Herriman Journal | May 2024

THE JOURNALS INTRODUCES NEW PROCESS TO ENSURE LOCAL NEWS DELIVERY

The City Journals have published newspapers every month for the past 33 years. During which we have mailed a copy of the Journal to nearly everyone in the city. We know from audits that over 70% of the households in the city read the Journal, but that means 30% do not. That is a considerable amount of wasted paper. We also know that some people in the

Afterthreeyearsofdiscussionsandpresentationsonthesubject,HerrimanCityhasreviseditsanimalcode.

tiesaredoing,”CityAttorneyToddSheeransaid.SeventeenSaltLakeCountymunicipalitiesrestrictthenum

havefouranimals.Likewise,inHerriman,residentsmayownno

notfourdogs.Thereisn’t restrictiononmalesversusfemales,” CommunicationsManagerJonLaFollettesaid.Exceptionstothis

agriculturallot,”CouncilmemberStevenShieldsproposed.

community are not receiving the Journal, although they want it.

Until now there was no way to address these issues. But now, using this QR code, you can select if you want to receive the Journal.

Because staying informed about local happenings is more important than ever, the Journals is proud to announce an innovative process to guarantee community members receive their local news each month.

Recognizing the vital role of local journalism in fostering community engagement and connection, the Journals has developed an approach to ensure timely and reliable news delivery to every doorstep within our coverage areas.

Using cutting-edge logistics technology and a dedicated team of delivery professionals, we can create enhanced route planning, tracking systems and distribution methods. The Journal aims to overcome challenges that have hindered timely news delivery in the past.

“It is important to keep readers informed about what’s happening in their neighbor-

hoods, schools, businesses and local government,” said Bryan Scott, publisher at The City Journals. “With this new process, we’re not only reaffirming our commitment to high-quality local journalism but also ensuring every member of our community has reliable access.”

We have deep gratitude for the United States Postal Service, whose dedication enables the delivery of more than 200,000 monthly Journals to our readers. This partnership is instrumental in ensuring our local news reaches every household efficiently and consistently. With our new system, readers will still receive their Journal in the mail each month but with more accuracy and control based on our new process.

This underscores the Journals’ unwavering dedication to providing trusted local news and information for our readers. Whether reporting on community events, highlighting local businesses, or investigating important issues affecting our neighborhoods, the Journals remains steadfast in its mission to celebrate and build the community.

The Journals encourages readers to provide feedback on their news delivery experience, allowing for improvement

ATTENTION: USE THIS QR CODE TO MAKE SURE YOU KEEP GETTING THE JOURNAL

and refinement of the process. With this groundbreaking approach, the Journals reaffirms its position as the leading provider of local news, delivering stories that matter to our valued readers.

Residents can now choose if they want to receive the Journal at their home by using the QR Code or by visiting Mail. TheCityJournals.com. We ask all residents to complete this form to continue receiving the Journal each month.

Share this message with others in the city who may not be familiar with the newspaper and want to sign up. l

ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

to Honor Military Veterans for Their Service to Our Country

Monday, May 27, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.

At Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy

FEATURED SPEAKER: Congressman Blake Moore

PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE: Hill Air Force Base, Honor Guard, Utah Firefighters Emerald Society Bagpipes, Patriotic Music by Brian Stucki and the Minuteman Brass Quintet

OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

MURRAY PARK

Murray Park Amphitheater (495 East 5300 South)

Tickets: Scan the QR code or use link below in a web browser! https://www.strideevents.com/events/murray-park-amphitheater/2024/tickets

Join us in celebrating National EMS Week

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your dedication and service to our communities. In celebration of National EMS Week, we invite you to join us for a free BBQ. Thursday, May 25 | 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• Unified Fire Authority Station 120 (Riverton)

• Unified Fire Authority Station 121 (Riverton)

• Unified Fire Authority Station 123 (Herriman)

• Unified Fire Authority Station 124 (Riverton)

• West Jordan Fire Department 54, 55

• Gold Cross Ambulance

• Bluffdale City Police Department

• Herriman City Police Department

• Riverton City Police Department

• South Jordan City Police Department

• West Jordan City Police Department

Murray Arts in the Park is sponsored by Murray City Cultural Arts with funding assistance by the residents of Salt Lake County, Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums,

Aftermonths researching topics related to the Constitution, writing a four minute speech and preparing to field questions from judges, Fort Herriman Middle School eighth-graders were thrilled when their efforts earned them a second place finish in their school’s first ever We the People state competition.

“As a teacher, it really was inspiring to see students being so passionate about the government and about the Constitution,” FHMS history teacher Jordan Kook said. “So often in the news, what you hear about with the younger generation is about apathy and issues like that. But it was just so amazing to see students truly engaging and being invested in the government, in the Constitution, their rights, their responsibilities as citizens.”

Herriman Mayor Lorin Palmer, a judge at the preliminary competition, was “blown away” by the students’ demonstration of a strong knowledge of the Constitution and its modern-day applications.

“Everybody in that room walked out of there impressed with these young people, wanting to do better, and study the Constitution and our rights, and really be grateful for what we have in this country,” Palmer said. “I was truly just so impressed.”

He said he hopes the experience will encourage students to be good citizens and to be engaged in local government.

The impact of the experience

Eighth-graders inspired by study of The Constitution

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

is already apparent, as many students commented that they discovered an aptitude or an interest in politics, law, or public speaking, which made them reconsider their career choice.

“It’s fun for them to recognize and feel that they have those skills and want to use them in their future,” history teacher Emma Cisneros said.

Luella Kelsall gained the confidence to run for a student government position.

“I never thought that I would do this because I just felt like I didn't have that much confidence in myself to speak, because as a student body officer you have to go speak in front of the school and stuff and I felt like I couldn't really do that,” she said. “But then I got more confidence built up in me after We the People and I felt more passionate about things, especially public speaking and engaging with the school more.”

Kook said the program was so successful because it appealed to all types of students. Whether they enjoyed the academic challenge or the thrill of the competition, they were all engaged in learning.

“As a teacher, you want the students to buy-into your material, and to see the relevance,” Kook said. “I think that this program really does help the students see why history, and the understanding of government and the way it functions, is vital to their lives.”

Cecily Mehl said, at first, the

project didn’t sound fun. It required a lot of work in both her history and English classes.

“But then I actually dove into it, and I got to go through all these websites and all these sources, and I have just gained a lot of knowledge,” she said. “I’m really understanding how they felt back then, like in their eyes, and how they thought about all the different things that went into the Constitution.”

Through her research of both the Constitution and current events, Adelaide Simmons noticed parallels between the tensions between the northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention and the current polarized political climate.

She believes the solution then and now is the same.

“I feel like it's very important to have just like a middle ground and be able to look at both sides of an argument, because there's obviously pros and cons to each person's ideas,” she said. “It's important for you to be open-minded and really just look for what's best for the future of our country.”

All three Fort Herriman Middle history teachers agreed that specific lesson was one of the most valuable takeaways of the project.

“One of the things that I really stressed was you can have whatever viewpoint you want to put forward—because one of the beautiful things about our country is that everyone can have their

own viewpoints,” Kook said. “It's just being able to back up your arguments with evidence, and then demonstrate that you can under-

stand somebody else's point of view whilst disagreeing with them and holding your own viewpoint.” l

HERRIMAN TEAM

The Herriman Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Herriman. For information about distribution please email hello@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website.

The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.

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Fort Herriman Middle School eighth graders Luella Kelsall, Adelaide Simmons and Cecily Mehl celebrate their second place finish at the We the People state competition. (Photo courtesy Jordan Kook)

All ages, communities, languages welcome at Story Crossroads Storytelling Summit & Festival

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Avariety of languages and cultures will be celebrated at the 9th Annual Story Crossroads Storytelling Summit & Festival May 13-16.

Story Crossroads Founder and Executive Director Rachel Hedman, who knows hundreds of stories from every part of the world, has always had the goal of a multicultural, multilingual and multiage experience at the Summit & Festival, but she said it takes time to earn a community’s trust.

“Sometimes communities can be insular, and not because they want to have these barriers with each other, but just because of the comfort level— ‘It’s always been this way and so why are we suddenly opening up and doing it this way?’ she said.

Fourteen different languages were represented at the first Story Crossroads Summit & Festival nine years ago. American Sign Language interpreters have always been provided and Spanish interpreters have been provided consistently for the last few years.

Deaf storytellers have also been featured, such as this year’s award-winning Deaf professional storyteller Peter Cook. For the first time, Deaf students have been invited to perform with the youth tellers this year.

“This is the year where it feels like different communities are finally realizing that we are here and we have tried to showcase different languages, to spotlight and to celebrate different languages,” Hedman said.

One of the regular features at the Summit & Festival is a Language of Story series. Past years have explored storytelling in ASL, Portuguese, German, Hungarian and Tongan. This year’s language of focus presentation is Spanish, and for the first time, will be a trilingual experience. The presenter, Dr. Tomás Hidalgo Nava, will speak in Spanish and then in English, which will then be translated into ASL.

