or email: mayor@ westjordan.utah.gov.
COUNCIL CORNER Happy New Year! Just one year ago, there were other stories that dominated the news. People were going places such as cruises, amusement parks, and movies. Businesses were merging, growing, and launching. How times have changed. The year 2020 saw earthquakes, windstorms, and changes in our lives right here in West Jordan. The year 2020 is now behind us and the City Council hopes that the holiday season was a time for reflection, for family, and for all the many little things that make a positive difference in our lives. 2020 for the City of West Jordan was also one of change; it was the first year navigating the new Council-Mayor form of government. In this form, the Mayor is the head of the Executive Branch and operations of the City. The City Council sets policy, oversees the financial structure of the City, and adopts and adjusts the Mayor’s proposed budget. City Council Members elected Council Member Chris McConnehey as the first Council Chair. As 2020 unfolded, the Council found itself streaming its regular public meetings on Zoom and YouTube. Using his years of personal experience with Zoom, Council Chair McConnehey stated, “It has been an honor to serve as Council Chair during this first year of a new form of government, especially during the ongoing
pandemic. I have enjoyed helping establish a new process to improve how residents can continue to provide public input in our City Council meetings.” The Council Office was even able to offer assistance with other cities as they launched virtual public meetings.
In 2020, the Council Office launched a 24hour comment line at (801) 569-5052 and email address at councilcomments@westjordan.utah. gov. When someone calls or emails using these sources their message is sent directly to all seven City Council Members. Council Member David Pack said, “These resources enhance the ability to provide contact outlets to the residents 24/7 without waiting for a council meeting. The Council desires to be available to the residents of the city whom we serve.” West Jordan City Council hopes your 2021 is a superb year! Thank you for being a resident of our great city.
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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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 Named One of the Fastest Growing Cities in America
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A new study from WalletHub has listed West Jordan as one of the fastest growing cities in America. Researchers compared 515 cities with varying population sizes. They looked at 17 different key measures including growth and decline, job growth, building-permit activity growth, and median house price growth. Researchers split cities up based on city size; large, midsize and small. The City of West Jordan was ranked 89 fastest growing midsize city out of 256 other midsize cities in the U.S. For some, this may come as no surprise. West Jordan is the fourth largest city by population in Utah and could become the third following the results of the 2020 census. The fastest growing large city is Henderson, Nevada while Bend, Oregon was named the fastest growing midsize city and Fort Myers, Florida was listed as the fastest growing small city. To read more about this study visit: wallethub.com
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Its a wrap, the 2020 sports year in review By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
he 2020 sports year has been filled with cancelations, postponements and unforgettable individual performances. As 2021 begins, here is a look back on the year that was.
T
minute 51.11 seconds broke the school record in the boys 800 meters established by Rob Erickson. “I really thought I would get my name on the board eventually,” Klinger said.
JANUARY
West Jordan and Copper Hills high schools had success on the basketball court. The West Jordan boys team won eight straight games in the month. The streak propelled the Jaguars to an undefeated region record and a 10th seed in the state tournament. They advanced to the state quarterfinals where they lost to Fremont 77-54. Logan Prince was the team’s leading scorer averaging nearly13 points per game. The girls team struggled through January but closed it out with a 59-28 win over Cyprus. April Aguado and Sanaa Filiaga each pitched in 10 points in the victory. The Copper Hills boys team went 8-2 in Region 3. Kylan Shorts shorts set a new school record with 12 assists in the Jan 17th contest against West High. “It makes me feel good that my teammates knocked down all of the shots,” Shorts said. The girls advanced to the state semifinals and lost to Bingham 47-38. Eleyana Tafisi was the team’s leading scorer with 13.7 points per game.
JAN. 26
The Utah Girls Tackle Football League sent 22 players to Orlando, Florida, to participate in a halftime exhibition at the National Football League’s Pro Bowl. The game included Copper Hill’s McKell Collotzi and West Jordan’s Laura Goetz. The NBC broadcasters at the time said it was “a treat to watch” and “demonstrated that girls can play football.” Later this fall, Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller became the first girl to play in a power-five conference collegiate football game.
FEB. 1
The Azurettes placed fourth at the state drill team competition, breaking a streak of seven straight championships. The team welcomed its new coach, Kylie Erickson, with a top-five state finish.
