July 2020 | Vol. 6 Iss. 07
FREE WEST VALLEY POLICE RELEASES SERIES OF VIDEOS GIVING PUBLIC INSIDE LOOK By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com
P
olice departments are facing mass scrutiny across the country after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police officers launched public protests across the globe. In an effort to answer public questions, increase transparency and show what it’s already been doing, the West Valley City Police Department recently launched a series a videos on its website and social media platforms to demonstrate how it operates and better facilitate communication with the community. “We understand some may have questions about how we operate, train officers and ensure that all people in community are treated fairly and without prejudice,” Police Chief Colleen Jacobs said as part of a five-minute video statement introducing the series. Jacobs outlined several “proactive” ways the department works to ensure it “meets and in many cases exceeds national best practices.” She listed its national accreditation, citizen review board, crisis intervention team, monthly meetings with the chief and citizen academy where participants experience some training and issues that challenge officers on a regular basis. Its first three videos focused on body cameras, the professional standards review board and its national accreditation.
In an effort to answer public questions and increase transparency, the West Valley City Police Department recently launched a series a videos on its website and social media platforms to demonstrate how it operates and better facilitate communication with the community. (Screenshot)
everything the eye could see from the officer’s perspective. Cameras are activated when a weapon or taser is removed from its holster or when sirens are turned on. It can also be activatBody cameras ed remotely by a supervisor. When a camera is activated, it Police officials said the camera’s No. 1 purpose is trans- will automatically go back and record previous 30 seconds of parency. footage. Cameras capture wide angle images in an effort to capture
Cameras also come with multiple fail-safe protections. All footage is considered evidence and therefore unchangeable by anybody in the department. In order for footage to be deleted, it takes a message to the chief that requires formal correspondence. Then it needs not only the chief’s approval but another administrator as well. Continued page 7
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West Valley City Journal
Roundtable Talk with Representative Weight Persons Before Politics I’m calling this election cycle the year of “don’t ask don’t tell” votes. As we have noted our own thoughts and decisions about pandemic conditions, police violence, and institutional racism, we are giving our values and integrity a good workout. In our internal dialogues, we can hear our views develop and identify the reasons for our conclusions. We are comparing our decisions with direction from elected leaders, and we’re making judgements based on the distinctions. Many of us are growing beyond simple political party loyalty. We are even realizing the harm of following party directives and descriptions because the more we learn, the more we appreciate the complex community realities around us and the people who seek election to make a difference. As candidates, people like me are required to identify ourselves with a political party. Now, even state school board candidates must choose one of those party labels, even though education
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ElizabethWeight@le.utah.gov
has long been kept separate from partisan descriptors. This year, crisis situations, community needs, and our elected leaders’ responses have given us a new set of guidelines for our voting choices, some we may not want to speak out loud. This year, we still remember destructive tax reform and overturned voter initiatives, and we might feel compelled to really understand the background and character of the candidates on our ballots. This year, motivations from our lives can direct our votes, and they may not align with our past traditions of voting on party lines. On our November ballots, we will not see an option to vote for a single party. New state law frees us to look at each race and each name. Our experiences in these historic times and our reflections about recent decisions dominated by a super majority give us the responsibility to look past political party affiliations to candidates we choose because they actually stand for values we share.
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July 2020 | Page 3
First month of sales tax numbers show uneven impacts of COVID-19 By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
T
he forced closure of many businesses in the Salt Lake Valley because of COVID-19 precautions was not only a concern for business owners, but also city governments whose monthly revenue is heavily dependent on sales tax distribution. However, there is a two month delay from the time the sales tax is collected to the time it gets deposited into a city’s account. That meant that city leaders around the valley weren’t able to see the initial economic impact of COVID-19 on their city budget until the month of May, when the Utah State Tax Commission released its report for the month of March. The report surprisingly showed that many cities in Salt Lake County saw increases in taxable sales relative to the same month in 2019 meaning people actually spent more money in spite of all the store closures. How could that be? Interestingly, it seems that the smaller a cities’ economy is, the better they have fared so far during the pandemic. Of all the municipalities in Salt Lake County, the nine smallest economies all experienced increases in sales from March 2019 to March 2020. Of the six largest, four experienced decreases (Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper and Murray). Herriman City, for example, had less taxable sales than any other city in the county in March 2019, with just over $18 million. However, in March 2020, that number grew to $26 million. That’s a growth of 43%, the highest in the valley. (Of a city’s taxable sales, 1% of the sales tax goes toward local government, with half being allocated based on where the purchase occurred and the rest being allocated to cities based on population. Because of this, the amount of sales tax funds a city receives isn’t exactly proportional to the amount of taxable sales in that city.) So what has caused cities with smaller economies to fare better during the pandemic? Basically, smaller cities have a higher proportion of “essential” businesses. In a smaller and younger city like Herriman, a larger portion of its businesses are things like
Journals
Cities with smaller economies were more likely to see an increase in their taxable sales this March, relative to their sales from March of 2019.
