September 2020 | Vol. 6 Iss. 09
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MASKED STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS GEAR UP FOR FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL By Kathryn Elizabeth Jones | k.jones@mycityjournals.com
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chool has started! As of Aug. 24, public schools in Taylorsville and surrounding cities have opened their doors, welcoming in masked students for the first time in history. Along with the masks there was a bit of fear and hesitancy, plenty of hand sanitizer and more than one reminder from Mom to keep socially distant from others. With most parents working, it’s no surprise more students than not are returning to school. Sixty percent of students within the boundaries of Jackling Elementary in West Valley are returning to school in the fall; about 80% as an average for all schools in the Granite School District. Still, having working parents is not the main reason students are returning, say some parents. The Robison family, who will have a son in first grade at Hunter Elementary in West Valley this school year, are sending their son for other reasons. “Keeping his attention is difficult,” Keva, a stay-athome mom of three children, said. “[Our son] needs other school-aged kids. He needs teachers to work with him. It was hard online.” Keeping her son focused in the spring was difficult, if not impossible, Robison said. Her son, who will continue in special education this year, will meet regularly with a speech therapist. “This is a big help, and we’re not high risk,” she said. “We have
Bronson Haydock camped in his backyard this summer instead of going to Disneyland.
Continued page 5
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I live in an HOA community, a neighborhood where we own our homes, but we also jointly own the areas all around our houses. We share ownership, we share expenses for community utilities and maintenance, and we share in regular savings deposits for big projects like roofs and sidewalks. To coordinate and organize decisionmaking among the 135 co-owners, we elect a mini government, our Association Board. Like any group of voters, we participate to different degrees. As in any neighborhood, some become observers, listeners, and spokespersons to help the board better understand the details in their parts of the community. Each board member and neighborhood activist plays a role in the quality of the place where we live. They all make a difference. We who walk around our neighborhoods notice details about trees and sidewalks, lawns and rain gutters. We end up in conversations where we learn about each other’s pets and kids
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ElizabethWeight@le.utah.gov
and jobs. During more walks and chats over time, we learn more about each other’s views and values. And we learn what qualities about the neighborhood we like and want to improve. We grow each other’s views and ideas, and maybe we decide to get more neighbors into the discussion. Maybe the idea evolves into a project or activity, goal or direction for the community. This is a government connection, too. What I learn from walking and talking to neighbors, within my HOA and beyond, is we all want to make a difference where we live. Whether it’s an association board or city council or state legislature, people want to be held in regard for the part they take. They want practical, sensible, and fair decisions from the people they elect. They want their votes to count for something. I agree. Let’s keep working together for the best qualities in our community.
Elizabeth Weight, Utah Representative
@RepEWeight
September 2020 | Page 3
School pantries and community donations essential to learning in Granite District By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com
F
ans of KUTV sportscaster David James might know that school pantries are a project close to his heart. “In 2002, I had a service experience, and decided to help fight poverty wherever I saw it. My experience was with people in Bosnia, but I found out that child hunger was a massive problem in Utah,” James said. James is on the Board of Directors of the Granite Education Foundation. GEF is a nonprofit community organization that directly impacts children within Granite School District. School pantries focused on food insecure students have become a big part of how GEF accomplishes its mission. “Talk to educators everywhere and you will hear the same thing. Kids who are hungry can’t learn. They act up, they fall asleep, they’re anxious. School pantries are a place where principals or social workers can take the kids for a snack, and then they’re ready to go back to class and be engaged learners,” James said. Kim Oborn is the programs coordinator for food pantries in Granite School District. “Last school year we had 23 pantries up and running. We received requests from principals for 20 more pantries. There is a huge need across the entire district,” Oborn said. Oborn and James spent a hot day Aug. 13 with their team in the parking lot of the Maverik Center in West Valley City collecting school supplies. The fundraiser was sponsored by KUTV, and was in part a response to pandemic precautions: students doing in-person learning will each need their own personal supplies. “COVID has intensified the need for these things—each kid needs their own pencil, their own notebook, their own calculator. We want to limit the amount of touching and sharing items within the classroom. These donations will help families who can’t afford
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them to comply with that level of cleanliness,” Oborn said. Pantries don’t just supply food for kids at school. “There are weekend kits where a kid can grab a bag and it has supplies in it for the whole family. Some clean diapers for younger siblings, snacks and enough food to make a meal for four. For food insecure families, it’s a lifesaver,” Oborn said. Statistics compiled by GEF cite that GSD is comprised of 91 schools serving 67,000 students. The geographic range of GSD goes from East Millcreek out to Magna. There are 160 languages spoken in GSD schools, and 50% of students come from families at an economic disadvantage. “Times have changed, and schools are doing a lot more now than just academics. This supports academics. Kids can’t learn if they’re hungry or worried about food insecurity,” Oborn said. Rolling pantries are one of Oborn’s new projects. “We couldn’t fulfill the request we got to double our in-school pantries this year. So we came up with the rolling pantries. “The shelves have wheels on them, and we stock the shelves with supplies. Then we load them on a truck and take them around to different schools where they stay for a month. We take the empty one back to the distribution center and fill it,” Oborn said. GEF relies on donations from sponsors and the community to keep the pantries stocked. Their website www.granitekids.org has information on donation needs and service opportunities. “The great thing about these projects is that even little ones can help. Sometimes it’s just assembling kits and putting one of everything in a bag,” Oborn said. Recently, Cyprus High freshman Anton Goodick built pantry shelves and ran a fundraiser for pantries at two Millcreek area
Principals are deeply appreciative of service organizations that build up and stock their food pantries, like this Eagle Scout project organized by Anton Goodick for Mill Creek Elementary. (Photo courtesy Sophia DiCaro)
schools for his Eagle Scout project. He involved local politicians, friends and cub scouts. “This is a way you can make a difference in our community,” Oborn said. Knowing you’re making a difference is powerful. “The experience that started this all for me was when I was in charge of a service project with a youth Sunday School class. We’d raised money to buy a cow for a group in Bosnia that had been hit hard by their civil war. “We received a thank-you note back from a group in Bosnia that had been touched by our donation. It was incredibly graphic; a level of gratitude and suffering that we don’t even know. I read it to the youth, and you could have heard a pin drop. I vowed then to fight poverty whenever I could,” James said. He’s convinced the food pantries make that kind of difference in his own community. Principals report to Oborn that the pantries have a big impact. “The principals and social workers are so appreciative. They feel the weight of the need in their schools. One group with a great need is refugees; of all the
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refugees in Utah, 65% of them live within GSD boundaries,” Oborn said. “Food insecurity hits on a cultural level. Food is such a big part of culture. So we appreciate donations that are sensitive to different cultures. Small things make a difference—knowing that some cultures are more used to cooking with dried beans than beans from a can. Things like that,” Oborn said. Oborn and James had a goal of collecting 15,000 backpacks with school supplies during the Aug. 13 drive. But the need is ongoing and donations are accepted on a rolling basis. There is always a need for financial donations, non-perishable food, clothing, shoes and school supplies. “The full impact of COVID in our communities is yet to be determined. There is so much uncertainty, and our pantries have become even more important. They are open to kids who learn in-person or distance learning. We need to secure the funding to take the burden off kids so they can focus on learning,” Oborn said. l
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been social distancing and don’t feel like we’re putting anyone at risk.” She and her husband have talked with their son about the differences he will see this year. “We told him he had to wear a mask and keep his hands to himself. Everyone else is going to do the same; they’re all on board.” A younger sibling won’t be attending preschool this school year, however. “This is a school we have to pay for, and what if it gets shut down again?” Robison said. Still, Robison is willing to look at things again at the end of the term to see if things are working for her son. If they aren’t, she will consider the option of bringing him home for the next term—an opportunity available to all parents within the Granite School District. “I don’t really know how it’s going to affect his learning,” she said. “How it will be with the teachers masked. But I have a feeling it’s going to work out. We weighed the pros and cons. I think going back to school is a good choice for us.” Jaimie Haydock is a single parent. Her son, Bronson, will be in seventh grade this year at West Lake Jr. High in West Valley. She is a literacy coach at Copper
