Murray February 2017 by The City Journals

February 2017 | Vol. 17 Iss. 02

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�� Grant students help with TV weather segmen By Julie Slama / julie@mycityjournals.com

page 16

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Grant Elementary fourth-graders joined KUTV’s Devon Lucie in his live segments of Good4Utah weather forecast. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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LOCAL LIFE

Page 2 | February 2017

Murray Journal

The music of Lord Graham Russell By Alisha Soeken | alisha.s@mycityjournals.com The Murray City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Murray. For information about distribution please email circulation@mycityjournals. com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. For subscriptions please contact: circulation@mycityjournals.com 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.

The Murray Team CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Bryan Scott bryan@mycityjournals.com EDITOR: Travis Barton travis@mycityjournals.com ADVERTISING: 801-254-5974 DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING: Ryan Casper ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com 801-671-2034 SALES ASSOCIATES: Melissa Worthen melissa@mycityjournals.com 801-897-5231 Steve Hession steve@mycityjournals.com Josh Ragsdale Josh.R@mycityjournals.com 801-824-9854

rom the wind that lets birds soar to the green and grey seashores of his birthplace, Lord Graham Russell was inspired by nature. That inspiration drove the music that beat inside him since a boy. “I remember as a 5-year-old constantly humming ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ by Elgar without knowing what it was. My love for music was always in my psyche. If I saw a beautiful view, even as a child, I would start humming something that came from nowhere. That, of course, has never ceased thank goodness,” Russell said. Russell’s childhood in Nottingham, England was the place his informal instruction in music began. It would also flavor the music he later performed. “I think for any artist the childhood you experience defines who you will be later on in life. Coming from England, family ties were always paramount, most of my family lived within a few streets so there was always someone coming around for a cup of tea, the kettle was always boiling. I was always making sounds on empty tins, and making a guitar from pieces of wood and string, just to hear the noise. I became fascinated by the piano in our front room but nobody played it, it was just a piece of furniture, till I was tall enough to reach the keys, then it was mine,” Russell said. Russell not only grew to reach the piano keys he went on to master his musical craft. “As a musician my greatest achievement has been the success of Air Supply as a group. Against all the odds we became what thousands of other bands wanted to be. I have never thought of myself as a great musician because that is certainly not true. However, I play and sing with a unique style that I did not find, it found me. My proudest moment is when I walk on stage every night and people know my songs, and not only that, the songs are a part of their lives, I have contributed to something that

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Singer and songwriter Lord Graham Russell (Stephen Lavoie)

people love dearly,” Russell said. Russell’s creative drive didn’t end with Air Supply’s success. While performing 130 live concerts a year he also collaborated with writers Sam Goldstein and Craig Clyde to compose an original score for the new musical “Alamo: Voice of Freedom”. The musical is told from the voices of African slaves owed by the defenders of the Alamo Mission in Texas, a story largely untold. “Once I began to read the research that Sam found on the Alamo I began to get hooked into the story of Joe and the other slaves. The

fact that the story was very true made it so much more real to me. I began to write the songs straight away. I allowed each character to literally come to me and tell me their particular piece of the story. The Alamo project was fascinating to me, it is a part of American history that had really been misrepresented,” Russell said. The musical was performed for the first time at the Desert Star Theater in October 2016. “I heard about the Desert Star from actress Brittney Nielson who I met on a previous musical. I learnt that they continuously produce musical theatre, which I really thought was to be admired. I also wanted to write an original musical in Salt Lake City. I thought it was time,” Russell said. Katie Terry who performed at the Desert Star agrees. “Desert Star is a great space for a debut of a musical and the atmosphere there is particularly perfect for one about the Alamo with it’s western theme,” Terry said. The Alamo project and Air Supply’s success came in part from the beating of tin pots, the beauty of the English countryside and the humming Elgar. That success will continue to flourish because of Russell’s dedication to music. “You have to be prepared to dedicate your life to music, yet even from very humble beginnings anyone can achieve success. Success has a price to pay and sacrifices that must be made. It’s not a destination, it is a lifetime path that takes you wherever you need to go,” Russell said. l

“Desert Star is a great space for a debut of a musical…”

M urrayJournal.com

February 2017 | Page 3

LOCAL LIFE

Page 4 | February 2017

Murray Journal

United We Read hopes to bring county together through reading By Kelly Cannon | kelly@mycityjournals.com

