NO SURPRISE: OLYMPUS BOYS BASKETBALL ROLLING ONCE MORE
By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com
Like a well-oiled machine, the Olympus boys basketball team is once again racking up the victories.
The defending Class 5A state champions are once again looking like one of Utah top prep teams. The Titans were 14-1 after 15 games. Heading into the third full week of January, the team was a perfect 4-0 in Region 6. The loss the Titans suffered during this 15-game span was a two-point loss at Class 6A’s Davis on Dec. 13. Davis just so happens to be No. 2 in 6A’s RPI rankings.
This season, Olympus has had some one-sided wins, and it has also found a way to come out on top in close contests. The Titans had seven wins by double digits and five by 20 points or more during this stretch. Matt Barnes’ squad also played well in the clutch in a close victory over Highland (46-45 on Jan. 7), for example.
Junior guard Gavin Lowe has arguably been the team’s top performer.
As a sophomore a year ago, Lowe scored just under 10 points a game, serving as a complement to Dutch DowDell and Jordan Barnes, who graduated.
Gavin Lowe directs the offense in a game earlier this season. Lowe is Class 5A top scorer and has led the Titans to an excellent start on the basketball court. (Photo courtesy of Matt Barnes.)
This season, Lowe has been the go-to guy, and he hasn’t disappointed. After 15 games, Lowe was averaging 21.8 points an outing, first in 5A and fourth in the entire state. He is also the second-leading rebounder on the team with an average of 4.3 boards a game. He paces Olympus in assists with 4.3 and 2.4 a game, respectively.
Lowe scored in double figures in each of the team’s first 15 games, with a season-best 27 points coming on three occasions. He netted that figure in back-to-back games against Murray and Cottonwood Dec. 30 and 31, as well as against Alta on Jan. 17. His best all-around game of the season, statistically speaking, was in the season opener against Northridge on Nov. 26. In that matchup, he wasn’t too far away from recording an incredibly rare quadruple-double: 22 points, six rebounds, 12 assists and seven steals. But Lowe is hardly the only player to watch for the Titans.
Fellow junior guard Caden Jackson is a player that Barnes likes having in the lineup. Jackson averages 11.3 points a game and is the top three-point shooter on the squad. He had nine double-digit scoring games through 15 contests, highlighted by a 23-point effort in the season opener when he drilled seven three-pointers. He also hit five three-pointers at
“A”chieving excellence: CommonSpirit hospitals recognized for steadfast commitment to patient safety
At CommonSpirit Health, the safety of our patients is our most important priority. We are honored to share that three of our hospitals along the Wasatch Front received an “A” grade for our commitment to patient safety in Fall 2024.
This recognition comes from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to hospitals across the country based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.
CommonSpirit hospitals receiving an “A” for Fall 2024 include:
• CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley
• CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – Mountain Point
• CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – West Valley
We are proud of our physicians, nurses and all our caregivers for living our values of excellence, collaboration and compassion to ensure the safety of the patients in our care.
But our work isn’t done. Our vision of a healthier future for all calls us to continue to improve our delivery of compassionate, safe care to every patient, every time, in every care site across our CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region. Achieving that vision is our commitment to you.
CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – West Valley
At 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.
CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital Mountain Point
Learn more about the services, care providers and missiondriven work of the Holy Cross hospitals and CommonSpirit Health at www.holycrossutah.org.
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When you need emergency care fast, the closest emergency room is a smart thing to know. You never know the level of care you’ll need when an emergency happens and choosing the right ER can make all the difference. And a hospital ER comes with the confidence of additional services right on-site.
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Salt Lake County works to provide safe travel during winter weather conditions
Utah is known for its “cold smoke” powder snow. Certainly, from the standpoint of skiing and snowboarding, a convincing argument can be made that the “Greatest Snow on Earth” can be found in Utah. The famous snow, created from unique environmental conditions, may be unsurpassed on the planet for its quality. However, it can also turn a routine morning commute into quite a hazardous ordeal.
When the snow flies in Utah, the Salt Lake County Public Works Operations team rolls across the valley with large snow removal vehicles loaded with salt and equipped with 12-foot-wide, 2,000-pound blades to promote safe travel during winter weather conditions. The team works around the clock to ensure safe, accessible roads for residents throughout Salt Lake County.
According to the Director of Salt Lake County Public Works Operations, Steven Kuhlmeier, the Public Works team comprises about 81 department employees operating 60 large plows. The team is on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Kuhlmeier says the goal is to address snow and ice events in contracted jurisdictions within 36 hours after the end of a storm.
When a snow event occurs, street maintenance in the community is addressed according to a priority plan. First, the main arterial roads and priority roadways that provide access for emergency vehicles are cleared. Next, attention is given to school routes and areas in higher elevations and arterial streets in steeper neighborhoods. Snow plows then move on to public transportation routes and residential streets. Cul-de-sacs and dead ends, which are the most challenging to clear, are managed last.
“When dispatching our drivers, we have two snow supervisors for each day and night shifts who split up the valley” Kuhlmeier said. “They are monitoring weather conditions and assessing any reports coming in from law enforcement as well as going out and making inspections. So, we are not necessarily waiting for snow to be on the ground. If we are seeing what could possibly be icy or unsafe conditions, we will go out and wet the asphalt with a brine salt water solution which helps to mitigate ice formation and makes it easier for the drivers to plow and to get the salt down later.”
The drivers face several challenges that affect the
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By Collette Hayes | c.hayes@mycityjournals.com
effectiveness of snow removal in neighborhoods. Parked cars create an unsafe situation for trucks trying to pass, often leading to roads being skipped. However, the driver will frequently try to circle back, check for clearance, and try to plow again, which can cause delays in other areas needing service.
Many times, people assume an area hasn’t been cleared, but often, this is due to residents blowing snow back into already-cleared roads. This can create icy or unsafe conditions. Blowing snow back onto a resident’s property is best practice for helping keep roads safe. When residents are clearing out the drive approach, it is advised to push the snow with the flow of traffic so the plows don’t push it right back into the drive approach. Additionally, navigating around garbage cans and untrimmed trees can be difficult for a 12-foot-wide plow. Following local ordinances and keeping trees trimmed improve access for plow drivers.
Cul-de-sacs and dead ends are specific challenges for drivers providing service. When drivers have difficulties navigating plows in these areas, such as when snow cannot be removed for various reasons or the truck cannot be turned around, more seasoned drivers may back the truck in and drop salt to help reduce the severity of ice and snow.
Have you ever wondered how soon your area will receive plowing service during a large snow event? To address these questions and concerns, Salt Lake County has provided an online Plow Tracker tool. This tool shows the locations of the snowplow trucks and highlights the areas that have recently been plowed.
“All of our trucks are equipped with a GPS that registers where the trucks are and when the plow blades are down,” Kuhlmeier said. “This is a publicly accessible tool that can show where drivers have plowed within the past 12 to 48 hours. The tool can be accessed by visiting your city’s public works or county website. It allows citizens to see where we have been providing service. Also, we have 24-hour dispatch to address and track concerns.”
Great snow brings great responsibility. Salt Lake County Public Works asks residents to remember to be patient during large snow events, avoid parking on the street, understand minor arterial roads are lower priority,
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avoid blowing snow into the street when clearing walkways and driveways, and when cleaning out a driveway approach, push snow with the flow of the traffic.
Few things are as reassuring to a snowed-in neighborhood as the sight of flashing white lights piercing through the heavy snowfall and the deep rumbling sound of a snowplow blade scraping against the snow-covered asphalt. Snow removal is an essential service that helps ensure a safer, more accessible community.
If you have questions or concerns about snow removal in your area, use the Salt Lake County online Plow Tracker citizeninsights.geotab.com/#/pwops, call 24-hour dispatch 385-468-6101, or email Salt Lake County Public Works Operations, pwops-online@saltlakecounty.gov. l
Lydia Rice | lydia.r@thecityjournals.com 385-557-1022
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Few things are as reassuring to a snowed-in neighborhood as the sight of flashing white lights piercing through the heavy snowfall and the deep rumbling sound of a snowplow blade scraping against the snow-covered asphalt. (Photo courtesy Salt Lake County Public Works Operations)
Holladay community joins together in Community Comfort Drive
By Collette Hayes | c.hayes@mycityjournals.com
Acancerdiagnosis can be a traumatic, life-changing event filled with fear, doubts and isolation. The Holladay community joined together in a Community Comfort Drive in December 2024 to provide comfort items for patients navigating cancer treatment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Each donation was given with love and hope, to help patients face the unknown and stressful journey through radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures with confidence, courage, and a sense of support and comfort.