grocery stores and fast food, which were able to not only stay open, but to even see record sales. Herriman Assistant City Manager Tami Moody told the City Journals that what many consider a weakness of Herriman (it only has fast food and grocery stores) turned out to be a strength during this time. “Herriman obviously has fast food and grocery industry. Those two have actually been the industries that have fared better than most. Fast food is already set up to have a drive-up window. When this all started, people
were heading to the grocery store to make sure they had everything they needed,” she said. On the other hand, cities which saw the biggest decreases in taxable sales had a few things in common. One, large shopping malls that were forced to close. With the closures of The Shops at South Town and Fashion Place Mall, Sandy and Murray saw -5.9% and -16.6% drops in taxable sales. Two, a couple of cities lost sales from the closure of venues for professional sports and other entertainment, such as Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy and the Vivint Smart Home Arena in
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Salt Lake City. Interestingly though, West Valley City which has both a shopping mall and a major sports/entertainment venue, yet was still able to produce more sales tax than it had in 2019. Of course, all these numbers come from March, the first month that the virus began to seriously impact the United States and people bought so much that they literally emptied grocery store shelves. The sales tax report numbers for April and May will likely yield more insights into the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on city budgets. l
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West Valley, Salt Lake City battle Provo, Orem for best 2020 census participation By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
W
est Valley City, Salt Lake City, Provo, and Orem are having a little fun with the ongoing 2020 Census. During June, officials in West Valley and Salt Lake City joined forces to challenge their counterparts in Orem and Provo to see which pair of cities can spur the highest response rate among their residents to complete the census. Dubbed The Final Countdown: 2020 Census Challenge, each municipality tried to boost participation in the U.S. Census Bureau’s decennial population count by 5%. “While we’re having some fun, the importance of complete citizen participation in the census cannot be understated. Every person counts,” said Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi. “Each city is entitled to their fair share of the $675 billion in annual federal funding destined for schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other programs.” The cities that achieve the higher response rate will host staff and elected officials from the losing communities to volunteer at a Utah Community Action food bank in Salt Lake or Utah counties. West Valley City Councilmember Jake Fitisemanu made his pitch to city res-
idents. “The Census counts us all equally and we don’t want to miss anyone. Counting our diverse and growing population is the challenge for all of us.” The Census Bureau reported that 61.4% of Americans completed the census online, by mail, or phone as of June 15. The Utah response rate was 65.7% in mid June. Salt Lake County hit 68.7%. West Valley City was a bit lower at 64.3%, but still above the national figure. Utah County’s participation rate was nearly 71%. Orem and Provo were 68.8%
and 64.7%, respectively. The census count was scheduled to end in July, but the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the data collection period through October. l During June, officials in West Valley and Salt Lake City joined forces to challenge their counterparts in Orem and Provo to see which pair of cities can spur the highest response rate among their residents to complete the census. (Photo US Census Bureau/Flickr)
City officials say census participation is crucial and this contest puts a fun spin on getting residents to respond. The census can be taken in multiple languages. (City Journals)
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July 2020 | Page 5
Listening will be the catalyst for racial justice, say Alex and Julie Boyé By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com
A
lex and Julie Boyé are used to being in the spotlight. Between Alex’s performances and music videos, and Julie’s social media posts and book on “Mominating,” they’re a well-known couple in Utah. But on June 4, they were in the spotlight for a different reason: Julie’s op-ed in the Deseret News about race. “I wrote it for Alex. I saw these other white women writing about their black husbands online, and I wondered if [Alex] didn’t feel supported. I didn’t say anything to him when he watched the news [of George Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter protests]. But one night he just held me and said, ‘I’m hurting,’” Julie said. Julie’s piece cited a time when she and Alex were (rightfully) pulled over in Sandy for speeding while she was driving. She was fascinated and even irritated when the energy in the car changed rapidly, and Alex, who is outgoing and engaging, became totally still, almost disappearing during Julie’s exchange with the officer. That was the moment when something clicked for her—she realized that for black people, the fear when they interact with officers is real. “The policeman didn’t do anything to show prejudice, but it’s a learned behavior. That’s what makes it harder. It’s a reflex,” Alex said.