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alt Lake County Library Services is hoping to bring residents and community together through the shared experience of reading the same book in United We Read. Over the next few months, residents are encouraged to read “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman and participate in programs and events based on the book. This is the first year of United We Read. In years past, libraries have participated in “One County, One Book.” However, this was the first year every library in the county was involved in planning the initiative. “We just wanted to make sure we provided the community with the opportunity to come together,” said Liz Sollis, marketing and community manager for the Salt Lake County Library Services. “We felt the best way to do it is to make sure the three main public libraries within Salt Lake County were providing a similar user experience no matter what library they went to.” “A Man Called Ove” tells the story of a cranky yet sad old man who is forced to interact with his chatty and lively new neighbors after they accidently flatten his mailbox. Sollis said it was chosen to be the United We Read book because of its themes of unity. “We know the election year has been very divisive and we wanted to find something that was really unifying. We read several books and decided this book, it has a sense of community and it provided a lot of elements that I think, if you’re in a community, it’s hard not to experience,” Sollis said. “The other thing we wanted to promote was kindness. This book, we felt also encourages and promotes kindness. It shares examples of kindness.” The United We Read website, www.unitedwereadslc. org, will provide a place for readers to connect and share their experiences reading the book, including examples of kindness they’ve either received or given. Sollis said the book is also a fairly easy read. “We wanted to find a book that wouldn’t be too difficult to read. Sometimes books are selected that are real deep topics and really long,” Sollis said. “We wanted a book that was right in the middle that connected with a lot of people and where people could relate to the situation.” In order to accommodate the number of people who will be reading the book, all libraries have increased the number of copies of the book, both in paper copies and in electronic copies.

“Additionally, at the different branches, we’re also giving away some books through programs. The books are first come, first served but the idea is once you read it, you share it with someone else,” Sollis said. “There will be free copies of the book floating around and there will be copies people can check out.” The official launch for United We Read was on Jan. 18 but different libraries will be doing programs related to the book through May. There will also be a screening of the Swedish movie based on the book in February. “We’re going to have classes on auto mechanics. We’re going to be doing classes on bike repair. We’re going to do classes on suicide prevention. We’re going to have classes on cooking. We’re funding a variety of classes that we can offer,” Sollis said. “There will be book discussions in addition. Many of the branches do book clubs so we’ll have books for the book discussions. There will be a variety of programs that tie into the money topics in the books.” Sollis advised residents to be patient when they wait to get a copy of the book, since they will be promoting the book throughout the entire county. l

Meet Snowball

Looking for a way to warm up in these cold temperatures? We’re positive you’ll melt for Snowball. Snowball is a sweet young cat hoping to find a nice warm place to call his own. Snowball’s adoption fee is $55 and that includes his neuter, vaccinations and a microchip. If you think you’d like to thaw out with Snowball, come meet him at the Murray City Animal Shelter during business hours.

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Salt Lake Library Director Jim Cooper reads “A Man Called Ove,” the book for the first United We Read. (Liz Sollis/Salt Lake County Library Services)

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EDUCATION

M urrayJournal.com

February 2017 | Page 5

Grant teacher helps students learn facts with original lyrics By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

sk a Grant Elementary fourth-grader in Ginger Shaw’s class how many pounds are in one ton, the difference between adjectives and adverbs and the different kinds of clouds and they may respond with a song. Shaw sets lines about these and other subjects her students are expected to learn to familiar melodies, such as “Old McDonald Has a Farm” or “Camptown Races.” She has about 50 of them, many she is writing this year. “When I teach my students, I want them to remember what they’re learning for life so I realized through these songs, they will remember the words when they hear the familiar tunes,” Shaw said. “The words have just been coming to me so I write them down to the melody. I hear my students singing songs we sang early in the school year and have even heard some former students humming along.” One of the songs is the “Utah County Song,” which Shaw taught early in the school year. “We learned it in the morning and by that afternoon, everyone in the class could name every county and knew its location. We sang it a week later and again, they knew it all,” she said. Simon Sharples still will sing this and other songs at home.