The annual Summit also features a State of the Art report, now in its third year, to allow communities the opportunity to share the past, present and future storytelling of their culture. This year’s presenters are representatives from Peruvian, Greek and Japanese-American communities.

The Story Crossroads Summit & Festival events are hybrid, with options for both in-person and virtual attendance. A variety of ticket types for individuals, families, youth groups and schools are available at storycrossroads.org/festival.

“We always want to try to get rid of the economic barriers, or language barriers, or any kind of barriers, because people need the experience of storytelling,” Hedman said.

The Summit & Festival includes both art performances and education, with several workshops directed at teachers. School dis-

tricts with storytelling programs send their top student tellers to perform.

“We have professionals that we invite every year, but really, it wouldn’t be a Summit & Festival without the youth tellers and our amateur tellers,” Hedman said.

Storytelling artists will also perform at outreach locations such as preschools and community centers and by virtual links to youth detention centers and Primary Children’s Hospital.

Hedman always reaches out to schools about field trips to the festival. Some Murray District schools can walk to the performances held at Murray Park. Teachers from Jordan, Canyons, Granite and Alpine Districts more often register for a virtual field trip. As with all hybrid tickets, they can view all the performances and events on an unlisted YouTube channel at any time through June 15.

The academic opportunities during the Summit & Festival this year cover storytelling skills and exercises for teachers such as using literary works, poetry and metaphors, and trauma in storytelling.

“We enjoy being able to present storytelling in how people typically think of it, but we like to always have an academic side to it too,” Hedman said. “I feel storytelling accomplishes and meets all curriculum needs.”

Hedman, who has taught teachers storytelling skills for over 17 years, believes it can be used for any subject and for any situation, such as transitions, engagement or to prepare students for testing.

“We do encourage teachers to tell stories about themselves, even if they’re short little personal stories or moments, which can grab attention of the students or it can reduce the stress of students before they take a test,” Hedman said. l

A youth teller performs at the 2021 Story Crossroads Storytelling Summit & Festival. (Photo courtesy Bob Davis)

Professional storyteller Norm Brecke performs at Little Critters Preschool as part of the 2023 Story Crossroads Storytelling Summit & Festival’s outreach events. (Photo courtesy Rachel Hedman)

Inflation, maintenance are main culprits in water rate increase

By Elisa Eames | e.eames@mycityjournals.com

Thisfall, Herriman residents may notice higher water bills.

A motion to amend the master fee schedule for water and secondary water rates passed at the March 27 city council meeting with a vote of 4-0, including a vote from Councilmember Jared Henderson, who attended the meeting online. The higher rates take effect Oct. 1.

Intended to fund expenses with its own revenue, the water utility’s upcoming expenses are now expected to exceed its income. “If we don't make changes, we will run out of funds for water operations within about a year,” proclaims the city website, while a March 14 staff report declared, “Immediate revenue increases are needed to fund planned capital projects for culinary and secondary system growth and maintenance.”

In February 2023, Herriman officials hired civil engineering firm Bowen Collins & Associates to complete a culinary and secondary water rate study. Per the firm’s recommendations, the city council authorized Bowen Collins in June 2023 to add possible tier rate, volume and rate structure changes to the study. Results suggested the city increase water rates annually for five years as follows:

July 1, 2024: 13.0%

July 1, 2025: 13.0%

July 1, 2026: 13.0%

July 1, 2027: 9.5%

July 1, 2028: 3.0%

However, on Feb. 28, the city council explored the option of pushing the effective date of the rate increase for this year back to October rather than the initial date of July 1. Though the delay will necessitate a 16.3% jump as opposed to only 13% were it to take effect July 1, residents will be spared an increase for this year’s high-water usage months during the summer.

“The council didn’t want residents to be affected so immediately as this summer,” the city explained. “Only the October 2024 increase was approved. It's expected to be reviewed and reconsidered annually.”

Bonding will supplement the rate increases. The resulting tentative rate increase schedule is as follows:

Oct. 1, 2024: 16.3%

July 1, 2025: 13.0%

July 1, 2026: 13.0%

July 1, 2027: 7.0%

July 1, 2028: 3.0%

Not surprisingly, inflation can be blamed for much of the higher bills that residents will see this fall. Historically, water rate increases have stayed below inflation rates, jumping only 2% each year.

“Inflationary pressures affect nearly all budget categories of the utility including operation and maintenance costs as well as capital costs,” says the March 14 staff report.

“Existing and future budgets have been increased to reflect these cost changes. With no changes to the city’s rate structure, the city’s water fund will be insolvent in fiscal year 2024.”

With operating and personnel costs totaling approximately $14.8 million and revenue of only $14.1 million, the fund is already operating at a loss, some of which is being made up using reserves. However, should the city cancel all upcoming capital projects, the water fund would still run dry in 2028.

Councilmember Sherrie Ohrn lamented, “There has been a 90% increase in [costs]. It’s just the reality of the world we’re living in right now. And until those costs come down, we have to pay them.”

Another factor for the higher water prices is that past and current fee structures were not sufficient to cover future operating and maintenance costs, let alone the increases in costs and fees. Though a fair amount of water infrastructure within Herriman is comparatively new, every utility needs to make repairs. “The city is now starting to see the need for significant repair and rehabilitation projects,” the staff report states.

While Herriman residents already use water from West Jordan’s Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District every time they turn on a faucet, one-fourth of the coming rate increase results from the city’s efforts to provide residents with better-quality water by buying more water from JVWCD during off-peak water usage months.

“A chunk of this [increase] is… because our residents don’t like the hard water, and they’ve asked us not to utilize Herriman water during the winter…” Ohrn said.

Herriman’s website reveals, “We're investing in better water quality… but [it] comes at a cost—about $500,000 more annually to the city.”

Councilmember Teddy Hodges added, “Hopefully, residents can save money on appliances and clothes and washing dishes.”

At the meeting on March 27, council members wanted to make it clear the rate increases are not a result of the staggering growth Herriman is experiencing.

“...The vast majority of the costs that are associated with these price increases are not to fund new water systems. It’s not to build out Olympia…” said Councilmember Steven Shields. “It is [primarily] the cost of providing water and upkeeping the system.”

Keith Larsen of Bowen Collins echoed Shields’ thoughts. “We are making sure that new growth will pay for their fair share, so the rate increases that we’re looking at right now are not associated with existing users paying for new growth. We need to be very clear on that,” he said. A city representative further explained, “This is complicated and nuanced… The rate increase will help pay back some of the bonding needed for up-

graded or new infrastructure, but new development generally pays for their own infrastructure.”

Per staff and consultant recommendations, the city will also make alterations to the volume tier structures. “Fiscal impact to individual customers will depend on water consumption, meter size, and if the property has access to secondary water,” the staff report affirms. “For an average residential customer without secondary access, the yearly average will increase from $595 to $668 ($73, or 12.2% per year). A high residential user without secondary access will see an increase from $1,300 to $1,558 ($258, or 19.8%).”

In addition, Herriman has announced that it will launch a new online dashboard tool in the next few months so residents can

track their real-time water usage. “You'll be able to find and eliminate water overuse and help keep your bill down as much as possible,” the city’s website says.

As the water increase comes on the heels of a relatively recent property tax increase to fund public safety, the city emphasizes that its officials are impacted by the rate increase as much as anyone else. “We understand the burden and frustration of increased costs. We are all feeling it…,” maintains the website. “Decisions that impact our residents so directly are not made lightly. But this is necessary to ensure we can sustain the vital service of delivering water to you.”

At the March 27 council meeting, Hodges shook his head and said, “It’s a tough decision because it affects every citizen in the city and every business owner.” l

As is expected, residents with secondary water will be affected less by the water rate increase. (Image courtesy Bowen Collins & Associates)

JVWCD gets water from Deer Creek Reservoir, wells, Upper Provo Reservoirs and Jordanelle Reservoir. The last two reservoirs are located northeast of Deer Creek Reservoir and are not shown on the map. (Image courtesy JVWCD)

Herriman fifth graders DARE to create

By Laura S. Crapo | l.crapo@mycityjournals.com

All fifth graders who participated in the D.A.R.E. program this year learned great life lessons. D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education and is taught by local police officers. These students were eligible to enter the D.A.R.E. vehicle design contest.

“The students were receptive to working with the police officers,” said Butterfield Canyon Elementary Principal Jay Eads. “It was a positive reaction and the positivity will help them gain resiliency and make good choices.”

Herriman Police officers Burns and Marisha Manzano were the officers that taught the D.A.R.E. program among the city’s seven elementary schools. Burns and Manzano are connected to the junior high schools in the area. They work in the elementary schools that feed into the junior high schools they’re assigned to. This benefits both the students and the officers because they get to know each other.

“The students did a great job on their designs and the cars were covered until the unveiling,” said Sergeant Lopez, supervisor over the resource officers. “It’s been going

great, the community loves it and we get lots of good feedback. The D.A.R.E. program has been in place since the Herriman Police Department was established.”