According to Holladay Economic Development and Housing Manager and lead chair of the project, Ann Francis Garcia, the service project goal was to create an avenue for the community to get involved and give back to those in need. It was coordinated to benefit individuals who find themselves in what might be the most challenging situation of their lives. Whether it be a family member, friend, or coworker who has received a cancer diagnosis, most everyone in the community has been impacted by this disease in some way.
“When I started at the city of Holladay, and the holidays were coming up, I asked if we could coordinate a donation drive,” Garcia said. “The administration directed me to research what we should focus on that year. Cancer was something that has hit my family
and close friends, so I contacted the Huntsman Cancer Institute and asked what they needed and how they would use the items. After learning more about their donation program and specific requests, I suggested we focus on this cause benefiting the Huntsman Cancer Institute.”
The Unified Fire Authority, Unified Police Department, Holladay Precinct, local businesses, schools, and residents all supported the donation drive. Multiple drop-off locations were established throughout the community, making it easy for residents to participate. The collected donations benefited the Huntsman Cancer Institute including 170 blankets, 40 pairs of cozy socks, 110 hats/beanies, 60 sweatshirts/pants, 225 boxes of colored pencils, crayons, pens, 165 activity books, and over 100 various supportive supplies.
Mayor Rob Dahle joined the Comfort Drive committee in delivering the donated items to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Miss Salt Lake County was there, showing support of the Comfort Drive as well as personnel from the Institute.
“Christopher Moss, the gentleman that coordinated the event, welcomed us when we arrived and commented that the Institute had literally just given away their last blanket,” Dahle said. “We delivered 170 blankets along
with a huge truckload of other items. Unified Police Department, Holladay Precinct delivered a lot of donations as well. Ann Francis deserves big kudos for chairing the event. The delivery was a great way to start the day. A
very fun and heartwarming event.”
“These comfort items can’t cure anyone of cancer,” Garcia said. “However, they can provide an avenue to show that we care and may help calm a stressful situation.” l
Mayor Rob Dahle, Ann Francis Garcia, and Miss Salt Lake County unload a truckload of donated comfort items at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. (Photo courtesy Ann Francis Garcia)
Susan McFarlane’s artwork highlights the technique of watercolor pouring
By Collette Hayes | c.hayes@mycityjournals.com
Holladay watercolor artist Susan McFarlane uniquely blends her interests and talents in theater, graphic design, watercolor pouring, Zentangle, art museum studies, and arts education into a rich artistic expression with highly spontaneous and unpredictable elements that often encapsulate a hidden surprise.
McFarlane comments on her website, “I am inspired by moments that give me peace and serenity. Especially those times when I have been stopped in my day by a play of colors, a blend of textures, or a juxtaposition of natural forms. Watercolor is my preferred medium because I enjoy the movement of pigments in the water and how that mirrors the movement of color through air.”
The Holladay Arts Council has selected McFarlane as the Holladay Artist of the Month for February 2025, an acknowledgment of her artistic talent and master skills as an abstract realism watercolor artist. Her artwork highlights the technique of watercolor pouring, creating a layered translucent wash with unexpected patterns and colors.
McFarlane grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts, where art was a solid anchor in her life. McFarlane’s
mother always told her she was the happiest when she had crayons and a piece of paper in hand.
“When I was very little, I left my crayons on the sidewalk in the hot sun,” McFarlane recalled. “When I returned to get them, I discovered that they had melted into the sidewalk. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.”
As McFarlane grew, her passion for artistic expression never wavered. She earned a B.S. in Design from Brigham Young University, a post Baccalaureate Certificate from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and a Museum Studies Master’s Degree from Harvard Extension and was recently certified as a Zentangle teacher.
After receiving a degree in design, McFarlane worked in graphic design for 10 years for a small print company. She then married and moved to Eugene, Oregon, where she worked for an ad agency. Experiencing three years of rainy weather in Oregon was enough for the couple, who eventually moved to northern Virginia. McFarlane met a woman who coordinated art shows for local coffee shops. It took about a year before McFarlane had her own solo coffee shop art show.
“I decided to do the unifying theme of watercolor for my first show in northern Virginia, McFarlane said. “Before the art was even on the wall, one of the patrons started sifting through my art, and he asked how much it would cost to purchase the entire show. He was an art collector from Korea. He purchased 16 of the 20-painting show. He asked to see additional artwork at my house, where he bought additional paintings right off the wall.”
With a move to Massachusetts, McFarlane joined a couple of art associations and began to learn how to show her artwork, win awards and teach art.
A workshop sponsored by the New England Watercolor Society and taught by master artist Kathleen Conover fundamentally transformed McFarlane's approach to watercolor painting. Blending her existing techniques with those she learned in the workshop, resulted in her entrance into a juried national exhibition.
Teaching and sharing watercolor techniques through workshops and art demonstrations has been rewarding for McFarlane. She says it’s wonderful to see the joy and excitement students experience when “playing in the water” while experimenting with texture and learning traditional and new approaches to painting. She sees the same joy in students learning the method of Zentangle as they create new pieces “one stroke at a time.”
“In 2019, I certified as a Zentangle teacher,” McFarlane said. “It is a relaxing eight-step meditative practice. The art method is sometimes confused with doo -
dling, but Zentangle is intentional. It is a freehand drawing with purpose.”
Currently, McFarlane is teaching two Zentangle classes and one pet portrait class in the Lifelong Learning program at the University of Utah. In the summer, she will be teaching watercolor classes.
“Playing in the water, my inner child comes out,” McFarlane said. “I tell my art students not to take me or themselves too seriously. We’re trying to get back to the joy art brought us as kids. If you don’t have fun creating art, the person viewing your art won't experience that fun either.”
According to McFarlane, there is a business and personal side to art, and they have to be balanced. The bar of success continually evolves with small steps. Initially, it was sufficient that she made money through teaching and selling art to pay for her art supplies. The next milestone was becoming recognized as an artist by winning national and local awards and selling her art in local shows.
“I’m successful if I’m creating art that makes me happy,” McFarlane said. “If I can take my art to a show and people smile and walk away with a better day, that’s a success. I have a painting of a goldfish, and it always gets kids laughing and giggling. Art brings people together. It has been an anchor my entire life.”
To learn more about McFarlane’s art visit her website: mcfarlanearts.com/ about.
To nominate a Holladay resident for Artist of the Month, visit www.holladayarts.org/suggest-an-artist. l
The Holladay Arts Council has selected Susan McFarlane as the Holladay Artist of the Month for February 2025, an acknowledgment of her artistic talent and master skills as an abstract realism watercolor artist. (Photo courtesy Susan McFarlane)
After enduring a tough preseason, Cottonwood boys basketball rebounds
By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com
After a Tournament of Champions at Corner Canyon in which the Cottonwood Colts boys basketball team went unbeaten, they have picked up the pace in Region 10 play.
Cottonwood [12-6, 7-0 Region 10] has already had as many wins in league play as the games that were lost during the preseason.
This is thanks in part to a balanced scoring effort from three players: seniors John Rosevear and Luke Park and junior Luka Cecez.
Cecez was primarily a role player last season for the Colts. But, with the graduation of Chris Cox, there is a need for more length and so Cecez has been called on to get buckets down low.
But Rosevear has been a monster. The senior sharpshooter dropped 40 points Dec. 10 on Stansbury on 10 three-point shots, Cecez had 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks and Park had another double-double in points and assists [12-10] as Cottonwood took an early 22-9 lead after one quarter and breezed to an 88-62 win.
At Park City Dec. 13, Cottonwood delivered the goods early but let the Miners
back in the game, needing a 22-point third quarter to take a 73-60 victory. Rosevear poured in 26 points and Park had 14 and six in points and assists but got helped by big efforts on the glass and above the rim from a double-double from an unlikely person: senior Bo Smith who scored 12 and had 12 boards.