Grant Elementary teacher Ginger Shaw leads her students in a song she wrote about the water cycle. (Kelly Sharples/resident)

“I’ll hear him humming, singing to himself after school and at first, I thought it was a folk song or Christmas carol, but then I realized he was singing about the seven times tables or the water cycle. He was singing the ‘Utah County Song,’ just last week,” his mother, Kelly, said. “Mrs. Shaw is super creative and fun and it’s a great twist on learning. It’s helping him retain

these facts longer than just for a test.” Recently, the “Utah County Song” was recorded and sent to the Utah State Board of Education to share on a blog. “It is always great to see students engaged in learning and always great to see the arts infusing the learning of social studies,” said Robert Austin, K-12 Social Studies

International Initiatives specialist at the state office. Through the years, Shaw has informally shared her tunes with other teachers across the district and state as well as at conferences, and has heard successful reports of students learning in other classes. However, she continues to focus on teaching her students the curriculum. “I make sure the vocabulary they need to know as well as the concepts are in the song so they can get a grasp on what they’re learning,” said the 30-year veteran who doesn’t read music or have a music background. Nine-year-old Brooke Jorgensen said one of her favorites is about learning how to divide the denominator into the numerator, a song set to “Skip to My Lou.” “I’m always learning new songs that are creative but helping me understand what’s going on in class,” she said. Classmate Sophie Condor said she’s even taught her older brother, who is a sophomore in high school, some of the songs. “He says they help him with his homework,” she said. “It helps me a lot too. She’s teaching us, but we’re having fun learning.” l

GOVERNMENT

Page 6 | February 2017

Helping Dreams Come True

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Murray Journal

Residents asked to do their part to improve air quality By Kelly Cannon | kelly@mycityjournals.com

inters in Salt Lake County not only means cold and snow. It also means inversion and poor air quality. While it may seem like an overwhelming task, there are things residents can do to help alleviate the bad air and make the winter a little bit more breathable. Donna Spangler, the communications director at the Division of Air Quality at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality explained the inversion is caused by cold air being trapped next to the valley floor by a layer of warmer air above. In that cold air is particulate matter that is the main source of the inversion. The DAQ has air monitors all around the county and state next to schools that measure the particulate matter. “Typically, we have the air monitors near schools because we want to know what the particulates say next to our most vulnerable population, which is our children because they tend to breath in more air,” Spangler said. “What the air monitors show us during the winter time and during an inversion, much of the pollution, and we’ve done inventories to show where that pollution is coming from, 48 percent comes from automobiles.” According to Spangler, other sources include industries such as power plants and what are called area sources. These are sources where there is no specific kind or particular

industry or business that is emitting the form of particulates that cause inversion. This includes cooking happening in restaurants, heating homes and various small businesses. “The reason that’s important is because when the Utah Department of Environmental Quality Division of Air Quality looks at trying to come up with regulations to limit these kinds of pollution that form this kind of particulates, it’s really difficult because you can’t regulate one specific sector,” Spangler said. “It’s a bunch of little things. That’s why it’s important for people to understand that every action that we take, everything we do does add to the pollution.” According to Spangler, breathing in particulate matter during an inversion is harmful because the particulates get trapped in the lungs. Persistent and prolonged exposure could lead to lung damage. “As far as the health issue, it depends on how healthy you are. People react differently depending on what pollution they breath,” Spangler said. “We call our most sensitive population children because they breath in more, the elderly because they have compromised respiratory systems if they’re older, people with asthma are obviously impacted more than those who are normally healthy.” Since cars are the primary source of particulate pollution, Spangler said consolidating

trips and using public transportation is the best way to help improve the air quality. Choosing not to leave the car idling also helps improve the air quality. Through grants, the DAQ and the Utah Clean Air partnership work together to get businesses to install pollution control equipment to improve the air quality. “We offer people to convert their wood burning stoves into gas heating systems. If a person uses wood burning as their sole source of heat, they are exempt from our rules that say you can’t burn,” Spangler said. “But we go in and we offer them a replacement. So we actually pay to have them convert to a cleaner source of heat.” Air quality is sure to be a topic discussed at the legislative session. Spangler said the main need right now is funding to replace old monitoring equipment. “A lot of the research that is needed is in collaboration with universities, with our federal partners to actually get a better understanding of what is causing the air pollution so that we can have better regulatory controls that are more targeted to reducing pollution and making our air quality better,” Spangler said. For more information about air quality, visit deq.utah.gov. l

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Particulates from air pollution can lodge inside the lungs and cause lung damage. (Utah Health Department)

February 2017 | Page 7

M urrayJournal.com

16 PLAYERS. 50 YARD FIELD. 60 MINUTE CLOCK. 10,856 COACHES.

THE FIRST PRO TEAM WHERE FANS CALL THE PLAYS IS STARTING HERE IN UTAH. The Salt Lake Screaming Eagles of the Indoor Football League begin play on February 16th with an innovative approach to sports. Fans can call plays from their phones in the arena. And at the Maverik Center, that means up to 10,856 fans that can call the plays. We are bringing the best of online gaming to the game itself. To find out how you can be a coach or for season tickets visit saltlakescreamingeagles.com. For City Journals Exclusive Home Opener Ticket Offer vs. Nebraska Danger on February 16th, contact Charles, charles@saltlakescreamingeagles.com LIMITED TICKET AVAILABILITY, BOOK YOUR SEATS TODAY!