The D.A.R.E. design winner for the Butterfield Elementary bobcats was Jaeden Allen. He chose a bold design showing lightning bolts on a black background. It has the D.A.R.E. logo in red. The D.A.R.E. design winner for the Oak Leaf Elementary Owls was Cage Hales. His sharp black and white graphic design is an eye-catcher. The D.A.R.E. logo in red is also emblazoned on the vehicle’s side.

The award-winning designs are trans formed into wraps made by Interstate Image. “I take the paper designs and vector or com puterize it and give it to the wrap company,” Jon LaFollette said, communications manag er for Herriman City.

One more special feature is that each design has a space that says “Designed by.”

Then the student’s actual signature is includ ed in the wrap. The officers drive these spe cially designed D.A.R.E. program vehicles. So the program is promoted and people can look for the signature of Cage or Jaeden.

The D.A.R.E. design winner for the Oak Leaf Elementary Owls was Cage Hales. (Laura S. Crapo/City Journals)

The D.A.R.E. design winner for the Butterfield Elementary bobcats was Jaeden Allen. (Laura S. Crapo/ City Journals)

City approves tentative budget, expected to accept public input until June 12

By Elisa Eames | e.eames@mycityjournals.com

It’sthat time again.

Because the city’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, the Herriman City 2022–2024 budget is set to expire on June 30 with the end of fiscal year 2024. The biennial budget is approved two years at a time, so this fiscal year’s numbers were approved in 2022. “It’s done in two-year increments for efficiency,” the city said. “And amendments can be (and are) made throughout the year as things come up.”

At a city council work meeting on Feb. 21, City Manager Nathan Cherpeski reiterated three budget strategies from the city’s Strategic Plan: develop and maintain a strong foundation of essential services, create and sustain a high quality of life for residents and foster a sense of community through public engagement and interaction.

Director of Finance Kyle Maurer presented examples of city financial accomplishments, including the separation of one-time development fees and expenses from ongoing revenue and expenses.

“The city before has sometimes used one-time revenue money to pay for ongoing operating expenses. We ripped the band aid off this year,” Communications Manager Jon LaFollette said. The solvency of the city police budget was also mentioned. During the current fiscal year, $9 million is expected to be collected for the Herriman Police Department from property taxes. This is by far the largest source of revenue for the police, but not the only one. Other sources include funds paid by Jordan School District for resource officers, fees for providing security at sporting events and various state and federal funding sources.

Other accomplishments discussed were realistic revenue expectations as affected by the end of COVID, long-term anticipation of revenue and expenses, the creation of capital improvement plans and a long-term mindset.

City departments prepared budget requests in November and December to fund their day-to-day operations and any upcoming projects. “They did know going in that this would be a lean budget year,” Maurer said.

Departments were asked to submit requests for only what was absolutely critical in order to maintain operations. City officials began the lengthy and laborious process of reviewing each departmental budget in January. Requests were reviewed a few at a time during city council work meetings. “The requests are reviewed internally and with the city council so they can prioritize funding in the right places,” the city reported.

A tentative budget was released to the public on May 1 (herriman.org/budgets), and the city council voted to approve it on May 8.

“[This] is basically a ‘here’s what we’re planning on doing at this point, but we’re welcoming your feedback before it’s approved’

stage,” said the city.

LaFollette clarified, “However, if there’s a property tax increase proposed, then the approval is shifted a few months later after a Truth-in-Taxation process. That said, I don’t think we’ll be proposing a tax increase this year.”

A public hearing is set for June 12. Comments on the budget are welcome until then, and any alterations will be made before it is expected to be officially approved on June 12, taking effect July 1, which is the start of fiscal year 2025.

Herriman receives revenue from 10 general sources: sales, franchise, property taxes, licenses or permits, development impact fees, intergovernmental revenue (fiscal aid from federal, state and other sources, such as from highway taxes, etc.), grants, service charges, tax incentive funds (which allow local governments to borrow money against future increased property tax revenue) and water fees.

The entire city budget is comprised of nine broad funds: the General Fund, the Debt Service Fund, Herriman City Safety Enforcement Area, Herriman City Fire Service Area, impact fee funds, special revenue funds (money earmarked for specific purposes and in specific areas), enterprise funds (revenue from services that charge a fee such as the water fund) and the American Rescue Plan Act, also known as the COVID-19 Stimulus Package. Respectively, these funds provide money for city departments, debt repayment, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, capital improvement projects

(which also draw funding from the general, impact fee and water-related funds), area-specific infrastructure and the water utility.

“The General Fund is the primary operating fund for the city,” LaFollette said. “It’s the largest fund. Most departments get their funding from this source.”

As the city grows and the demand for services increases, services expand to meet these demands. Costs and revenues rise together. Additional revenue in the General Fund from sales tax, property tax, and other sources will be claimed by additional funding requests. Original requests totaled about $24.6 million, but city officials stipulated that each department needed to cut back on spending in order to maintain a balanced budget, meaning expenses would not exceed income.

“The city council is very hesitant to raise fees or taxes or do anything that affects resident’s pocketbooks,” LaFollette said. “They’re very concerned with how much costs are going up in every aspect of our lives.”

He also explained how it may seem the city is spending money on new budget items, but that’s not the case. To be more transparent and for the sake of clearer accounting, many budget items that were formerly combined within the General Fund will now be broken out separately. “This is happening in every department, so in many areas, it looks like we’re finding a lot of new things to spend money on, but we’re not.”

Revised budget requests in the General Fund amounted to $22.15 million, which

would be slightly less than the expected income of $22.33 million. There is currently a projected deficit for fiscal year 2026, with $23.08 million in expenses against $22.87 million in revenue, but it is expected to be balanced by a slight surplus from fiscal year 2025.

“This is obviously a concern that we’ve had, to reduce expenses wherever we can,” LaFollette said. “If we didn’t tighten our belts for fiscal year 2025, it would introduce a deficit. It’s not always realistic to budget to exactly $0 in surplus versus deficit, but over time, the budget remains balanced.”

At least six city positions have been paused and are currently vacant. Last year, Herriman employed approximately 200 people, and for the upcoming fiscal year, the number will be roughly the same, including full-time employees, seasonal workers and around 50 crossing guards and other part-time employees.

“Because the budget is so tight, we’re entering our second year of a hiring freeze even though several departments feel they need more employees,” LaFollette said. No budget amounts have been finalized, and all are approximate and subject to change.

Within the General Fund, there were a few items of note. The Streets Department tendered the largest funding request. “The majority of their revenue comes from Class C road funds, which is from the state of Utah, but it isn’t intended to cover the department’s entire budget,” the city said. This money goes entirely to maintain streets. “[Streets are] a

The city council and other city officials discuss the administration budget at a work meeting on Feb. 28. (Screenshot courtesy City of Herriman)

major council priority,” Maurer said.

Some departments have actually asked for less money while some have appealed for more due to various cost increases. The Communications Department has requested a refreshing decrease for the upcoming fiscal year, but its budget will climb back up for fiscal year 2026 to account for expected inflation. Expenditures for the city’s Legal Department include outside legal counsel and indigent defense while the Human Resources budgets for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 anticipate higher liability insurance costs. The costliest programs for city employees are employee appreciation and tuition reimbursement. Legislative operating costs include consultants/lobbyists, scholarships, and the Herriman City Youth Council. The Recorder’s Office asked for a decreased budget for 2025 but states a need for an increase again in 2026 for inflation and the upcoming 2026 city election. The Justice Court indicated a need for higher budgets in the next two years, citing, in part, higher credit card processing fees and an unforeseen increase in jury trials.

In fiscal year 2023, $3 million was used from the General Fund to meet budgetary needs in law enforcement. For fiscal year 2024, the General Fund subsidized the police with $311,000. Last year, three new police officers had been previously approved but were canceled. One was reapproved due to the property tax increase.

“With raising the HCSEA property tax,

the police department will no longer need subsidies from the General Fund,” LaFollette said. “Only the HCSEA property taxes and other police-related revenue will be used to fund the police department.”

A separate budget category from the General Fund, Herriman’s many capital improvement projects are financed through impact fees, the Water Fund and to some extent the General Fund and are proposed by the Capital Improvement Project Committee, which includes one member from each city department. The Finance Director serves as the chair. As of April 2024, 181 projects, most of which do not yet have funding assigned to them, were waiting to be realized, though not all were pressing. This number includes projects that the city believes it will eventually need in several years. The most important projects represent a total of $53 million for 2025 and $37 million for 2026.

“One of the real challenges we’re going to face here is pushing some of these out. They're gonna have to take longer to get there. And… being realistic in what we’re doing,” Cherpeski said. Years ago, prior Herriman officials no longer with the city made commitments to fund almost $30 million worth of improvement projects in 2025 and over $7 million in 2026. “...the agreement was that they’d deal with it later…. We are living in later,” Cherpeski said. “It’s… daunting to look at this.”

Upcoming obligatory projects include

improvements to 13800 South, 6400 West and 11800 South. The city council and other officials have explored bonding, bargaining with developers or delaying until funding is available as possible solutions to fund necessary capital projects.

