CORNER CANYON BOYS GOLF TEAM STAYS ON TOP
By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
The Corner Canyon High boys golf team shot the second lowest score in state tournament history – a 266 – to defeat Lone Peak by seven strokes at the 6A state tournament Oct. 14-15 at Riverbend.
The Chargers also won the title last fall, besting the Knights by nine strokes in 2023.
“We knew we’d be really good and that we had the squad to defend our championship,” said head coach Derek Fox, who is in his seventh year. “We used Lone Peak as motivation all year. They played amazing with their score the first day being the fourth best in state history. We might be one and two in the nation, particularly over the last four years.”
“It was amazing to repeat as a team!” senior Bowen Mauss, who placed second overall individually with rounds of 65, said. “We worked really hard all season to win, which made the win feel even better.”
“This one meant a lot to me because it’s my senior year, but also my first time playing at state,” said Ty Anderson. “It was awesome to represent Corner Canyon and play with a bunch of my close friends.”
After Day One of the two-day state tournament, the Chargers found themselves down to Lone Peak by three strokes but
gathered together at dinner. “The boys just talked and said, ‘We got this! We’re going to play great!’ I liked our chances,” Fox said. On Day Two, Corner Canyon’s score was 10 strokes better than the Knights with junior Ben Wilson shooting a 64, senior Ty Brady a 66 and junior Tyse Boman a 71 to go with Mauss’ 65 for four rounds of under-par going toward the overall team score of 38 under par with Anderson and junior Will Pizza’s even-par scores not even needed.
“Bowen competes in a PGA Tour event
Continued page 15
Corner Canyon head coach Derek Fox lifts the 6A trophy Oct. 15 at Riverbend, the second consecutive title for the Chargers. (Photo courtesy Derek Fox)
Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) recognized as this year’s Extra Mile Heroes
Draper’s Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) were chosen by the city as this year’s Extra Mile Heroes. Jeri Rollins, Gerel Altankhuyag, Lori Johnson, Dean Lowe and Da Yang Wipfel were honored at the Oct. 15 Draper City Council meeting. Draper Police Lieutenant Pat Evans said, “They were all very surprised and thankful. That’s how they always are… very appreciative.”
Draper Mayor Troy Walker read the proclamation declaring VIPS this year’s Extra Mile winners. “We’re recognizing a group in our community that we put in place a few years ago, citizens in our community that do amazing work to supplement and assist our police officers. These are folks who’ve gone the extra mile,” Walker said.
The VIPS program began five years ago under former Police Chief John Eining. He had seen the program in other cities and made it a goal to create VIPS in Draper. The city put out a request for volunteers and received many applications. City officials held interviews and narrowed it down to 10 they offered volunteer positions to. Those 10 committed to attending one meeting per month as well as three hours of training per month on police related topics and ultimately 10 hours per month of volunteering on behalf of the city and Draper Police. “They selected great, professional people with diverse backgrounds who really care about the community,” Evans said. There has been some attrition since the program started and five VIPS members remain.
The duties of VIPS include providing extra patrol of parks and helping with big city events such as Draper Days. They’ve been known to help lost children locate their parents and they’ve participat -
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By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com
roads safe on busy game nights.
“They’ve really served as an extra set of eyes and ears for the Police Department, but they’ve also served as community policing and public relations representatives. They get out there and they love what they’re doing, clearly, because they’re not getting paid to do it,” Evans said.
Police Chief Rich Ferguson nominated the five VIPS for this year’s Extra Mile recognition. “He wanted to see them get recognition for all their hard work,” Evans said.
Each member commits to donating roughly 120 hours of service to the city each year. In his nomination, Ferguson said their volunteerism equates to a job that would pay approximately $18.50 per hour. That hourly rate multiplied by 120 hours of service by five VIPS results in an estimated service they provide the city for free that would be valued at $11,094 annually. “They’re willing to give their time for free to make Draper a better place. To me, that’s priceless,” Evans said.
ed in the Mayor’s Bike Ride by leading a group of cyclists along the designated route. They have a designated VIPS vehicle they use to tow and place two speed trailers owned by the city around town to encourage drivers to observe the speed limit. They also use that vehicle to patrol trailhead parking lots to deter vehicle burglaries. They get out on city trails, both by bike and on foot, to talk with trail users.
“People love seeing the police or
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these VIPS on the trails because some people feel vulnerable when exercising. They bring a sense of relief to a lot of people who run into them. They interact with community members, give them crime prevention tips, and offer ways to keep themselves and their property safe,” Evans said. They also serve in the Willow Springs area during CCHS football games to prevent people from parking in designated no parking areas and helping keep
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This is Draper’s fifth year participating in the Extra Mile award through the Extra Mile America Foundation to recognize special people in communities across the country. According to Assistant City Manager Kellie Challburg, the Draper VIPS will have their photo and nomination information posted on the foundation’s national website.
“I love that they’re visible and there if we need them, and I think the community looks to them to ask questions,” Challburg said. “They’re a good resource at our events helping people and they’ve been quite helpful at trailheads, too.” l
Draper’s Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) have each given at least 120 volunteer hours annually to the city for the last five years. They were chosen as this year’s Extra Mile Heroes. Pictured L-R are Jeri Rollins, Dean Lowe, Gerel Altankhuyag, Lori Johnson and Da Yang Wipfel. “They’re always there, they never say no, they’re amazing,” Draper Police Lieutenant Pat Evans said. (Courtesy Draper City)
Motorized scooters, other electric vehicles driven by unlicensed youth becoming a safety problem police say, ‘we’ve had
some very close calls’
By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com
Juveniles driving motorized scooters and various vehicles, including electric motorcycles, have proven to be problematic and dangerous. These new modes of transportation first became popular with youth under the legal driving age a few years ago. Since then, police and residents have voiced concern. In Draper in the last two months, there were more than one dozen accidents, some resulting in injuries serious enough for emergency response and hospitalization.
“Recently, an accident occurred when a juvenile was speeding and lost control of the scooter, hitting the sidewalk. The juvenile was not wearing a helmet and was injured pretty badly, but fortunately avoided a potentially fatal head injury by inches,” said a September statement from the Draper Police Department.
Policing youth on scooters and other vehicles puts local law enforcement in a predicament. When electric scooters first started appearing around town with youth operating them illegally, police asked the city council if they really wanted officers pulling young kids over and ticketing them. Officers knew that would be upsetting to all involved, and yet laws were being broken with potential safety repercussions. More recently, some kids have been known to flee from police who try to stop and educate them. “When we try to stop them, they run from us. Obviously, we’re not going to pursue them for safety reasons,” said Draper Police Lieutenant Pat Evans. They’re also damaging parks such as Bellevue Park. “They’re riding these e-motorcycles through the park and it’s destroying the grass and causing property damage,” he said.
The rise in popularity of these motorized vehicles driven by youth has led to an ever-evolving variety of them on the market coupled with variation in the power they possess and the speeds they can reach. “The evolution of the scooters and electric motorcycles has been so fast that legislation hasn’t kept up. It creates a dangerous environment when you have scooters that can go pretty fast and are only legally allowed on sidewalks, yet you can see where that can pose danger to other people with young, inexperienced drivers,” Evans said.
Further complicating the matter, some kids are modifying the power and speed capabilities of their scooters and electric motorcycles. “Kids have figured out how to modify them to go faster than they should be going,” Evans said.
The police department has tried educating youth and parents about what is and isn’t legal by putting out press releases and visiting local school parking lots. They’ve even asked kids driving electric motorcycles parked at high schools to call their parents
while police are with them to explain that they’re actually illegal. “Parents aren’t realizing they are a motor vehicle and nowhere in Draper is it legal for them to be driven by an unlicensed driver. Further, they should pass all safety requirements of a motor vehicle (such as turn signals, horn, etc.) and they should be registered and insured just as you would a motorcycle,” Evans said. Without meeting those legal requirements, electric motorcycles can be impounded.
“Most parents have been receptive, but the common theme is that they didn’t know it was illegal and the kids have raised the money to buy it themselves, so there’s some guilt about taking it away,” Evans said.
It’s not just high school age youth driving motorized vehicles to school. “Elementary and junior high kids have been seen riding in the roadway like a vehicle and they don’t have the proper training or experience. Often times, they have improper safety equipment such as a bicycle helmet or no helmet rather than a motorcycle helmet,” Evans said.
The police department frequently receives calls reporting improper use of scooters and other motorized vehicles, primarily by juveniles. “Currently, it’s one of our most frequent complaints from the community,” Evans said.
Draper Police share these safety tips and Utah code related to scooters and other forms of electric transportation with youth and their parents:
Kids over eight can ride scooters on sidewalks, but they are not allowed to go over 15 mph.
If your scooter or e-bike does not have pedals, you must ride it on the sidewalk; it cannot be on the road. Do not ride in the roadway for any reason other than crossing crosswalks.
It is against the law to ride electric motorcycles on public roads (including sidewalks), city parks and trails, and any private property that does not allow them.
Electric motorcycles can only be ridden on private property that allows them, on public lands that allow ATV traffic, and on public roads when they are properly equipped with headlamps, tail lamps, braking systems, reflectors, turn signals, a horn, rearview mirrors, a speedometer, a license plate. They must be registered, insured and driven by a licensed driver.