GOVERNMENT

Page 8 | February 2017

Murray Journal

Trans-Jordan updates include future landfills, NUERA research projects, recycling goals By Mandy Ditto | m.ditto@mycityjournals.com

weekly garbage curbside pickup is a given for most residents of the Salt Lake valley. However, having a place for that garbage to go every week after pickup is much more complicated than rolling a can down the driveway. Trans-Jordan Cities Landfill services Draper, Midvale, Murray, Riverton, Sandy, South Jordan and West Jordan and is currently in the last part of its lifespan, which means there are 10-15 more years expected before it is full. Because of this, Trans-Jordan took action and worked with other landfills that are part of the Northern Utah Environmental Resource Agency (NUERA) to come up with a solution. NUERA & Bayview Landfill NUERA is a collaborative group of six landfills ranging from Logan to Southern Utah, that came together to solve issues, come up with new ideas and work on projects together. “The idea is that we meet together, we talk about things, we have an operations team that talks about specific operations processes, and it’s just a way of using our combined knowledge together to make the whole system better for the public,” said Trans-Jordan’s and NUERA’s Board Vice Chairman David Newton. “The second part of that is that we can work together on projects if they come up that one or more of the landfills want to involve themselves with — they can do so on a voluntary basis — again in an effort to make things better as far as our waste needs.” Four of the landfills that are part of NUERA came together to purchase an interest in the Bayview Landfill, which is located in the southwest part of Utah County and is currently operating. The Bayview Landfill will save money and time with its proximity and pricing for these landfills to take their garbage, compared to others where prices are higher, or are much further. “You could say that we’re in charge of identifying the long-term picture, it’s sort of a puzzle, and this is a big piece of the puzzle that was put into place, because it gives our residents the surety that they have the best value location for their waste to go for the next 100 years,” said Trans-Jordan Executive Director Mark Hooyer. “Value to us means the lowest cost to our residents, as far as the fees and taxes they pay to have their waste picked up.” Expanding landfill research Something else that NUERA is starting to look into — specifically initiated and headed by Hooyer — is having their landfills used to help conduct research, specifically by local university students. “One of my goals is to help the Wasatch Front stand out nationally as an area of solid waste practice and research,” Hooyer said. “There are a lot of areas to study with landfills, what we have

An aerial view of the Bayview Landfill, where four landfills in Utah will start taking their solid waste once the lifespan of their landfills are up. (Trans-Jordan)

going on.” NUERA collectively has five active landfills to offer for research: one brand new one, one in young age, two in early-old age, and one readying for final closure, Hooyer said. There are also two closed landfills that could be used, as well as other diverse stations and plants that could be used for extensive research. “We want to stand out, we want to be recognized as a center of excellence, we’ve identified some funding sources where the money might likely come from,” which include the universities themselves, outside organizations that want to be involved with the research and NUERA members who are interested and engaged in any research, Hooyer said. Just a few of the research projects that could be conducted at the landfills include: solid waste landfilling, ground water protection, landfill gas production, compost science, energy projects, economics and financial analysis of operations, recycling and reuse of materials and more. “With NUERA, we’re more communityfocused as far as we’re reaching out to the states saying we want to bolster the universities, we want to work together so we can improve the education in the state, make Utah shine as the center of excellence when it comes to solid waste research,” Hooyer said. Reducing recycling contamination rates Bringing down the recycling contamination rates is another serious goal of Trans-Jordan — and NUERA. Contamination takes place when recyclables aren’t cleaned properly before being put into curbside recycling bins. This means that those recyclables — along with non-