“People can see that we have millions upon millions of dollars to run the city, but it costs millions upon millions of dollars to provide services and maintain things,” LaFollette said. “The city does everything it can to not waste public money. We’re cutting expenses absolutely everywhere we can while maintaining a quality service standard.”

Benefits of Deep Brain Stimulation

with Dr. Joel MacDonald

Deep brain stimulation is an important surgical treatment option for patients experiencing progressive symptoms from Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder with prominent impairment of movement including a disabling combination of tremor, rigidity (stiffness), and bradykinesia (slow movements). As these symptoms worsen, they interfere with daily function and diminish quality of life. Even simple daily tasks like using utensils to eat can be extremely difficult. Many patients notice declining effectiveness of medications over time.

Deep brain stimulation both directly improves these symptoms and allows medication doses to be decreased so that side effects are minimized. The process involves a brief surgical procedure under local anesthetic to implant electrodes within specific targets of the brain. The targets are selected based on the predominant symptoms. The electrodes are then connected to a small implanted stimulator that can then be programmed to improve movement function. Programming is done by a neurologist. Most patients recover from surgery quickly but optimal programming can take some time. This type of surgery has been routinely performed at Holy Cross Hospital - Salt Lake for several decades. For more information about CommonSpirit Health and our Holy Cross hospitals, including information about neurological disorders, please visit www.holycrossutah.org.

As CommonSpirit Health, we make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.

The above information is incomplete. The city budget is very complex and many numbers are still being finalized. For more info, visit herriman.org/budgets. To comment on the budget, email your city council member or make a public comment at a city council meeting by June 12. Direct any questions about the mechanics of the budget or how it works to the Finance Department at finance@ herriman.org. For city council emails or to determine who your city council member is, visit herriman.org/city-council, and click on District Maps. l

Herriman plans to complete most of its new budget process in April. Any final revisions are expected to take place in May and June. (Image courtesy City of Herriman)

Joel D. MacDonald, MD, FAANS Neurosurgery

CommonSpirit Health

Postpartum Care

graduation SECTION

A publication covering local graduation stories and events in the Salt Lake Valley City Journals presents:

With a little PREP in their step, underrepresented students are college-bound

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

“Without PREP, I'd be a loser right now,” West Jordan High School graduate Arlen Villalba Guerrero said. “I wouldn't be very far, just the same old boring stuff, getting ready to do a job that I didn't even enjoy.”

Arlen is one of 15 students graduating from high school with an Engineering Drafting and Manufacturing Technology Certificate of Completion from Salt Lake Community College through Jordan School District’s Pre-freshman Engineering Program (Jordan PREP).

Jordan PREP students, many of whom are typically underrepresented in STEM careers, take four years of science, technology, engineering and math summer courses to prepare to earn 30plus general and engineering college credits by the end of high school.

Arlen joined the program his sophomore year and immediately began to explore his options.

“Being in PREP, you get to think so early about how you're gonna get to what you want to do,” he said. “PREP makes you do so much better and shoot for so much more. I know everything I wanna do right now. I know exactly how to get where I wanna be, and I know exactly what I need to do to get where I wanna be.”

Arlen is now on the pathway to become an Air Force fighter jet pilot, with a head start and higher pay grade due to his college credits.

Natalia Solis said the PREP classes she took as a 12 year old helped her discover her interest in drafting and interior design. She is already on her way to earning a college degree, the first person in her family to do so.

First generation college students, those from economically disadvantaged families or underrepresented minority groups make up the majority of the

students in the Jordan PREP program, which recruits interested students from Title 1 designated schools to motivate and prepare them for STEM careers.

Jordan PREP Coordinator Stacy Pierce has been amazed by the students’ dedication to the program despite difficult life circumstances.

“You've got kids that you had no idea the challenges they had at home— and the challenges got far greater—and they're going to make it,” she said. “They're going to graduate from this program regardless of those challenges.”

She said the rigorous academic enrichment courses students take each summer during their middle school years, prepare them academically, socially and mentally for advanced courses in high school and increase their opportunities to attend college.

“Because it's not a camp—it's a rigorous academic program— I think that's been key to making these kids believe that they could do anything and pursue any career,” Pierce said.

She said the math courses have the biggest impact.

“Math is the gatekeeper that keeps kids out of, say, 80% of the higher paying jobs that help these kids break into a different economic level,” she said. “To help them maintain and build that math confidence—I think it's absolutely huge.”

Anna Fotheringham said staying academically active during the summer with PREP courses gave her an advantage.

“You learned a little bit of math before [school started], so when you did math [in school], you already kind of knew what you're doing,” she said. “So I feel like it gave me a step ahead in regular classes, and then also just in life, because we have a lot of college classes

done that kind of set us up to, if we want, pursue the certain career that they have set up for us to go into.”

When she was younger, Anna wanted to work in a nail salon but is now planning to earn a manufacturing degree.

“Doing programs like this made me realize that doing nails is not really going to give me enough money to live on my own, basically,” she said. “It made me realize I can do harder careers.”

Ayden Bascom said many of his friends don’t have a post-graduation plan yet, but that PREP taught him to think ahead.

“In PREP, especially with Stacy [Pierce], she tells you this earlier, to be prepared for life,” he said.

Natalia said the expectations set in PREP classes, especially during her middle school years, helped her set

higher goals.

“It pushed me into showing myself that I can do harder stuff than I had set myself to, because I had set my standards low for myself,” she said. “You can do much more harder things than you think you can.”

Lai Lai Havili almost dropped out of the program but is glad to be graduating high school with college credits he can use as a fallback plan if his dreams of playing in the NFL don’t work out.

Talon Johnson, who has always known he wants to be a chemical engineer, said the PREP program has not only given him a head start that will save him time and money, but the confidence to be successful in college.

“I have this foundation that a lot of other students may not, and I can push

Continued page 14

Jordan PREP Plus students will graduate high school with 30-plus college credits. (Photo courtesy of Stacy Pierce)

Unique traditions make graduation ceremonies special

By Jet Burnham and Julie Slama

Thousands of students will be graduating at the end of this month and each school will conduct their graduation ceremony with unique traditions, awards, celebrations and themes.

Students will be the main speakers at Providence Hall High School’s graduation ceremony. The student body president, two valedictorians and two other students will share their thoughts and wisdom with their peers.

“We really make it kid focused, so adults don't speak more than three minutes,” Principal Melissa McPhail said. “I feel like if we're waiting ‘til the last day to teach them something, then we have not done our job for four years.”

McPhail said one of the student speakers chosen to speak this year is not a well-known student but will share an impactful message.

“We get these kids who have had a unique journey through high school, and we catch the attention of those kids that weren't the activity type or the academic type,” she said.

Providence Hall’s graduation ceremony is always less than an hour and 40 minutes to ensure the students have time to celebrate with friends, family, and former elementary, middle and high school teachers who attend the ceremony. Of this year’s 155 graduates, 29 have attended Providence Hall since kindergarten.

After the speeches and diplomas, the students will leave the stadium as the ‘song of the year’ plays. McPhail chooses the song that best fits the graduating class. Last year’s song was Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” and in 2020, it was R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World As We Know It.”

“The kids really want to know all year what their song is going to be, but I wait until the day of graduation,” McPhail said.

Providence Hall’s ceremony will be held at the Zion’s Bank Stadium at nearby Salt Lake Academy, which also has a unique graduation tradition. Following the graduation ceremony, each Salt Lake Academy graduate receives five roses to give as a ‘thank you’ to their parents, teachers, counselors or friends.

“They get to present them to people

Continued from 13

myself to do more, to do better because of this foundation,” he said.

Talon will return to Jordan PREP in June as a tutor for some of the 220 PREP students taking classes this summer.

Many of this year’s program gradu-

who have influenced them along their journey,” school office manager Cheryl DeHeck said.

Gifts are also a part of South Valley School’s open house style graduation. Students and their families will also be treated to refreshments and a slide show highlighting each of this year’s 35 graduates.

Here is the pertinent information. ADA accommodations are available at all locations.

Academy of Math, Engineering and Science — An anticipated 118 students will take part in the school’s commencement exercises, which will feature nine student speakers and two musical numbers. The 90-minute ceremony will begin at 2 p.m., May 23 in Cottonwood High’s auditorium.

Alta High — About 545 seniors are to walk through commencement exercises at 10 a.m., May 29 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center with Canyons Board of Education Vice President Amanda Oaks and Board member Holly Neibaur speaking and will be joined by Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood. This year’s theme is “Alta, Let’s Fly!”

American Academy of Innovation — About 60 seniors will take part in their commencement exercises. Graduation will be at 6 p.m., May 29 at Thanksgiving Point’s show barn.

American Preparatory Academy — At APA’s commencement ceremony, 52 students will graduate at 10 a.m., June 1 at the school. The APA Chorum Vita choir will be singing a Latin piece titled "Omnia Sol" by Z. Randall Stroope and "For Good" from the Broadway musical “Wicked.” The valedictorian will be selected in early May. The ceremony is by invitation only.