FEB. 12
Jaden Fowers of Copper Hills placed third in the state wrestling championship at 132 pounds. He finished the season with a 45-8 record and 25 pins.
MARCH 11
The Utah Jazz game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed after Donnovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, and the NBA suspended the remainder of the season. Two days later, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency and closed in-person school. The Utah High School Activities Association paused all interscholastic sporting activities. Many parents petitioned officials to start the seasons again with #letthemplay initiative.
Page 24 | January 2021
JULY 24-30
MLB, NHL and NBA seasons restart in varying manners. The NBA chose to play its games in a “bubble” in Orlando, Florida.
AUG. 5
Former Olympic speed skater and SLCC baseball player Eddy Alvarez made his major league debut for the Miami Marlins. He collected his first hit four days later against the Mets.
AUG. 11
The Pac-12 conference cancelled all fall sports amid the pandemic. It later reversed its decision. The University of Utah had its first two football games cancelled.
AUGUST
MK Gomez received the Utah Softball Gatorade Player of the Year award. (Photo courtesy of Copper Hills softball)
The National Hockey League and Major League Baseball followed suit and paused their seasons as the NBA had. The NCAA cancelled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The Salt Lake City Stars stood atop the NBA G-League Western Conference standings when the season was paused. They had a 30-12 record and had managed the most wins in team history. The club was poised to appear in the playoffs for the second straight season. In June, when the season was cancelled, head coach Martin Schiller was named Western Conference Coach of the Year. Bart Taylor was named Executive of the Year, and Jarell Brantley earned a spot on the league’s All-Rookie team.
Girls wrestling becomes a sanctioned sport by the UHSAA. Copper Hills’ Alyssa Pace has wrestled on the boys team for two years and now has an opportunity to begin a new chapter in the sport. “I want to share my love of wrestling with the girls that are starting out on this team,” she said.
AUG. 14
Copper Hills hosts one of the first football games in the COVID era. It defeated Taylorsville 32-6. Tommy Peake started his first game at quarterback and ran for two touchdowns. The Grizzlies advanced into the second round of the state playoffs before losing to American Fork 52-0. “Wins and losses will come,” Grizzlies head coach Corey Dodds said. “We are at the point with this team that if we take an ‘L,’ it
had better be an ‘L’ that was fought for and not given.” Copper Hills placed three players on the first team All-Region team: Kailer Laufiso, Noah Kaio and Kaden Bybee. The Jaguars football team defeated Hunter, Cyprus and Taylorsville this season. Quarterback Boston Farmer threw for nine touchdowns and over 1,300 yards.
SEPT. 1
The Utah Jazz were eliminated from the NBA playoffs with a game-seven loss to the Denver Nuggets, 80-78. The Jazz led the Nuggets three games to one before eventually falling. They finished the year sixth in the Western Conference with a 44-28 record.
SEPT. 7
Brigham Young University kicked off its football season with a 55-3 victory over Navy. The Cougars were ranked as high as 13th by the College football playoff committee and quarterback Zack Wilson has received recognition as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate.
OCT. 11
The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship over the Miami Heat four games to two. Giannis AntetoKounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was named the league’s most valuable player.
OCT. 26
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series four games to two over the Tampa Bay Rays. Dodgers third-baseman Justin Turner was removed mid-game of the final because of a positive COVID test. After the game, he returned to the field for pictures and the trophy presentation, causing extreme concern over his unwillingness to shelter away from his teammates.
APRIL 14
The Utah High School Activities Association officially canceled the spring sports season after a monthlong hiatus. After parent protests, it reaffirmed the decision in May. Several spring sports teams played only a few games before the season was canceled.
MAY
National sporting events were cancelled or postponed. The Indianapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby, normally held in May, were postponed until later in the year.
JUNE
Makaiya (MK) Gomez from Copper Hills was named Utah Gatorade Softball Player of the Year. She was a three-time AllState player. In the abbreviated 2020 season, she batted .632 and had two home runs.