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Julie received positive and negative feedback on the piece, some of which she chalks up to the way it was edited for length. “The point isn’t that Alex didn’t try to get me out of a ticket that I deserved. The point is what I learned that day about my husband’s world,” Julie said. A copy of the article in its entirety is on the family’s website www.theboyefamilyjewels.com. As the parents of seven, and soon to be eight, children, the Boyés have come up against challenges they never imagined. “Our neighbor screamed at us when our kids’ ball went in his yard. He came out with a rifle and yelled, ‘I don’t know how they do things in Nigeria, but this is America,’” Julie said. Alex doesn’t know how they do things in Nigeria, either; though his ancestry is Nigerian, he grew up in London. The police came to settle the incident, but again, Alex felt he had to hold back, and quietly slipped into the house. “I’ve been warned by friends and family not to approach police officers. I don’t know which ones will have a problem or feel threatened by me. There are just too many stories,” Alex said. As he watched the Black Lives Matter protests unfold, Alex wondered how long the energy would last. “We’ve seen these protests before,” he said. “They have their moment, and then we’re on to the next thing. But this protest, if you think about it, has been going on for 400 years.” The Boyés see signs that change might come, and healing can progress. “What people saw with the George Floyd case was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Now it’s everywhere. When you turn on Netflix and you see a big banner, ‘Black Lives Matter,” that’s something. People are paying attention to racial injustice. “People say, ‘Why get so upset over this one case?’ What they don’t see is that for the black community, for our mental health, it’s a trigger. We all have this PTSD, we’ve seen this too many times, and these events are triggers. You see that on TV, and what do you think every black man is feeling? ‘That could be me.’ All the feelings come up,” Alex said. The Boyés said that telling their story is one way they find peace through the anger and frustration. “The feelings have always been there, but we didn’t tell our stories, so people didn’t realize. Like with the MeToo movement, change doesn’t happen until people start telling their stories,” Alex said. For Julie, sharing her stories can come with a dose of ‘white guilt.’ “I said to Alex, ‘I don’t know what to say. Am I offending people? Should I say black or African American? Am I going to be criticized for not speaking loudly enough, or soon enough?’ Alex told me that best thing we can do is share our story, not our opinion. And then listen,” Julie said. “When we listen to people, and then we
The Julie and Alex Boyé family have experienced racism, but find their peace by being a force for listening and love. (Photo courtesy of Julie Boyé)
say, ‘I understand what you say, but…’ then it’s like you weren’t listening. Listen without the ‘but.’ That’s a powerful thing. It’s a Balm of Gilead. I can’t help but think this COVID-19 pandemic that made us all wear masks is symbolic. The mask covers your mouth, but not your ears. Stop talking, and start listening,” Alex said. The Boyés are focused on what’s best for their family and their own mental health. For Alex, that’s engaging with people through music. In June, he was in St. George for a funeral and ended up performing impromptu concerts for essential workers. “At the end of the day, all the heartache and anger isn’t working, it’s getting worse and more dangerous. So this is what I do. It doesn’t bother me if people don’t like the way I work. And it’s done through my anger and madness and bitterness. It’s not that I don’t have those feelings, it’s just that that’s not what I want to put out there,” Alex said. In St. George, Alex sang for healthcare workers in the NICU at Dixie Regional Medical Center, the St. George Police Department and the St. George Fire Department. Right now, the last thing one might expect to see is a Black man performing for a group of white police officers, trying to give something to them. But for Alex it was right. Alex talked about his experiences in between songs. For SGPD officer Tiffany Atkin, it was awesome. “He spent a lot of time with us. It was nice that he included us and set an example by reaching out. I thought it was brave of him, and it did all our hearts good,” she said. “Officers approached me and said, ‘You’ll never know how much we needed
this; this has been the hardest week.’ The thing with humans is that we want to paint everyone with the same brush —we want to [stereotype them as] Black, white, police, Muslim, but it’s not true. Whoever’s hurting, I want to be their ally. That’s what takes the anger out of me,” Alex said. These days, the Boyés follow the news and hope that their kids will grow up in a safer world. One where they won’t have to tell their daughters they need to work harder than their white peers to get noticed, or their sons they might be the one who gets singled out for trouble if they’re goofing off with a group of white friends. “I’m praying that this can change for my kids. I don’t know how far off we are. There’s not one simple answer. This is a 400-year-old protest. We’ve been trying for years to get the message through. The stage we’re at right now, the only cure is to listen,” Alex said. l
Julie and Alex Boyé are watching the racial justice movement unfold with cautious hope that it means a better world for their kids. (Kelli Jeppson Photography)
West Valley City Journal
Continued from front page “We believe transparency is very import- that of them very much and they certainly deant and (body-worn cameras) is one of the av- liver every time,” Buchanan said. enues we can accomplish that,” Jacobs said.
Professional Standards Review Board
Created in 1992, PSRB consists of a group of resident volunteers (seven when at capacity) who review all use of force occurrences, displays of force, firearm discharges and citizen complaints. The board can then determine whether the action was within policy and, if needed, make disciplinary recommendations to Police Chief Colleen Jacobs. It is the longest standing board of its type in the state. “City leaders from many years past recognize that it was critical that our law enforcement activities, police department and community be well aligned and that’s part of the accountability we have to the people in this community,” said Deputy Chief Scott Buchanan. Abby Dizon-Maughan has lived in West Valley City for 13 years, served on the PSRB for eight years and been its chair the past six years. She also works as an attorney in Salt Lake City. “The function of the board is so that they (the police department) don’t lose sight of the people they are charged with serving and protecting,” Dizon-Maughan told the City Journals in March 2017. “We are the voice of the people.” More recently, Dizon-Maughan participated in the police department’s video to talk about her experience with the board and the department. “I think it’s critically important to have civilian input into those instances, so it’s not just the officers reviewing each other or not just the chief reviewing those instances,” she said. The board meets monthly to review cases and also holds public comment meetings to hear from residents regarding policing issues. “It’s very important to us to have that citizen’s perspective to make sure we’re keeping the bigger picture in mind,” Jacobs said. Dizon-Maughan said she believes all of their concerns they’ve taken directly to the chief or city manager “have been heard.” “Given my relationship with (Jacobs) and the experiences I’ve had with Chief Jacobs,” she said. “I believe that she really takes our recommendations seriously. She’s appeared at several of our closed meetings to update us on any discipline that we’ve recommended to her.” “Our chief is really dedicated and committed to making sure that our officers are at the forefront of change and not trying to catch up whenever something hits the news, and I’m really proud of that,” Dizon-Maughan continued. Buchanan said they appreciate the voluntary investment of board members and the amount of hours they put into their reviews. “Members of our PSRB are sometimes harsh critics and we ask that of them, we need