Beehive Science & Technology Academy — Twenty-three students will listen to their commencement speaker, Sandy City Council Member Marci Houseman at 7 p.m., May 23 at Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Free Enterprise Con-

ates were part of the first cohort of the Jordan PREP program which began the summer of 2018 with 25 seventh graders. It has since served over 300 students.

Nationwide, PREP is only a threeyear program. With grant money, a sponsorship by Merit Medical, and a partnership with Salt Lake Community College,

ference Center’s auditorium. This year’s valedictorian is James Nelson and salutatorian Lliam Delahunty.

Bingham High — Commencement exercises will be held at 5:30 p.m., May 30 in the UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University in Orem. The theme is from author T.S. Eliot, “The end is where we start from.” Speakers will include Jordan School District Superintendent Anthony Godfrey, Jordan Board of Education members Marilyn Richards and Bryce Dunford with Board president Tracy Miller and District Administrator of High Schools Brad Sorensen in attendance.

Brighton High — Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent McKay Robinson is scheduled to speak to 520 students who are expected to graduate at 2 p.m., May 29 at the Maverik Center. Joining him will be Canyons Board of Education President Amber Shill and former Board president Nancy Tingey. This year’s theme is “The future depends on what we do in the present,” by Mahatma Ghandi.

Copper Hills High — May 29, 6 p.m. UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University

“Be your best self”

Corner Canyon High — “Always

Jordan District’s program expanded to a PREP Plus program, continuing through high school to earn a college certificate and set the students up for a promising future.

“It so far exceeded anything I ever dreamed of when I first started the program,” Pierce said. “If they decide not to pursue any more education, they've

One” is the theme for 550 seniors who will graduate at 2 p.m., May 29 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center. Canyons School District Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood is scheduled to speak. Joining him is Canyons Board of Education Vice President Amanda Oaks and Board member Holly Neibaur.

Cottonwood High — About 400 seniors will walk through the traditional commencement exercises at 10 a.m., May 24 at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center.

Cyprus High — May 23, 1 p.m. Maverik Center

Diamond Ridge — About 60 students will graduate at 6:30 p.m., May 28 at Eastmont Middle School’s auditorium. Canyons School District Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood is scheduled to speak. Joining him is Canyons Board of Education Vice President Andrew Edtl, former Board president Nancy Tingey and Board member Karen Pedersen. This year’s theme is by Canadian poet and author Rupi Kaur: “You don’t just wake up to become a butterfly. Growth is a process.”

Entrada — Canyons School District Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood is expected to address 135 soon-to-be graduates at 7 p.m., June 26 at Alta High School. Canyons Board of Education

got a sustainable livelihood, and then they also have the option to continue their education and have the means to pay for it.”

For more information, see prep.jordandistrict.org.

Former Sunrise students who studied at several Salt Lake Valley high schools reunited at their elementary school prior to their 2023 graduation ceremonies. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

President Amber Shill and Vice President Amanda Oaks will be present. The theme is “Winners never quit. We choose to win!”

Granger High — May 24, 7 p.m. Maverik Center

Granite Connection High — An open house will be held 4-7 p.m. on May 22 and 23 at Granite Connection High.

Granite Peaks High — June 5, 6:30 p.m.

Granite Peaks

Granite Transition Services — The graduation ceremony will be 10 a.m. on May 23 in the Granite Connection Auditorium.

Hartvigsen School — May 23, 12:30 p.m.

Hartvigsen gym

Herriman High — May 30, 7:30 p.m.

Herriman High Football Stadium “Here and Now”

Hillcrest High — About 480 seniors will turn the tassel at their 9:30 a.m., May 29 graduation at the Maverik Center. The speaker is Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent McKay Robinson. Joining him will be Canyons Board of Education Vice President Andrew Edtl and member Kris Millerberg. The theme comes from American businessman and writer, Max Depree: “We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.”

Hunter High — May 24, 2 p.m. Maverik Center

Jordan High — Canyons School Board of Education Vice President Andrew Edtl and Karen Pedersen will address the 430 seniors at the 6:30 p.m., May 29 commencement ceremony at the Maverik Center. For their theme, the seniors selected “And the Beet Goes On,” to tie into their nickname, the Beetdiggers. Canyons School District Assistant Superintendent McKay Robinson will be in attendance.

Jordan Prep Plus — May 3, 10 a.m. Maverik Center

Jordan Valley — Canyons School District Special Education Director Nate Edvalson will talk to five students who will graduate at 3:30 p.m., May 24 at the Hillcrest High School’s fieldhouse gallery. Canyons Board of Education former president Nancy Tingey and Board member Kris Millerberg will join him. The theme is “Adapting to Change.”

Juan Diego Catholic High — The Baccalaureate Mass for 168 students in

the Class of 2024 will be held on May 21 at the Cathedral of the Madeleine Catholic Church. The commencement exercises will take place on May 25 at the school. Both events require a ticket to attend.

Kearns High — May 24, 9 a.m. Maverik Center

Kings Peak High — May 30, 6 p.m.

Hidden Valley Middle Auditorium

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”Eleanor Roosevelt

Life Skills Academy — Eight students will graduate at 12:30 p.m., May 28 at the school. The theme is a quote by author J.R.R. Tolkien; he said: “The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. Each day brings new possibilities for exploration and discovery.” Speaking will be Canyons School District Special Education Director Nate Edvalson and he will be joined by Canyons Board of Education

President Amber Schill, former president Nancy Tingey and member Karen Pedersen.

Lone Peak High — May 22, 12:30 p.m.

BYU’s Marriott Center

Mountain Ridge High — May 30, 1 p.m.

UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University

“This is the Time”

Murray High — The graduation cer-

emony will be held at 11 a.m., June 6 at the Lifetime Activities Center on Salt Lake Community College’s Redwood Campus.

Olympus High — May 24, 2 p.m. Huntsman Center

Paradigm High — At 4 p.m., May 30, 55 seniors will graduate at the University of Utah’s Kingsbury Hall. The yet-to-benamed valedictorian will be the student speaker.

Providence Hall — May 24, 10 a.m.

Zions Bank Stadium

River’s Edge — “Level Up” is the theme for this year’s commencement, which will be held at 1 p.m., May 31 in the school’s auditorium. Speaking will be Jordan Board of Education President Tracy Miller and Jordan School District administrator Lisa Robinson. Joining them will be Board vice president Darrell Robinson and Board member Lisa Dean.

Riverton High — May 30, 8:30 a.m.

UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University

“Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but it's everything in between that makes it all worth living.” - Bob Marley

Salt Lake Academy — May 30, 10 a.m.

Zions Bank Stadium

Skyline High — May 24, 6 p.m. Huntsman Center

South Valley — May 29, 3 p.m.

South Valley School Cafeteria

“Chart Your Course”

Summit Academy High — May 30, 2 p.m.

Summit Academy High Gymnasium

Taylorsville High — May 23, 6 p.m. Maverik Center

Valley High — Graduation will be held at 10 a.m., May 29 at Zions Bank Stadium at Real Academy in Herriman. This year’s theme is “The People, The Stories, The Experiences.” Speaking will be Jordan Board of Education President Tracy Miller and Jordan School District Administrator of High Schools Brad Sorensen with Board vice presidents Darrell Robinson and Niki George and Jordan District administrator Becky Gerber in attendance.

Waterford School — At 10 a.m., June 6, the school will honor its Class of 2024 on the campus’ east soccer field. About 70 students are expected to participate in the commencement exercises, which will feature Waterford’s vocal ensemble, the Troubadours, as well as a musical performance by the Lower School students. ADA access is on the southwest side of the field.

West Jordan High — May 29, 2 p.m. UCCU Arena at Utah Valley University

“We didn’t know we were making discoveries, we were just having fun.”A.A. Milne in Winnie the Pooh

Thousands of students and their families will attend graduation ceremonies this month, such as this 2023 Copper Hills High School graduation ceremony (Doug Flagler/Jordan School District)

Young women in Jordan and Canyons School Districts are shaping the future of business

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

A celebration was held for the 22 graduates of the South Valley Chamber’s Junior Women in Business Program. This year’s cohort was the biggest so far in the history of the initiative that coaches high school seniors through leadership, business and mentoring opportunities.

Young women from high schools across Jordan and Canyons School Districts spent the year attending women in business events, meeting female entrepreneurs in the area, doing job shadowing, participating in service projects and receiving one-on-one mentoring with prominent business and civic leaders.

Savanna Barlow (Alta High School) said the experience was a valuable way to create connections with female leaders, gain experience with the legislative process and develop relationships with the other young women in the program. She plans to attend the University of Utah to get a degree in business management. Each graduate received a $1,000 scholarship.

“That scholarship was only the tip of the iceberg for what this program gave us,” Savanna said. “It was amazing. First of all, the monthly luncheons and the guest speakers

were incredible. We talked to CEOs, authors and entrepreneurs…Each of these women told us about the challenges they faced in the business world and in their personal lives. Those experiences are priceless.”