Anyone under 21 must wear a helmet when riding a Class 3 electric assisted bicycle or electric motorcycle.
If you’re riding a scooter or e-bike, you must let pedestrians pass first.
If on the sidewalk, you must be mindful of others, safe and careful.
Kids should not assume that vehicles see them or that vehicles are going to stop
for them. They must take precautions to make sure they’re seen.
Golf carts are illegal to operate on Draper roads, sidewalks and trails. They can only be driven on golf courses.
“We’re not trying to stop anyone’s fun, and we know they can be fun for youth and helpful for parents as their kids are going to and from activities, but we’re always going to put safety first, so we are enforcing violations,” Evans said. l
This scooter, ridden by a juvenile, actually split in half during the accident. “We’ve had some very close calls with injuries and we’re concerned about the safety of Draper ’s youth,” said Lieutenant Pat Evans of the Draper Police Department. (Courtesy Draper Police Department)
Motorized scooters are becoming an issue in Draper according to police. (Stock photo)
For three consecutive years, Draper librarian Linda Gee has put up a giant interactive poster in the library’s lobby asking questions to get to know patrons. “It’s so fun to see the people put the dots on the different answers, and people start talking to each other,” she said. This year’s question asked patrons how long they’ve lived in Draper. (Courtesy Linda Gee)
The 2023 question posed by librarian Linda Gee asked visitors to indicate during what era they were born. Even members of the Greatest Generation participated, and Gee provided interesting historic facts under each generation on the giant activity poster she created. (Courtesy Linda Gee)
Every September the Draper library asks visitors a fun question about themselves
By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com
In the spirit of Thanksgiving and a celebration of all things home, what can our local library tell us about the people who live here? Thanks to Draper librarian Linda Gee, we know more about the people in our community because of an activity she’s done each September for the past three years. Gee has engaged visitors by inviting them to answer a question about themselves on a giant poster in the library lobby. Participants respond by placing a small dot sticker in the category that represents their answer.
“After I did the first one, it was so successful, I decided I would do others. All three years, the people have said this is so fun. In some sense, they like to be seen in this little dot,’ Gee said.
While not a scientific survey by any means, it gives insight into community members who are library patrons. After all, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie famously called libraries “palaces for the people.”
This year’s activity asked “How long have you lived here?” The majority of responses fell in the four-to-nine-year category. Gee shared demographic information about Draper to coincide with each response. Her 2020 fun facts included Draper’s population was 51,017 and the average age of residents was 33.9 while the median home price was $569,450.
Ten to 19 years living in Draper had the second most dots. Gee noted the 2010 population was 42,274 during that time period while the average age was 30.7 and the median home price was $434,450. While the responses Gee got are not scientific by any means, the facts she provided to coincide with each decade were accurate, meaning the median price of a home in Draper increased $100,000 in one decade.
Third place was respondents who indicated they’ve lived in Draper for a short time, just one to three years. Gee was quick to say that maybe that was the response of adults or perhaps the response of children who are less than 4 years of age. “Maybe that’s why we got a lot who’ve lived here for four years or less. Families will stop and they’ll each put their dot on,” Gee said. Facts from 2023 noted the population was 55,400 while the median age was 32.3 and the median home price continued to climb to $665,341. That showed another median home price increase of roughly $100,000 in just three years, from 2020 until 2023.
There were more dots indicating people who’ve lived in Draper for 40 years or more than there were for the 30-39 years category. Those who’ve lived in Draper more than 40 years may recall the population hovered around 5,500 back then. The median home price for that era was $72,700 and the median age was just 25.
For the 30-39 years of living in Draper category, Gee’s stats showed population as 7,257 while the median age increased to 30 and median home price was $115,090.
Knowing the Draper library gets visitors from the surrounding area, Gee didn’t want to leave anyone out of the fun. So, she had two additional options under the heading “I don’t live in Draper,” including “I live in Sandy” or “I live elsewhere.” Those categories appeared to get nearly equal responses. Lastly, in addition to the demographic information Gee listed under each decade, she included some historic facts about Draper: The city was established in 1849 and officially incorporated in 1978, the city area covers 30.1 square miles, and Draper has had a full-service library since 1997.
Last year’s question was “When were you born”? The answers were broken up into categories including the Greatest Generation (born 1901-1924), the Silent Generation (born 1925-1945), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1980), Millennials (born 1981-1996), Generation Z (born 1997-2012) and Generation Alpha (born 2010-2024). The category with the most responses appeared to be Generation Alpha or kids ages 1 to 11; those are the years of the Fidget Spinner introduction, the Covid-19 pandemic, and when Draper celebrated 45 years as a city. Generation Z (which encompassed the arrival of the first Harry Potter book, the Angry Birds video game release and the 2005 opening of the current Draper Library) respondents seemed to be about equal to Millennials using the library (those were the days when Pac Man and Rubik’s Cube debuted, the Berlin Wall fell and the Gulf War began).
“Maybe I thought there would be more Silent Generation,” Gee said. But there were quite a few dots under the Greatest Generation.
The fun all started with Gee’s original activity in 2021 which asked people to indicate where they were born by placing a sticker on a map of the world, a map of the United States, or a map of Utah that included the various counties within the state. “That was very fun because we had pretty much every place represented. We have quite a few patrons from different areas of the world. I wasn’t surprised at that,” Gee said. The grand majority of respondents were born in Utah, particularly Salt Lake County. Every state in the nation had at least one sticker with the exception of West Virginia. Quite a few were from Cal-
ifornia and neighboring Idaho, but Texas had decent representation as did the Eastern states. The world map showed clusters of stickers for people born in Europe and South America as well as at least one sticker for China, Japan, India and other countries.
Gee delights in watching the reaction of participants each year. “You have strangers talking to each other as they’re reading the facts or putting up their sticker. I should just sit on that bench out there and see what they say. My favorite thing is watching people take pictures of it. For the first one, someone posted a picture of it on Facebook and a librarian from Texas contacted me and asked how I did it. She ended up doing it at her library and then she sent me pictures of her activity,” Gee said. One thing’s for sure, the library is a place or perhaps a palace for everyone… for people of all ages, from all walks of life. “I think everyone belongs to the palace. I think libraries are vital to the community for helping educate the youth, including getting them reading, and vital to the community for social connection and for people to continue their education,” Gee said.
Gee offered more perspective. “I love the serendipity of the library. You can come in and find something that you didn’t even know you were looking for and you leave happy. I just want people to have fun when they come into the library,” she said.
Gee plans to do the activity again next September, but the question she’ll pose to patrons remains a mystery because she has ideas but she hasn’t yet decided. One thing’s for sure, she’s definitely looking forward to doing the activity again next year. l
Thearoma of cinnamon, ginger and freshly baked cookies greets visitors to The Gingerbread Cottage in Draper. The bakery, which had its grand opening Oct. 16, represents a new chapter for shop owner and baker Summer Pugh. "I had a little dream, and now it's here," she said.
For over 12 years, Pugh baked cookies out of her home and sold them at local farmer's markets and boutiques. "We turned the garage into a little cookie studio," she said. "I've been doing cookies before cookies were a 'thing.'"
While chains like Crave Cookies and Crumbl Cookies compete for their share of the local freshly baked cookie market, Pugh offers something unique and different namely soft, cutout gingerbread cookies hand decorated with colorful icing. The Gingerbread Cottage also sells chocolate chip, peanut butter and snickerdoodle cookies. "People really come to us for the gingerbread," Pugh said. "We enjoy it year round, it's too good for just Christmas."
Pugh fell in love with gingerbread as a child. She spent part of her childhood in Germany when her dad served in the Air Force. Her family adopted the German tradition of making gingerbread houses at Christmas time and brought it back with them to the U.S.
She noted that there is a slight difference between the gingerbread treats enjoyed in Germany and her own American recipe. “Our specialty is soft and delicious, just a bit addicting,” Pugh said. “Germans like a little harder cookie.”
She explained that she started baking gingerbread cookies for the Swiss Christmas festival in Midway. "I was so happy to
By Katherine Weinstein | k.weinstein@mycityjournals.com
see people eating my gingerbread," she said. "People would be so joyful."
Pugh spreads that joy by not only freshly baked cookies in her shop, but also selling the mix for people to make at home. She emphasized that her ingredients are all natural with no preservatives.
The cookies come in a variety of shapes and designs. For example, during the fall months, customers can buy gingerbread cookies in the shape of pumpkins, sunflowers and scarecrow faces. Each is carefully decorated with icing. Sometimes a
special airbrush is used for shading.
Nina Briggs is one of a small team of bakers and cookie decorators employed at The Gingerbread Cottage. She began working with Pugh three years ago, during the busy holiday season. "It was so great, I just stuck around," Briggs said.
She has a background in cake decorating, but hadn’t professionally baked and decorated cookies until she met Pugh. "I enjoy the creativity,” Briggs explained. “The cookies take some artistic skill and can be challenging. It’s really hard to have a bad day at work when you’re baking cookies!”
Transforming a historic home into a working bakery was a labor of love for Pugh. Renovations on the home, built in 1962, took four years. “I’m so pleased that we’re here,” Pugh said. She explained that she has lived in Draper for 31 years. “We raised our nine kids here,” she said. “They are all grown up now.”