Cecez added 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in the win that pushed the Colts record to 2-0 in Region 10 play. After a 60-58 nonleague squeaker of a win over 5A Sky View at home Dec. 16 in which junior Tengis Bayasgalan drilled 17 points on five three-pointers, Cottonwood would need his services again at Jordan in the Colts’ third region game.
Bayasgalan buried another five threes at Jordan Dec. 17 and Park and Rosevear each chipped in 15 points as the Colts held the lead from the opening quarter at Jordan and would need to hang on for a 69-60 victory.
It was the next game, however, that tested the Colts’ mettle.
At home against rival Murray Dec. 19 and in a rivalry that had already been testy, Cottonwood tried pulling away from
the Spartans through three quarters and couldn’t. It took a gritty effort from Rosevear, who knocked down three of the Colts five three-point jumpers for a team-high 16 points, to eke out a 56-55 win. Cecez dropped 15 and Smith 12.
To close out December, the Colts played in the Utah Autism Holiday Classic and didn’t fare as well as they had at the Tournament of Champions earlier in the season. Cottonwood won one game out of four at the tourney, giving plenty of guys some playing time.
After taking a one-week break, the Colts were back at it in Region 10 play, taking a trip to Tooele Jan. 7. Cottonwood took a wire-to-wire 65-50 win, getting 22 points from Rosevear and 15 points, four rebounds and four blocks from Cecez.
What was more important about the Colts final few games on the schedule is that they were playing 13 guys off of their roster in a region game and that all 13 guys would make it on the scoresheet.
That trend would continue at home against rivals Hillcrest, as the Colts opened a double-digit lead in the second half after a cold-shooting first half on Jan.
9 and cruised to a 68-49 win. Park led the way with 15 points, Rosevear and Cecez added 11, Bayasgalan chipped in nine on three triples and sophomore Malei Atem, who made his first significant appearances at the Autism Holiday Classic, had six points, six rebounds and four blocks as the Colts figure out who’s getting more playing time as the state tournament approaches.
So far, Rosevear is Cottonwood’s leading scorer, averaging 20 points per game. Park, Cecez and Bayasgalan are each scoring 10 per contest, and both Rosevear and Bayasgalan are knocking down three triples per outing. Smith is the team’s leading rebounder at six per game, Cecez is getting four blocks per contest, and Park is averaging a whopping nine assists per outing.
By the time this article goes to print, the Colts will have completed their regular season schedule in Region 10. A nonleague game against nationally ranked Wasatch Academy Feb. 7 will wrap up a congested 14 game-schedule in just 45 days. After that, it’ll be time for the 4A state tournament. l
With just three losses in its first 15 games, Cottonwood girls basketball is off to a historic start
By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com
With the triumvirate of Ali Tripp, Ciel Budge and Alivia Hutton graduated, there were questions about what the Cottonwood Colts girls’ basketball team would do this preseason without that power trio.
Those questions were partially answered by a 12-3 start.
“We are having a really good season. We lost a tough one at Tooele the other night but bounced back really well against Hillcrest,” said coach Tes Soracco.
Cottonwood’s game at Tooele Jan. 7 had the Colts staging a second half rally after trailing by 11 to end the second quarter. By the conclusion of the third, Cottonwood outscored the Buffs 14-9 to trim the lead to six points. Were it not for a shot clanking off the iron handing the Colts their first league loss, they’d still be unbeaten in Region 10. Seniors Ashlyn Tripp led Cottonwood with 11 points and Avea Van der Beek had 10, while Taylor Workman and Carley Caton each had eight.
On Jan. 10, the Colts hosted crosstown rivals Hillcrest. In that game, Cottonwood made no mistake about who the better team was on this night, taking a commanding 13-point lead into the locker room that the Colts stretched for a 60-38 victory. Caton led all scorers with 16, while Workman drilled three triples for a total of 13 points.
To give an example of how dominant Cottonwood [133, 6-1 Region 10] has been before it finally suffered its first loss of the regular season back in mid-December, the Colts outscored five of their first seven opponents by a 24 pointper-game average.
Part of that reason is that senior Van der Beek and junior Caton have rounded into form and are both averaging 12 points per game. In addition, senior Workman transferred to
CHS from Brighton High School this past summer and had two years on the Bengals varsity before arriving at Cottonwood and is also averaging 12 points per contest.
That’s given the Colts the power trio they had last year—albeit a different one.
For a team that lost its leading scorer Ali Tripp and two of its floor generals in Hutton and Budge to graduation, the balance this new group has been displaying this season has not just come from the Colts’ three leading scorers though.
Seniors Bella Morris and Ashlyn Tripp –Ali’s younger sister – are each averaging eight points per game. From a three-point shooting standpoint, the two are knocking down one or more triples in every contest and Workman herself is averaging a team-high two three-point shots made.
In addition to the Colts’ shooting prowess, Morris and Ashlyn Tripp highlight five players averaging two or more rebounds per game. And, it’s an unselfish group, as three players also make one or more assists during every contest, led by Workman’s four assists per outing.
By the time this article goes to press, the Colts will have completed region play and will be getting ready for the 4A state tournament that begins in mid-February.
With nine players back from last year’s 17-7 team, this team has the potential to surpass that win total with seven games left in the regular season. It’s a group Soracco said is one she looks forward to molding into a cohesive unit as her team enters the home stretch.
“The girls come every day willing to work hard, learn and grow,” Soracco said. “They are an incredibly close-knit group and watching them grow together has been really fun. I feel lucky to coach them.” l
Senior Bella Morris puts up a three during the Colts victory over Park City. (City Journals)
ForGregg Southwick, Cottonwood High School’s longtime athletic director, the new realigned Region 10 comes with a few nice changes.
“Everybody is kind of in the valley so travel will be reduced significantly,” said Southwick about the new Region 10.
For Cottonwood, not having to travel to Tooele County – or to Vernal or Payson, which is where the Colts first had to go to participate in the first reimagined league – is a positive
There is a catch, one that makes life a lot harder for the Colts in Class 4A Region 10, and that’s on the gridiron, starting in fall 2025.
“For football, we’re going to struggle because it’s a better league from top to bottom,” Southwick said.
For the Colts in all sports, the additions of East and Highland, as well as Juan Diego and Judge Memorial to a Region 10 that already includes Jordan, Murray, Park City and, of course, Cottonwood should make life a bit easier for the Colts in every sport other than football, added Southwick.
“It’s a good region for our athletic programs to at least compete in,” he said.
The Tooele County schools that were in Region 10 will still be in Class 4A, but have been moved to Region 11 where they will join new school Deseret Peak and five Box Elder and Cache County schools.
The new Class 4A Region 10 will go into effect starting in fall 2025, according to the ruling set forth in early January by the Utah High School Athletics and Activities Association,
By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com
also known as the UHSAA.
Cottonwood welcomes a new baseball coach
Southwick also added that the Colts will be welcoming a new baseball coach to the diamond.
Travis Steed will be taking over as Cottonwood’s new head coach. Steed is a longtime teacher at the school who was asked by former coach Jason Crawford to be an assistant several years ago, said Southwick.
“He’s a great guy and a great teacher who loves baseball,” Southwick said. “We’re excited to finally get him on board after a lot of years.”
According to Southwick, the timing was such that Steed turned down Crawford’s offer several years ago because he had a young family and wanted to spend time with them.
Now that the kids are older, said Southwick, Steed has time to coach and see what he can do with this veteran bunch of Colts that finished 14-13 under former coach Gavin Duckworth, who departed his position after one year.
Last year, Cottonwood baseball won its 4A Regional and reached the 4A Super Regional in a highly competitive classification that stretches from St. George all the way up to Logan.
Several key players from last year’s team will be returning according to Southwick, which should also help the Colts under the new head coach.
“He’s very familiar with the program and how Jason [Crawford] managed it, leading us to success,” Southwick said. “He also loves baseball and played it in school.” l
Cottonwood baseball will have a new coach this fall in former assistant Travis Steed. (File photo City Journals)
Riverstone Medical — Dr. Khalid Hararah
Dr. Khalid Hararah opened his new clinic, Riverstone Medical, in October 2024, bringing primary care and his specialized practice to Salt Lake County.