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Hills Elementary in Magna. When COVID-19 hit, like most parents she began helping her child at home. But her son soon “floundered.” “He really needs someone, other than myself, telling him what to do. He’s not self-motivated, and loves being around people, particularly his friends. He learns best in his environment, not mine,” she said. In a nutshell, she prefers the learning schools provide over the learning she would do at home. “If kids go back to school, it will bring things a little more back to normal,” she said. As for her son, “[We] knew there was no other choice. We talked about it. Even if I was at home and could teach him, we are not a good team [when it comes to education]. Though he was fine in Spanish last spring, he struggled in math. Besides, he loves school.” Though Haydock admits that she’s “a little scared” about putting herself back in the school arena, she also sees herself as an essential worker. “I just have to go to work.” She is worried about her son getting the virus. “But,” she said, “life goes on.” l
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Quiet and mostly empty now, West Valley officials hope the already-open parking structure on the left and the almost finished nine-story mixed-used office building, background on right, will be bustling in the near future. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
A reporter’s take on what would make ‘downtown’ West Valley City a reality By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
I
t started simply enough one day in May. My wife approached me and stated that it was time to sell the West Valley City home we occupied for the past 10 years and have one built in a new development about a mile away. No argument here, I thought, because she had a similar prompting a decade earlier which resulted in us moving from Tooele to West Valley and that turned out well. In our decade here, I have developed a great fondness for West Valley City and its still-growing potential and also had some of my preconceptions about the city dispelled. On a side note, the real estate professionals are right—the local housing market really is hot right now. Our pretty-average house went on the market, received several offers, and was under contract all in the span of two days. Two other homes for sale in our neighborhood were spoken for in under 10 days. While our new home is being built, my wife, three kids, and I, and what stuff we
Page 6 | September 2020
didn’t cram into a storage unit are “cozily” coexisting in an apartment at Fairbourne Station. That’s the 225-unit two-story complex in what West Valley City leaders hope will become the “downtown” area dubbed Fairbourne Station that the city hasn’t really had up to now. It is managed by ICO Communities, the multifamily property management arm of Ivory Homes. The place is modern, clean, and has great amenities. Maybe that will offset what will surely be the annoyances and frayed nerves that come when family members live in unaccustomed close quarters. I’ll let you know in about five months. In addition to the multifamily housing, city leaders have planned for and partially executed a central core consisting of Valley Fair Mall, City Hall, the UTA bus and TRAX station, the police department, a nearly finished nine-story mixed-use office building, a five-level public parking structure, a park-like gathering area known as Fairbourne Station Promenade and Plaza, and the apartments
I call home right now with a similar-sized complex under construction across the street. Embassy Suites and Granger Medical Clinic round out the western flank of downtown. The initial planning for all this started in earnest in the early 2000s and ground was broken for the first components around 2010-11, unless you include the revamping of Valley Fair Mall, which was already completed around that time. Since I now dwell here, I’ve thought a lot about what could make for a lively and sustainable “downtown” West Valley City. Clearly, it will never rival downtown Salt Lake City. The capital city has well over 150 years of history, name recognition, infrastructure, and public and private resources on its side compared to its 40 year-old neighbor. A cluster of 15- or 20-story buildings will probably never grace West Valley’s skyline. But given what it already has in place and the right mix of future planning, investment, and promotion, I believe West Valley City’s own downtown can be molded to fit
what the city has or will have in place to become a source of civic pride and an economic contributor, as well as a place to work, live, dine, and enjoy an outdoor concert or other forms of art and entertainment. American Investment Properties is a commercial real estate firm on Long Island, New York. It’s website contains an extensive list of things that make a vibrant downtown. They include some that West Valley City can already check off: • Pedestrian-friendly environment • Greenery: trees, shrubs, flowers, planters, etc. • Open public space such as a park • Frequent and reliable public transportation • Street furniture, such as benches and seating Other characteristics that will hopefully come to Fairbourne Station over time are: • Outdoor cafes or restaurants that draw patrons outside, increase pedestrian traffic, and create a highly visible gathering place
West Valley City Journal
• Attractive storefronts that encourage window shopping • Playgrounds and play areas for children West Valley City Mayor Ron Bigelow says what’s taken place in the city center so far is being noticed. “A lot of people are very impressed with it, especially people outside of West Valley,” he said. The budding central district is helping West Valley shed its image as a bedroom community and further forge its own identity, he said. As I walk along Lehman Avenue, Market Street, and 2700 West (Constitution Blvd.), I picture in my mind office workers crisscrossing the area to hit up nearby eateries for lunch and partaking of their meal on a bench or the grass at the promenade and plaza. As day fades into night, I see residents and visitors strolling with family, friends, and pets or congregating for some kind of outdoor event at Fairbourne Station’s open area. That late-day activity is especially important, says Ted Knowlton, deputy director of the Wasatch Front Regional Council and president of the Utah chapter of the American Planning Association. A downtown with only offices “tends to dry up and be very quiet at night,” he said. Same thing with just housing. “When you have a mix of uses, you’re going to get a lot of interactions between them” and eliminate the dead times, Knowlton added. He credits West Valley City leaders for envisioning and making an active city center a reality. “The ability to get a downtown to grow where 10 years ago there wasn’t really much of a downtown takes a lot of work
Fairbourne Station park and plaza is a key part of the West Valley City’s budding downtown district. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
and partnerships with the private sector. It’s a sign of how effective the city is in getting it going as much as they have.” Other parties will be needed to push it even further. The creation of a business improvement district and a coalition of community partners like ChamberWest, economic-development and commercial
leasing professionals, municipal planners and redevelopment experts and perhaps the formation of a business improvement could all contribute to making the downtown area a long-term success. And don’t forget one very important group: West Valley City residents. After all, this is their city and they, too, have a big
stake in the successful development of a place to call “downtown.” Meantime, whether or not you live or work around there, step out or stop by and walk around Fairbourne Station, or downtown West Valley City. Take it in for what it is now and what it could be in the months and years ahead. l
Salt Lake County hands over Centennial Swimming Pool to West Valley City By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
D
espite being a big part of West Valley City’s Centennial Park fitness and recreation complex, the outdoor swimming pool is only now under city ownership. Salt Lake County has turned over the pool to the West Valley City Parks and Recreation Department after running it for more than 20 years in the middle of the city-owned Centennial Park, Family Fitness Center, and surrounding ball fields. The change was the result of months of talks between the county and city in which each had a desire to see West Valley City own the pool. “Initially we approached Salt Lake County and said we would love to operate that pool and have it be another amenity for our fitness center members to use,” said fitness center director Jamie Young, whose facility already has an indoor pool. She says no money was involved in the transaction. The county essentially gave the pool to West Valley City and the city assumes all aspects and costs of running the pool, including operations, maintenance, staffing, and liability. The City Council approved the deal in February and it officially opened as a city pool on July 1. Young says West Valley City Parks and
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Centennial Outdoor Pool at Centennial Park in West Valley City is now under city ownership following a deal with Salt Lake County. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
Recreation can easily take on a second public pool. “We feel like we have highly qualified aquatics professionals who can manage that facility and maintain it.” That includes lifeguards and people to run the concessions booth. Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation spokesman Clayton Scrivner said by email that the county was happy to relinquish the outdoor pool to West Valley City. “We came to the conclusion that turning the pool over to them just made sense. With them managing the recreation center adjacent, having a single manager of both facilities was deemed the most effective and efficient path forward.”