Baking and managing The Gingerbread Cottage takes up much of Pugh’s time now. The shop accepts custom cookie orders and can create cookies with themed designs for events as well as business logos. Customers can place orders on the bakery’s website, by phone or in person. “Now you can just walk into our cottage and buy it,” Pugh said.
In addition to cookies and gingerbread mixes, the bakery has a small gift shop featuring seasonal items and holiday decorations. There is a large selection of realistic-looking gingerbread houses made of resin in addition to cookie jars and cutters.
The Gingerbread Cottage is located at 12210 S. 700 East. For hours and more information, visit thegingerbreadcottage.com. l
Summer Pugh photographed in her new bakery, The Gingerbread Cottage. (Photo courtesy of Summer Pugh/The Gingerbread Cottage)
Community performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ in Draper celebrates 45 years
By Katherine Weinstein | k.weinstein@mycityjournals.com
In1979, Layne and Marian Wright decided to organize a community sing-along and concert of Handel's "Messiah." Fortyfive years later, the Draper "Messiah" is still going strong thanks to the commitment of the Wright family and the ongoing support of the community.
“Joy has kept us going,” Marian said. "'Messiah' brings everyone together at Christmas time. A lot of families have raised their children with this."
Of the many holiday season performances of “Messiah” in Utah, the Wrights believe that the one in Draper is the longest running. It is unique in that it has had the same conductor and has been held in the same place through the years.
Two performances of “Messiah” are presented each year at the Corner Canyon Stake Center at 13366 S. 1300 East. The first, a sing-along, is always held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. For the second, professional soloists perform with the orchestra and choir. All are welcome to attend and participate regardless of religious affiliation. "We just ask that people bring their own music," Marian said.
Both Layne and Marian come from musical backgrounds. Layne majored in music education at the University of Utah. A plumber by profession, he organized the Draper Symphony and also played in a big band affiliated with Draper Arts Council. Marian, who plays viola and violin, has performed in classical quartets and taught music in Draper for 20 years.
Layne explained that prior to 1979, both he and Marian had played in other performances of "Messiah" throughout the valley. "We decided we could start one here," he said. The Wrights' 12 children, all of whom play instruments, were key to getting the orchestra started. Layne is the conductor.
"We rehearsed at the stake center," Marian recalled. "The Draper Stake presidency sponsored it and purchased the music." They were able to use the stake center's organ as well.
"We probably had a choir of about 40 people and 20 in the orchestra when we started," Layne said. "Today there are at least 80 in the choir and 30 to 40 in the orchestra."
The whole Wright family has been involved with “Messiah” over the decades. Twelve years ago, when Layne and Marian were called on missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, their sons Sam and John stepped in to take it over.
Sam Wright stated that “Messiah” is deeply meaningful to him. “I think it is some of the most amazing music ever written,” he said. He spoke of the message of redemption through Jesus Christ that is embodied in the work. “It is transcendent,” he added.
“This year, I’ll be working with my brother and parents, calling up soloists and musicians, helping it come together,” Sam said. He is also a bass in the choir.
Audiences can expect a polished, high-quality performance. “It’s pretty exceptional,” Sam said. “Even members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir talk about the performance quality.” He relayed an anecdote from the early years of the Draper “Messiah” back when the town was a farming community. “Someone in the audience said, ‘I never knew farmers could sing that well!’”
“It’s interesting what a group of common folk can do,” Marian said. “There’s such good in this community.”
The Wrights are committed to keeping the annual performances of “Messiah” going. Layne explained that they are inspired by “our love for the Savior” while Marian added, “and the people here in this community.”
While they have not sought out publicity in the past, Marian said that for their 45th year, they wanted to spread the word about it. “For the community to support this for so many years is really something,” she said.
The Draper “Messiah” sing-along will be held on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Corner Canyon Stake Center at 13366 S. 1300 East. A second performance, with professional soloists, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. Both concerts are free of charge. l
Local musicians performed in the orchestra for the Draper community production of Handel’s “Messiah” in this undated photo. (Photo courtesy of Layne and Marian Wright)
Corner Canyon girls tennis fourth at state
By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
TheCorner Canyon girls tennis used a young lineup this season and ended with a historic finish at the 6A state tournament Oct. 10, 12 at Liberty Park. The Chargers placed fourth for its best-ever placement.
“We are thrilled with our finish at state,” said head coach Allison Rideout. “The girls played like champions.”
Four of its five lineup spots reached the semifinal round with two losing to eventual state champions. Freshman Emery Rideout, at No. 3 singles beat Copper Hills’ Ivy Anderson 6-1, 6-0 in the round of 16 and Davis’ Elizabeth Bentley 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Naomi Johnson, of Skyridge, 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals.
In the No. 1 doubles draw, seniors Tayvee Ash/Katelyn Ord defeated Farmington’s Avery Rice/Ella Powell 6-2, 6-1 in the round of 16 and Lehi’s Brooke Anderson/Ella Gonzalez 7-5, 6-1 in the quarters and then lost to eventual champions Kaia Sperry/Ava Ericksen, of Skyridge, 6-1, 6-2 in the semis.
Also advancing to the semifinal round was sophomore Evelyn Marsh who beat Riverton’s Nicole Gowen 6-1, 6-2 in the round of 16 and Lone Peak’s Ella Bradford 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals before a loss to American Fork’s Sophia Leavitt 6-2, 6-0 in the semi-
finals.
Additionally, the No. 2 doubles team of sophomores Anna Dorny/Emily Creason defeated Riverton’s Sidney Browning/Abby Warner 6-1, 6-0 in the round of 16 and Davis’ Khloe Cisney/Kallista Wright 6-0, 7-5 and then battled in a three-set match with Skyridge’s Sophia Bleak/Lacey Jaussi but lost 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 in the semifinals.
The Chargers’ No. 1 singles player, junior Molly George, lost in the round of 16 to Weber’s Julia Warner 6-2, 7-5.
“We are already looking forward to next year because we have five of the seven varsity players returning next year,” Rideout said. l
The Corner Canyon High girls tennis team placed fourth at the 6A state tournament Oct. 10, 12 at Liberty Park, achieving the program’s best finish ever. (Photo courtesy Heather George Photography)
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By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
Charger wrestling club is welcoming youth of all ages to participate this fall to help in “building tradition” within the Corner Canyon High School wrestling program.
CCHS wrestling coach Jeff Eure and his staff will teach the fundamentals of the sport while helping instill self-confidence, discipline, concentration and coordination within each wrestler.
Signups are going on now with online registrations being taken through early December for ages pre-K through eighth grades for all skill levels.
Practices began Oct. 21 in the Corner Canyon High School wrestling room with the season extending through the end of January. A calendar of practices and tournaments will be given at practice.
For pre-K and kindergartners, the cost is $300 with practices scheduled for Tuesday
and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. For first and second graders, the fee is $350 with practices scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m. and Fridays from 5-6:30 p.m. Third through fourth graders practice Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. Wrestlers in grades 5 through 8 will practice Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7-8 p.m. in the CCHS wrestling room with a cost of $400. All participants must purchase a limited Folkstyle ($20) USA Wrestling Membership. A Charger wrestling T-shirt is also included in the cost of registration.
The link for online registration is: www. chargerwrestling.com. Age groups are found in the drop-down menu. An active email address is needed with each registration. For information on sibling discounts or any other questions, email chargerwrestlingclub2013@ gmail.com. l
Youngsters from pre-K through eighth grade can join the Corner Canyon wrestling club. (Photo courtesy Jeff Eure)
CCHS girls soccer season ends in state quarterfinals
By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
The No. 6 Corner Canyon girls soccer team headed into the 6A state tournament on a four-game winning streak, earning a firstround bye and then shutout Pleasant Grove 2-0 Oct. 15. Junior forwards Alice Peterson and Rachel Enslow both scoring in the win with senior midfielder Kenzie Randall and junior midfielder Olivia Gleason assisting on the goals.
In the quarterfinals Oct. 17, the Chargers battled with third-ranked Davis before falling 2-1 in double overtime. Corner Canyon was down 1-0 at the half before junior midfielder Channing Wuest equalized, assisted by junior forward Sophia Simms.
“It was really hard to see the girls’ disappointment when we lost in double overtime,” said head coach Fodé Doumbia. “But, that is the way the game goes. They played very hard until the last second. They never gave up. I’m very proud of them. I wish we were still in the title race but I am pleased with what the players accomplished.”
Corner Canyon was led this season by Peterson with nine goals and eight assists along with sophomore forward Layla Valdez with six goals. Senior keeper Hagen Haycock recorded five and a half shutouts in goal.
Randall, Haycock, defender Bella Call and defender Chaselyn Nichols – who was injured much of the year – were the team’s four seniors. “They were great all season long on and off the field,” Doumbia said. “The team will miss them.”