A University of Utah grad, Dr. Hararah completed his family medicine residency at NYU Langone in New York City. He then attended SUNY Upstate University Hospital to complete an undersea and hyperbaric medicine/wound care fellowship. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
Tell us about Riverstone Medical.
My clinic is designed to make patients feel comfortable, at ease and not too anxious. I want my patients to be seen as individuals, not just another patient. Each patient’s well-being is my top priority. I work with any adult, 18 and older, to help them create the best life. We also offer convenient online booking on the website, Riverstone-Medical.com.
What is your medical philosophy?
I consider myself very empathetic. My approach to patient care is that it’s a partnership. When someone comes into the office, it’s my job to educate and tell them all the facts, risks and benefits of treatments. That allows them to make
NOW NEWACCEPTINGPATIENTS!
an informed decision. It’s hard being a patient and it’s hard to find someone willing to listen to you, hear what you have to say, see what your perspective is and not be dismissive.
How do you stand out from your competition?
First of all is my availability and in terms of training, I went to NYU, one of the top hospitals in the nation. I received top training from some of the best doctors. I can help with general medical needs but also weight loss and complex wound care.
I also specialize in dive medicine and clinical hyperbarics. Dr. Hararah is one of few dive specialists in Utah.
What is hyperbaric medicine?
Hyperbaric medicine is the use of a pressurized oxygen chamber to treat disease. First, there’s dive medicine, which is scuba diving clearances and supervision of scuba diving operations. We diagnose and treat scuba diving emergencies and accidents. We’ll treat and manage those conditions. More commonly, we treat things like chronic non-healing wounds, like diabetic ulcers, radiation damage from cancer treatment, carbon monoxide poisoning, sudden hearing loss, sudden blindness, chronic bone infections, and severe anemia.
688 E. Vine Street, Suite 16 801-509-9138 riverstonemed@gmail.com Riverstone-Medical.com
Tell me about your work with bariatric medicine. I do medical weight loss for the right candidate but not everyone is the right candidate. For me, it’s more in the mind of helping people be healthier and decreasing their risk of having diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
I’m certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine to provide nutritional counseling, exercise counseling, to discuss the medications and prescribe the weight loss medications that are out there.
Why should patients work with you?
I like to think of it as you’re the quarterback and I’m the coach. At the end of the day, I can tell you what to do, but you’re the one that’s going to have to execute the plan. I try to formulate a plan that the patient is comfortable with but I’m also willing to explore other options. I’m open-minded. I’m very evidence-based in my recommendations but I’m humble. I understand that we don’t know everything in medicine and we should have an open mind when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.
MEET DR. HARARAH, M.D.
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SCAN TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
The community of Holladay has grown from a distant outpost occupied by the Mississippi Company pioneers into one of the most beautiful and vibrant municipalities in the Salt Lake Valley. The city’s general plan is a key element in guiding ongoing changes and growth.
Buddies at Salt Lake County Animal Services!
Looking for a way to make reading even more exciting? Come read to the adorable cats at Salt Lake County Animal Services! Our Book Buddies program is perfect for kids under 18 to enjoy some quality reading time while helping cats feel loved and socialized. It’s a win-win for everyone!
How it works:
The adoption of a General Plan is mandated by state law. Since the last revision was back in 2016, it’s time again to update the City’s General Plan and ensure it is consistent with our goals for the future.
Over the next several months, the City will engage with the community on important topics including land use, transportation, housing availability, environmental concerns, and infrastructure. The most important element in this process is finding out what direction our residents want the City to take over the next ten to fifteen years.
We are in the first phase of this endeavor, which has been named the Holladay Horizons General Plan Process. So far, we have received valuable feedback about what makes Holladay special and what the community values most. In looking to refine these initial ideas, we invite all residents to attend our Vision and Values Event held at city hall on Monday, February 24 from 6 until 8 pm, and Saturday, March 1 from 10:30 until 12:30. During this event residents will be asked to identify priorities, goals, and guiding principles that will shape Holladay’s long-term growth. If you can’t make it in person, an online version will be made available so you can give your feedback virtually.
Phase Two will be conducted primarily on the City’s website, www.holladayut.gov. Information will be available about the plan as it takes shape, and residents will be invited to fill out questionnaires on various topics. General feedback and suggestions will also be welcomed. I encourage everyone to sign up for the City’s emails (if you don’t already receive them) by going to the City website, www.holladayut.gov, and at the bottom of the home page enter your email in the box that says “your email”. That way you will be invited to share your thoughts and be a part of this important process.
Phase Three will take place this summer with public meetings where residents can give input on all aspects of the plan. The process is scheduled to wrap up in early fall when the updated final draft will be presented to the city council for final review and adoption.
This effort will require lots of work from lots of people, and we greatly appreciate all our residents who are participating by serving on committees and helping in any way!
Why should you care about the General Plan and how it will be revised? It sets priorities for how and where the City will expend its resources and guides future decisions to ensure that changes contribute to the growth of our community.
What is your vision for Holladay? Tell us!
—Council Member Drew Quinn, District 4
1. Visit us at 511 W 3900 S, SLC between 10 AM – 6 PM, Tuesday through Saturday
2. Kids must bring along an adult buddy.
3. Bring your favorite book (or a few!) or pick one from our cattery “library.”
4. Sign in and out on the clipboard in the cattery—it even counts as volunteer time!
This heartwarming program helps kids build confidence in their reading while offering soothing companionship to our shelter cats. Cats find the sound of a human voice calming, and other shelters have seen incredible benefits from similar programs. Have questions? We’re here to help! Email us at animalvolunteer@slco.org or visit AdoptUtahPets.org. Come join us for a purr-fectly wonderful time!
Receiving Emergency Alerts
Receiving timely information about emergency events can help you and your loved ones stay safe. The City of Holladay, Salt Lake County Emergency Management, and our public safety partners, may send emergency notifications through two different systems: IPAWS or Reverse 911.
IPAWS stands for Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. This system allows officials to send emergency messages in multiple ways including wireless phone messaging, TV broadcasting, and Emergency radio broadcasting. Many people have received Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) sent through IPAWS. These text messages are designed to get your attention and utilize a unique sound and vibration. Residents do not need to register for IPAWS as those messages ping off of cell phone towers and should reach phones within the area that are enabled to receive them.
Reverse 911 is a public safety communications system used by the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center to notify residents during emergencies. The system uses a database of telephone numbers to deliver recorded emergency notifications. Unlike IPAWS, however, your phone number must be registered to get notifications.
To ensure you receive timely emergency communications, check your phone settings to confirm that your mobile device can receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). Additionally, you can register for Reverse 911 by following the link found on Holladay City’s Emergency Preparedness page. It is also advisable to purchase a NOAA weather radio to have at home in case phone communications go down. Taking these simple steps will help keep you informed about how to protect yourself and your family in the event of a disaster.
LIBRARY HAPPENINGS FEBRUARY
Mindfulness Explorations
Every 3rd Saturday
Saturday, February 15: 10:15am - 11:15am
Learn about and practice different methods of meditation and being mindful.
Game Night
Drop in and play from 5-8 PM
Monday, February 10: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Board game lovers of all ages are welcome to come play old favorites or learn fun new games! Derrek from Game Night Games will be supporting to make sure everyone has fun!
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Rob Dahle, Mayor rdahle@holladayut.gov 801-580-3056
Ty Brewer, District 1 tbrewer@holladayut.gov 801-550-8747
Matt Durham, District 2 mdurham@holladayut.gov 801-999-0781
Paul Fotheringham, District 3 pfotheringham@holladayut.gov 801-424-3058
Drew Quinn, District 4 dquinn@holladayut.gov 801-860-6130
Emily Gray, District 5 egray@holladayut.gov 801-755-3477
Gina Chamness, City Manager gchamness@holladayut.gov
PUBLIC MEETINGS:
Updates to City of Holladay Code for Accessory Dwelling Units
During the 2021 State of Utah Legislative session, the State required all municipalities to allow internal or attached accessory dwelling units (ADUs that are built within or attached to an existing home). The legislation limited restrictions a municipality could enact regulating ADUs internally or attached to a home, but provided for flexible regulations over external ADUs, detached and separate from an existing home.
In 2021, following a standard code amendment process with public hearings at multiple Planning Commission and City Council meetings, Holladay updated the City’s code in 2021 to be in line with the standards set by the State, with additional regulations for external ADUs (EADUs).