He says the deal will enable the county to redirect resources to its other pools. “We have nine outdoor pools around the county that we manage. We also have nine indoor pools located at our recreation and aquatic centers.” Young says city operation of the Centennial Outdoor Pool has gone swimmingly so far. “We have been really happy with the success of the pool,” she said, noting that it has reached capacity several times over the summer, although capacity under COVID-19 social distancing guidelines is half of what it is normally. Family Fitness Center members can use the outdoor pool at no extra cost as part of
their membership this summer. Young says that will likely change in the future. The general public pays a daily admission charge to use the pool. The pool inside the Family Fitness Center continues to operate as usual, although it alternated its schedule with the outdoor pool for recreational swimming during the summer. The hours for both pools were reduced with the start of school in August and the resulting departure of many of their part-time employees. The outdoor pool will close for the season after Labor Day weekend. l
September 2020 | Page 7
Grizzlies season pushed back to December By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
T
he Utah Grizzlies can’t wait to get back on the Maverik Center ice, but it will have to wait. “We are extremely hopeful that we will have hockey in Utah this season,” Grizzlies head coach and general manager Tim Branham said. “The support we get from our fans is tremendous. We could not do it without them. The passion they bring each and every night really energizes the boys.” The East Coast Hockey League Board of Governors, in conjunction with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, approved a revised season start date for the 2020-21 season. The anticipated start date is Dec. 4 and will include a full 72 game season. “We are eager to return to hockey,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in the leagues released statement. “At this time it is prudent for our players, employees and fans. We remain optimistic about the safe reopening of our venues across the continent. We appreciate our partners and fans continued support and patience.” The season was originally scheduled to begin in early October. The complete schedule will be announced at a later date. The Grizzlies will celebrate their 25th season in Utah this year. In 1994, Salt Lake experienced its first
winter without professional hockey. The Golden Eagles had fled to become the Detroit Vipers. The International Hockey League awarded a franchise to Denver which became the Grizzlies. They produced the best record in the league and captured the Turner Cup in their inaugural season in Denver, but their success opened the door for the NHL Quebec Nordiques to relocate to Denver (Colorado Avalanche) and the Grizzlies left town for Utah. In the 1995-96 season, the Grizzlies repeated as the best team in the IHL and, in 1997, they moved into their current state-ofthe-art home, the Maverik Center. Branham will begin his eighth season as the team’s head coach. It will be the third year as an affiliate of the Avalanche. In the club’s 25-year history, they have enjoyed NHL connections with several teams including the Islanders, Ducks and Flames. Over 200 former Grizzly players have played in the NHL. At the time of last season’s suspension and eventual cancellation, the Grizzlies were tied for second place in the ECHL Mountain Division. Their .637 winning percentage was the best in franchise history. Last season forward Ty Lewis led the team with 25 goals. They have signed several players to its
Grizzlies season pushed back to December caption: Goaltender Brad Barone will return to the Grizzlies this season, he was originally signed last season and had a 2.53 goals-against average. (Photo courtesy Utah Grizzlies)
current roster, including Jared Pike, a native of Sandy, Utah. The 6-foot-4, 215 lb. forward scored 29 goals in his collegiate career at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Pike was awarded the 2020 Derek Hines
Unsung Hero Award, given annually to the NCAA Division 1 judged to best exemplify sportsmanship, competitiveness, intelligence, and work ethic. The Grizzlies have also resigned Mitch Maxwell to its current roster. l
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Mail-in ballots: Salt Lake County a model system says County Clerk By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com
S
alt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen and her team have been fielding many calls about mail-in ballots and the possibility of fraud. Despite the national news and concerns, Swensen wants people to know the system we’ve used for years is “safe, secure and efficient.” “Since I took office in 1991, I’ve been working on making voting more accessible, and that includes mail-in ballots. Mail-in voting has been in the news, and I want people to know that in Salt Lake County we’ve been doing this for a long time, and it works,” said Swensen, who lives in Sandy. “Random ballots cannot be produced by just anyone. The idea being circulated that ballots could be printed by Russians, or in living rooms by anyone, is ridiculous,” Swensen said. Swensen’s longevity in her job has given her many years and many elections to develop mail-in ballots. She even designed the envelope with the required voter’s signature over the seal. “We mail out a ballot to active registered voters. Every ballot mailed has a ballot ID number assigned, which correlates to the voter for whom it is ordered. If a voter asks to have another ballot sent because they didn’t receive it, or it was lost or ruined, the first ballot ordered for that voter is spoiled/ canceled. The new ballot has a different ID number,” Swensen said. Ballots are run through a series of human- and machine-operated steps. Each step ensures that signatures are matched, secrecy is maintained, the vote is counted and the computer-generated ID number recorded. “If someone tried to prepare bogus ballot packets, they would not pass through our system and would not be accepted and counted. Those circulating these rumors do not understand the vote-by-mail process or do not want voters to have the convenience of voting by mail,” Swensen said. Swensen also addressed the argument
that the U.S. Postal Service could play a role in fraud or may slow down the process of tabulating votes. “The cutbacks make me concerned. [USPS has] always been very responsive and treated [the ballots] well. They care about the service they provide to us. We use postage paid envelopes. We can track things through the USPS. If there’s a concerted effort trying to make it harder for the [Postal Service], that’s a concern to me. “And if people don’t feel comfortable sending their ballot through the mail, we have 20 drop boxes located throughout the valley,” Swensen said. The mail-in ballot program started as a permanent absentee option for seniors. “By 2013, we offered it to all registered voters, and only two cities opted out. In 2016, we conducted our first major elections by mail, and in 2017 all cities wanted to do it,” Swensen said. Not only did the ballots work for security purposes, they increased voter turnout overall. “We found that the percentage of turnout was so much better. In 2018, Salt Lake County had an 80% turnout rate for voters, and 88% of those were by mail,” Swensen said. Voting in person is always an option, though with more social gathering restrictions in place this year, Swensen hopes as many people as possible use mail-in ballots. Getting a ballot in the mail doesn’t mean that someone can’t vote in person. Even if you were to drop your ballot in a ballot box or send it in through the mail, if you vote in person in addition to that, you’ll only be counted once. Swensen offers tours of the ballot process to anyone who’s interested. “We have had lawmakers, the Lt. Governor’s staff, the state auditor’s staff, media, political parties, candidates and even international visitors tour our processes. They come away impressed with our system and the security we have in place,” Swensen said. Election Day is Tues., Nov. 3. The voting schedule is posted on www.got-vote.org or www.slco.org/clerk/elections. Vote by mail ballots will be mailed the week of Oct. 12. If you haven’t received yours by Oct. 20, call the Clerk’s office at 385-468-7400 or email them at got-vote@slco.org. Swensen said that most issues with voting have to do with confusion, not fraud. Most of them can be cleared up ahead of time by visiting the website. Voters can make updates to their registration, and review instructions about things like who can sign your ballot or what to do if you accidentally put your ballot in your spouse’s envelope. Poll workers are also still needed on Election Day. “We will be hiring poll workStay safe from coronavirus and still get your “I Vot- ers and staff, so if people are interested, they ed!” sticker—they’ll be sent with mail-in ballots this can go to got-vote @slc.org. It’s a long day, year. (Courtesy County Clerk Sherrie Swensen) and you need to have some technical skills.