Also on the CCHS squad that finished 13-6 and tied for second in Region 2 this year are Clair Call, Leah Carver, Olivia Ed-
JDCHS girls tennis top 10 in 3A
By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
wards, Tessa Egbert, Avalon Fenlon, Xandi Feroah, Ciara Gastelo, Kate George, Rylee Graham, Ella Iverson, Annika Johnson, Ava Kohler, Amahra Latu, Ellie Lewis, Halle Lloyd, Abby Love, Kamree McDougal, Blakely Neider, Olivia Nordhoff, Addison Paynter, Lily Pearce, Liv Rockwood, Ava Toombs and Brynn Wheeler.
“I would also thank the entire coaching staff that worked tirelessly. Kudos to [assistant coach] Kelsey Haag,” Doumbia said. “I am confident we will be title contenders next year.” l
TheJuan Diego Catholic High School girls tennis team tied for 10th at the 3A state championships at Liberty Park Oct. 5.
Freshman Piper Nordstrand, playing at No. 1 singles reached the quarterfinals by defeating American Heritage’s Halina M Downs 6-0, 6-2 before losing to Rowland Hall’s Elena Owens 6-3, 6-4. “Piper played well against Elena,” said head coach Heather Foy. “It was so close.”
Three lineup spots advanced to the Round of 16 including freshman Ananya Kongara and the No. 1 doubles duo of senior Lauren Foy/sophomore Sophia Longtain and the No. 2 doubles pairing of seniors Nicole Morgan/Keira Ahearn.
Kongara beat St. Joseph’s Leona Smoll 6-4, 6-2 and then lost to Grantsville’s Riley McBride 6-0, 6-2. “She played her hearts out against Riley,” coach Foy said.
Foy/Longtain had a first-round bye at the tournament before getting beat by Morgan’s Willa Anderton/Isabella Dickman 6-2, 6-0 for the second time at state. Last year, it was in the semifinals.
Morgan/Ahearn defeated Delta’s Meg Carroll/Paige Hillner 6-0, 6-3 and then lost to Morgan’s Sydney Jensen/Kaitlyn Carter 6-3, 6-0.
At No. 3 singles, sophomore Leila Harline also qualified for state but lost to Union’s Jerzie Davis 7-6, 6-4 in the Round of 32. “Against Jerzie it was a very close match,” coach Foy said. “Leila played great.”
As Juan Diego looks ahead to next season, the team will be playing on new courts. “It is a huge investment in the tennis program,” said coach Foy. “They are post tension so the quality is going to be incredible. I am so excited!” l
The Juan Diego Catholic High School girls tennis team tied for 10th at the 3A state tournament Oct. 5 at Liberty Park. (Photo courtesy Mikell Marston)
CCHS junior forward Alice Peterson led the Chargers with nine goals and eight assists this season. (Photo courtesy Kamy Call)
Mary Nickles loves reporting the news more than ever
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
If Mary Nickles wasn’t so good at telling television viewers what’s going on in their world every morning, she might be writing a cookbook. Fortunately for Salt Lake City and much of the Intermountain West, the popular and award-winning news anchor for KUTV 2News has no plans to shift gears.
Mary and her husband Kent never thought they’d stay in Utah, when she accepted a job at KUTV in April 1991. The native of Renton, Washington, was working at a station in Yakima when she decided to test the waters in a larger market.
“I had a clause in my contract, so I could leave for another job if it was in a Top 50 market,” she said. “We crossed off the Top 50 cities we didn’t want to go to, and Salt Lake was one of them.”
She came to Utah for the interview, got the offer, and signed a two-year contract.
“It was for a weekend anchor position with three days reporting, but we figured after two years, we’d be out of here,” she said. “We weren’t Mormon and we didn’t ski, so why would we stay here?”
What they discovered was the beauty of Utah and the wonderful people.
“Channel 2 has been fantastic. I keep signing new contracts, and Ron [Bird] and I have been anchoring the morning show together for 27 years. I absolutely love the people here. I talk to a lot of people who come here on vacation and they want to stay. Kent and I are two of them.”
Mary is the eighth of nine children, raised by her telephone man dad and state legislator mom. “We were resourceful, team players, and we learned to work hard. The joke was that we were all born on a team. And we’re all kinda tall and athletic; five of us got college athletic scholarships.”
That included hers to Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, where she played volleyball. While in high school, she was involved in sports, choir, student government and also wrote for the school newspaper. When she got to college, there weren’t many journalism classes, but one set her up with a local radio station doing a blues show and news breaks from midnight to three in the morning.
“It’s where I learned about radio broadcasting and I had a whole lot of record albums! I wanted to learn more and I love writing, so I majored in English with a speech minor at Lewis-Clark.”
She later moved home and interned at a TV station in Seattle unpaid but “a great learning experience. It was a blast. I was setting up lights and microphones, but would pick the brains of the reporters, watching what they did and how they wrote and crafted stories. I saw that you
have to weave the story with the video that you have, the facts you research, and the sound you get from the interviews.”
And she was hooked on a journalism career in TV or radio or newspapers. One of the production team at the station helped her put together an audition tape which she sent out to several stations in the Northwest.
Her first job in Yakima paid $800 a month for 40-plus hours a week. She said it averaged out to about $3.73 an hour, and she was what is known now as a one-man band.
“I had to shoot my own video, write and edit the stories, then do the reports. Eventually I produced and anchored the evening news, but after four years of that, I realized I like reporting more than anchoring, and started the job search that brought me to Utah.”
What she loves about 2News is the feeling of teamwork, the idea that “we help each other get better and the whole team wins. Maybe it’s from coming from a big family–we all did chores and errands and never undercut each other. That’s the way it is here at Channel 2. The morning reporters are often not very experienced, and we want them to strengthen, and help our whole team get stronger. We don’t bark
powerful. Explaining that chemo is like bombing a city to get two bad guys. Showing that I can work through treatments and focus on positivity through adversity.”
That was 12 years ago. Mary’s story helped scores of others dealing with breast cancer, and she’s heard from many viewers thanking her for those reports.
As the health reporter for decades, she grew frustrated during the controversy around COVID.
“Public health officials save lives by telling you things they’ve learned to keep you healthy, and it was strange to have people doubt their intent,” she said.
Another side to Nickles’ life is coaching, from little kids into high school, including volleyball at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper.
“My daughter played in the younger parochial leagues, and I just wanted her to have fun. I wanted to teach them the basic skills of the sport and help them fall in love with it. I coached the freshmen, and when they got good enough, they moved to the next gym with the varsity.”
at people in the mornings–we tell people stories. You’re just waking up as viewers, so we don’t want to yell at you–and we use verbs.”
All journalists find stories that have connections to their lives, but nothing has been more personal to Mary than her journey through breast cancer.
“It was Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, and Utah women are the second worst in the nation for getting mammograms,” she said. “So the station had me get a screening for a story, to show viewers how easy it was. After the interview, looking at my x-ray, the doctor told me I needed to come back for a second look.”
The ultrasound and biopsy found a cancerous tumor.
“I’ve always been healthy, active, take care of myself, don’t smoke and eat well, but I still got it.”
She made her journey through treatments into a series of stories that included losing hair and wig shopping. She had doctors explain what radiation is doing to her, why chemotherapy was needed, and how someone you know might be going through the same thing.
“I hate being a part of the story, but in this case, it made the story more real and
Another one of Nickles’ loves is cooking, something she learned from her mother, who would make a meal and “add a handful of this or a spoonful of that.” She found when she posts her meals on social media (35,000 followers on Facebook) people want the recipes, and it’s fun to share. “I learned ways to feed our twins (Zachary and MacKenzie) healthy things, like chopping up carrots and spinach in our spaghetti sauce. They were getting their veggies and didn’t even know it.”
She says Kent is her sous chef, and preps a lot of the vegetables, and they make a double batch of taco meat, salmon, or roast, so they can make a different, easy meal out of the other half later. And they have an outline for a cookbook in one of their kitchen cupboards.
In fact, she donates meals to be auctioned off at fundraisers, and they’ve raised thousands of dollars for causes close to her heart, like Image Reborn Foundation, Children’s Service Society, and Ronald McDonald House. “I love using notoriety to help charity.”
Next to family, though, news is always a passion for Nickles.
“I would like to keep doing this as long as I can, and I’d miss it. Even when I’m on vacation, I still check headlines and still look on our website. I don’t want to be out of the loop. Up at 1:30 a.m., to the station by 3:45 a.m. and on air at 4:25 a.m. Being a journalist is fascinating and fun, and I never get tired of telling our viewers the news they need to know.”
Looks like that cookbook will have to remain on the back burner for now. l
Mary Nickles and co-anchor Ron Bird have done the morning show on 2News for the past 27 years.
(Photo courtesy of Mary Nickles)
Scrooge returns in Off Broadway Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol Part 2’
By Katherine Weinstein | k.weinstein@mycityjournals.com
After the last of the Christmas goose was eaten and the presents put away at the Cratchit house, what happens next to the characters in “A Christmas Carol” is left to the imagination. Charles Dickens wrote that in the years after his adventures with the spirits, Ebenezer Scrooge “knew how to keep Christmas well.” Yet actor, playwright, former Channel 4 weatherman and West Jordan City Councilmember Bob Bedore felt that there was more of Scrooge’s story to be told.