Sponsored by America First Credit Union, WCF Insurance, Intermountain Health and Crystal Maggelet, president and CEO of FJ Management, the Junior Women in Business program started 12 years ago.

Along with Savanna, these high school seniors also graduated from the program: Aubrey Campbell (Brighton High School), Ava Pezely (Riverton High School), Brooklyn Woodley (AHS), Chantel Moore (Jordan High School), Daira Camacho (West Jordan High School), Gabriella Martinez (WJHS), Giovanna Grant (BHS), Grace Mahoney (JHS), Grace Palmer (RHS), Hannah Bradshaw (Juan Diego Catholic High School), Healani Hernandez (Bingham High School), Jaci Elzinga (BHS), Kaitlyn Rios (Herriman High School), Kate Taggart (Corner Canyon High School), Kiara Sunil-Singh (Providence Hall), Madison Crowther (Copper Hills High School), Makai Johnson (Mountain Ridge High School), Mya Ruiz (American Preparatory Academy), Samantha Picker-

Summit Academy Schools

www.summitacademyschools.org • 801-572-9007

Summit Academy is one of the premier charter schools in the state of Utah. We opened our doors 20 years ago in 2004. Summit Academy has grown from a single K-6 school to a four campus, K-12 powerhouse educational system.

Summit Academy Bluffdale is the newest campus in the Summit system. We are experts in the early learning years and lay the foundation for our students’ educational success. At Summit Academy Bluffdale, students build their fundamental understanding of language arts, math, and science. They learn to think critically and develop their own unique personality and strengths.

Children learn best when they are engaged in the joy of learning. Children gain self-confidence as they work hard and find success because of their efforts. Summit Academy’s emphasis on the individual child, as well as our commitment to attracting and keeping master teachers ensures that our students will not only have academic success but will ultimately find their place in the world and establish a life-long love of learning.

Students enjoy participating in math contests, speech festivals, art nights, and spelling bees. They love the opportunities to “show what they know.” Our parent organization helps support the schools’ goals by organizing such family activities as Fall Fest, STEM Night, and Literacy Night.

Summit Academy Bluffdale also has a Spanish Immersion program. Students in the immersion program not only learn a high academic level of Spanish but are also prepared for the global community and job markets where 21st century skills are an asset.

Because we value strong educational foundations, we are proud of our students who continue through Summit and go on to make a positive difference in their communities. Call Summit Academy Bluffdale today to set up a tour and discover what a Summit education can mean for your child.

ing (JDCHS), Sienna Yang (Hillcrest High School) and Zoe Kener (CCHS).

“At the Chamber, we’re trying to do some good, and I think the community is a better place,” said Jay Francis, South Valley Chamber president and CEO. “We have 22 young ladies who have rubbed shoulders with some of the best business women in the community. We’ll just keep multiplying that and we’ll just be better.”

At the graduation ceremony held at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers South Campus, Sarah Davies (The Piano Place), Alma Lopez and Diana Lopez (Cakes by Edith), and Sadie Bowler (SadieB) participated in a panel discussion talking about their business journeys as female entrepreneurs.

“From the age of 11, I decided I wanted to go to business school and learn how to manage business, how to hire people, how to manage a group of people and eventually how to become an entrepreneur,” Alma Lopez said. “I feel super happy and blessed that my sister and I are able to take the reins of the business and manage the business and be entrepreneurs.”

Nearly two dozen young women graduated from the South Valley Chamber’s Junior Women in Business Program in April, after receiving leadership and entrepreneurial training. (City Journals)

With Wightman, Mountain Ridge track and field looking to vault to the top

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

In the Class 6A ranks, track and field is a competitive sport, with several deep, talented teams vying for top honors. While Mountain Ridge will have its work cut out for it at the upcoming state meet, it boasts one of the top pole vaulters in the state: senior Adam Wightman.

Mountain Ridge finished 14th on the boys’ side in last year’s state meet. Wightman had an outstanding meet last season, placing third overall in the pole vault among all 6A pole vaulters. He is optimistic about the team’s chances this time around at the 6A state meet, May 16–18 at Brigham Young University. He’s also eager to do even better in his event.

“My goal this year is to pole vault 16 feet and 1 inch to beat the unofficial Utah junior record,” he said. “As a team, I want to win the region championships this year as well as the state championship.”

Wightman, a junior, hasn’t even been involved in track and field too long. He got started in the sport competitively just two years ago as a ninth grader. Interestingly, his participation in another sport got him going in track.

“What got me started was my pole vaulting,” he said. “I was a football kid, but you can’t be a football kid all year; you need

something to do in the offseason. My dad was trying to convince me to join the track team so I could stay in shape. I told him multiple times that I wasn’t going to run just to run; I needed a ball or something to make it fun. He then cleverly asked me if I would run with a pole. I agreed to try it, and he took me to a session at the Utah Pole Vault Academy (UTPVA), and I immediately fell in love with vaulting. Pole vaulting gave me a gateway into track because I wanted to improve my vault and the best way to do that was to get faster. So, after a few sprinting workouts, I fell in love with the track side of things as well.”

Being a good pole vaulter is no simple task. But Wightman said he loves the event and finds it an incredibly satisfying experience.

“There is nothing more exhilarating than getting launched into the air by a giant fiberglass stick,” he said. “I also love long jumping because it is pretty much the same thing as the vault; you just jump into sand instead of a pole.”

Head coach James Barnes believes Wightman is the state’s best pole vaulter. Many elements make Wightman good at what he does. He said also does some other events here and there, though pole vaulting

is definitely where he is most effective.

“My biggest strength as a track athlete is definitely my vaulting,” Wightman said.

The sizzling success of MacKenna York

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Inthe male-dominated world of BBQ competitions, MacKenna York is grilling her way to top finishes in BBQ events worldwide.

The 16-year-old Herriman High student got interested in competing after watching her dad, Jeremy Mecham, take up the activity a few years ago. MacKenna saw how well he was doing and thought she’d join him at the grill.

“I’ve always been a really competitive person,” she said. “I wanted to see if I would be good at this and I gave it a try. I did well in my first couple of competitions and I just fell in love. I've been competing ever since.”

Grilled steak is her specialty. She likes the consistency and simplicity of steak, instead of having to come up with a new recipe every time, although she has competed in other categories. MacKenna said her secret is not taking the competition too seriously.

“Make sure you’re still having fun because as soon as you start taking it too seriously, and not enjoying it, you’re not going to do well anymore because you’re going to put way too much pressure on yourself.”

MacKenna has competed in nearly 50 BBQ events and was named grand champion at the 2024 Slab-O-Rama Kids Que in Arizona. Her grilling expertise caught the eye of Christie Vanover, an award-winning competitive pit master, appearing on Season 4 of Food Network’s BBQ Brawl.

Vanover created Girls Can Grill in 2015 with the goal to attract more girls and women to the world of competitive BBQ. After connecting with MacKenna, Vanover created a Girls Can Grill Pro Team that offers scholarships to young women to cover costs of BBQ competitions. MacKenna was

the first one on the team which now includes nine girls from across the country.

“[MacKenna] just holds her own,” Vanover said. “She goes in with competence. She does a great job and she kept getting calls, which means she kept making the top 10 over and over, and actually won a couple of them against the adults, and made it to the world championships for the past two years. She just has an excellent attitude with a lot of drive and determination. She’s full of happiness, but is also really skilled behind the grill.”

MacKenna stays busy, competing at 15-20 events in Utah each year, and several others throughout the U.S., along with playing competitive soccer. She said her family has been a big support because she feels it’s harder for teenage girls to get into the field of BBQ events. She’s grateful for Vanover’s commitment to the scholarship program and hopes more girls get involved.

“It’s really inspiring to know that I was able to help create a [scholarship] program that’s going to help so many other young women be able to pursue their passion in barbecue and to be able to continue to do what they love and not have money be what stops them from doing what they love,” MacKenna said.

For more information, visit GirlsCanGrill.com. l

MacKenna York holds her first Golden Ticket after winning the Sevier Sear 2023. The Herriman resident joined with the Girls Can Grill organization to encourage young women to take up competitive BBQ. (Photo courtesy of York familly)

“I consistently score points there no matter who it is against.

Adam Wightman’s uncle Greg; his wife, Jacy; Wightman’s mom, Desi, holding his little sister Addie; Wightman in the middle; his dad, Chris, and his sister Gentri. Wightman, a Mountain Ridge junior, is one of the state’s top pole vaulters. (Photo courtesy of Adam Wightman.)

Dalton leading Mountain Ridge boys tennis on and off the court

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

Formany high school athletes, family plays a significant role by supporting, motivating and cheering. In the case of Mountain Ridge boys tennis player Luke Dalton, he can credit family members for helping him get interested in the sport.

Dalton picked up tennis as a young boy, playing mostly for fun with his father, who helped him develop some skills and knowledge of the game. His interest and passion for the game grew later when his sister began playing for Mountain Ridge.