recyclables put into recycling bins — have to be taken to landfills. It is not within the means of waste disposal companies to meticulously clean and sort all recyclables picked up, so it’s either recyclable with their equipment, or it isn’t. Trans-Jordan is working on an initiative with all serviced cities so that fewer recyclables will have to be taken to landfills by educating everyone the same way on what can and cannot be recycled. “We’re so big on pushing for recycling because we’ve got to save our landfill space, we’ve got to save the resources,” said Lesha Earl, Trans-Jordan’s education coordinator. “We’re pulling all of our member cities together to get all of the cities on the same page with recycling so they all say the same guidelines, there’s no confusion on what can be recycled, what can’t be recycled.” Earl will be the one to head the recycling initiative for Trans-Jordan. One example of recycling contamination is plastic grocery bags, Newton said. The bags are not recyclable and can be harmful not only to the environment but also can harm the recycling equipment where pickups are taken. Two solutions for the bags can be either returning them to bins inside grocery stores to be reused eventually, or to use them as garbage sacks to go to the landfill. Glass is recyclable, but not in curbside bins; it should be taken to glass recycling pickup stations. Trans-Jordan does not recycle glass, but does provide such services as taking care of household hazardous waste, creating compost from green waste and offering dumpster roll-out services to residents of affiliated cities. l

GOVERNMENT

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February 2017 | Page 9

Murray City 2016-17 budget amended, new officers sworn in By Mandy Ditto | m.ditto@mycityjournals.com

wo police officers being sworn in and consideration on an ordinance to amend the city’s fiscal year 2016-2017 budget were some of the main items on the docket for the Murray City Council meeting Tuesday Dec. 13. Steven Jennings and William Riding were both sworn in as new Murray city police officers and several family members and friends attended the swearing in. “We are excited to have these two men join our police department … to come out to be part of our family, part of our city and serve and work with us and the citizens of Murray,” Burnett said. Jennings comes from working for five years with the Department of Corrections and Adult Probation Parole, and recently returned from deployment in Kuwait with the National Guard. William Riding is currently in the academy, “so we are swearing him in before he actually graduates,” Burnett said. Both men will begin service on the force immediately. There was also a public hearing to consider an ordinance to amend the city’s fiscal year 2016-2017 budget presented by city finance director Justin Zollinger. Changes included more money and grants that came in for several projects and departments in the city. Some other increases included: • $1,000 donation from the Duffield Family Foundation for the police department animal shelter operations, • $5,389 from the State Homeland Security Program Grant awarded to the fire department for emergency response equipment and sustainment and $3,552 for mobile radio and battery equipment, • $3,751 from the State Homeland Security Program Grant awarded to the police department for law enforcement terrorism prevention equipment, • $100,736 from a state reimbursement to help continue to pay for wildland fire response; this rounds out reimbursements to the fire department to $150,000 this year, Zollinger said, • $7,000 from the Salt Lake County Zoos, Arts and Parks grant that will go towards the Arts and History programs, • $75,000 from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation and another part of the Salt Lake County Amphitheater contribution of $636,927 to pay for the amphitheater project. Another $20,000 of interest earnings from the Capital Projects Fund will help finish paying for the amphitheater,

New Murray city police officers William Riding and Steven Jennings are sworn in by city recorder Jennifer Kennedy at the Dec. 13 city council meeting. (Mandy Ditto/City Journals)

• $2,500,000 from the Strom Water Bond for capital projects on the following streets: Brahma, Hillside, Clover Meadow, 5400 South, Utahan and 300 West, • $7,521,560 from Sales Tax Bond Revenue to go towards the Redevelopment Agency Fund for property acquisition and issuance costs, • $6,181 from the closure of a share State PTIF account, • $28,789 from the Justice Assistance Grant will go towards purchasing back seat cameras for police cars. • And $80,103 from the Beer Tax Restricted Reserves will be used to buy more police body cameras. Susan Baker, a Murray citizen attending the meeting, was concerned about back seat cameras being purchased before all officers have body cameras. However, “all of our first responders — our uniformed officers, patrol officers — have body cameras. We don’t give them to, at this point, our detectives,” Burnett said. The ordinance to amend the city’s budget was adopted by the city. Along with amendments to the city budget, a resolution was adopted to amend the general schedule of fees charged by

the Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District for garbage and recycling collection services. “This is not a fee increase for residential garbage collection, we are actually adding a couple of additional fees per the agreements made when the Wasatch Front district was formed,” said councilman Jim Brass, “If we create or delay a major fee increase, we need to get approval from the majority of the councils that are a member of the district.” In this case, due to many homes being built in the west side of the district, primarily in Herriman, it has been suggested to cover the cost of the delivery and setup of garbage cans there, Brass said. This will include, a $50 new home cart fee, and a $10 new home cart delivery charge, to cover about half of the expenses needed, and will save the district about $40,000 a year. The resolution was approved unanimously by the council. The council also approved a resolution which has been previously discussed to repeal “previous ownership definitions and puts into place a new ownership formula, whereby the city will pay for operation and upgrade cost to the Central Valley Sewer Treatment Plant, based upon our use of that plant,” said Doug Hill, Murray’s director of public services, in his presentation. Lastly, two resolutions in regards to agreements with the city and the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Utah Transit Authority (UTA) were presented and approved. “The Heritage Center was awarded a grant through UTA, we received approximately $69,000 in Department of Transportation funds that will go towards building a shelter for the Heritage Center bus, and will also pay for expanded bus service to residents of our city,” Hill said. As part of that grant the city is required to provide $10,000 for the bus shelter, which is included in the budget, and $23,000 of matching funds which is included in the Heritage Center budget for driver and operating costs. The UTA and USDOT require as part of the grant that the city pass a resolution that they will not discriminate against people of race, color or national origin. “Thank you for a great year,” said Mayor Eyre to finish up the last council meeting of the year, after wishing everyone happy holidays. l

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ENTERPRISE

Page 10 | February 2017

Murray Journal

Recycling 101: Getting closer to best recycling practices in the valley By Mandy Ditto | m.ditto@mycityjournals.com

or years, Salt Lake Valley residents have put out big, green bins to support recycling. However, there isn’t a year that goes by where those residents find themselves unsure of exactly what can be recycled. Why Recycling is Important There are plenty of financial and environmental reasons to recycle, but some area experts say there are things residents should know in order to encourage them to recycle more efficiently. “A lot of our landfills will sustain us for about 15 more years, and then we will either need to ship things out further or have transfer stations,” said Dawn Beagley, who is in charge of business development at ACE Recycling and Disposal. “Or, we can keep all of the recyclables out of landfills and they will last a lot longer.” Besides the environmental impact on landfills, Beagley also believes recycling is simply the right thing to do. “It’s too bad we don’t have kids or grandkids that could invent something using these recyclables to reuse a lot more stuff — that would be best,” Beagley said. “I hate to see when someone throws a plastic bottle in the trash. I teach my kids at home, ‘No, that’s recyclable.’ I just think it’s very important.” Jennifer Meriwether, who handles business development for Rocky Mountain Recycling, sees recycling as real sustainability, “a good alternative, that also keeps people engaged and aware ... that is very important and necessary.” Rocky Mountain Recycling helps with curbside service in the valley by having items picked up by ACE taken to RMR plant facility to go through for contamination and recycling. Many Salt Lake Valley disposal companies want to use community engagement as a way to get people to see the good in recycling. Educating and getting kids involved is especially relevant and is something many parents are doing to show their kids how to make an impact in their community. For Trena L., a Murray resident, recycling

definitely feels like she’s engaged and part of a community effort, she said. “There’s always that guilt that comes with it, if you don’t do it, and you feel like you should probably be doing it more,” she said. She puts her curbside bin out at least every other week. “But you are always aware of it and once you just do it, it becomes a habit.” What NOT to Recycle Unfortunately, no matter how much residents are engaged in recycling, there is still misinformation and confusion about what can or cannot be recycled. And though many things can be recycled, it depends on whether the city — and the disposal companies that service the city — has the resources to recycle every product, Beagley said. “Because, right now, the recycling numbers are down the products are not worth as much as they use to be,” Beagley said. “And with the recyclers, we are taking items to them that they don’t want as much as they use to.” Currently, plastic foam and any cardboard with wax film are items that recyclers don’t have any place for, and don’t want in recycling. It has also become cheaper for companies to make new plastic bags, rather than recycle and reuse them. When plastic bags are put into curbside recycling bins and taken to the lots where recycled goods are sorted, they are doing what recyclers and disposal companies call contaminating. An entire load may be deemed unrecyclable due to this contamination, unless it is sorted out in time. Plastic bags also frequently clog the recycling machines and local trucks that pick up curbside garbage, Meriwether said. Currently Rocky Mountain Recycling is trying to do a “bag ban” so that plastic bags can only be taken back to grocery stores to be recycled or reused, she said. Contamination is the biggest issue for recyclers. Food waste that is in or on recyclable products, as well as clothing and plastic bags, are a few of the things that can also cause con-