“I always wanted to bring Scrooge and Belle back together,” Bedore explained. Playing the role of Scrooge as a young man at Hale Centre Theatre, Bedore joked about it backstage. Later, as a founding member of Off Broadway Theatre, Bedore wrote a comic sequel exploring what happens to Scrooge, “Christmas Carol Part 2.” The show will be presented Nov. 1 through 30 on the stage of Draper Historic Theatre.
The musical parody, which is now over 30 years old, has “been done all over the place, in theaters all over the West,” Bedore said. “I’ve updated it a little bit for this version. I wrote it as a big comedy but there’s also an idea there about the true meaning of giving. There’s a lot of heart to the show.”
In “Christmas Carol Part 2,” the familiar characters have been turned upside
down, with comic results. Embittered by years of mistreatment by Scrooge, Bob Cratchit is embezzling money aided by a conniving Tiny Tim. Scrooge is giving everything away out of fear and once again Jacob Marley and three new Christmas spiritswho aren’t exactly sure what they are doing--must step in to teach Scrooge new life lessons.
Off Broadway Theatre co-founder Eric Jensen and actor George Anderson play the role of Scrooge in alternating performances. “This is my first time playing Scrooge,” Anderson said. “It’s fun being in a parody show where it’s all about having fun and making people laugh.”
There is plenty of Off Broadway Theatre’s signature goofball humor in the updated comedy bits. “The boy who fetches the goose for Scrooge in the original play now has his own food delivery business, ‘Dash-to-your-Door,’” Anderson said. He also mentioned the new Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come who speaks in Gen Z slang.
Anderson explained that behind the jokes is a real message. “Scrooge has to learn that it’s not just about giving money, but giving of himself. It’s important to do the work of helping and serving people,” he said.
Ane Genessy, one of the actors who plays Belle, said, “Years later, Scrooge is figuring out what is really important to him.” That includes the possibility of rekindling his romance with Belle. “They see each other on the street,” Genessy said. “The spirits show Scrooge what his relationship with Belle was and what the fu-
ture would hold.” She described the show as “fun, heart-warming and heart-felt.”
“This is a new take on a story that that’s been done every year,” Boston Smith commented. Smith, who plays Tiny Tim as “a spoiled brat,” said that he is having a lot of fun with his role. “I love how I’m able to just go all in on it and make big choices as an actor,” he said.
Bedore, who plays Bob Cratchit, also spoke of finding joy in playing the role. “It’s great to be able to do it again. The real blessing of this show for me is performing with Eric again,” he said. “After 20 years we have this ‘one mind’ for comedy.”
“Christmas Carol Part 2” marks the end of an era for the Off Broadway Theatre which is leaving Draper. The company has been sharing the stage of Draper Historic Theatre for the past four years, but is now seeking a permanent home.
For now, however, the Off Broadway Theatre will present “Christmas Carol Part 2” at Draper Historic Theatre on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 through 30. Draper Historic Theatre is located at 12366 S. 900 East. For tickets visit theobt.org. l
Ebenezer Scrooge (George Anderson), Tiny Tim (Boston Smith) and Bob Cratchit (Bob Bedore) strike a pose in the Off Broadway Theatre comedy sequel, “Christmas Carol Part 2.” (Photo by Nic Brown/Off Broadway Theatre)
Ebenezer Scrooge (Eric Jensen) and Belle (Chelsea Grant) reconnect in the Off Broadway Theatre comedy sequel, “Christmas Carol Part 2.” (Photo by Nic Brown/Off Broadway Theatre)
Unveiling reality: The challenges and joys of raising special needs athletes
MurrayHigh parent Kim Domiguez used to watch other mothers taxi their kids from one practice to another.
Then, while her oldest, Braedon, was in high school, Special Olympics introduced unified sports and Murray High was one of the first Utah schools to jump on board.
Coed soccer and basketball were the first sports, now track and field, swimming and e-sports are options at the high school. The athletes with differing abilities are joined with partners, often peer tutors, to play alongside each other on the same team.
“It used to be that we came up with stuff to do on our own, but now with unified sports, we’re busy,” she said. “I can tell you from a special needs parent’s standpoint, I now understand what soccer moms go through. Unified sports definitely keeps kids involved.”
While Braedon has graduated, he is a constant face on the sidelines of four unified sports, cheering on his brother, Reilly, or more commonly called, Turbo. The high school junior nicknamed himself after the Dreamworks movie, “Turbo,” when he first saw the movie at age 6.
“The only person who he allows to call him Reilly is his brother,” his mother said.
While Domiguez may have an idea of what typical parents do to shuffle their kids and prepare them for competition, not many understand preparing a unified athlete to play.
At Murray, unified soccer and basketball athletes practice 90 minutes once per week.
“As parents, we get their bags ready and then, some of us help the teachers get their gear on, make sure their shoes are tied and are ready for practice. Most of the kids complain about it, asking ‘why do we have to do it?’ It’s outside of their comfort zone. But once they get there, they love it,” she said.
Domiguez said few unified athletes grew up playing the sport, so they’ve had to learn the skills. Her family also had her sons watch the Utah Royals on TV and YouTube to understand fundamentals.
“It’s been a work in progress. When we first started the program, most of our kids would just stand out on the field. They’ve learned how to kick the ball and where to kick it. Now they play defense. Lots of our kids love to be the goalkeeper because they realize they don’t have to run up and down the field, but then they had to learn how to stop the ball, how to pick it up and throw it. We had to start all over with basketball. At first, they’d stand on the court, put their hands up and somebody would dribble around them. It’s been with the help of the peers, with other teams, the coaches and all these reps, that our kids come to play,” she said.
Turbo doesn’t have hours of homework, but he does have a life skills class so his mother has him practice the skills at home.
“Sometimes he does well, sometimes I will need to redo it. He loves the vacuum, and
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
he loves to shred. I know if I need something shredded or something vacuumed, it will get done very well. If I need a table wiped off, and I’ve explained it to him 1,000 times, I know I’m still going to have to redo that,” she said.
The night before a game or a meet, it’s not early to bed for Turbo.
“He’s not a go-to-bed early kid. He’s a ‘I’ll go to bed when I am darn-well-ready kid.’
We say nine o’clock, take your melatonin and pajamas and he’s still up at midnight walking around. We try to keep the boys’ schedule the same without disruption. Each kid is different, but most special needs kids love their schedules, and they like it being always the same.
I don’t tell him we have a soccer match the night before so he won’t get upset that he will be missing class and will have to make it up. From a special needs standpoint, getting ready and to the event can almost be as difficult as being in the event,” she said.
Turbo gets up at 5:30 a.m. before being at school two hours later “because he’s not in a hurry to do anything in his life. He could shower and then lay down a little, take his time at breakfast.”
On a game day morning, he used to be “on edge.”
“Turbo is a creature of habit. He likes things to be the same, but now he knows what to expect so it’s easier. He knows there’s going to be people there he knows. He’s going to have a chance to ride on the bus. It’s going to be a fun adventure,” his mother said.
Domiguez’ husband, Dean, offered his help to coach the team alongside special ed-
ucation teacher Jessie Agiriga and other educators who have guided the program from its inception.
“Turbo listens to Dean. He didn’t want to come today and we had to put in effort to get him here,” she said about an early fall tournament at Highland High. “Now, he’s all in.”
Still, when the regional tournament rolled around, and Turbo got frustrated, his dad explained, “Turbo’s ideal soccer game is not to play it, but to watch it on TV.”
The frustration came about from Turbo playing on a higher skill level team than he previously competed on as an underclassman. At the beginning of the season, every school tests students’ abilities and from there, it’s determined what unified division level of teams the school will have and where athletes will be placed.
“It’s not always sunshine and roses and he will let us know that. When he’s reaches the end of what he can handle, he needs some downtime,” his mother said. “What’s different about playing unified is everybody is so wonderful and gracious; they want everybody to score and do well. It’s fun to see the competitive nature of a lot of these kids come out, but then also their humanity side comes out even more. If there’s a kid who has shot at a basket six times in a row, you’ll find everybody rooting for the seventh, eighth and ninth attempts until he finally scores. Then we all cheer.”
Domiguez said that’s different than a typical sporting event.
“But don’t get me wrong; our kids still like to win. They know when they come in
first or second. They understand our team didn’t win, we might not advance,” she said.
As an increasing number of Utah high schools now have unified programs, competition has stepped up. At the metro regional tournament, there were 55 area teams. Several schools, like Murray, have added additional teams.
Every year Murray’s unified athletes and their partners have qualified for state, even winning the championships multiple times. This year, both teams fell short of being in the championship games while three other area teams — West Jordan High, Alta High and Hunter High — all qualified and finished second in their divisions.
“There’s disappointment. They must face it just the same as any other kid. Sometimes they do well with that, other times they do not. When they don’t, we just talk through it. It’s a lot of the same dynamics and feelings as a typical kid losing, only our kids’ emotions might be a little bit more on the surface,” she said, then added, “Luckily for us, basketball rolls in right after and we’ve already started swimming.”
Her husband, a former Murray High swimmer and water polo player, also coaches unified swim. He’s able to spend time with the team as he has macular degeneration, so he retired from his desk job, and now, with Braedon and Braedon’s grandfather, does construction work for the family business.