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The Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office uses a multi-step process including humans and machines to count votes while maintaining ballot secrecy. (Courtesy County Clerk Sherrie Swensen)
But you’re trained and paid, and if anyone’s interested we’d love to hear from them,” Swensen said. The bottom line for Swensen: increase accessibility for everyone who’s eligible to vote. “It’s extremely important to me that people get out to vote. For all the years I’ve been doing this, it was always about getting people to register—going to high schools, going to senior centers and other events. “We want to make it simple for every person who’s eligible to register and cast a vote. It shouldn’t just be left to those that have the means to figure it out. That’s what
The ballot drop box at the Sandy Senior Center near 9400 South and 1300 East is one of 20 across Salt Lake County, and an alternative for those who don’t want to mail their ballots. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)
makes democracy work—being accessible to everyone who has the right to vote,” Swensen said. l
September 2020 | Page 9
REP. CRAIG HALL: AN EFFECTIVE VOICE FOR... WEST SIDE REPRESENTATION • 33-year resident of West Valley. • Labeled by the Salt Lake Tribune C O V I D - 1 9C O UP VD I DA-T1 E 9 SUas P "refreshing" D AT E S and a "healthy" C OCVO ID VDP IA D V -I 1D9- C 1U 9OPU DT-A1ET9SE U S P D AT E S COVID-1C 9 OUVPID DA - 1T9E SU...P"example D A T E S of bipartisanship." C O V I D - 1 9 U P D AT E S • Identified as one of the "most effective" legislators HOW CONVALESCENT PLASMA on Capitol Hill. HOW CONVALESCENT PLASMA • Record of voting for what is right HELPS TREAT COVID-19 for West Valley and its residents. HELPS TREAT COVID-19
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QUALITY EDUCATION • Four children who have attended West Side public schools. • Recognized by the Salt Lake Tribune as a legislator whose "top issue" is education. • Actively seeks input from District 33 teachers and principals to determine their needs. • Sponsored legislation to strengthen West Side schools.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • Worked jointly with city leaders to strengthen West Valley's economy. • Received overwhelming support from groups that represent working families. • Named as a "Business Champion" by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce.
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STEP 2 STEP 2 STEP 2 STEPSTEP 2 2 convalescent plasma STEP Separate 2 Separate STEPconvalescent 2 Separate convalescent plasma plasma
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Page 10 | September 2020
West Valley City Journal
SLC companies team up to develop face masks By Libby Allnatt | l.allnatt@mycityjournals.com
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wo companies in Salt Lake City are teaming up to develop a face mask that packs a punch in the fight against COVID-19 and other viruses. Dr. Sonny Bal, the president and CEO of SINTX Technologies (www.sintx.com), said the partnership with O2TODAY (www.o2today.com) will help create masks that people are happy to wear and that are effective at controlling the spread of infectious disease. The key is a material called silicon nitride. Bal said that SINTX began antiviral testing of the material about a year and a half ago out of scientific curiosity. They found that silicon nitride was effective at inactivating several viruses, leading them to believe it would be a good material for masks during the flu season. When COVID-19 came along, they started looking for mask companies and manufacturers, particularly in the Salt Lake City area, which is how Bal discovered O2TODAY. “Specific to COVID-19, our hope is to inactivate the virus on synthetic surfaces,” Bal said. “For example, your masks, but more importantly, on tabletops, commonly touched surfaces, cell phone covers, screens. We know the COVID-19 virus can persist for days…If we create surfaces that don’t have to be wiped down with cleaning agents and
bleach all the time, I think we can contribute to discouraging the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, particularly among the populations that are most vulnerable to it.” Bal said the companies bring different strengths to the partnership. “Silicon nitride is our main and only product for SINTX and we believe we are the world’s leaders on this, having published on it and studied it, particularly its remarkable properties in terms of inactivating pathogens that have since been reproduced by other medical centers,” he said. “O2TODAY brings a phenomenal amount of knowledge about masks, their social positioning, the customer base, the retail sales, how to sell them, how to make them.” Bal said silicon nitride works in a similar way that commercial cleaners do, essentially making its own ammonia. “The surface chemistry has nitrogen in it which reacts with moisture, so if you touch a surface or you rub it with a moist rag, there’s a hydrolytic reaction with the water that produces a microscopic amount of ammonia on the surface,” he said. “It’s harmless to the human touch and it doesn’t smell, but when a microbe touches it, like bacteria or the virus, it’s inactivated, just like a commercial cleaner would.”