Wvc Journal .com
CALEA
CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) is a national organization that’s considered the gold standard in public safety. The department was awarded CALEA accreditation in 2017 after an extensive three and a half year process where it had to demonstrate the best practices of law enforcement in over 150 standards. Only 5% of agencies across the country are accredited. Accreditation is ongoing as departments must engage on an annual basis. Each year, 25% of the department is reviewed remotely and assessed in person every four years. CALEA officials also interact with the community to understand how the community feels. “We have to provide evidence to CALEA to show that we’re actually doing what we say we are doing,” Buchanan said before later saying, “we believe it is a key piece of our transparency as an organization. But more importantly to show that we are accountable to the people that work and play in our community.” The department is currently working toward becoming an advanced tier program. Tier one programs require 187 standards while the advanced tier will require approximately 400. Jacobs finished her initial video with a commitment to the community to “listen, learn and continually strive to improve.” “Let me be clear, there is no room in my department for injustice of any kind,” she said. “We as a police department and as a city join our voices in the cry for justice and equality, raise our voices for fairness, service, accountability and integrity. These are the core values of our department, to us these are more than just words. These are guidelines for what we do. Our community deserves nothing less. “You have my commitment that I will do everything in my power to ensure that we uphold these values now and into the future.” l
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PSRB members Duane Mueller and Abby Dizon-Maughan confer with their fellow members during their March meeting in 2017. The board reviews cases each month making recommendations for the chief of police. (Travis Barton/City Journals)
July 2020 | Page 7
What’s your legacy?
Refugees establish new roots through farming By Stephanie Yrungaray | s.yrungaray@mycityjournals.com
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ressed in a colorful baati and black head covering, Fahmo Abdullhi hacks away at weeds. As she works, few people probably notice the 13 acres of farmland tucked between a park, a community garden and a busy road in Draper. But for Abdullhi and 35 other farmers from Sudan, Burma, Bhutan, Chad, Somalia and Burundi, this field is sprouting crops that signify independence, community and hope for the future. The field is part of New Roots, a program run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in cooperation with Wasatch Community Gardens. One of several programs created to help the estimated 60,000 refugees in Utah adjust and thrive to life in the United States, it is a unique way for refugees to add supplementary income and learn about running an agricultural business. A refugee from Somalia, Abdullhi has lived in Utah for four years with her husband and 7-year-old daughter. She started with a smaller garden plot in the New Roots West Valley location—just northeast of the Redwood Recreation Center—and now has two 200-foot long beds. As the refugee farmers learn more and if they have a desire to grow more crops, they are moved to a larger micro-training farm space in Draper. The Draper micro-training farm is home to the more advanced farmers and provides space from the size of Abdullhi’s plot, to as many as five acres for refugees. “Before they bring me a little garden, not the big one, for two years. They said if you like it you can come [to the micro-training farm],” Abdullhi said. “Every week I come two days, every time I have time I come.” Abdullhi, who also does work as a housekeeper, drives an hour each way to tend to her crops. Her rows are planted with kale, serrano peppers, beans and corn, but over 100 different crops are grown in these micro-training farms including tomatoes, carrots, spinach, squash, potatoes, green beans and pumpkins. Some of Abdullhi’s produce will be used by her own family and the rest will be sold with the help of the IRC. “Essentially we support refugee farmers in starting and maintaining small farm-based businesses,” said James Hunter, New Roots program manager for the IRC. “We provide training, technical assistance, access to seeds and supplies, a lot of training and best practices for growing crops in northern Utah and marketing support to assist refugees in connecting their products to market.” The IRC runs three farmer’s markets where refugees can sell their crops. They also have contracts to provide produce to wholesalers, restaurants, school districts, cafeterias, restaurants, and even a salsa manufacturer in New York. Additionally, refugees can sell their produce through the New Roots pro-
In the foreground, Somalian refugee Fahmo Abdullhi tends to her crops at a New Roots micro farm in Draper. (Stephanie Yrungaray/City Journals)
duce subscription box that distributes a box of produce every week during the summer to 150 people. Abdullhi said she likes growing food. Hunter said the micro-training farm program has many benefits for refugees. “There is the revenue component of providing supplementary or primary income for themselves and their family, but it also helps with their connection to the community,” Hunter said. “There are a lot of really incredible social and psycho-emotional benefits of being outside and working on the land.” The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on the program. Hunter said they are still navigating how to proceed with farmer’s markets but there are other ways people can support the program. “Typically we would say to support the New Roots program by buying produce, but monetary support is always appreciated,” Hunter said. “We keep a running Amazon wish list for in-kind supplies. (Amazon Wish List - New Roots SLC) Most volunteer support opportunities are on hold due to COVID to ensure the safety of our farmers and staff, but hopefully, once the pandemic subsides we will be back to having regular volunteer days. We love group volunteers.” More information including the location of the farmer’s markets can be found at the New Roots SLC website. You can donate here at help.rescue.org. And learn more about volunteering here at rescue.org/volunteer-opportunities/saltlake-city-ut. l
West Valley City Journal
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Logistics still need tweaking, but girls wrestling officially sanctioned By Greg James and Julie Slama | g.james@mycityjournals.com
T
he Utah High School Activities Association has sanctioned girls wrestling . “Yes, I voted to sanction it,” UHSAA board of trustees member Marilyn Richards said. “I’m a fan of making an opportunity where the interest lies.” The UHSAA currently supports 14 sports and activities for 155 member schools. Utah is the 20th state to sanction girls wrestling. The sanctioning laid the groundwork for an official state championship tournament to be held in February 2021. In the meantime, there are many obstacles to overcome, including classifications, weight classes, regions and logistics. Some schools still need practice times and coaches. Girls will no longer wrestle against boys, which has been a huge sticking point. In 2016, Davis County student-athlete Kathleen Janis, and her family, sued the school district to allow her to join the junior high wrestling team. After the suit was settled, Janis was allowed to try out for her school’s team. As a graduating senior, she wrestled for three years at Layton High School. Sage Mortimer, from Spanish Fork, is the No. 1-ranked female wrestler in the country at 100 pounds, and yet she still finds boys who refuse to compete against her.