Domiguez said both her sons, who were born premature, were diagnosed with autism before age 2 after doctors were mon-
Corner Canyon High’s unified team dribbles the ball up the field against Copper Hills’ unified team in the regional soccer tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
[at Black Desert in St. George] and then he turns around a few days later and shoots 65s. He did it again for us and got better this year. I can’t say enough about Bo; he led this team,” Fox said. “Ben was our new kid this year who stepped up, fit right in and came to play. Ty (Brady) came from Park City to an already good team and helped our chemistry be even better. Those were two key pieces for us.”
Fox said Boman was the most consistent player of the group while Pizza saw a massive improvement in his game this season. But, it was Anderson’s round of 67 on Day One that Fox pointed to as one of the biggest reasons Corner Canyon kept Lone Peak in striking distance heading into the second day. “His score really solidified us having a chance on Day Two,” Fox said of his senior who barely missed the state team last fall. “He and I talked a lot about him ‘believing that he belonged’ so he set goals of winning state and then finishing top 10 individually. That was a huge round. If he doesn’t shoot that, I’m not sure we’re talking about a state championship. It was a gutsy performance. I’m so proud of him for stepping up, and reaching both goals [he tied for eighth].”
“I was in a really comfortable pairing which helped keep my nerves down,” Anderson said. “I was also very confident with my putter which took pressure off in certain situations.”
“After Day One, we talked about being more aggressive and focusing on our own games which helped us shoot lower scores on Day Two,” Mauss said.
Wilson and Brady finished in the top five at state while Boman was 14th. Senior Cooper Meyer and junior Bostin Bloechel competed as individuals and came in 18th and tied for 60th, respectively.
“This is the deepest team we’ve ever hard and, while that was our strength, it
itoring their progress. They attended a preschool for students with autism before entering Viewmont Elementary. Braedon integrated into a kindergarten class while it wasn’t until second grade that Turbo fully integrated.
“His peers didn’t know he spoke until second grade. He was very quiet, and he was a runner. The kids were so helpful, if Turbo got up and ran out, a nice girl would go after him,” she said. “Every year, I’d go to their classes and talk to the kids about what autism is, or answer their questions, ‘why is Turbo acting the way he does? Or should I be afraid of him?’ We thought the best way to combat bullying was let the kids get to know us.”
Now some of those classmates are the ones who fill the bleachers at games or are the cheerleaders rallying for Turbo and the rest of the unified team.
“What’s been fun for the team is when
was also our challenge where two from last year’s state team were not even on this year’s state team,” Fox said. “But, these boys bonded and challenged each other to get better – making each other step up – while still playing their role. What an incredible team and an awesome group of boys.”
“We have played a lot together and we are all super competitive so it raises the level of the entire team,” Anderson said. “We are all confident and not scared of playing in high pressure situations.”
Fox noted the contributions of the Mauss boys – Jackson, who graduated in 2022 and Bowen
Mauss – on the Corner Canyon golf team over the past several years. “They have been the cornerstone of this program, setting the bar for getting better,” Fox said. “They pushed the boys and kept moving the bar and the program up.”
Mauss, who averaged a 66 on the season, has committed to play collegiately at Arizona State. “I think ASU will give me the best opportunities to chase my goal of playing and winning on the PGA Tour,” Mauss said. “I love the coaches there and know they will help me become the player and person that I want to be. I’m really excited to get down there.”
Also on the team that broke the CCHS school record of 267 three times this season were seniors Lincoln Blake, Creed Covington, Stockton Weenig and Preston Wilde; juniors Nolan Kartchner and Warner Rensch; sophomores Vance Alleman, James Meadows, William Middleton and Carson Smythe; freshmen Cade Cottole, Tru Hanson, Anson Jin, Seyon Juyal, Cayden Larson, Jackson Nordhoff and Kairo Richardson.
“This team was so fun to be around and we all got along so well,” said Mauss. “We kept our team chemistry really high all year even though we had to compete against each other for spots on the state team. The
we people are there to cheer for them; they love the support,” she said.
That gift of acceptance and being part of the school is not lost as the Domiguez family returns their support, often going to soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball games to cheer on those players who have helped the unified teams. They even support their classmates in the school musicals and attended University of Utah women’s basketball games, after those players practiced with Murray’s unified team.
Domiguez, as the sole driver for the family, says it isn’t easy, as she herself often attends unified games in a wheelchair as she has “really bad arthritis. We’re a lot better than we look on paper, but we do live in a very different world than I think a lot of people. I used to be a type A personality. Now it’s ‘Let’s just see where the day takes us.’”
She knows she can’t leave her young-
memories we made and the fun times we had as a team are much more valuable than any trophy.”
Fox was assisted by Brady Boman, Justin Labrum and Brian Rueckert on the coaching staff this season.
“We were so lucky to have coach Fox
er son without a “Turbo-sitter” as he has a track record of dumping out all the kitchen spices or emptying the fire extinguisher, but she is pleased he likes his classes such as video editing, ceramics, cooking and zoology. He also participates in Best Buddies program and has attended school dances.
“Turbo got himself a rainbow sequined suit for a Halloween dance. He asked one of his peer helpers to go with him, and she had the same suit. They wore matching rainbow suits and had a lot of fun with it,” Domiguez said.
And those special moments, such as when Braedon scored a last-second shot to win a basketball game, are often relived.
“Everybody went nuts, running onto the court, screaming and dancing. And an hour or two later, we’re driving home, and the kids were still excited. Braedon still brings it up
as our coach all four years,” Mauss said. “He is the best coach we could’ve asked for and he was always there to help us.”
“It’s an honor and privilege to coach such great young men,” Fox said. “Win or lose, they would have been champions.” l
and they talk about how great it was,” Domiguez said. “Those are some of the moments that make us smile and make it so worthwhile.”
This year, Turbo had a memorable goal.
During the season, Murray High ate dinner with the Utah Royals’ unified team and the Spartans met their mascot and the Utah Royals players. Then the two unified teams scrimmaged on the America First field.
“We got our butt handed to us, but Turbo scored a goal, and that’s all that mattered,” his mother said. “When they score, that’s when they’re the happiest and the whole team jumped around, they high-fived each other, and even the Royals unified girls gave them high-fives. We got one goal. Oh, by golly, we celebrated the heck out of that goal.” l
Corner Canyon High golfers celebrate their successful state title defense with another shower for their head coach Derek Fox. (Photo courtesy Derek Fox)
Willow Springs community rallies to support students in jogathon fundraiser
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Before the Willow Springs jogathon, Goldie, a kindergartner, was excited and she practiced for it all week. Afterward?
“She was glad she was done; she said her legs got tired, but my son says he could run forever,” said Katie Griffin, who was with her youngest, Greta, as she talked about her school-age daughter and first-grader Gabe. “I like how the school is supporting healthy behaviors for kids and how it’s community-building with a lot of people here to support the kids. Everyone is wanting to help the school. Both of my kids wanted to earn money, so they did chores for both my mom and dad and they had a lemonade stand.”
The schoolwide PTA fundraiser made $24,000, which “the bulk of it going toward field trips,” Willow Springs PTA President Kelsey Boyce said. “There are two or more field trips for every grade. We also give a free T-shirt to all the students and staff. We support chess and choir programs, classroom teacher grants, diversity week and other events.”
The run began and ended on the school campus with the majority of it following a ½-mile route through the neighborhood. Students could run the route as many times as they wanted.
“Our highest kids went seven times, so three-and-one half miles,” she said. “We had parents along the route with cowbells and cheering. They’d squirt the kids and make it fun for the kids. Even neighbors who don’t have students at the school were encouraging.”
Instead of having concessions available to purchase, this year the PTA received donations from WinCo and Fat Cats so all 560 students received popcorn, popsicles and candy, Boyce said.
However, many of the students first went to an inflatable obstacle course, which was
made possible as an incentive to the students. Other incentives were music at lunch, 30-minute board games and craft parties and Principal Anne Hansen sleeping on the roof.
“With the refreshments being donated and none of the incentives costing anything, the inflatable was our only cost. I like the jogathon because it’s volunteer-led, so all the proceeds are going directly to our school,” Boyce said. “I also like the community feel. Parents and neighbors come out and it brings people together. And I like the kids having an opportunity to do something hard. A lot of them are proud of the effort that they put in. It’s a way they can be active physically and active in earning money for their school.”
She added teachers were happy after the run.
“The kids were able to get all of that energy out, so it was a really smooth day,” she said.
The jogathon began the first year the school opened, in 2006. It’s been an annual tradition except for during COVID-19 when classroom danceathons were held.
“It’s been a favorite activity for the kids and for our community,” Boyce said.
Fifth-grader Alivia Martinez said she has liked the event even though “it’s hard and tiring.”
The soccer player says running in soccer is easier because “you’re following something, but I liked this year’s obstacle course because it’s fun and bouncy.”
Her older sister, Abilee, watched her sister’s last jogathon. Abilee ran it six times.
“The best thing about the jogathon was just the fun I had doing it,” she said.
Their mother, Kristy, also appreciates the jogathon.
“I like it gets kids out and active,” she said. “It’s a fun Friday.” l
With bright and open amenity spaces and warm and spacious residences, Crescent offers customized, compassionate care for you or a loved one. Whether it’s helping with life’s daily activities, improving mobility, coordinating care with your physicians, or making sure you look your best for one of our exciting events, you can count on us to be there.