At the end of 2023, recognizing that accessory dwelling units would enable moderate-income housing units, and in response to seeing increasing requests from residents for detached accessory dwelling units and detached garages with living space above them, City Council directed Staff to study at how the existing Accessory Dwelling Unit code could be modified to allow both the conversion of existing accessory structures to accessory dwelling units and the construction of new accessory dwelling units on more properties, with consideration of how to mitigate potential impacts on neighboring properties.
After extensive 2024 public hearings, the City Council approved new rules for external ADUs.
Key regulations that apply to establishing and operating all accessory dwelling units, whether they are internal, attached, or detached include:
• Minimum 30-day rental period
• Owner must live in either the primary or accessory dwelling unit
• A permit and an annual license are required
Key regulations that apply to External ADUs (EADUs), which are now permitted on any residential lot that has a single-family detached structure, include:
• Setbacks vary based on lot size, increasing with property size.
• 25 feet height to accommodate a pitched roof design over a detached garage; subject to graduated height standards.
• Property size limits the footprint of the EADU.
External ADUs provide housing options that meet the needs of a diverse population, including aging adults and others. Residents can create housing units that are accessible to all by incorporating thoughtful designs like zero-step entries and a bathroom wide enough for disabled occupants and guests to be able to get into and close the door.
Residents interested in converting an existing accessory structure should reach out to the CED Department for assistance, as specific requirements may need to be addressed to resolve any non-conformities. Staff members are available for consultation on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM, operating on a first-come, first-served basis..
For more information and to view the complete code and standards, please visit the City’s website.
HOLLADAY BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD
AI in Action
The Holladay Business Advisory Board in partnership with Millcreek Business Council would like to invite you to our next event on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Discover how AI can revolutionize your business, saving you time and money. AI can help your business by automating repetitive tasks, providing data analysis, personalizing customer experiences and more. Join us to learn how to optimize AI tools! Check our website for more information. https://tinyurl.com/Holladay-BAB
A fighter, a writer, an avid skier and an optimist—nothing stops Harriet
By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com
Harriet Wallis is a fighter, a writer, an avid skier, an optimist and so much more.
She’d tell you she’s led an “average” life as the girl who was the last to get picked to do any team sport in school.
You would have never guessed her life would be what it is now given where she started in school—but she has been an active adventurer with a life full of outdoor activities and skiing the slopes.
Despite having two artificial hips and knees at the age of 84, Sandy resident Wallis continues to ski and maintain an active lifestyle, including walking daily, swimming weekly, participating in local bike club activities and working in her yard.
Skier
Her passion for skiing is really what started it all for her in her 30s when she first learned how to ski with her then-husband and two young children.
“My husband said, ‘I'm going to learn to ski,’” Wallis said. “Now, I thought that was something crazy people on the other side of the planet did. So I'm processing that thought and then he said, ‘And you can babysit the kids.’ And I said, ‘Over my dead body, we're all going to learn to ski,’ and so we did."
Learning to ski was a game-changer for how she saw herself for the rest of her life.
“I didn't think of myself as being athletic with volleyball and team sports,” she said. “When I learned to ski, I realized, ‘Hey, I can do this.’”
She has been skiing recreationally ever since and so have her kids.
Eventually, Wallis worked as a ski instructor for two different ski resorts on the East Coast before moving westward.
In Utah, even in her off years she still finds time to ski at least 40 days out of the season. Metal hips and all.
Outdoorswoman
Not too long after learning to ski, in 1974 Wallis and her family completed a challenge they’d accepted as members of the Appalachian Mountain Club to climb the 100 tallest mountains in New England.
“By world standards, they are not that high,” she admitted. But “the highest is 6,000feet Mount Washington, but it gets some of the worst weather in the whole world.”
For three years, she and her family would drive every weekend, hike 25 miles on Saturday and head home on Sunday, just to do it all over again the next weekend.
She added mountaineering to her growing list of hobbies, including fishing, camping and biking.
She also describes herself as an avid fisherman and goes camping and biking regularly with her housemate Laurie when the weather is warm.
“I am not macho,” Wallis said. “I'm an average person who enjoys doing things outdoors and being active.”
This past year, the housemates volunteered to be a part of the safety team for the annual Bonneville Bike Club's 3,000 all-women fundraiser for Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Writer
Writing was a pastime that stemmed from her love of pottery and shaping nearly five tons of clay into homemade goods each year while she lived in New England as her kids were growing up.
She lived in Connecticut and began writing for a local newspaper on different topics from the art she made and to how to cut costs on an expensive energy bill. Wallis worked her way up from a freelancer to a full-time paid writer for the paper. During her time there, she wrote on a “checkerboard” of topics including weddings, gardening and eventually skiing.
Wallis started writing for the City Journals when it was still the Valley Journals and still contributes to the online Cottonwood Heights Journal regularly.
Every year, she writes a year recap for friends and family.
Optimist
What’s driven her to keep going even when many people she knows have long given up on the active lifestyle she enjoys, is her optimism and willingness to adapt and change to her circumstances.
“It's thinking outside the box, finding ways to do things, and having a positive attitude,” she said. “It's much more fun to have a positive attitude than it is to be a downer. I think those are three things that make me tick.”
The health challenges that come with living a long life can’t stop her; she refuses to let them.
In recent years, despite a cancer diagnosis and difficult treatment, Wallis has continued to walk as she is able and adapt her activity to how she is feeling. But she doesn’t stop. She continued to ride her bike through the “agonizing side effects” of her chemo treatment.
Overall, Wallis strongly advocates for an optimistic, adaptable mindset as a key to overcoming challenges and continuing to live an active, fulfilling life.
“I think it's come about kind of as a lifelong thing,” Wallis said. “It's nothing that just popped up. But it's crucial to me now.”
Every year for the past few years, Wallis has chosen a new mantra she writes in her yearly Christmas letter which she plans to live by for the year to come.
Her 2025 mantra will be similar to those of years past—a positive one. She shares with family and friends a yearly letter stating 2025 will be a year in which she "expects the best— and works hard to achieve it.”
Her mantra for the year is “Quit looking back. You're not going that way.”
Wallis’s 85th birthday was on Jan. 7, and who knows what adventure she’ll be on next. l
Despite having two artificial hips and knees at the age of 84, Sandy resident Harriet Wallis continues to ski and maintain an active lifestyle. (Courtesy of Peak Photo Alta)
Among her many outdoor hobbies, Harriet Wallis is an avid fisherman in the summer months and often uses her inflatable canoe. (Courtesy of Harriet Wallis)
UFSA board approves 23% tax increase in 2025
By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@thecityjournals.com
nified Fire Service Area board members voted in a public meeting in December to approve a proposed tax increase for 2025. The 23% tax increase would yield $11,473,218 in revenue, according to officials.
The increase will be implemented in two parts, with the first part of the increase – referred to as the second phase of the 2024 increase – costing an estimated $5,088,123, according to the Unified Fire Service Area.
The second part of the proposed increase would address additional staffing in Kearns and Eagle Mountain, and is estimated to cost $6,385,095, according to UFSA.
“Most of the increase we’re talking about here is going to the firefighters,” Board member and Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said at the meeting. “If we don’t pay competitive wages, they’ll go somewhere else and we’ll be even more short-staffed than we already are.”
With the 2025 tax increase being approved, the annual tax would increase from $405.35 to $498.58 for residential properties, and from $737.00 to $906.50 for commercial properties. Before 2024, the last UFSA tax increases were in 2008 and 2018.
The 2025 tax increase would make a monthly difference of $7.77 (for an annual
YOUR LOCAL EXPERTS IN WINTER TREE CARE! U
difference of $93.23) and a monthly difference of $14.13 for commercial properties (or an annual difference of $169.51), according to the UFSA.
Many board members acknowledged that their own families would feel the effects
of the increase, but they said property taxes are the only revenue for the UFSA.
“This is not an organization that is abusing the system,” Board member Kathleen Bailey of Copperton told residents after the public comment period. “This is not being
done frivolously.”
The proposed tax increase would be used to address the cost of service, upgrade fire stations, add staff members and maintain a minimum fund balance, UFSA said.