“I have always played tennis with my dad but started playing more seriously my sophomore year after my sister joined the high school team,” he said.

Since then, Dalton has continued to improve his game and develop an even deeper love and appreciation for tennis. This has benefitted the Mountain Ridge squad, as Dalton is now a senior leader and one of the top players on the squad. He occupies the first singles position on the varsity team where he regularly squares off against top opponents. His attitude, hard work and play helps to carry the team.

Head coach Parker Hansen enjoys coaching Dalton and appreciates what he brings to the court each day. But it’s not just the player Dalton is that Hansen likes coach-

ing and associating with. He said Dalton is an exemplary young man in all aspects of life, helping to inspire others.

“[Dalton] is a great guy on and off the court,” Hansen said. “He comes to every practice and works hard. His work ethic and mental toughness is inspiring to the other players and to me. He’s going to do great things in his life.”

One of the aspects of playing for Mountain Ridge that Dalton loves most is that he feels it’s much more than a team. When it’s game time, he and his teammates take every game, set and match seriously. The players work hard at practice and are continually doing what they can to get better. But Dalton says he and his teammates enjoy playing and being around each other. The Sentinels have team activities to build unity. They like being around each other and cultivating friendships.

“Mountain Ridge tennis is more of a family than anything,” Dalton said. “We always have fun if it’s at practice, a team dinner or anywhere else.”

As he has developed as a tennis player, Dalton has grown to love many elements of the sport. When a match goes a full three sets, it can be grueling. However, Dalton also said prevailing in marathon matches

can be gratifying and is one of the things he loves most about tennis. He said there’s nothing quite like seeing hard work, effort and determination in the face of adversity pay off with a successful result.

“Winning a long match is definitely one of the best feelings as a tennis player,” he said.

Last season, Dalton played second singles for Mountain Ridge. He won in the first round but lost in the round of 16 in a tough match. This season, Dalton has worked on honing a few parts of his game, specifically his effectiveness in longer matches. He hopes by doing so he’ll be able to pick up more victories and help put his team over the top.

“I hope to improve my endurance, as in the past I’ve lost some long matches that really could have helped the team out,” he said. “Being able to win those tight matches would really help me overall as a player.”

As for his strengths, Dalton has an excellent serve. He also does well with staying in long rallies.

The 2024 Class 6A state tournament will begin with first-round matches May 4 at Farmington High School. The subsequent rounds, including the finals, will be May 9 and 11 at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. Last season, Mountain Ridge scored three points as a team to finish 18th out of 26 teams. Dalton and his teammates are eager to get back on the court at state and move up in the

standings. To do that, the Sentinels will have to qualify as many varsity players as possible for state and win some matches there against talented foes.

“I hope that this year our team can figure out a way to get as many boys as possible to state as well as score higher than we did last year,” he said.

Achieving that goal won’t be easy, as 6A features some excellent teams. Working toward this objective, however, is what Dalton has in his sights, and he is doing his part to lead the Sentinels as far as they can go.

In this, his final year at Mountain Ridge, Dalton’s competitive tennis career may soon be coming to an end. Dalton has some big plans for the future, though. After graduating, he’ll serve a volunteer two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He intends to then study business at Brigham Young University.

As he reflects on his career and his time at Mountain Ridge, Dalton is grateful to his father for generating that early interest in tennis. His mother has also been a staunch supporter of his time on the court. Dalton also credits the coaches—not to mention the many teammates—he has had over the years for his success.

“Both my parents have really helped me become who I am now, and I owe it all to them,” he said. “Also, my coaches current and past as well as all my teammates have helped me.” l

Mountain Ridge boys tennis player Luke Dalton returns a hit in practice this season. The senior is the first singles varsity starter for the Sentinels. (Photo courtesy Luke Dalton)

I’m also pretty athletic, so I can get thrown into pretty much any event and still do well. That typically happens with a relay when one of my teammates gets hurt.”

The Mountain Ridge team is like family, Wightman said. The athletes get along and enjoy good unity. The coaches are supportive and encourage everyone to do his or her best. Wightman is also grateful that he has all the tools at his disposal that he needs to be successful.

“The best things about being on the mountain ridge track team are the extremely nice facilities and equipment,” he said. “The coaches are amazing and push us to get the best from us. We have a stricter environment than most schools where everyone is dedicated to doing their duty. And last but not least, the amazing athletes all support each other.”

Wightman may be an All-State-caliber athlete, but he knows he can always get better.

“I want to improve everything I do,” he said. “I am super competitive, so I always push myself to be the best I can. Right now, I’m trying to improve my long jump, especially to hopefully have a chance at going to state for that as well as pole vault.”

With still one year to go at Mountain Ridge, Wightman is already looking ahead to the future. He intends on serving a volunteer mission for The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints after he graduates. After that two-year service, he hopes to continue his track and field career.

“I want to vault at a D1 college and study mechanical engineering,” he said. “I have not decided which schools are best for me, but I figure I have a lot of time to figure that out as a junior.”

Wightman is a tireless worker and competitor. His efforts have yielded some fantastic results. But he hasn’t forgotten about the people who have helped him along the way.

“My biggest mentor has been my dad,” he said. “He got me started, and he’s kept me going. He has taken so much time out of his life to support me in my dreams, from driving me to competitions all over Utah and Idaho, to late-night talks on how I can improve. I definitely would not be where I was today without him. Another mentor is my uncle. He was an amazing pole vaulter back in the day and is kind of the reason my dad wanted me to try vaulting. He has helped me look at the vault in a more long-term way and supported me through the good and bad competitions. Lastly, I thank all my coaches, especially those at UTPVA that have really helped me dial in my pole vaulting form.” l

Herriman’s Smith a huge part of softball team’s success

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

TheHerriman softball team has established itself as one of the steadiest programs in Class 6A. No one player is the reason for the team’s accomplishments, but some stand out.

Junior Tanzie Smith is one of the Mustang’s most indispensable players.

Smith, a utility player who can do just about everything, helped lead the Mustangs to an impressive 16-4 record through their first 20 games. Herriman competes in Region 2, arguably the toughest region in the state where it goes up against fellow state powers Riverton and Bingham, among other solid teams. In Region 2, Herriman was 6-3 as of April 25 a half a game behind second-place Bingham. At that point, Herriman also held the No. 3 spot in the RPI rankings.

Despite playing in such a hotly contested region, Smith believes the Mustangs can win a state title.

“My goal for myself for the rest of the season is do my job and stay consistent for my team,” she said. “I want to win state with my team; I want to get a ring. I think we want it more than anyone, and we are willing to put in the work and be the best of the best to win the title.”

Thanks to a sister, Smith got involved in softball. She began playing tee ball, as many young players do. From there, she moved up to recreation-level play and then to travel teams around age 10. Smith has enjoyed her experience, especially making friends and building lasting relationships and memories.

Herriman softball player Tanzie Smith is a big reason why the Mustangs are once again among a select few teams expected to contend for a state title. (Photo courtesy of Heidi McKissick.)

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“I mostly started playing because of my sister,” Smith said. “I pretty much followed her footsteps and played all of the sports she did. I really loved the people I played with and made so many friends. I enjoy the environment; I love the girls I’ve played with. I also do love the game; I love playing it. I love catching and being a part of every play. I love to be a game changing hit and motivate my teammates.”

In her time at Herriman, Smith has been a part of some strong Mustang teams. Last season, Herriman went 23-6 overall and 7-3 in Region 3, good enough for third place, a game behind Riverton and Bingham, which tied for first. Herriman advanced all the way to the Class 6A state title game where it fell to rival Bingham 11-5 a day after losing to the Miners 3-0 in the double-elimination tournament.

As a freshman, Smith and her teammates took some lumps, going 5-22 overall. The Mustangs have made quite a turnaround the past two season, with Smith being a big reason why.

This season, Smith had two home runs, seven doubles and 32 RBI through the first 20 games. She leads by example by the way she plays and with how she conducts herself on and off the field.

“I definitely do bring a lot of words to the team,” she said. “I am there for all of my teammates when they are in need. I do think I benefit my team with my bat, just doing my job and getting things done. When I was able to catch more, I took charge of the field, backed up my pitcher and helped steady the game.”

As the season progresses toward the end of this season, there are aspects of her game she wants to work on and pol-

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ish. She said she could be a better leader and be there more for her teammates.

“I want to improve my leadership and being always in the game,” she said. “I could definitely bring more to them with cheering and communicating.”

Smith has played for multiple teams during her softball career, but being a Mustang is something special, she said. She’s grateful to play alongside other hard-working, dedicated girls who are all working toward the same goal. Some of her best memories of playing for Herriman have been interacting with her teammates.

“I love being there for the girls,” she said. “The freshman who came in this year have really done amazing, and I hope to help them and have them love the sport like I do. I love the friendships I’ve made. Some of these girls I’ve met have truly impacted my life so much.”