As a non-sanctioned sport, the athletes were forced to participate in coed teams throughout their high school seasons. Coed wrestling can be difficult for the girls. Boys of the same weight class are generally stronger, and boys did not want to wrestle against their female counterparts. “It’s a boys only team,” they were told by many league organizers. The national organization, USA Wrestling, has sponsored several girls only meets to help promote the sport. In February, there was a fifth girls state championship at Telos High School in Orem. Westlake High School won the title, Fremont placed second and Cyprus was third. In 2019, Kearns took home the championship. The number of girls participating in wrestling has increased steadily. In 2019, 78 girls participated in the state tournament; this past season 117 did. Cyprus had a team of 16. According to the National Federation of High School Associations, the number of female wrestlers has nearly doubled the last three years. “Girls are already wrestling in schools, so this way they can put things in place,” Richards said. “We have had girls every year,” Hillcrest Athletic Director Sally Williams said. “We have not had enough to hire a separate coach.
Being sanctioned will give girls an equal playing field.” Being sanctioned allows girls to wrestle other girls but does not solve all the sports problems. Finding coaches and organizing into regions and classifications is going to be a big job. Hunter High School is currently looking for a coach for its girls team. Athletic Director Pam Olson said they have posted the position three times and have had no applicants. Cyprus recently hired Jhonny Carrero to take over the program from former head coach Cara Romeike who moved on to become the women’s wrestling head coach at Hastings College. “I met the right people at the right time,” Carrero said. “I think we have a great team returning. We have two state placers and a returning state champion. The girls are spreading the word. When school starts, I think more girls will be interested, especially when they see the environment. We are a team; we want to win a title this year.” The Pirates have had 18 girls attend summer conditioning. Carrero expects 25–30 to join the team by the time the season starts. “I have scheduled a couple of duels already,” Carrero said. “I know Westlake and Fremont want to get together, and there are a few smaller schools that are trying to start
programs. We are trying to work together as a wrestling community to build the sport.” Schools in the Midwest often offer women’s wrestling as a competitive sport. “Sanctioning is a great thing,” Carrero said. “Wrestling could give these girls opportunities after high school. There are many places for these ladies. The sport is growing and growing fast. Ladies should join the ride. The bonds they can build with teammates is what can last forever.” l
Girls wrestlers such as Angie Magana will no longer compete against boys as the Utah High School Activities Association has sanctioned girls wrestling. (Greg James/City Journals)
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Page 12 | July 2020
West Valley City Journal
Granite School District offers summer sack meals By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
G
ranite School District will serve free breakfast and lunch this summer. Free student meals will be provided weekdays, 11 a.m. to noon, with the exception of July 3 and July 24. Their sack meals will be available through Aug. 7. Serving sites are typically found at local parks, but due to the current situation and public health orders from Salt Lake County, the program will operate out of school sites and one church location only. In the event a site needs to close, patrons will be given a one week notice and directed to the nearest site. All children 18 and under will receive free meals. Meals cannot be picked up for others not there. Parents are not required to accompany children and daycares within the area are welcome to participate. Here are the list of locations: Academy Park, 4575 S. 4580 West Bacchus Elementary, 5925 S. 5975 West Beehive Elementary, 5655 S. 5220 West Copper Hills Elementary, 3715 S. 7635 West Farnsworth Elementary, 3751 S. 4225 West Fox Hills Elementary, 6020 S. 3775 West Granger Elementary, 3700 S. 1950 West Granger High School, 3580 S. 3600 West Granite Park Jr. High, 3031 S. 200 East Hillside Elementary, 4283 S. 6000 West
Hunter Elementary, 4351 S. 5400 West Jefferson Jr. High, 5850 S. 5600 West Lake Ridge Elementary, 3400 S. 7400 West Lincoln Elementary, 3400 S. 450 East Magna Elementary, 3100 S. 8500 West Matheson Jr. High, 3650 S. 7730 West Mill Creek Elementary, 3761 S. 1100 East Monroe Elementary, 3100 S. 4450 West Moss Elementary, 4399 S. 500 East Orchard Elementary, 3800 S. 6744 West Pioneer Elementary, 3860 S. 3380 West Pleasant Green Elementary, 2700 S. 8201 West Redwood Elementary, 2650 S. 1700 West Roosevelt Elementary, 3225 S. 800 East Silver Hills Elementary, 5100 S. 5770 West Stansbury Elementary, 3050 S. 2700 West Taylorsville Elementary, 4230 S. 2010 West Truman Elementary, 4639 S. 3200 West Valley Crest Elementary, 3100 S. 5240 West West Kearns Elementary, 4900 S. 4620 West West Valley Elementary, 3100 S. 6049 West Wilson Elementary, 2567 S. Main Street LDS Church, 5720 S. 4270 West Three schools will serve as Utah Food Bank sites Monday, Wednesday, Friday through Aug. 14. Each serving day children will receive two days worth of meals. Carl Sandburg Elementary, 3900 S. 5325 West Murray students will have several locations to pick up a free summer sack lunch and breakfast. (Julie Slama/ Plymouth Elementary, 5220 S. 1470 West City Journals) Whittier Elementary, 3585 S. 6000 West l
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Page 14 | July 2020
West Valley City Journal
Harmons Grocer awards $15,000 in grants to local fresh-food suppliers By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
T