Willow Springs students cheer as they finish running their traditional jogathon. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Corner Canyon’s theatre season showcases heartfelt drama to comedic farces
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Tenyears ago, Corner Canyon High was starting its second year when theatre director Phaidra Atkinson decided “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” would be a great show for her students.
This year, Atkinson decided to produce the 10-year anniversary of the show.
“We have the right kids for it,” she said. “We have almost 50 students wanting to play in the orchestra pit, so we have to have auditions for the first time. There are so many kids who are so excited to do ‘Joseph.’ We had 120 kids audition, which was awesome.”
The show also excited alumni, including the cast from 10 years ago.
“We’re going to have an alumni night on the Saturday we perform with a meet and greet before the show and a 10-year anniversary pin and tickets to watch the show,” she said, adding alumni will perform “Any Dream Will Do” on stage with the cast after the current cast’s bows. “Both casts are excited to put it together and the alumni are especially excited to bring back all their friends to be a part of it.”
Also returning to pay his original role will be Cosmo, the camel. Joining the cast, pit orchestra and camel will be 38 dancers and 50 fifth- through seventh-grade students in the children’s chorus. Eighth graders were included in the main show ensemble or in supporting
roles for the leads, she said.
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” will be performed at 7 p.m., Nov. 14-16 and again on Nov. 18 on the school stage, 12943 S. 700 East. Tickets are available at CornerCanyonTheatre.com. It will be directed by both Atkinson and colleague Case Spaulding.
Their performance follows a Shakespeare Showcase, which featured Draper Middle School students as well as the 90-member Corner Canyon’s Shakespeare team that won sweepstakes at the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare high school competition.
At the competition, the thespians also took first place for their ensemble piece from “King John.”
“I love all those kids are included and get good feedback as they learn about Shakespeare. When we do our ensemble piece, they read the play. They study characters in the play. They analyze everything. They understand the text. They prepare and rehearse. They collaborate and problem solve, which are good life skills they’ll use if they do theatre or not. It’s just a really great way for them to connect and learn awesome things about Shakespeare,” she said.
Other top awards include first places for makeup, props and carpentry and second place for their scene. Student Aubrey Boman was awarded the Larry Lott Award, the highest
acting award at the competition. In addition, Madrigals placed first, choir took second in sweepstakes, and Canzonetta and third in minstrel.
Following their fall musical, the thespians raise money for the school charity, Utah Foster Care, through “Broadway Backwards,” which will be performed at 7 p.m., Dec. 19 in the Little Theatre.
“We call it ‘Broadway Backwards’ because kids pick to do something they wouldn’t normally be cast in. It ends up being something different and fun and all done for a good cause,” she said.
In the spring, the Chargers will perform “The Drowning Girls.”
“It’s a dramatic show based on a true story of a man who, in the 1900s, married these women and then drowned them in a bathtub to take their money,” Atkinson said. “We have amazing, strong female actresses so it’s going to showcase them showing what they can do. It’s also a cool technical show with the actresses in wedding dresses and having bathtubs with water on stage with different lighting on stage.”
The show will be performed by 28 students on March 8-10, 2025 in the auditorium. It also will be their competition one-act for region, which Corner Canyon will host on March 13. Individual events will be March 20. State will be in April.
The thespians’ season finale will be the Tony Award-winning musical farce, “The Drowsy Chaperone” on May 8-10.
“It’s going to be really fun,” Atkinson said. “Our season really gives our students and audiences a good contrast of shows.” l
At the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare high school competition, Corner Canyon High took first place for their ensemble piece from “King John,” en route to winning the sweepstakes. (Photo courtesy of Keith Lutz)
JDCHS soccer wraps up season in 3A quarters
By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
The Juan Diego Catholic High School girls soccer team’s season ended in the 3A state quarterfinals with a 3-0 loss to No. 1 Judge Memorial Oct. 19. After a bye in the first round, the No. 8 seeded Soaring Eagle squad defeated Richfield 1-0 in overtime with senior Allison Green scoring the golden goal – assisted by junior defender Lexi Wayman – in the second round Oct. 16. Senior keeper Sarah Scott recorded the shutout against the Wildcats.
Leading Juan Diego this season were junior forward Natalia Shephard with 11 goals and senior forward Fatima Hernandez Suarez with 10. Hernandez, Shephard, Wayman and senior forward Abigail Harbison each had four assists this fall while Scott had four
shutouts in goal.
The JDCHS team lost its first nine games of the year before defeating Union 6-2 Aug. 27 and then went 6-4 the rest of the way to finish 6-13 and 4-2 in Region 14 play.
Also on the 2024 squad were seniors Ellyson Blair, Piper Fennell, Campbell Gentry, Hope Lowery and Adri Priskos; juniors Peyton Mccoy and Alexandra Pepi; sophomores Riley Brown, Paige Catalano, Peyton Chacon, Izabell Guernsey, Addison Hagen, Brylee Newport and Andrea Sequeyro Robles; and freshmen Isla Blair, Pyper Krebs, Tanya Arce Marquez, Jillian Pepi, Rebecca Pozzi and Ashley Pupunu. l
Juan Diego golf wraps up season
By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
Juan Diego Catholic High School freshman
Tytan Hammond finished 15th at the 3A state golf tournament at the Ridge Golf Course Oct. 16-17. His rounds of 71 and 77 helped the Soaring Eagle squad to a sixth-place finish as a team with scores of 312 on Day One and 319 in rainy conditions on Day Two. Others playing for JDCHS at state were senior Eamonn Dolan (who tied for 27th), freshman Kieran Dolan (41st), senior Bryson Newport (tied for 42nd), freshman Brady Ebner (tied for 46th) and junior Luis Alvarez (53rd). (Photo credit JD Media Club)
Juan Diego Catholic High School junior forward Natalia Shephard scored 11 goals to lead the Soaring Eagle squad this season. (Photo courtesy Shooting Star Photography)
Juan Diego Catholic High School senior forward Fatima Hernandez Suarez was one of the team’s leading scorers this season, netting 10 goals. (Photo courtesy Shooting Star Photography)
Students embrace practical learning in new pharmacy tech program
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Alta High senior Anna Black knew she was interested in a medical field, but she found her likely career path when she enrolled in the new pharmacy technician program at Canyons Technical Education Center.
“It’s really cool,” she said. “We learn medical terms and about different medicines each week so I’m already getting that introduction to the field. As a pharmacist, I’ll be able to help someone without all the blood and gore.”
She, along with Hillcrest High senior Lillie Phillips and Corner Canyon High senior Ellie Blankenstein, had just finished the weekly quiz on medications. Next, they were going to learn how to make blister packs.
Phillips wanted to enroll in the new medical course.
“I already have taken anatomy, physiology, intro to health sciences and CNA (certified nurse assistant) classes so this class is a new experience and it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “I want to become a veterinarian so a lot of what I’m learning will give me that core understanding and knowledge.”
Blankenstein wants to work in the psychology field.
“Once I earn my pharmacy tech certificate, I can work in the field while I’m in college,” she said. “Learning all the medications will be helpful in my career.”
While the students acknowledge there is a lot of memorization, they’re quick to acknowledge their instructor, Makenna Mitchell, supports them by not only making assignments fun, but also “redirecting us to correct something when we realize we didn’t get it right,” Phillips said.
With just weeks into the course, they know the difference between creams, lotions and ointments by the texture and simple versus compound medication.
During the class, students reviewed the advantages of blister packaging versus medication in a pill bottle including easier to track medications and convenient to carry. Mitchell questioned why long-term facilities may prefer the blister packs and students quickly responded with it provides increased safety and quick checks to identify if a resident had taken their medication.
The three seniors, along with their classmates, counted Smarties or Skittles using pharmacists’ spatulas on silver trays by fives, practicing as a technician would do it in a pharmacy. They placed them in individual doses before sealing and labeling the month’s mock supply of medication.
They worked at lab tables in front of a mock pharmacy, which was stocked with
ance, so they’ll gain a good understanding of what a commercial insurance is, the difference between Medicaid and Medicare and the different parts of Medicare. They’ll put in insurance into the pharmacy system and bill it as well,” she said.
At the end of the program, students will receive a Canyons School District certificate of completion.
A national certification test also is required for students to earn their pharmacy tech licenses.
The program itself is working toward the American Society of Health System Pharmacists accreditation.
“All the students this year, when the program is accredited at the end of the school year, will have attended an accredited program through ASHP,” she said.
Mitchell said there is a demand for pharmacy technicians.
over-the-counter medication bottles and on the shelves, other pill bottles and boxes filled with beads and beans, were available for student to pull to fill a pretend prescription. The pharmacy includes a landline to take orders by phone as well as a computer to check the patron’s prescription and refill number, the patient’s address and phone number, medication delivery method and other information.
“They can pull up a patient’s profile for a prescription, then fill it by counting the drugs on the tray and labeling it before selling the prescription to a patient,” said Mitchell, who has been a pharmacy technician for the past decade.
She said that students will explore the differences between pharmacies; CTEC’s mock pharmacy has sections to represent both one they would see at a hospital as well as in the retail world.