JUNE 20
Austin Klinger breaks a 22-year-old West Jordan High track record. His time of 1
The Grizzlies finished second in the state volleyball tournament for the second year in a row. (Greg James/ City Journals)
West Jordan City Journal
The COVID-19 Impacted Businesses Grant Program, known as Shop In Utah, is a grant program to help support businesses and provide discounts to consumers. Boston Farmer threw nine touchdowns this season. (Greg James/City Journals)
NOV. 7
The Copper Hills girls volleyball team lost to Lone Peak in the 6A volleyball finals 25-18, 20-25, 25-18, 25-23. Asiah Sopo’aga was named 6A most valuable player. “Getting to a 6A final again and the things we have accomplished makes this by far the best season.” Grizzly head coach Silver Fonua said. “I am happy and proud of what we have done and how we have represented Copper Hills. If anything, I am grateful that we were able to finish the season. I am proud
and happy that the Utah High School Association and Jordan School District did their best and kept fighting to keep sports going.”
NOV. 9
Herbert again paused all high school athletics for two weeks. Winter sports tryouts were pushed back to Nov. 24.
DEC. 3
High School basketball tips off the season starting the sports cycle all over again. l
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January 2021| Page 27
Posting Date December 21, 2020
1. MOVIES: In how many movies did Sean Connery play the character James Bond? 2. ADVERTISING SLOGANS: What product is touted as “the fabric of our lives”? 3. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many laps do drivers have to complete in the Indianapolis 500 race? 4. HISTORY: How many Pyramids of Giza (Eqypt) were constructed? 5. MUSIC: Which pop song repeats the chorus, “Why can’t you see? You belong with me”? 6. LITERATURE: What kind of novel is written in a series of letters? 7. MEASUREMENTS: How many cups are in 1 pint? 8. MYTHOLOGY: What is the home of the Greek gods? 9. ANATOMY: How much of the adult human body is made up of water? 10. GEOGRAPHY: What is the most densely populated continent on Earth? Trivia Test Answerst 1. Seven; 2. Cotton; 3. 200; 4. Three; 5. “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift; 6. Epistolary; 7. 2 cups; 8. Olympus; 9. About 60%; 10. Asia
Page 28 | January 2021
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January 2021| Page 29
Salt Lake County concludes budget process with no tax increase
Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3
With the final approval of the 2021 Salt Lake County budget drawing near, I wanted to share some of the proactive steps we have taken as your County Council to tighten up spending. In June, because of concerns surrounding revenue impacts from COVID-19, we scoured our budget to find as many cuts as possible – leading to a massive $77 million budget reduction. Because of all the cuts we made in June, and because sales tax revenue did not fall as much as we anticipated, we ultimately had a fairly uneventful budget season. As we strive to be as fiscally prudent as possible, one of our top priorities is maintaining our AAA bond rating. We are one of only 27 counties in the entire nation with this highest-achievable bond rating. Keeping this bond rating results in much lower interest rates on bonds and loans. Here are some key principles I have always prioritized during the budget process, this year included. First and foremost, tax dollars don’t “belong” to the county. The funds are yours. Taxpayers entrust the county, or any government for that matter, with a portion of their hard-earned money because they expect that entity to provide essential ser-
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county residents, but not necessarily considered essential. Libraries and open space some of the things in this category. The separation of these two categories demonstrates the same principle that every family in our county goes through in their annual budgets. They strive to live within their means and focus on essential family expenditures sometimes at the expense of luxuries. Lastly, I review each aspect of our budget and ask, “Is this the proper role of county government?” I’ve said many times that government can’t and shouldn’t be all things to all people. There are many programs or services that are better suited to other government entities, nonprofits, or the private sector. Particularly in a tight budget year, it’s important to review each program, service, or expenditure and ask that question again and again. I’m confident that these principles are the essence of good budgeting and fiscal discipline, and I will always advocate for this approach any time government is entrusted with taxpayer dollars. You can rest assured that for 2021, Salt Lake County has a balanced budget with no tax increase.