The UFSA serves 12 jurisdictions: Alta, Brighton, Eagle Mountain, Emigration Canyon, Kearns, Magna, Millcreek, Taylorsville, White City and unincorporated Salt Lake County.
“UFSA’s primary source of income is property taxes which are collected from property owners located within UFSA boundaries,” UFSA explained.
UFSA is a “taxing entity that uses collected taxes to go directly toward fire service costs,” according to the Unified Fire Service Area. UFSA said it uses property taxes to pay its member fee to Unified Fire Authority, and that fee “is what pays for the actual service that UFSA residents benefit from.”
The taxes are also used to purchase and maintain property within UFSA boundaries (for example, building and maintaining fire stations). UFSA said taxes are also used to pay for administrative costs.
Full financial statements and annual budgets are available on the UFSA website. The tentative budget for 2025 is also available online. l
Fire Station 124 is one of three stations in Riverton City. (City Journals)
Cremation Services
UPCOMING EVENTS:
2/12/25 Wednesday - 12 PM
Chuck-A-Rama Buffet: 744 E 400 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
2/20/25 Thursday - 12 PM
Chubby’s Cafe: 1276 W 12600 S, Riverton, UT 84065
2/25/25 Tuesday - 12 PM
Le Jardin: 1910 Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, UT 84092
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Skyline football moving to 4A for 2025 season
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
There’s going to be a change for the Skyline Eagles’ athletic teams next school year, as the Utah High School Activities Association approved realignments for 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
Starting next fall, Skyline will remain a 5A school for all sports except football. The Eagles will be in 5A Region 6 along with Alta, Bountiful, Brighton, Olympus, Viewmont and Woods Cross. For football, they will be playing in 4A Region 10 along with Cottonwood, East, Highland, Jordan, Juan Diego and Murray.
It’s quite the change for the three Davis County schools that have been playing in northern Utah regions for several years. As always, it took a few rounds or proposals and negotiations before the final alignments were adopted. The meeting was the fourth time officials met before the end of last year to adopt the changes.
The UHSAA studies school enrollments as the main criteria for moving teams around, but it also takes into account recent successes and competitiveness of teams. A classic example is Ogden High, which was a 5A and then
a 4A school for many years, but with decreasing student numbers even though its enrollment figures fit with the higher regions. The Tigers were moved to 3A for football only, then finally classified as 3A for all of its sports, as it will be in 2025-26 and 2026-27.
The realignment gives schools an opportunity to retrofit their schedules for the next year. After two years, the UHSAA will likely study the issue again as school enrollments continue to ebb and flow. l
Embracing self-love this Valentine’s Day
By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com
Valentine’s Day. A day of love. A day we often focus on showing such love to our family, our friends, our coworkers, and even through Valentine’s we get for our children to give to their teachers. However, regardless of whether we are single, married, or in a relationship, we can often overlook showing a little love to ourselves.
Jayna Marie, a renowned celebrity makeup artist in L.A. whose work has transformed many lives, says “Loving ourselves is so important because we teach other people how to treat us.” She cautions, “The way we see ourselves determines the love we are going to accept from other people.”
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in societal expectations and lose sight of our uniqueness as we focus on our imperfections. We often struggle with body image concerns, seeking validation, or simply focusing on the challenges of life we face. Instead, Marie encourages us to embrace imperfections and celebrate individuality as an integral part of who we are through the following three steps:
1. Overcoming insecurities
2. Having gratitude for one's body
3. Understanding and accepting one's story
Overcoming our insecurities is not to
be expected overnight, but rather a lifelong process. Marie lives by a mantra of “breathe in self-confidence, breathe out self-doubt.” Criticism often mirrors personal insecurities and by understanding this, we can better support one another's journeys. “Seeking validation from others can be both exhausting and unfulfilling,” Marie says. Instead, she encourages introspection and support for each other.
As for having gratitude for one’s body, Marie emphasizes, “We are never going to
be younger than we are right now. Before we know it another 10 years will be gone and we’ll be wishing we looked like we do now or had the energy we do now.” Marie believes we are in either a phase of glowing or growing. Growing can be painful, but the glowing part is the outcome after the difficulties and hard work have been put in. There is such significance in having gratitude for our current selves and the fleeting nature of time, so might we cherish the present and live authentically.
Marie advises, “Part of understanding and accepting one’s story is being courageous and believing it’s going to end beautifully no matter where we are at in our story.” She continues that, “sometimes we have a hard time embracing our story because we aren’t where we want to be.” She encourages embracing faith in what is to come compared to the fear of where you are at on your journey. Resilience is gained through faith during such challenges of life. Both self-love and self-acceptance are significant in overcoming life challenges as we seek to live authentically, celebrate our unique stories and differences, and build a supportive community of mutual support and growth. “No matter where you are right now, how hard or scary it might seem, it’s exactly where you are to be,” encourages Marie. As we navigate our journeys, let us remember that we are wonderfully made and that our stories can be more beautiful than we ever imagined. Listen to this inspiring interview in full and embark on a journey of self-love and empowerment on Holly’s Highlights Season 4 Episode 3. Embrace your inner beauty and cherish the present moment as you transform your life through self-love this Valentine’s Day. l
Skyline will remain a 5A school for all sports except football, such as girls soccer, seen here in the 5A state championship game in 2021. (File photo by Tyler Baker)
For football, Skyline will be playing in 4A Region 10 along with Cottonwood, East, Highland, Jordan, Juan Diego and Murray. (File photo City Journals)
Full interview on Holly’s Highlights podcast. (Photo courtesy of Jayna Marie)
Learning to self-love. (Photo courtesy of Caleb Jones)
From Breakfast with Santa to business pitches: GTI students take entrepreneurial leaps
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Granite Technical Institute senior Eden Rychert is in the process of launching her own business. Over the winter break, she prepared to pitch her idea at the school’s “Shark Tank” event, alongside her classmates.
Judges will assess the student businesses and award seed money from funds raised through the class’s Breakfast with Santa event.
“We were interested in bringing joy to families and creating a lasting event where people could make memories, and, little kids could come and have fun,” she said, adding a silent auction was held in conjunction with the breakfast.
The students organized the event as a business, with each of the 22 classmates taking on a specific role. Rychert was responsible for marketing the breakfast, and on the day of the event, she became known as the “sprinkle lady.”
“I went around with a big tray of sprinkles and whipping cream and ask all the kids if they wanted extra whipped cream or sprinkles on their hot chocolate; they really liked that,” she said, saying the class sold 170 tickets for each of the two sessions.
This experience is part of GTI’s Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities, or CEO, program, which was introduced three years ago by program facilitator Erin Paulsen. The national initiative offers students a chance to become entrepreneurs through partnerships with local businesses and are paired with mentors. Students take part in company tours, listen to guest speakers, plan events, and earn six college credit hours.
The students, all of whom applied from area high schools last spring, began planning the breakfast in September.
“We run it as a business so it’s an opportunity to organize an event and get that business experience,” she said. “We’re able to apply what we’re learning.”
One piece of advice Rychert learned from a program mentor is to “bless, not impress.”
“What it means is when you’re talking to customers or for us, breakfast patrons, make sure you’re turning the conversation back to them, ask engaging questions and provide that customer service. We know the parents, grandparents or whoever brought the kids for them to have a good time, so we went out of our way to provide that for them,” she said.
Rychert, who attends Skyline High, is interested in a career in business and as an entrepreneur.
“I wanted to learn if being an entrepreneur was something I want to do in my life. I figured this was the best place to start. We’re given so many opportunities in this class, like having a mentor and going on site tours and having guest speakers on top of starting your own personal business and the class business,” she said.
For her pitch at the class’s “Shark Tank” event, Rychert decided to present her idea for a bracelet kit business, although she initially worried about competing with established companies in the market.
“My mentor gave me good advice. He said, ‘the riches are in the niches,’ meaning if you try and cater to every person, you’re not going to be successful. If you find a specific niche, that will make the difference,” she said.
Rychert’s inspiration came from a time when her aunt was in the hospital and there wasn’t much for her
to do.
“I decided to target the bracelet kits for kids and teens in the hospital (which they can purchase in the hospital gift shop) so while they’re sitting in their hospital beds likely bored, they can have a bracelet kit with string and beads they can be making,” she said. “I’d include a QR code which will lead to a YouTube channel to see samples and directions. I’m working on a business plan for it.”