“This gives them the familiarity of both kinds of pharmacies,” she said.
Soon, laminar flow hoods will be installed so students will wear protective gowns and gloves while they learn how to draw medication from a vial to insert and prepare IV bags for patients. They also will learn how to compound medication in a sterile setting.
“Maybe that would look like crushing a tablet with a mortar and pestle and mixing it with syrup to make it available for a child to take if they can’t swallow a pill,” she said, adding that students also will follow the compounding log, fill out appropriate forms, print correct labels and check it with her, as an acting pharmacist,
for accuracy.
This mock pharmacy and lab are new to CTEC, said Janet Goble, Canyons Career and Technical Education director.
“We remodeled the tech center starting last year so there’s a lab, a mock pharmacy and a lecture classroom for the program, which serves about 25 students in both the morning and afternoon,” Goble said. “It provides students another viable pathway in the medical field.”
Mitchell said students, who attend class for 2.5-hours per weekday, also earn concurrent enrollment credit through Salt Lake Community College.
“This first term is a lot of medical terminology so they’re memorizing more than 200 drugs – their brand and generic names and their drug class and what the drug treats. We’re also talking about pharmacy law, all the regulations and standards for both Utah and nationally, and they’ll do a pharmacology section as well, learning about the individual body systems and the drugs that help with those body system,” she said.
During the program, students need to complete an unpaid 180-hour state-required externship as part of their pharmacy tech licenses. Mitchell already has lined up a mix of hospital, retail, independent community and compounding pharmacies for students.
In the second semester, the class will discuss more about compounding and pharmacies, complete their externships and prepare students to take their exams.
“We’ll be talking a lot about insur-
“Pharmacies are desperate for technicians. There’s been a shortage recently so right now, getting pharmacies fully staffed has been a hard thing,” she said, adding that an average starting salary may be about $20 per hour. “For students who have their ultimate goal to be a pharmacist, a pharmacy technician is a good stepping stone because you get experience with how the pharmacy works. You go into pharmacy school having a basic understanding of medications and what that specific medication does. When they’re in pharmacy school, they would understand a lot deeper about the drugs and how they interact with each other, and what to look for, but this gives them that first overview and understanding.”
Mitchell earned her licensure and worked as a pharmacy tech to pay her way through college.
“I’ve kept with it because I like what I do. The best part for me is interacting with patients, building a relationship with them. There’s a level of trust there and I like helping them work through any problems with their medications or if their medications are too expensive for them,” she said.
Students also will practice both communication, math and workplace skills in the program.
“What’s cool about this program is that they get a lot of hands-on experience,” Mitchell said. “They’re counting medications, they’re learning to answer a phone call and talk with a patient, they’re practicing giving injections and they’re calculating supplies of medications and will know how long an IV bag with last at a certain flow rate. They’re learning a lot by doing.” l
CTEC instructor Makenna Mitchell explains to pharmacy tech students how to create blister packs of medications. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Did you know about this Salt Lake County service?
Did you finish a fall or summer project, but now your garage is lined with old paint containers, bags of pesticides, fertilizers, fuels, batteries, or other leftover household products? Salt Lake County wants to help you properly dispose of hazardous waste before you dispose of it in garbage cans, dumpsters, landfills, or the sewer or storm drains.
Paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, smoke detectors, and pesticides contain potentially hazardous ingredients that require special handling when disposed of. Improper disposal causes significant problems in our landfills and the environment and can also result in criminal penalties and fines.
Salt Lake County opened a drive-up Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center free for county residents at 8805 South 700 West in Sandy. The center is open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It also has dumpsters for glass and cardboard recycling.
What can I take to the HHW Collection Center?
• Automotive batteries and fluids (oil and antifreeze)
• Fuels
• Paints, stains, and varnishes
• Pesticides, herbicides, and other yard
Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Councilwoman| District 3
chemicals
• Many cleaning supplies
• Cooking oil
• Used oil (up to five gallons per visit)
• Aerosols
• Electronics
• Fluorescent bulbs
• Devices that contain mercury
• Batteries such as lithium, NiMH, NiCd (NOTE: AA, AAA, C, D batteries are not considered hazardous)
• Televisions/monitors
• Computers and peripherals
• Cell phones
Can Businesses use the HHW Center?
Business waste and waste from residents of other counties is accepted for a fee. Business waste is accepted by appointment only by calling 385-468-4380.
Re-Use Shed
Center
Many of the products taken to the HHW are still useable—sometimes even brand new. These items are placed in the Reuse Shed and are available to take home at no cost to Salt Lake County residents (no businesses, please).
The Household Hazardous Waste Cen-
Dec - 1/15/25
Jan - 2/15/25
Feb - 3/15/25
Mar - 4/15/25
April - 5/15/25
May - 6/15/25
Jun - 7/15/25
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Aug - 9/15/25
Sep -10/15/25
Oct - 11/15/25
Nov - 12/15/25
Dec -1/15/26
ter is just one of many excellent services Salt Lake County offers. Be sure to take advantage of this amazing resource. This is just another example of your county working for you! (801) 944 0505 • 3176 East 6200 South Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121 20% OFF TWO ENTREES Lunch only (11am-4pm). Dine in only. Coupon must be present. Expires 12/15/24
From start to finish line: Young runners race in middle school championship
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade runners dashed around the 2.25-mile course at Jordan High before temperatures reached a record-breaking 86 degrees on Oct. 12. It was the Canyons School District’s annual intramural cross country championship for all eight middle schools. Midvale Middle’s seventh-grader Nora Goodman ran 15:35 to win the race of 59 girls while Indian Hills’ eighth-grader James Gardner ran 14:32 to win the boys race of 67 runners. However, it was the Butler Bruins who claimed both girls’ and boys’ team titles. Draper Park and Albion finished second and third, respectively, for the girls while Albion and Indian Hills were second and third for the boys. (Photo by Julie Slama)
Preparing Thanksgiving dinner never gets easier. I always start with lofty culinary goals based on recipes from “The Pioneer Woman” that include truffles and capers but end up scraping scorched gravy into a dish and hoping the turkey won’t give anyone food poisoning.
Because of my poor cooking skills, I’m always looking for Thanksgiving hacks to make meal preparation more sunshine and less hurricane. I thought I’d share some tips I found to survive the food frenzy that is Thanksgiving.
Ask for help. Stop being a martyr. Don’t complain about having to do everything and then refuse any help. Give out assignments and not like “Can you bring one can of olives?” or “I need someone to pick up some napkins.” No. Ask someone to bring mashed potatoes or all the desserts or even the turkey. You don’t get a blue ribbon for Thanksgiving suffering.
Don’t make foods no one eats. Stop wasting time preparing “traditional” foods, even if it’s a recipe handed down from your quadruple-great grandmother. Especially if it’s handed down from your quadruple-great grandmother because there weren’t a lot of food options in the 1800s besides lima beans and fried hominy.
Use a mandoline to slice vegetables.
Hacking Thanksgiving
Peri Kinder Life and Laughter
Not to be confused with a stringed instrument from the 19th century, the mandoline slices onions, celery and carrots quickly and easily. The guest who finds the tip of my index finger in the stuffing wins a prize!
Make only one batch of dinner rolls. Homemade rolls are always a hit but now you can use them as leverage. Your grandson wants a second, hot-buttered roll? He’d better start washing dishes. Bonus hack: Purchase pre-made bakery rolls. You won’t get docked Thanksgiving points. I promise.
Thaw the turkey in water. Not only will this leave you with a bucket full of disgusting waste water but then you can spill it all over the kitchen floor on Thanksgiving morning. Maybe don’t even cook a turkey. There are no Thanksgiving laws. Have chicken wings or spaghetti bolognese.
Spatchcock the turkey. If you insist
on roasted turkey, watch a three-hour video explaining how to spatchcock the bird, which involves removing the turkey’s backbone so it lies flat and cooks quickly. (Sidenote: Who spatchcocked Utah’s governor and legislators?)
One tip said, “Use tongs to stem kale” and none of those words make sense together.
Use a Thermos to keep gravy warm. Gravy is notoriously dreadful when served cold. Trust me, I know. Grab your sisterin-law’s gallon-sized Stanley cup to ensure there’s hot gravy for the mashed potatoes.
Use pre-made pie shells. People think pies need to be made from scratch to get that flakey, buttery crust. Baloney. Unless you’re a professional pie baker, do yourself a favor and buy frozen pie crusts. Right now. Even better, get delicious pies from the grocery store.
Celebrate Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. There’s nothing worse than working three days and trying to fit in Thanksgiving preparation. On Friday, it can be a celebratory meal after everyone’s done shopping online.
Create a fun playlist. Before Uncle Jim can cue up the Jan. 6 prisoners’ chorus singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” have a variety of tunes ready to go. Include ev-
erything from Bach to ZZ Top, to equally irritate every family member. Give yourself a break. I’ve overcooked turkey, burned gravy, made inedible broccoli-cornbread stuffing, forgot the cranberry sauce, dropped a pumpkin pie and used Tupperware lids when I ran out of dinner plates. No one cares. If you’re being judged for the way Thanksgiving dinner turns out, it’s time to find a new family.
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