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tamination, Beagley said. “We want the recycling bins to be clean. Food waste is the worst. And with clothing, that is the wrong place to recycle it. There are other places for that,” like donation centers, she said. The worst culprit of contamination in curbside bins is glass, since it can break and spread through an entire load of recycling. Glass is a great thing to recycle and reuse, and there are glass drop-offs throughout the valley for it. Most glasses can be recycled, but it is necessary for glass to be taken to specific drop-offs, so that it doesn’t affect other recyclables. There are a few types of glass that cannot be recycled, and those include ceramic, mirrored glass and light bulbs, all of which have problematic contaminants to get out once a load of glass is melted together. Pyrex products, such as pie plates, are also contaminants. The rule to live by with that type of glass can be recycled is: “basically if you can put it in your oven, it can’t be recycled,” noted John Lair, president and CEO of Momentum Recycling, a glass recycling company in Utah and Colorado. For a more comprehensive list of what cannot be recycled by ACE Disposal, which services in the Salt Lake Valley, go to: www. acedisposal.com/index.php/recycling-disposal-for-your-home/residential-recycling. What TO Recycle Luckily, many items people use on a daily basis can be recycled. “Glass is a low-hanging fruit: it’s easy material to identify, glass is always recyclable besides the few we listed and everyone can do it,” Lair said. Glass can also be reused playing another part in the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle cycle. “Glass is 100 percent recyclable. You can make a new container with glass that you can’t do with other (materials),” Lair said. “If you are shopping based on your sustainability preferences, glass is your best packing choice. I really encourage people to embrace glass and close

the loop and make sure to recycle glass locally.” When it comes to plastics, papers and metals that can be recycled, there are many options and are not as limited as many may think. “A lot of people, they think they can’t put a lot of things in the recycling bin, so they put it in the garbage…it’s actually a lot easier than people think,” Meriwether said. “People think they have to go through a big process, sorting them and all and they don’t necessarily have to do that.” Below are household items that can be recycled: • Paper: office, note • Brochures, catalogues • Newspaper • Wrapping paper • Cardboard (flattened or cut) • Envelopes • Paper egg cartons • Plastic containers #1-7 • Washed out milk, juice, water jugs and bottles • Washed out laundry jugs and bottles • Aluminum cans • Tin cans • Clean aluminum foil • Aluminum disposable pans and plates For a more comprehensive list of recyclable items, visit: www.acedisposal.com/index. php/recycling-disposal-for-your-home/residential-recycling. Lair sees recycling as important for the entire community, and not just for environmental concerns. “It’s good for the local economy: it creates jobs, giving sustainable, long-term employment. Like ours, most are small businesses, which is very good for the community in many ways,” Lair said. “I would encourage people to get involved...and in the long run, help us conserve our limited, dwindling recycled materials. Whether it’s products or packaging, it doesn’t have to be dug from the earth; it extends longevity of natural resources, it’s the smart thing to do, and not just environmentally.” l

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February 2017

FREQUENTLY REQUESTED NUMBERS Attorney ............................................. 801-264-2640 Business Licensing ............................. 801-270-2432 Cemetery ........................................... 801-264-2637 City Council ........................................ 801-264-2603 Finance Department .......................... 801-264-2513 FIRE DEPARTMENT Administrative Office ..................... 801-264-2781 Non-Emergency Calls .................... 801-840-4000 General Information........................... 801-264-2525 Heritage Center (Sr. Center)................ 801-264-2635 Human Resources............................... 801-264-2656 Library ............................................... 801-264-2580 Mayor’s Office..................................... 801-264-2600 Municipal Court.................................. 801-284-4280 Museum ............................................. 801-264-2589 Murray Park Outdoor Pool .................. 801-266-9321 Murray Parkway Golf Course............... 801-262-4653 PARKS AND RECREATION Administrative Office ..................... 801-264-2614 Rain-out Information .................... 801-264-2525 Park Center (indoor pool) ................... 801-284-4200 Passports............................................ 801-264-2660 POLICE DEPARTMENT Administrative Office ..................... 801-264-2673 Animal Control .............................. 801-264-2671 Code Enforcement ......................... 801-264-2673 Non-Emergency Calls .................... 801-840-4000 POWER DEPARTMENT Administrative Office ..................... 801-264-2730 After Hours Emergency.................. 801-264-9669 PUBLIC SERVICES Administrative Office ..................... 801-270-2440 Building Inspection ....................... 801-270-2431 Green Waste Trailers ...................... 801-270-2440 Planning and Zoning ..................... 801-270-2420 Solid Waste.................................... 801-270-2440 Water, Sewer, Streets..................... 801-270-2440 Zoning Enforcement ...................... 801-270-2426 UTILITIES After Hours Emergency.................. 801-264-9669 Billing Questions ........................... 801-264-2626