The students will showcase their businesses at a trade show. In the past, it has been in early May at Trolley Square.
Over the past two years, GTI students have competed in the national CEO pitch contest. Last year, five students made it to the national finals. In the program’s inaugural year, GTI students took first place, third and
honorable mention.
Rychert, who serves as a GTI ambassador, competes in DECA business competitions and takes Advanced Placement and concurrent enrollment courses, plans to continue her business after graduation to help fund her college education.
“The class has given me a lot of opportunities which I would have never gotten in high school,” she said. “It has taught me how to take accountability, like if you do something and maybe you mess up, it doesn’t only affect you. It affects the whole class, especially our class business. There are lessons I’ve learned that aren’t necessarily part of the curriculum, but will be ones I can use my whole life.” l
GTI students help St. Nick with the CEO program’s Breakfast with Santa. (Photo courtesy of Granite School District’s CEO program)
Canyon Centre to be more condos instead of office space
By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
Apublichearing regarding amendments to the interlocal agreements for the Canyon Centre development (7371 S. Canyon Centre Pkwy.) will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 6:45 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Cottonwood Heights City Hall, 2277 E. Bengal Blvd.
This is continuing coverage on the Canyon Centre property bordering the Big Cottonwood Canyon gateway and Wasatch Boulevard intersection, encompassing approximately 10.90 acres of land.
“This is to amend the Community Development Area per the State Code process,” explained Community and Economic Development Director Mike Johnson. “The step forward is three-fold.”
He described the first step as being the development agreement which the Community Development and Renewal Agency (CDRA) Board approved at the previous (Dec. 17) meeting.
(Resolution 2024-04: Approving Third Amendment to Development Agreement for the Canyon Centre CDRA was motioned by Board member Matthew Holton, seconded by Board member Shawn Newell, and unanimously approved.)
At that meeting, Managing member Chris McCandless mentioned that the developers’ losses on this project have been and are substantial. They will not be benefiting from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) negotiated for this project but they don’t want those losses to come from the public. The TIF is detailed to be used for administration, construction of a parking structure, and public plaza improvements.
Per the originally relinquished TIF agreement, the CDRA requested $10,138,667 in tax revenues that were projected to be generated by development to fund a portion of the project’s costs. Per the current amendments, the CDRA projects $15,218,257 in tax increment revenues that will be generated by development within the Project Area
to fund a portion of project’s costs within the Project Area. That Third Amendment to the Development Agreement amended the construction deadline until Dec. 31, 2028. It also changed the use of a portion of the Canyon Centre development from Office to Residential Condominiums. These changes included the condition that the developer submit an updated shared parking plan reflecting the change from office to condos. The developer also needed to agree to construct a city park with 12 months of condo construction completion.
Johnson explained the second step of initiating an amendment to the interlocal agreements to the various taxing entities participating in this project.
(Resolution 2025-01: Authoring Preparation of a Third Amendment to the Project Area Plan for the Canyon Centre CDRA was moved by Newell, seconded by Board member Suzanne Hyland, and unanimously approved.)
Lastly, the third step was described by Johnson as amending the project area plan and budget. He mentioned that the CDRA board and staff had previously gone through the plan in detail, but final formal amendment of the documents is needed.
“In the meantime, we are providing documents to the taxing entities,” Johnson said, mentioning the importance of the coordination with Salt Lake County and the Canyons School District.
Copies of the Project Area map and boundary description may be obtained at no cost by contacting Cottonwood Heights Community and Economic Development Director Mike Johnson.
Johnson can be reached by emailing mjohnson@ ch.utah.gov or calling 801-944-7060.
Copies of the third Amended Plan and the second Amended Budget are available to the public during busi-
ness hours in the City Recorder’s office, or they may be requested by contacting Cottonwood Heights City Recorder Barbara Higgins at recorder@ch.utah.gov or calling at 801944-7021. l
Cottonwood Heights City Council discusses possible e-transportation regulations
Asthe popularity of transportation via e-bike and electronic scooters is rising, so too are the accidents, injuries, and fatalities involving these e-alternatives. To the dismay of Cottonwood Heights Police Chief Robby Russo, it has become rather apparent to him that the state legislature will not be working to regulate electronic scooters and e-bikes (noting that there are currently more regulations on bikes than e-vehicles). Those regulations are being left to individual municipalities and cities.
“It would be wise for the city to have some sort of standard in place as the adoption rates go up,” said Councilmember Matthew Holton. “I would be in favor of going down the road of finding the most measured approach before we have to start taking them away.”
Russo shared some potential regulation items regarding e-bikes and electronic scooters within the city so he could begin to draft an ordinance. He mentioned that there are some cities out there already regulating these transportation e-vehicles. He looked to Las Vegas’s regulations as a model and Holladay’s draft revisions as well.
“I see riders without helmet and not obeying stop signals,” said Councilmember Suzanne Hyland. “That’s what I’m most concerned about.”
Russo mentioned he would like to include language within a city ordinance to prohibit operating these e-vehicles on sidewalks unless absolute necessary in such circumstances like crossings. He would also like to require audible signaling
By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com
the
on
Since the reported speed of these category of vehicles is technically not supposed to go over 29 mph, Russo would like
“I am a little uncomfortable making it 16,” said Hyland.
“If I had the opportunity for my sons to ride a scooter or e-bike to their soccer practice between ages 12 and 16 it would have made my life so much easier.”
After some discussion with the council weighing out options between specific age limits, Russo concluded that he would work on drafting some language regarding age and they would come back to deliberate on what seemed most appropriate for their community.
“We need to decide what level of speed, or aggressiveness, or power, gets to a level where it is a ‘hey you need to
be 16 and have a license,’” said Holton. “I don’t know that answer.”
Russo then asked if they should require single-ridership or if they would allow for passengers on e-bike and electric scooter transportation.
“I’ve seen kids stacked three high,” laughed Councilmember Shawn Newell.
Russo then asked the council how lenient or strict they wanted to be on prohibiting e-bikes and electric scooters on private and public property (without express written consent) such as church parking lots, shopping center parking lots, public parks and playgrounds. There was slight disagreement so Russo suggested he would draft a few different versions of some language and bring it back to see which felt right for the council.
Mayor Mike Weichers said they don’t want them on trails either after mention of Park City and Salt Lake County already banning e-bikes on trails and Millcreek being in process of following suit.
“The more communities that start this, the safer they will be,” said Hyland.
Russo will continue to research and work with City Attorney Shane Topham to draft some potential language for a city ordinance regulating e-bikes and electronic scooters and bring those drafts back to the city council at a later date for further review. l
The location of the future Canyon Centre Park is shown below with a green star. This park will be near the Marriot Courtyard hotel, Eight Settlers Distillery, and Saola Restaurant. (Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Heights)
Hyland questioned
safety of operating e-bikes and “There are municipalities that say you can only ride
The city of Cottonwood Heights is considering an ordinance regulating allowing passengers on electronic scooters. (Photo courtesy of WikiCommons)
University of Utah pioneers new medical humanities degree
By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@thecityjournals.com
Literature is filled with examples of all sorts of doctors: Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Faustus, Dr. Zhivago, even Dr. Dolittle.
And it turns out that reading those books –and the study of humanities in general – can be instructive for real doctors, too. At least that’s the kind of thinking behind a new program being pitched at the University of Utah.
Two professors at the U. are pushing for the school to launch a bachelor’s degree called “medical humanities,” where students who want to go into the medical field will study the classics of writing, the arts, philosophy and ethics – all with the intention of making them better, more holistic health care providers.
“The U. is already known for its excellence in providing healthcare for medical research, for its expertise in medical ethics, for arts-andhealth initiatives,” said Gretchen Case, director of the U.’s longstanding Center for Health Ethics, Arts and Humanities. “We have the great fortune of having a health sciences campus adjacent to the main campus, which is not true at all universities. We can share knowledge and expertise easily in all directions.”
Jim Tabery, one of the professors overseeing the new degree, said they designed the degree looking at the background in medical humanities, both historically and contemporarily, to see that it’s really interdisciplinary.
“You’ve got everything from people in theater and media studies to folk like me in philosophy, to people over in health communication to people in disability studies,” Tabery said. “There’s lots of people interested in doing that and making sure it’s helping people and not hurting people beyond the clinicians and the folks in the hospital.”