Think of masks as passive versus active. A regular cloth mask might trap the virus, but not kill it. “Some studies have shown that the COVID-19 virus can stay active and infectious on a mask for up to seven days after you throw it out,” Bal said. A more active mask would inactivate the virus. “With silicon nitride, it’s a two-prong effect,” he said. “The material is harmless to human cells but will inactivate the virus. The speed of inactivation is very impressive. I’ve seen the effect within a minute so it’s not a matter of hours or days. Our strategy is to develop a mask that actively degrades and inactivates infectious agents like viruses and bacteria.” Bal said they hope to have a commercially available consumer mask by the end of the year. “The research we’re doing right now is integrating the silicon nitride particles or soluble products into the mask fabric in such a way that you’re not breathing the particles in. They’re all in the mask itself, and you can breathe easy… That work, which has begun, and started even before the agreement, gives us a timeline before the end of the year before we have a commercially available consumer mask.” They also hope to eventually create
Two companies in Salt Lake City, O2TODAY and SINTX, are working to develop a face mask that inactivates viruses and bacteria. (Courtesy of Amanda Barry/O2 Design)
masks that would be available on a medical level. “Medical facilities would be a very important market because contamination is big in hospitals,” he said. “Medical personnel need masks. They’ve been wearing them before COVID-19. For them to have an active mask that kills pathogens would be very exciting.” However, the process for such an endeavor would take a bit longer than that of the consumer product due to regulatory factors and additional data and testing that would need to be submitted to the FDA. “It will take longer, but certainly the medical market is a key target for us,” Bal said. l
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Miss Africa Utah pageant: A diverse cultural scholarship program By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com
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he 10th annual Miss Africa Utah pageant was Aug. 11-15. The pageant is for single Utah women with ties to Africa. The result is an event like no other where African women feel supported as they educate others and celebrate their heritage. The pageant was created by Gloria Mensah of GK Folks Foundation. Mensah was born in Nigeria and resides in Utah. “It started as a culture night, just to learn more about different African cultures. It was so successful that I decided to make a nonprofit and create a scholarship,” Mensah said. This year’s pageant went online due to the pandemic, so events were shown on the website, www.missafricautah.org. Like other pageants, each contestant chose a platform or social issue to promote. There was a talent segment and judges who select the queen. But unlike other pageants, there was a traditional costume segment and a parade of nations. “There is a lot of diversity. It doesn’t matter your size or shape or height—you have to be within three generations from Africa. Some of the women are adopted, some are single moms and many are in college or have already graduated,” Mensah said. This year’s final contest involved women from eight African nations: Anna Elizabeth Robbins of Cameroon; Amira Kherrallah of Central African Republic; Perpetual Stevens
of Ghana; Aziza Jabhad Hussein of Kenya; Nini Ndongo Macias of Ecuatorial Guinea; Easter Shadrack of North Sudan (born in Ethiopia); Pauline Makoma of Rwanda and Seary Kallon of Sierra Leone. The women come from across the valley—Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, West Jordan, Draper and Kearns. The theme of belonging and fitting in came up for several as they introduced themselves and their platforms. “People said I wasn’t African enough, or I wasn’t Latina enough,” said Nini Ndongo Macias, Miss Ecuatorial Guinea. Macias was born and raised in Salt Lake City, and code-switches easily between English and Spanish. Ecuatorial Guinea is the only official Spanish-speaking African nation. Aziza Jabhad Hussein, Miss Kenya Utah, said she didn’t fit in “because I couldn’t walk until age 5.” Hussein was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and lost friends because they didn’t understand what that meant. “It taught me that sometimes we judge people too quickly. Our differences seem more like weaknesses, instead of them making us more rounded and interesting individuals for our communities. I’ve made it my mission to get to know people on a deeper level,” Hussein said. Perpetual Stevens won the People’s
African Queens: Pauline Makoma (center, back) is crowned Miss Africa Utah 2020; other winners are L to R: Amira Kherrallah, Aziza Jabhad Hussein and Perpetual Stevens. (Lisa Chriss Photography)
Choice Award through online voting. “I lived in an orphanage until I was 7, and then I was adopted and moved to America,” Stevens said. Stevens chose the Kaeme Foundation as her platform, which supports families in Ghana so they can keep their children at
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West Valley City Journal
Stevens said that though the African community in Utah may be small, “we are powerful, loving and resilient. We have continuously shown that we are here to stay. We will forever stand up and speak out about our dreams, rights and beliefs.” The events were broadcast each night leading up to the finale on Aug. 15. The second runner-up was Hussein, the first runner-up was Amira Kherrallah and the winner was Pauline Makoma. Makoma is a web developer studying software engineering. “I plan to visit high
schools during my reign and talk about my platform: helping young African women explore career fields that are not looked at as ‘traditional.’ African women still struggle to see themselves in technology and STEM [fields],” Makoma said. Brittany Johnson, a news presenter at ABC4, hosted the event. Johnson said the virtual edition speaks to the importance of the event. “The GK Folks Foundation could have canceled due to the pandemic, but instead they found a way to adapt by making the event virtual.
Participants from Miss Africa Utah 2020 pose with those from 2019. (Tempestt Williams/Vivid Kodaks)
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“The pageant allows contestants to feel empowered, showcase their talent and create a platform in which a young African woman can thrive. The MAU Pageant promotes positivity, and that’s what the world needs more of today,” Johnson said. Makoma said when she moved to Utah three years ago, she was surprised by the size of the African community. “You can search for African events that are happening near you and try to attend those. You will learn so much about the culture, get the most amazing food and the music there is always the best,” Makoma said. The virtual aspect of this year’s contest meant there were no tickets sales, which brings in a lot of support for the program. “We’re taking a lot of losses this year because we don’t have a live event we can sell tickets for. There is so much these young women learn in the pageant, and since we’re a nonprofit, all donations go toward helping them,” Mensah said. GK Folks coordinates events to support the community. “There is so much for people to process with their mental health. We did a march for George Floyd where the girls wore their crowns and sashes. We want Black people to be seen as people, not a threat. “Our mental health programs give people a safe space to come and talk. It really worked. People were pouring out their feelings,” Mensah said. To support the scholarships awarded by the pageant or learn more about the young
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Pauline Makoma is crowned Miss Africa Utah 2020 via a virtual event. (Tempestt Williams/Vivid Kodaks)
women and their platforms, visit their website. And Mensah hopes that more sponsors will step up and people in the community will donate to the causes. Makoma offers this invitation of inclusion to everyone: “I want you to join in creating and finding opportunities for young African women to…be [who] they were meant to be, here in Utah, in Africa and all over the world.” l
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September 2020 | Page 13
Hunter returns to the field for 2020 season By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
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his past spring, Hunter High School was shut down because of the pandemic, but students also spent two weeks on a strict lockdown because one of them contracted the virus. “It completely changes all we do,” Wolverine head coach Tarell Richards said. News quickly spread that a student had attended school with symptoms and the CDC imposed the quarantine on the entire student body, teachers and staff. Sports at the school were on hiatus. Fall sports like football, soccer and volleyball were not allowed back into the school into July. This put teams behind schedule. “Getting back between the lines has made everything better. I am not sure how it will all play out, but it is good to be back playing again,” Richards said. “We are doing our best to stay within the expectations and the guidelines of our school.” The Wolverines return eight starters on offense this season. They do have the challenge of finding a new starting quarterback. In its first game of the season, Justice Brusatto and Josh Harding split time. In the 34-23 loss to Bonneville, the new quarterbacks in the spread offense threw the ball 26 times and combined for 153 yards. Last season, they averaged 30.4 points per
game which was eighth in 6A. The four returning offensive lineman are Huni Tauteoli, Jayson Chase, Peseti Lapuaho and Sautapu Faatuau Lole. The line will also be tasked with opening holes for a new stable of running backs. Sophomore Koni Tahi carried the ball 10 times against Bonneville for 113 yards which included a 70-yard touchdown late in the second half. They also return 2019 all-state tight end Lorenzo Tua’one. He ran the ball for 15 yards against Bonneville. They trailed 27-6 after three quarters. Richards said the key to success on offense will be controlling the turnovers. “We need to protect the football. We need to play with tempo and control our team then we will have a chance to win,” Richards said. Hunter only returns five starters on defense. They allowed 21.7 points per game last season. “We need to tackle well. If we can get lined up and play with great effort,” Richards said. The Wolverines have collected 191 wins in their 30 seasons. They have qualified for the state playoffs for 29 straight years. This includes a state championship in 2003 and
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Hunter returns to the field for the 2020 season caption: Hunter Ute Conference football teams line up this fall in hopes of someday playing in front of large crowds at the high school. This season attendance will be limited because of the pandemic. (Greg James/City Journals)