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vices for society to function. There is no amount of tax dollars that is too small to be scrutinized. That is why I push back aggressively anytime I hear someone flippantly say, “It’s only x dollars… so we shouldn’t worry about it.” Any expenditure, whether it is $10 or $10 million, should be reviewed, and if it can’t be fully justified to the taxpayers, it should be cut. Second, I believe that all government functions should be viewed in two different categories: “need to have” and “nice to have.” The “need to have” list obviously includes things that are statutorily required of the county to perform, think constitutionally mandated services such as criminal justice and election administration. I also consider public safety to be in the “need to have” category, since keeping our residents safe is a core function of government. However, just because they are essential does not mean they are above scrutiny, because efficiencies can still be found. The “nice to have” list includes quality of life services the county provides, as well as any other program or initiative that can easily be described as a benefit to
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Making the grade
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When my kids were little, I did a bit of substitute teaching. After I accidentally threw an encyclopedia and flipped a desk over, I realized teaching elementary school probably wasn’t for me. Teachers are comprised of strong stuff. The molten lava that flows through their veins gives them courage and an unbreakable gaze. A skeleton made of graphene (200 times stronger than steel) keeps them steady and protects their hearts. And those hearts beat a consistent tempo that opens doors to new worlds and encourages students to find their own rhythm. But teachers are exhausted. I attended Viewmont Elementary during the 1900s, where teachers were the top of the food chain. I worshiped the good ones, feared the difficult ones, and loathed the mean ones. I remember the “trip” our kindergarten class took to Hawaii where we ate coconut and learned the hula. And the teacher who caught us eating snowballs, so she melted snow to show us the dirt and grime. (I haven’t eaten a snowball in more than 45 years.) Or the teacher who shamed me for not knowing the word “chandelier.” School was where I learned
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strating unprecedented resilience. Many kids are failing this year, but are they really? Can you fail when a global pandemic changes the rules? When teachers adapt daily to shifting conditions? Can you fail when parents work full-time jobs at home while staying on top of online assignments and hybrid schedules? Teachers are a mighty mix of educator/guidance counselor/ cheerleader/cruise director, and this year their creativity and patience has been tested. It brings to mind my husband’s favorite quote, “Looks like I picked the wrong [year] to stop sniffing glue.” This is a thank you to the teachers who work with my grandchildren. The teachers who are innovative and kind. The teachers who show up like a boss and get to work. This is also a thank you to the students who have proven to be flexible and strong. They’re all doing the best they can as they watch adults try to figure everything out. Maybe we write this school year off; maybe it’s not the year to learn geometry or teach Latin. Perhaps it’s the year we value kindness, connection, and self-care for everyone involved. I promise, there’ll be much less encyclopedia throwing and desk flipping.
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January 2021| Page 31
RETIREMENT SEMINAR Given the current economic & political climate, many people are worried about their future
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January 2021 | Vol. 21 Iss. 01
FREE
PANDEMIC PREGNANCY by Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com
I
n September 2020, West Jordan native Shaylynne Troester was days away from delivering her first child. The second grade teacher had taken two weeks off work at the recommendation of her doctor. At her 39 week appointment, she made the choice to be induced. Hospital policy required mothers to be tested for COVID-19 before arriving at the hospital for induction, and Troester was scheduled for induction on a Tuesday. She received her test the previous Thursday, fully expecting it to come back negative. Instead, a few days later, the health department notified her that she was COVID positive. “If I’d waited to go into labor I wouldn’t have known,” Troester said. “I had no symptoms; I felt completely fine. It was a shock.” It was frustrating, too: she was asymptomatic and yet had to planned for a labor that would look very different from what she had envisioned. “It was our first baby; we had no idea what we were doing,” she said. “I felt physically fine, but it was a lot to process.” “I don’t know what to expect” Berkley Meisenbacher of Midvale is ex-
pecting her first baby in May. She works as a medical surgical nurse at Jordan Valley Medical Center West Valley, wears protective equipment at work and said most patients are tested for COVID before being sent into surgery. But there have been a few patients that have “slipped by,” and aren’t tested until after she’s seen them. Before finding out she was pregnant in September, Meisenbacher wasn’t too concerned about getting COVID, because her sister contracted it and recovered fully. But “now that I’m pregnant,” she said, “the thought of getting COVID is very frightening to me. I don’t know what to expect because there is so little research done about COVID because it’s so new.” There are many unknowns about the risks COVID-19 poses to pregnant women. Of the information we do have, much is positive. It seems there is little risk of a COVID-positive mother transmitting the virus to her baby, and those babies who do contract it after birth tend to recover well. “The best data suggests that in-utero transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is rare, but possible,” said Dr. Erin Clark, an as Continued page 5
After delivering her baby while COVID positive in September, second-grade teacher Shaylynne Troester says it’s the return to normal life that stresses her most. “Are we going to be in school next week?” she wonders. “Will I have to quarantine again? The unknown of what it’s going to look like in a week—that’s my biggest concern.” (Photo courtesy Shaylynne Troester)
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