The 6A state tournament is fast approaching, with the first games slated to start May 16 with best-of-three super regionals. Bracket play then starts May 21 at the Valley Complex. Herriman expects to contend for the state championship, and that series will be held May 23 and 24 at Brigham Young University.

No high school athlete could accomplish his or her goals and find success in any sport without people offering support along the way. Smith has a lot of gratitude for her family and coaches.

“I give so much credit to my family,” she said. “My parents have come to my games and paid for all my softball needs. I give so much thanks to my sister; she is playing softball at Weber State, and she has been such a big support for me. Playing with her last year was truly the best experience. I am grateful for my coaches, who believed in me and trusted me. I give a big thank you to all of my coaches who have gotten me to the player I am today.”

Though a junior, Smith plans on graduating at the end of this year. She will then attend Salt Lake Community College. l

Over the last few years, more readers are emailing us about the Life and Laughter columns that run in the Journal. Last month, realizing the topic was more controversial, we decided to ask for reader feedback. Our readers left nearly 200 responses.

Over 60 percent of readers agreed with the article. Here is a small sampling of the comments that we received from our readers.

“I always love Peri Kinder's articles. I am on the same page with her politically. However, the length and tone of her articles make clear they are written for people who already agree with her - not for people on the fence or are looking for information on a topic”

“Peri inspired some thoughts that I hadn't paid much attention to.”

“Peri's bigotry is showing. No one should have to apologize for their sex, race, income status, or sexual orientation, unless of course, according to Peri, you’re a straight white male in Utah. Replace white with black and male with female in her piece and maybe you’ll be able to recognize the vitriol for what it is. Women are entitled to safe, private spaces, and I guarantee that if there were a man pretending to be a woman ogling at Peri in the bathroom, she might feel just a wee bit uncomfortable. As a woman, I’m tired of feminists telling me to “just get over it” and that my feelings don’t matter. Must I once again subjugate my desires in deference to a man who wants things his way? Maybe you should ask the girl in Virginia who was sexually assaulted by a transgender girl in the girls’ bathroom at school. Just because Peri doesn’t mind men in her bathroom doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t traumatized by it. The Legislature did absolutely the right thing, carefully balancing the rights of transgender people with women’s right to privacy and safe separate spaces.”

“Biological men do not belong in the same restroom as women. I do not want my children to ever be in a bathroom where a man is present. Just because the author has

Life and Laughter Reader Response

not encountered a “creepy man dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, accosting women in the restroom,” does not mean this has not occurred. There are numerous cases where women have been assaulted by so called transgender info inside of women’s restrooms, for example, the case in Louden County VA.”

“I really like a lot of her articles but I am very opposed to pretty much everything she said in this one.”

“I agree with most of the comments about the legislature. However, I do not want transgender (born male) in my women's bathroom. They can use the family bathrooms which are becoming much more available.”

“Responding to "the article" as a whole cannot be done here because many different opinions were expressed on many issues. My only reaction to the overall article is "what happened to laughter"? I have often enjoyed your humor but this article had none! That's sad.”

"I agree that Trans women should not be allowed in the female bathrooms. Why? Because they are not women. There are only two genders. There always have been two genders and that cannot change. It is not dependent on what we think we are or are not.

We cannot and should not change the gender given to us by our Creator. I think He knows best.”

“Also, the author makes it sound like not allowing Trans women in a female bathroom is being unloving...love thy neighbor. Since when does disagreeing with someone's lifestyle directly correlate to being unloving? In any relationship we have with others, there are likely times we don't fully agree with someone's opinion or choices. We can still love that person, but not agree with their actions or lifestyle. These days it seems that if you disagree in any way with diversity, equity and inclusion you are labeled a hater. How is it that everyone else is entitled to their opinion but if mine is different in any way, I am wrong. How is that loving? We live in a free country that allows us to have a variety of opinions and express those opinions in a respectful way. But we also have to understand that not everyone is going to agree with each other and that is OK. With the bathroom issue, single stall bathrooms that allow either gender is the best solution in my opinion."

“Agree 100%. Peri is right. Sometimes it is embarrassing to live in this state with the things the legislature worries about and focuses on, and the bills they pass. There are more important problems to deal with than worrying about which bathrooms people are using, fighting DEI, and what books kids should or shouldn’t be reading. Frankly I think some of these things send the wrong message; I fear the kids are only learning that the adults don’t trust them to make good decisions. Or any decisions at all which will only lead to more problems down the road… an even more intolerant society with no critical thinking skills which is never a good thing.”

“This article is right. I couldn't agree more with all of Peri Kinder's articles. This one is my favorite.

I usually read the Peri Kinder column to get a good chuckle but this one hit the nail right on the head.”

“Thanks for printing this. I'm a trans woman who lives here and this was nice to see. I worked at the airport before, now I'm looking for a new job. It's been a rough couple of years for trans people and can seem overwhelming at times. Thanks for reminding me there's allies out there.”

“Peri is so sensible. I appreciate her writing this column.”

"I completely agree. We have a short legislative session and too much time and efforts were made supporting hatred and exclusion, singularity of thought and government being for themselves instead of for the people.

Read the polls: none of this is what the majority of voters are asking for.”

“It is so refreshing to read an opinion driven by common sense and compassion, rather than ignorance and fear. I know people in Utah are more compassionate than those who represent them, based on proposed legislation.”

“I look forward to Peri Kinder's article every month. This article was especially "spot on". Government needs to be more transparent! Not hidden behind so called "privacy" laws that block access to to the daily calendar of elected officials. I also agree with Peri's stance on public restrooms. Nobody goes into a restroom 'looking for" a transgender. They are there to "do their business" and leave asap! I have noticed that airports, some restaurants, and some of the wonderful theaters (Pioneer Theatre's new Meldrum Theatre and The Eccles) have an open doorway. The stalls allow for individual privacy, but the rooms are open and very visible. This is the first time I have used my scanning code. I felt it was important to express my point of view.”

“Acceptance has been slow over the years, but acceptance of the reality is gaining more support as people learn about their families.”

“I question the comments about guns in schools but clearly agree with the rest.” l

My dog, Jedi, runs to the closet where her leash hangs. She spins in circles as I take it off the hook and click it on her collar. She bites the leash and pulls because I’m just not moving fast enough. She is so happy to walk the neighborhood and terrorize small animals.

Usually, these daily walks cheer me up, but recently, I follow behind her like I’m wearing cement shoes on a muddy beach. Does anyone else feel soul-tired?

I’m the weariest I’ve been since my daughters were newborns when sleeping two hours a night left me moving through life in a haze of dirty Pampers and milk-sour T-shirts.

But what’s my excuse now? I’m a deflated balloon, bouncing along the floor without the helium needed to float. I’m too weary to yawn, too sluggish to nap.

I guess I’m not alone because author and computer science professor Cal Newport said we’re in the throes of “The Great Exhaustion.”

It’s not about getting more sleep, it’s not about eating more fiber or fewer Hostess Twinkies, it’s a complete burnout because rest is a sign of weakness.

Taylor Swift recorded a double album while performing in a sold-out global tour

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

Dead on My Feet

and then flew halfway around the world to catch her boyfriend’s little football game. And here I am, struggling to write a column and make it to my granddaughters’ soccer games.

I sprawl on the couch watching dust accumulate on the end tables, too fatigued to do anything about it. I pray a brisk breeze blows through the house, scattering the dirt back to the floor where it belongs.

I feel a lot of people are in this same engineless boat. It doesn’t help that companies now require employees to return to the office, even though the flexible, at-home schedules have kept thousands of women in the workplace. Even though, for the first time in history, job schedules have helped women feel like work and home are almost manageable.

Our energy is also being drained fast-

er than our bank accounts because we’ve trained ourselves to be 24/7 content creators. We spend a crapload of time making reels about our trip to the Grand Canyon or a TikTok video about how to raise goats and make goat milk ice cream.

But there’s more! Start a tech company during your free time! Renovate your kitchen and use time-lapse videos to share with the world! Become an Instagram influencer by creating beauty masks using pencil shavings! Document all the moments all the time and share on all the platforms!

With nonstop information from streaming shows, music, podcasts, audiobooks and social media going directly into our big noggins, our brains are tired. Every person in your household (and possibly your pets) is processing information at speeds unheard of just a few years ago. There’s probably smoke coming out of our ears.

It’s a firehose of electronic data. Everything is breaking news. Everything is trying to capture our brief attention. Life is one big clickbait link and we doomscroll like we’ve been enchanted by a wizard to sell our souls for just a little more spilled tea.

Are you feeling burnt out? Tell us about it.

Are you feeling fresh, share your secret with us!

The funny thing is, we can turn it off, silence the noise and deactivate the notifications. But our cortisol addiction is out of control.

So what do we do?

Jedi has the right idea. Walking outside, breathing fresh air, maybe even chasing a cat up a tree reminds us the small things matter. Quiet rituals are important. “The Great Exhaustion” is a bone-deep weariness but also a reminder we’re not alone as we stumble through life.

Maybe in sharing our weariness, we can find a listening ear, a comforting shoulder or a Hostess Twinkie.