eight region championships. They have faced Kearns 25 times and lead the series with 17 wins. Hunter competes in the Utah High School Activities Association’s Region 2. They finished last year in second place and lost to Kearns in the second round of the state
tournament. This season is scheduled to be the second season of the rating performance index used by the UHSAA. The index will again rank the teams for the state tournament. They are scheduled to host Granger Friday, Sept. 11. l
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Page 14 | September 2020
West Valley City Journal
WVC Eagle Scout goes ‘above and beyond’ stocking school pantries By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com
A
nton Goodick, a 14-year-old from West Valley City, knew he wanted his Eagle Scout project to make a difference. When COVID hit in the spring, he learned that in Granite School District many families relied on school pantries. Working with the Granite Education Foundation, he made and stocked pantry shelves for two Millcreek elementary schools. “I talked to Kim Oborn at the Granite Education Foundation in June. She said that two schools in the Millcreek area, James E. Moss and Mill Creek Elementary, really needed their school pantries, but they were almost empty,” Anton said. The principals, Judith Kissell and Ann Kane, relied on the pantries not just for food, but for other materials. Clothes, shoes, backpacks and family food kits for the weekend, are all supplies that help kids and families who are food insecure. “The GEF buys used shelving that they use for school pantries. It looks like grocery store shelves, so it feels like the kids are shopping. They needed someone to assemble it. So I organized cub scouts, my friends in Troop No. 34, family and friends to help. We assembled shelves, collected donations of money and supplies and organized everything for the schools,” Anton said. Anton started the project in July. The financial goal was to raise $2,000 for each school’s pantry. Mill Creek met their goal, but they are still taking donations for James E. Moss Elementary. Anton’s dad, Rob Goodick, and his mom, Sophia DiCaro, also helped. They connected with Utah Rep. Stephanie Pitcher and Rep. Mark Wheatley, who supported and promoted the effort. “As a parent, to see this need just grabs your heart. It’s not just the student at school who is food insecure—these kids have younger siblings. The weekend kits for grab and go have diapers, rice, everything a family will need over the weekend,” Rob Goodick said. Goodick said he gets emotional when he thinks of what his son learned and how he did it. “I was with Anton every minute, and he handled it so well. All the media, the fundraising, working with the principals—everything. There were over 251 volunteer hours on this project, so much to coordinate, and the principals were just blown away at how good a kid could be. When I see him be selfless like this and think of what he’s doing for others, it’s a big deal,” Goodick said. Anton, who just finished eighth grade at Matheson Jr. High and will start Cyprus High School this year, made an impression on the principals. “Anton and his people built the shelves, did a food drive to fill them up and moved everything out to the portable. He raised not
Wvc Journal .com
Anton Goodick, a freshman at Cyprus High School, spent his summer vacation working on his Eagle Scout project and building up the school pantry at James E. Moss Elementary. (Photo courtesy Sophia DiCaro)
only food but money, and created some signs to hang up. I’ve had lots of Eagle Scouts do projects, but he went above and beyond,” said Judith Kissell, principal of James E. Moss Elementary. Mill Creek principal Ann Kane was equally impressed. “This was one of the best Eagle projects I’ve ever been associated with. Not only did Anton and the other Scouts in his troop do a food drive for us, but they organized our pantry. We were able to walk in and it’s just done,” Kane said. Kane liked that though his parents helped, it was really Anton doing the work. “It all went through Anton. He did a lot for the community, and we have supplies that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. I can’t say enough good things about this kid. If he’s an indication of the future, we’re in good hands,” Kane said. Kane said she is questioned all the time about the necessity of the pantries and why the school needs to fulfill that role. “Our school is 70% free and reduced lunch, so there’s a great need. You can’t learn if you’re hungry, or if you don’t get enough sleep because your baby brother is crying all night because he’s hungry or doesn’t have a fresh diaper. “Schools need to provide enough support so the kid can learn. Our job is to teach,
but if a kid can’t learn because they’re hungry, or cold, or don’t have shoes, we need to address that before we teach them,” Kane said. The schools have an ongoing need for donations. “They need non-perishable and ethnic food. Kids at Moss represent 52 different countries, and speak about 40 different languages. There are little cultural things you wouldn’t think about that affect what food they will eat—things like getting beans in a can versus dried beans in a bag,” Anton said. Anton’s next step is to complete the write up of his project and send it on from his chartering organization, the First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City, Troop 34, to national BSA headquarters. But his scoutmaster Brian Bevan thinks the project was a success. “Part of the project isn’t always that it should go smoothly—part of what you learn is to encounter adversity and then you learn to problem solve. Anton’s project hit all the numbers: he helped his local community, reached out to schools, got lots of people involved and gave service to children,” Bevan said. “As a scoutmaster, I like to see the project incorporate the entire troop or their friends, which Anton did. Anton is senior patrol leader and a wonderful role model for the other kids. Scouting still exists in Utah. We
Going from this…to this. Anton Goodick of BSA Troop 34 organized an Eagle project building and stocking shelves for two Millcreek area elementary school pantries. (Photo courtesy Sophia DiCaro)
have every intention of continuing scouting to help kids be great adults,” Bevan said. Anton also sees the project as a success. “I feel like it helped so many people. There are over 1,000 kids at those schools. I helped the principals and social workers—now their job is easier because they have a place to go with food insecure kids. And I had a lot of fun with my friends, family and troop. We had so much manpower that we were able to accomplish a lot,” Anton said. l
September 2020 | Page 15
High school sports return to play…for now By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
I
n unprecedented times with uncertainty continuing over many aspects of life due to the current pandemic, the idea of sports at all levels coming back sounds so refreshing. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights have resumed, PGA golf tournaments are again being held, Major League baseball has begun their delayed season and the NBA created a bubble in Orlando, Florida to bring 22 teams to play out the last regular season games and playoffs—all without fans in attendance. And yet, just as our excitement builds as we watch live sports returning, we see the number of COVID-19 cases, patterns and deaths fluctuating on a daily basis and are left to wonder—will high school fall sports really happen? The seasons have already begun for most of the state’s boys golf, girls soccer, girls tennis, volleyball, football and cross country teams, but how long will it last? As schools begin opening statewide as well, a lot of apprehension hangs in the air. “This is literally an hour-by-hour situation as we have been continually adapting to the current pandemic, making plans to ‘return to play,’ scrapping plans and making new plans,” Utah High School Activities Association director Rob Cuff said. The UHSAA has been working tirelessly since March when the coronavirus shut down the sports world—and the country for a time—to brainstorm scenarios that could allow Utah high school athletics to resume. Initially, the organization suspended play for two weeks and continued to delay participation until mid-April when the spring sports seasons were officially canceled. Before the school year ended, the UHSAA lifted the typical moratorium that begins after Memorial Day to allow sports programs to hold summer trainings without date restrictions while encouraging strict adherence to local health recommendations. On July 10, the UHSAA board voted to resume the fall sports season and within two weeks had released a “Return to Play” set of guidelines to help districts and schools to outline their own protocols based on the local health procedures in their area and with specific evaluations of the use of their own facilities. Those policies include: 1) Eliminating handshakes between opposing teams and coaches. 2) “Masking up” all players and coaches who are on the sidelines along with fans in the stands, particularly when social distancing isn’t possible. 3) Having schools and districts establish and enforce protocols and place signs at their facilities to inform participants and spectators of their own required policies, which may include mandated masks. This also includes determining seating capacity allowed. 4) Mandating that sick players, coaches or spectators not participate in practices or games. 5) Having each school fill out Utah Event
Page 16 | September 2020
Many high school athletes are celebrating a return to the field after spring sports were shutdown in mid-March due to COVID-19. (Photo courtesy Astrongphotography)
Management forms and sending copies to the UHSAA. Additionally, daily temperature screenings for athletes and coaches, constant sanitizing, using personal water bottles, having wider sidelines, longer timeouts and setting a cap on uniformed players (at 50 for football) are among other procedures being required for each school. In an Aug. 13 memo to UHSAA schools and administrators, Cuff called for all members to “double down on efforts to ensure that safety guidelines are being universally adhered to across the association…one district, one school, one team, one coach, one student participant who chooses not to follow these guidelines has the potential to undermine participation for all.” While many states around the country have delayed the start of high school fall sports until at least the start of the new year, Utah was one of 17 states nationwide to begin as scheduled. “For months, we have been working closely with the state health department and the governor’s office to stay in tune to what’s happening,” Cuff said. “We are in uncharted territory, so we are carefully and constantly navigating how to move forward.” Keeko Georgelas, Murray High’s athletic director said, “The district has worked really hard to put a model in place. A lot of work has gone into designing a model to give this thing a shot and it has a chance to work, although I’m apprehensive about the human nature of things, especially in the pre-game and post-game. I’m actually not as fearful of the games themselves.”