Tabery said they wanted to give students a sense of that interdisciplinary breath when designing the degree.
The health and ethics center has existed at the state’s flagship institution with various name changes but a singular mission since 1989. It is focused on bringing insights from the humanities and arts into the medical world of science, an intersection that Case sees as natural and beneficial, teaching healers to act with
compassion, according to the center’s mission statement.
“Healthcare is humans giving care to humans,” she said. “Without attention to all humans in that exchange, you aren’t truly giving or receiving care.”
The U. already has a minor in medical humanities; it is also currently the only traditional public university in the state with an associated medical school. Now, Case wants to see the program expand into a full degree for students to major in to train the next generation of doctors.
The degree would be carved into four “core areas.” Tabery said the core areas consist of communication and culture, ethics and epistemology, arts and letters, and disability, gender and ethnic studies. Each student would have to take at least two classes in each of the core areas.
Tabery said they started by scouring the university and asking other professors if their medical students could take their classes, and he said other professors were very interested
in getting involved. Soon enough, Tabery said they had a huge list of courses that are offered across the campus.
Tabery said, this way, students get to figure out how they want their medical humanities degree to focus on.
“We think that combining medical humanities with some other health related or science related field is going to make them both more competitive for that next thing, but also make them a more patient centered and informed practitioner of that health related discipline,” Tabery said.
Softer skills, like close reading, analyzing a text, listening, asking questions, connecting with people, are often developed in the humanities classroom. And they can go a long way in building a foundation for health professionals, along with the science they learn in chemistry or biology, when working with patients with complex illnesses.
That can include telling someone they have a life-changing diagnosis, studying a patient’s symptoms, thinking creatively about
how to treat an illness and generally communicating with kindness. Essentially, viewing an X-ray uses the same skills as interpreting art.
“We want students who are not explicitly interested in becoming a healthcare professional also to choose this major,” Case said. “We need people in all professions who understand health and healthcare.”
Tabery said there is demand for it in Utah, which doesn’t have any school offering degrees in this field while roughly 130 universities nationwide do, mostly on the East Coast.
“And I would say there has certainly been no pushback,” he said. “If anything, it’s been the opposite of people sort of coming out of the woodworks and expressing more interest in it.”
Tabery said it’s been gratifying to see the response and that it “speaks to the need for this program” and how well positioned the U. is to provide it.
“I would love to see the University of Utah known internationally for its innovative, interdisciplinary approach to health and healthcare, and I think that is absolutely possible,” Case said.
The new degree would help give students an edge in applying to medical school, particularly if they pair it with a traditional science degree.
“I hope adding medical humanities to what they do makes them think more about things like how to communicate better about the ethical implications of their decisions about how medicine, when it’s deployed, affects certain populations differently than other populations,” Tabery said.
Tabery said the degree would make students much more well-rounded and more informed consumers of the medical research they’ll have to put into practice.
If approved, the program would start in fall 2025, as a collaboration between the Department of Philosophy and College of Humanities. It passed unanimously in the Academic Senate, though it will still require final approval from both the U.’s board of trustees and the greater Utah System of Higher Education. l
Continued from front page
Syracuse on Dec. 14 and five more against Brighton in a key region game on Jan. 14, a 68-54 Olympus victory.
Seniors Luke Owen and Ty Goldsberry, who have bided their time at Olympus and are now getting more minutes than ever, average more than eight points a game apiece. Another senior, Malakai Philip, has been a solid contributor. Sophomore Davian Lazarus has been a pleasant surprise.
The Titans have plenty more action ahead. Olympus has six foes in Region 6
and will play each one twice. The final regular-season game is at home against Skyline on Feb. 13. The Class 5A state tournament starts on Feb. 19 with first-round games on the home courts of higher-seeded teams. Olympus will almost certainly get a first-round bye and will start its postseason run in the second round, which gets underway Feb. 21. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be held at the University of Utah at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, the same arena where Olympus won the state title a season ago.
At press time, the Titans held the top spot in the 5A RPI rankings. l
The University of Utah hopes to launch a new bachelor’s degree called medical humanities by fall 2025. (Adobe file photo)
Withvisions of Jack White, Prince and Sophie Lloyd strumming in my head, I started taking guitar lessons last year to prove that old dogs can still be tricky. After months of lessons, I confidently state Jack White can rest easy. I won’t be coming for his job.
Guitar lessons have challenged my patience but expanded my capacity for playing incorrect chords on a slightly outof-tune instrument. I pluck through terrible-sounding riffs and know practice time is over when I drop the guitar pick in the sound hole for the hundredth time.
Each week, I meet with the ever-patient Emily at Guitar Center so I can go over my lesson. I spend most of the time trying to convince her I really did practice while ignoring the eye twitch she develops whenever I play an F chord.
She’ll give me advice like, “Press the strings harder” or “Change the position of your thumb” or “Maybe take up baking.” I go home and practice chords and strums and fingerpicking until even the dog leaves the room. But after practicing “Blowin’ in the Wind” for six weeks, my husband finally recognized the chorus.
I’ve gained an appreciation for guitar players, and I get enraged by people who say they taught themselves to play the guitar because that can’t possibly be a thing. Like every child in Utah, I took piano lessons, and that background has helped with counting and timing but that’s the extent of its helpfulness when it comes to the guitar.
The hubby and I visited Nashville in October, where even toddlers can play the intro to “Stairway to Heaven,” and it highlighted how much I still have to learn. Every dive bar had an exceptional guitarist strumming chords while holding a beer bottle. I ate chicken wings and sipped margaritas, mesmerized by their talent.
Time to face the music
Peri Kinder Life and Laughter
Not only were they exceptional, but they could play any song by heart. My brain has no storage capacity. My hard drive is full. I can’t memorize songs, and I can barely remember chord progressions. I’m still looking at chord charts like they’re hieroglyphics.
Learning guitar is mostly about finding new ways to use your nondominant hand. In theory, a plucked string should create a musical vibration. In reality, a plucked string provides a muffled thud because I’m not on my fingertips or I’m too far from the fret or I can’t stretch my hand into a barre chord or I’m just inept. All of those things can be true.
After I played “If I Had a Hammer” for several weeks, my husband said if he had a hammer he’d smash my guitar. Not nice. But fair.
I grew up listening to singers like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Mom and my aunt would visit assisted living centers (they were called rest homes in the ’70s) to sing and play the guitar, entertaining the captive audience. Sometimes I’d sing along and screw up their “Leaving on a Jet Plane” harmonies with my squeaky 8-year-old voice.
Learning to play the guitar is a connection to my late mom. I can’t say my guitar music honors my mom because no one deserves that kind of honor, but I can imagine her
smiling (and probably grimacing) whenever I pick up the guitar. Maybe there are earplugs in heaven.
Watching Prince perform at the Super Bowl, seeing Jack White in concert and hearing Sophie Lloyd shred has become an act of reverence. I stand in awe at their talent as I slowly pick through “Five Hundred Miles” for what feels like the 500th time.
How to Retire the Way You Want With Less Fear & Stress
Do you have a written income plan that details
Do you know how your assets and income will be taxed when you receive, sell or take withdrawals?
Are you confident your savings will last for your (and/or spouse’s) lifetime ensuring financial stability?
How much do you need to save to retire comfortably?
What would you need to put away today to retire on $100k a year without touching your principal?
Navigating the maze of retirement planning can feel daunting. Here’s the good news: you’re not alone. It’s not too late to get your retirement goals on track, and the key isn’t necessarily a complex strategy; it’s about having a clear understanding of the numbers and what they mean.
With the right knowledge and planning, you can build a retirement plan that will allow you to live out your dreams.
Everyone’s journey looks di erent.
Maybe you started saving earlier or later, or perhaps your nest egg is growing at a di erent pace.
e Golden Rule? e Sooner you start planning, the better. Not only do you unlock the magic of compound interest but you also gain more room to pivot and adapt.
Life’s curveballs can knock us o track - that’s a given. Yet, falling o doesn’t mean staying down and being prepared can o en so en the impact. We can always recalibrate and aim again, especially with professional advice on our side. Let’s crunch those numbers, set or reset our course, and turn those retirement dreams into real plans.