he old saying “a rising tide lifts all boats” is especially true when it comes to local businesses helping other local businesses grow and prosper. West Valley City-based Harmons Grocer is demonstrating that by awarding $5,000 each to three area companies that produce and provide products to the West Valley City-based supermarket chain. Harmon’s Local Supplier Development Grant is part reward and part financial assistance for up-and-coming vendors from which the grocer purchases locally sourced and made specialty food items for its 19 Utah stores. “We know that it is tough for local businesses to compete against ‘big business’ as they try to make their retail mark,” said Todd Jensen, Harmons’ president and CEO and vice president of sales. “We are proud to offer these products in our stores and our Local Supplier Development Grant is another way for us to show our support for helping them on their success journey.”
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July 2020 | Page 15
Wolverines try virtual training in the wake of restrictions By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
S
ummer conditioning and soccer skills clinics are in full swing for all high school soccer teams. This year Hunter High School’s girls team has changed to training virtually and they have grasped the concept. Wolverines head coach Celestte Coons found a way to keep the girls engaged in the program even when they were not allowed to meet on the pitch. “I work out regularly at a gym,” Coons said. “When they had to be closed they started teaching classes virtually. I really like the idea, plus I work full time in health care so for me personally I am trying to be more cautious about my contact with people.” The training sessions are recorded every two or three days and posted online for the players. Each player has the opportunity to participate live or later depending on their schedules. “We have had more participation this way. In past years we had to deal with vacations and girls’ summer jobs. At times we have had less than 10 show up to conditioning camps. Right now I go live at 9 a.m. Some girls join in then, others do it when they can. I give them all a list of ‘homework’ items they can complete,” she said. To start the training the girls were expected to chart their baseline skills. They ran a mile-and-a-half, dribbled the ball and completed other skills. Afterward, they submitted their results to the coaches. As the summer progresses they will be able to track their improvement. Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes and includes fitness and soccer skill training. “It has been hard at times,” junior Hannah Bauer said. “I know some girls do not have backyards with lots of room so they can do all of the drills. I really just want to get back to playing on the field with my friends.” The lack of face-to-face contact has made it important to the coaching staff to emphasize the individual drive to become better. “It is encouraging that they seem to be taking it so seriously. We have taken the region the last two years and our goal is to make it three in a row. I know the girls on the team are very motivated to hit that goal. As coaches we keep reminding them that what we do this summer will directly affect what we can attain in the season,” Coons said. The virus directly impacted Hunter High School. A student tested pos-
Page 16 | July 2020
Wolverines forward Liv Harding and her teammates celebrate a goal. This summer the team is training virtually to maintain social distancing rules. (Photo courtesy of Sara Harding)
itive early on in the pandemic and the entire school was committed to quarantine for 14 days. “None of our players tested positive for COVID-19,” Coons said. “Other than the mandatory quarantine for 14 days when this all started they have all been OK. They are pretty anxious to get back on the field and get playing again. It would be great to get back to normal.” This is Coons’ third year coaching the team, second as its head coach. The Wolverines are set to return their top two scorers from a year ago, Liv Harding and Lucky Phonharath. “Liv is a phenomenal player, Lucky plays midfield. She can fire outside the 18 (field box). She has great range and an accurate shot,” Coons said. Junior Alondra Barba Perez recorded three shutouts as keeper last season. “She has a natural ability and
she is skilled with her feet. We have been able to use her on the field. She is a huge asset to the team,” Coons said. Hunter administration and its coaches have elevated the eligibility requirements for the team. “We want to be better than the minimums. We know soccer is fun, but education is what will make a difference in their lives,” Coons said. “They are working hard. Their community has been hit hard through the virus and the economy, but they are pushing through and will come out on top. I am excited to see them get back at it. They are a really great group.” Tryouts are scheduled to begin July 27 and the season is set for mid-August. l
As an attempt to maintain social distancing rules, Hunter High’s girls soccer team is doing several summer training sessions virtually. (Photo courtesy of Hunter girls soccer)
West Valley City Journal
West Valley police drone program officially in flight By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com
T
he West Valley City Police Department has spread its wings. It’s been a “long, laborious process” but the West Valley City Police Department’s drone program is now up and running, according to Deputy Chief Robert Hamilton. The process included getting authorization from the Federal Aviation Authority and every local airfield, inspections and any officers who would operate the drones had to be licensed by the FAA. The notably sits underneath the flight path to Salt Lake International Airport, which then requires some extra flight training for the pilots. Hamilton said they are 100% compliant. It was June 2019 when the police department presented the drone program to the City Council. But after jumping through all the necessary hoops, the program has now been up and running for the last few months. The department currently has eight drones that patrol officers carry in their cars with thermal imaging. There is one larger drone, a Matrice 210, that has a camera with a 100 times optical zoom and thermal imaging that can be successful up to 180-200 feet. Hamilton said the drone was already used to catch an armed suspect hiding on a water tower. The drone has a speaker and spotlights so pursuing officers could speak with the suspect.