And despite the best efforts of the nearly 100,000 members and 155 teams state-wide, COVID-19 has again disrupted high school sports in Utah. A positive test on the Lone Peak girls soccer team put the whole program in quarantine, missing four games over a two-week period. Most notably, three players on Bingham’s football team tested positive which led to the cancellation of its season opener against Weber Aug. 13. “Those kids have never showed any symptoms and are as healthy as can be,” said Bingham head coach Dave Peck, who noted that they were cleared for a return to practice Aug. 17. “The health department came in and tested the whole team—100 kids and coaches—and there were two more positive tests found. Those players have been quarantining and will for 10 days. What we’ve proven here is that we’re not spreading it through our team; it’s coming through outside sources.” Peck said his program canceled camps and scrimmages over the summer to deal with cases and out of an abundance of caution, but losing that time along with their first game has been tough. “We have a group that could seriously challenge for the state title, but with all that we dealt with in the summer, we’re behind,” he said. “Plus, we didn’t play this week while everyone else did.” And yet, the grim reality of the COVID-19 situation sets in further for Peck as he has watched one player struggle with coronavirus so severely that the player’s
25-year-old sister contracted the virus and she is now on life support. Now, for the second week in a row to begin the football season, a game will not be played as Cyprus had two players test positive which will cancel its game with Ridgeline Aug. 20. These cancellations are considered no contests and will not be rescheduled, for most sports, and do not count against them in RPI rankings. And those are just the more current cases that are more widely known. That doesn’t even include the various sports from Bonneville, Box Elder, Clearfield, Farmington, Fremont, Granger, Herriman, Layton, Syracuse, Weber and others that had to cancel practices, scrimmages and camps throughout the summer as they dealt with positive tests for some players and coaches. “We’re doing all we can to play safe so we can play as long as we can,” Georgelas said. Cuff noted the “remarkable job” schools and districts are doing. “This is a massive effort to provide the best for our kids,” he said. “We want them safe, so we’ll start playing. We recognize that among all of the factors we are considering that mental wellness for our student-athletes are so important and we are constantly evaluating if the reward outweighs the risk so we can condense or adjust things. We’re certainly in uncharted territory, but we are working diligently to ensure that we make the safest decisions for everyone. As long as school’s in session, we’ll keep playing.” ‑l
West Valley City Journal
All GSD schools now on same schedule; ventilation upgrades being put in place By Bill Hardesty | b.hardesty@mycityjournals.com
A
s you read this, schools are open or may be closed. We live in an unpredictable world. “We are on a big dial here and as we continue to receive guidance from the health department and if infection rate or caseloads increases, we fully expect that some of our schools will need to quarantine. People ask what will happen. We will adjust the dial,” said Ben Horsley, communications director for Granite School District. The main driver for adjusting the dial is three infections in a class or 15 in a school. Horsley pointed out that when you consider the size of a high school, 15 infections is a low threshold.
their unique school needs.
Impacts
The most immediate impact on parents is the need for three additional hours of childcare. In some families, because secondary school students are also not at school, older siblings can take care of younger ones. An impact on teachers is that now all teachers will teach both in-classroom and online. Which can add more difficulty for teachers. However, it also allows for continuity for the students on Friday and if a class or school has to switch to full-time online instruction. The board also approved two additional no school days at the end of the first quarter. Oct. 21 and 22 are now professional develCurrent plan? opment days and will allow the District and On Aug. 17, the Granite School District schools to make any adjustments. (GSD) Board met in an emergency session to Zenger proposal Boardmember Todd Zenger made a adjust the elementary schedule. Originally, elementary schools and motion in the meeting for a more modified secondary schools had different schedules. schedule for all grades. His proposal would Secondary schools—junior high schools and mean 50% of the students would attend every high schools—are having in-classroom in- other day. Horsley pointed out this schedule struction Monday through Thursday. Friday would mean high school students would see will be a distant learning and planning day. all of their teachers only once a week. The proposal addressed a concern of the The elementary schools would have in-classroom instruction Monday through Friday. GEA. In the open letter of Aug. 13 GEA wrote: Friday would be a short-day, allowing teach“GEA just completed a survey of its memers planning time. This plan was based on the notion of bership. There were over 1,400 responses. having dedicated in-classroom teachers A very large majority, over 69%, feel unsafe and dedicated distant learning teachers for with the district’s current plan. Over 55%, those students choosing the District’s distant 792 educators, say, “No amount of PPE and learning option. However, with 90% of the cleaning will be enough without the ability students selecting in-class instruction, this to create adequate distance between people in puts a difficult burden on smaller elementary the building,” and only 8% say they have no concerns with Granite’s current plan for the schools. For example, if there are two fourth- 2020-21 school year.” The proposal never received a second grade teachers with 60 students and two fifthgrade teachers with 60 students it is impracti- and therefore was never discussed in the cal to pull out one teacher for each grade. So, Aug.17 board meeting. Safety measures one teacher is pulled out for distant learning Superintendent Martin Bates reported at which requires a combined fourth- and fifthgrade distant learning class and maybe even the meeting that GSD has tens of thousands of face masks and face shields for teachers an in-class combined class. In addition, given the low online enroll- and students. He also reported they have 10,000 desk ment, the combined class most likely would have more grade levels combined to make a dividers and 3,000 teachers’ shields available. A teacher shield is three-sided plastic class. On Aug. 13, the Granite Education As- placed onto the teacher’s desk. The desk disociation wrote an open letter to the GSD viders are three-sided plastic or self-standing barriers on a student’s desk. Board asking for change. Another safety measure GSD is putting “…Requesting that a weekly schedule similar to secondary be provided for elemen- into place concerns air flow. Proper air flow tary schools (Monday-Thursday students is one factor, along with face covering, hand face-to-face, educators managing both mo- washing, and physical distancing, that helps dalities, and Fridays with all students online reduce the spread of viruses. The District is installing hospital-grade and an opportunity to prepare for their online filters, known as MRVS, into all HVAC sysstudents for the next week).” In response to their concerns, the board tems and is expected to be completed by the end of September. adopted a change unanimously. “The current requirement from the CDC Elementary schools’ schedules will be the same as secondary schools. Elementary that we have received is to have fresh air schools were also given the power to adapt to exchange twice a day. We already provide
Wvc Journal .com
In an emergency meeting, the Granite School District Board makes changes to the elementary school schedule. (Bill Hardesty/City Journals)
three fresh air exchanges an hour. Not only that but we continue to run our HVAC system throughout the evening. So, those fresh air exchanges are happening constantly for the safety of our students and staff,” Horsley said. Having more fresh air exchanges and installing hospital-grade filters is above and beyond the current requirements.