In a video presentation to the West Valley City Council in June, Lt. Steve Burke, who oversees the program said drones are the “future of public safety.” Hamilton agreed. “If the technology gets there, we won’t have to chase cars or do pursuits,” he said. “We can just tell a drone to follow until the guy parks or runs out of gas.” So far, the drones are being used approximately once a week, Hamilton estimated. Most uses have been looking for missing or endangered persons or in conjunction with SWAT to offer pre-surveillance on search warrants. Every use of the drone requires a full report, flight plan and the FAA is contacted. A drone can only be deployed with a search warrant or in the case of an exception like a fleeing suspect or a missing child or elderly person. Drones have proved especially helpful to clear canals or large fields, Hamilton said. Before it took 20-30 officers walking in a line through a field, but now a drone can clear it in two minutes. While searching for a lost person doesn’t require a court order, all uses with SWAT have to be approved as part of a warrant. All drone pilots and drones are subject to call-outs in the case of a significant emergency, similar to the K9 unit. Hamilton said
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West Valley City Police said the new drone program has already helped catch an armed suspect hiding on a water tower. (Pixabay)
each drone costs close to $4,000. frequency interference. If a signal with the The drones can fly up to 2.5-3 miles drone is lost, it’s programmed to return to away from the controller if a line of sight where it took off. l is maintained and if there is not too much
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Pandemic: How to save money and support the local economy
by
Bryan Dean
The world is a new place, at least for now there is a new normal. Many of us are waiting to see if the new normal will become the normal, or if the old normal will come back. Either way for now we have to live in this pandemic shaped economy. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis the personal savings rate hit a historic high of 33%. With the uncertainty of the current situation, and scars from the 2008 recession still fresh, it’s understandable that people would be very hesitant to spend. Not to mention how much toilet paper can one person stockpile? But there is another side of the story, the economy. If everyone stops spending then everyone would stop earning. So how does one balance the line, spend enough to keep the economy strong but save enough to be responsible. I propose that the answer to that question is not how much you spend, rather how and where you spend it. Here are five ways to balance the save money vs. build the economy problem. 1. Buy Local has to be a priority now. Over the last 10 years
our economy has been strong. Its been OK, not awesome, but OK if people shifted some of their spending from local. But remember the more local you spend your money the stronger your local economy is. Now buying local is not as easy at it sounds. Sure it is easy to make the choice to buy your products at a local store instead of Amazon or a website. But it goes deeper than that. Every shopping decision has a different factor of localness. For instance if you need to buy a power tool or some home improvement product, you can buy it from Lowes or you can buy it from a locally owned hardware store. Both Lowes and the hardware store create local jobs, and they both pay local taxes. but more of the profit at the hardware store will stay local. Look for local products. Harmons grocery stores does a great job at showing you what products are local. I wish all stores did this. Last month I was at a hardware store, OK honestly I was at Lowes, I needed a ladder. As I looked at the assortment I realized that
Little Giant ladder systems were a Utah business, so it was an easy decision. 2. Buy Services not Products. If you are trying to help the economy you will likely do more good buying services rather than products. Let’s consider an example. When you purchase a lawn mower, the majority of the purchase price goes to the manufacturer which is probably not a Utah Company. But when you pay someone to mow your lawn, nearly all of it stays local. The person who is mowing your lawn is much more likely to do business with the business you work for than say Honda. 3. Launch a side hustle or two. I realize that this is not really saving money, unless you consider the age old advice a dollar saved is a dollar earned, then this is just the flip side of that. In today’s world there are an abundance of ways you can start a side hustle. Sell some of your unneeded stuff on eBay, breed your dog (everyone wants some type of oodle these days), rent out storage on apps like Neighbor, drive for Uber or Lyft, I saw a new App to rent your RV,
and there is one to rent your car, or second home, or bedroom in your first home. 4. Get rid of the storage unit. I laugh everytime I pass one of these storage unit businesses. I realize that there are certain legitimate reasons that one would need to rent a storage unit, but I don't think most people are using it for that type of reason. I remember my dad taking me to a storage unit that he rented. It was full of things, I don't know where it all came from but every few months we would go down and sort through some things, and take some new items to add to the collection. Even at a young age, I remeber sitting there on the back of his truck thinking, “if you put this stuff here because we don't need it, then why do we own it.” I implore you stop buying stuff you don't need and for sure stop paying for storage on stuff you don't use, and for most of you if you put it in the storage unit you probably don't need it, clean it out, sell it, and save that monthly storage unit fee. l
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West Valley City Journal
Life
Laughter AND
by
PERI KINDER
Food & Pandemic
This stupid pandemic has changed our relationship with food. With most restaurants and bars closed, people are looking for new ways to stay nourished and inebriated. Working from home for several weeks, we prepared three meals a day, plus snacks, for five people and a needy puppy. And by “snacks” I mean we pretty much ate all day long. We wore a groove in the tile from the living room to the pantry. When the lock-down started, I innocently said, “Think of the money we’ll save by not eating at restaurants. We’re going to lose so much weight not eating fast food!” Things went downhill fast. Not only do we spend a dump truck load of money for groceries each week, but we’re stress-eating 24 hours a day. I’ve baked cookies, cakes, muffins and brownies – and that was just this morning. My daughter and I take turns making meals. We try to find things everyone will enjoy, which is absolutely impossible. We have lots of pasta and rice dishes, fish sticks and take-out pizza. My daughter is a vegetarian, so her meals are full of veggies, chickpeas and quinoa, or what my hus-
band calls “sadness foods.” One vegetarian dinner started the “Things I would never eat, even if I was going to die” conversation. My husband’s list is basically vegetables, but I have a bounty of foods I would never want to eat again. Things I was forced to eat as a child top my list. For not growing up in the Great Depression, my mom was
said, “Those are just the eyes of the potato” which gave me a potato phobia for several decades as I envisioned eating little potato eyeballs. My grandma made lima beans to spite me. She’d serve a big bowl of pale-green mushiness mixed with greasy, globular pork fat, then shame me for not eating it.
adept at whipping up meals that could have been served in a Dickensian orphanage. She’d buy things at the grocery store and I’d cry because I knew what was coming. Jars of dried beef? Creamed chipped beef on toast. Sour cream? “Beef” stroganoff made with noodles, sour cream gravy and textured vegetable protein. Once I complained about lumpy mashed potatoes and my dad
“When I was a little girl, I’d be happy and grateful for lima beans,” she’d say. “I wasn’t spoiled.” “Were lima beans invented when you were a little girl?” I’d ask, which usually got me another spoonful of the vile stuff. Stewed tomatoes, tapioca pudding (eyeballs again), my dad’s flour pudding (don’t ask), deviled eggs (obviously) and potato salad (eww) round out my list
of things I’ll never eat again. But back to today, where my food choices are substantially subpar. If I’m going to die from a ridiculous coronavirus, I might as well eat what I want. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And it’s not some murderous chef with a flamethrower. Following COVID-19 restrictions, some restaurants are opening again. The hubbie and I donned our face masks, took a swig of hand sanitizer, put on some plastic gloves and hit a Mexican restaurant for the first time in months. The chile verde almost brought me to tears. The margarita definitely did. It will be an interesting summer as picnics, BBQs, family reunions and vacations are being reimagined. So many of our celebrations revolve around food and sharing it with the people we love. The trick is finding the balance to do it safely. Our dishwasher runs nonstop. The grandkids (and husband) complain about eating asparagus. But we’re creating new recipes, experimenting with flavors and planting a garden. We’re finding new ways to stay nourished and inebriated. l
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July 2020 | Vol. 6 Iss. 07
FREE WEST VALLEY POLICE RELEASES SERIES OF VIDEOS GIVING PUBLIC INSIDE LOOK By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com
P
olice departments are facing mass scrutiny across the country after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police officers launched public protests across the globe. In an effort to answer public questions, increase transparency and show what it’s already been doing, the West Valley City Police Department recently launched a series a videos on its website and social media platforms to demonstrate how it operates and better facilitate communication with the community. “We understand some may have questions about how we operate, train officers and ensure that all people in community are treated fairly and without prejudice,” Police Chief Colleen Jacobs said as part of a five-minute video statement introducing the series. Jacobs outlined several “proactive” ways the department works to ensure it “meets and in many cases exceeds national best practices.” She listed its national accreditation, citizen review board, crisis intervention team, monthly meetings with the chief and citizen academy where participants experience some training and issues that challenge officers on a regular basis. Its first three videos focused on body cameras, the professional standards review board and its national accreditation.
In an effort to answer public questions and increase transparency, the West Valley City Police Department recently launched a series a videos on its website and social media platforms to demonstrate how it operates and better facilitate communication with the community. (Screenshot)
everything the eye could see from the officer’s perspective. Cameras are activated when a weapon or taser is removed from its holster or when sirens are turned on. It can also be activatBody cameras ed remotely by a supervisor. When a camera is activated, it Police officials said the camera’s No. 1 purpose is trans- will automatically go back and record previous 30 seconds of parency. footage. Cameras capture wide angle images in an effort to capture
Cameras also come with multiple fail-safe protections. All footage is considered evidence and therefore unchangeable by anybody in the department. In order for footage to be deleted, it takes a message to the chief that requires formal correspondence. Then it needs not only the chief’s approval but another administrator as well. Continued page 7
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