Online learning concern
During a post meeting interview with the media, Horsley mentioned that last spring 20% of students did not log on at all to online learning and that an additional 15-20% did once. “Over 25,000 students struggled with distant learning either did not do it at all or only participated minimally. In respect to that, we cannot write off 25,000 students in Granite School District. We know and our board knows there needs to be an in-person component. I think the number of families committed to in-person instruction is a reflection of that,” Horsley said. These surprising numbers occurred despite the district providing a Chromebook to students and using Wi-Fi enabled buses as hot spots. The district now has a 1:1 ratio of Chromebooks as well 1,000 portable hotspots that can be checked out by students along with 27 Wi-Fi buses. l
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September 2020 | Page 17
Being a mom to kids with mental health challenges
Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3
“I want to die. I’m done.” Those were the words I heard from one of my children several years ago. It was late one evening, my husband was out of town, and when my son came to me for help, my brain was reeling… I didn’t know what to do. I’m not alone when it comes to having children, a spouse, or other family members with mental health challenges. As I’ve worked on these issues as a Salt Lake County Councilmember, and on the state’s mental health crisis response commission, I know we need to talk openly and break the stigma. I’m grateful to my family members who have given me permission to share some of our experiences… A few of my kids have struggled with anxiety — it runs in my family. In fact, I can relate with how they feel because I, too, have battled it. After years of putting myself in high-anxiety situations, meeting with a helpful therapist, and learning my triggers (lack of sleep is the biggest one), I’ve been able to mostly overcome it. But my kids have had to learn in their own ways what their anxiety triggers are, and what they are willing to do to over-
come it. I’ve had some kids who gladly met with a therapist, and others who thought they “didn’t need that,” and later realized that therapy is immensely helpful. I’ve had some of my kids who have tried medication and decided it didn’t help them much, and others who are grateful for modern medicinal miracles. All have realized that solving mental health issues is more than taking a pill. It’s work. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health are intertwined. I’ve experienced depression as both the patient and the spouse. After my second baby was born, I found myself dealing with post partum depression and it was awful. Feeling like you have nothing to look forward to, and even wondering if your presence on this earth is meaningful is not a pleasant experience, but I gained empathy for those who deal with it. My husband went through a bout of depression a few years after we were married. I think that being the spouse of someone dealing with depression is far worse than actually being depressed myself. It was the most helpless feeling I
had ever felt. I wanted to fix things for him, make him all better, and watching him suffer was difficult to watch. We were lucky it was a short-term issue. So back to the son at the beginning of this article… I took him to the hospital. And later found out that some hospitals are better for suicidality than others. I learned how hard it is to be the parent of a loved one who was suicidal. Every day I would worry if he slept in too long, or if he didn’t come home on time. I had nightmares about finding him dead. It was such a scary time and I’m so grateful he got the help he needed and is doing so well now! During that time I also found out about an awesome resource that Salt Lake County helps to fund — the UNI Crisis Line. You can call 801-587-3000 anytime to speak with a professional. My advice to all of you who are struggling or are watching a family member struggle… talk to someone. Don’t suffer in silence. This illness totally sucks for so many reasons. My heart aches for those of you in the throes of this, but hang in there. It can be overcome and the sun will come out tomorrow.
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Not necessarily known for our patience, Americans are suffering from COVID fatigue. People can’t wait for things to return to a “new normal” like suddenly everything’s going to be ice cream sundaes and furry kittens. The way 2020 is going, the new normal will probably be kitten sundaes and furry ice cream. Our world has changed, for better or worse, so now’s a good time to decide what we keep and what we toss. I’m all for tossing office jobs, dress pants and family reunions, while keeping pajamas-as-clothes, Uber Eats and virtual baby showers. Let’s look at how the new normal is evolving, shall we? Sports – Like a canary in a coal mine, team sports started up this summer with the hope of bringing entertainment to millions of sports-starved individuals, and millions of dollars to money-starved sports organizations. It’s been a bit Hunger Games-ish
as teams drop out once their players contract COVID. Who’d have thought activities that include spitting, shouting, sweating and grunting could easily spread viruses? School – Or as I like to call it, the Catch-22 Education Plan. Parents and teachers are negotiating this real-life version of Oregon Trail where one wrong move can end up with junior high students being eaten by cannibals in Donner Pass. (Not the worse thing.) Here’s an idea: make the best decision for your family without judging everyone else. Parenting – Let’s just agree that “screen time” rules have been suspended indefinitely, and it’s just fine if your toddler wears the same outfit for three days. Let’s also agree chicken nuggets are healthy, YouTube personalities are annoying, and everyone gets a blue ribbon for doing the best they can. Work – Every introvert’s birthday wish was granted when they were told to work from home.
Turns out, with these new-fangled computers, lots of stuff can be done at home. Who knew? Maybe companies don’t need 50,000 square feet of office and ping-pong space, or outdoor meditation biospheres. Date night – You’ve spent an inordinate amount of time with your significant other. You’ve worked from home together, prepared 5,459 meals together, rearranged closets, sock drawers and bathroom cabinets. Maybe the new normal will be individuals spending date night alone, so they don’t drive to the grocery store one day and end up with a new life in Cheyenne. Weddings – Can we please standardize virtual weddings? That is all. Holidays – Even with social distancing guidelines, summer holidays stayed the same as everyone went to national parks, held BBQs and spent the day sitting at the community pool with hundreds of other people. These holidays were
always followed by a COVID spike. I’m sure the fall/winter holidays will be no different because people are crappy at following CDC advisories. The 2020 Election – It’s been 28 years since the 2016 election and this year’s election has disaster written all over it. Literally. Will there be mail-in ballots? Russian interference? A loser who refuses to leave the White House? Civil war? The return of our alien overlords? All of the above? My best guess for election aftermath is equivalent to shaking a Magic 8 Ball, and then lighting it on fire. Mindset – Some people say COVID will help the world achieve a higher level of consciousness where people are more compassionate, kind understanding and . . . hahahaha . . . never mind. I don’t think we’re there yet. Time to go make a kitten sundae. l
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