murray.utah.gov

Mayor’s Message

MAYOR’S OFFICE Ted Eyre, Mayor Janet Towers

Chief Administrative Officer

After almost two and a half years, four public open houses, many steering committee and focus group meetings, input from a scientific survey, and several public meetings with the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council, the updated Murray City General Plan is nearing completion and includes some exciting changes. Murray City started the process of updating the city’s General Plan in January 2015. The previous update was conducted in 2003. Since that time, the city has changed, evolved and many new developments have entered our city. The General Plan is a vision document that analyzes the growth and geography of the city. It then formulates goals and policies through expert advice from consultants and input from citizens. It is a decision making tool for city departments and elected officials. It can also be of assistance to residents and landowners regarding possible changes around their own properties.

801-264-2600 5025 S. State Street Murray, Utah 84107

The updated plan will support efforts to create a vibrant, distinct downtown. It includes direction to help the city create opportunities for world-class office projects, new developments around the Trax and Frontrunner stations, and plans to help link them all together with the city’s wonderful existing neighborhoods. The updated plan also includes concepts that will help protect the quiet character of the residential areas. Additionally the plan could spur improvements and expansions of properties serving these neighborhoods, and enhance amenities and improve the atmosphere and quality that Murray resi-

Public Input Meetings.

dents have come to expect. Murray is a unique place, and from the beginning the updated plan was intended to be the same with an innovative format that will be more readable and usable for everyone. The goal is for it to be a more integrated part of the city’s planning efforts and land use decisions. The proposed General Plan is now online for your review at planmurray.com. As I’ve watched the process and participated in some of the input meetings, I’m very excited about the future of Murray City and the path to keep Murray, a City Without Equal. Sincerely,

Ted Eyre, Mayor

Page 12 | February 2017

Murray Journal

Message from the Council Legislative Session for 2017 As a resident, you are represented in the Utah State Legislature by a House of Representatives Member and a Senator. The House is comprised of 75 Representatives and the Senate has 29 Senators. You should feel free to contact your respective Legislators on matters affecting you and your household. Some legislative bills will receive much media attention while other bills will only be observed by their respective industry or special interest group. As we approach this year’s Legislative Session, beginning on January 23rd, it may be helpful to outline some of the usual and unusual topics. The usual subjects include education, air and water quality, taxation, and transportation, roads and transit. A tax and education issue this year will be whether or not to increase the income tax to generate additional funding for education, which is an issue that will generate attention. An unusual initiative that the media will cover extensively will be medical marijuana. Another exotic bill would be the regulation of alcohol. These issues will receive extensive print and electronic news stories. Issues that won’t see news coverage are obscure legislation. An example of some bills that will receive less attention would be legislation aimed at public safety, police and fire. This is legislation you would probably never read or hear about unless you worked in the public safety arena. Let’s look at some of these topics. On the firefighting front there will be coverage of wildland fires, use of drones, jurisdictional roles, fire drops, and ambulance service. Wildland fire concerns are insuring that the respective fire department responding to a wildland fire is adequately reimbursed by the State of Utah. There is the possibility for state authority to use drones for scene assessment. Ambulance use has become a very beneficial and successful public service. Some interests may try to privatize the service. Regarding law enforcement there are four issues of concern. Use of body cameras, off duty employment, asset forfeiture, and officer protection. The body camera concerns have become a matter of cost rel-

ative to storage of the video. Maintaining the video footage can be an expensive proposition so law enforcement needs to decide how long the videos are to be stored and work with the legislature regarding that law. The question of off duty employment will focus on responsibility of work place Dave Nicponski issues when the officer is working outside District 1 of their public capacity. Asset forfeiture, confiscating property used in the commission of a crime, may undergo some changes. Officer protection legislation would prevent access to officer’s address. The above issues won’t be likely to experience the exposure that the usual issues create, however they are just as important to public safety as the education, environment, and taxation legislation is to the general public. As a taxpayer and registered voter your opinion on all of this legislation is of upmost importance to your legislator. Contact your representative and make your opinion heard. Your position on bills is very important. To email your elected official use the Utah State Legislature home site and click on “Legislators”. There is a box at the bottom of that page that will identify your House and Senate representatives. Their email addresses are listed and you are on your way.

MURRAY CITY COUNCIL Council District 1 Dave Nicponski 801-913-3283 dnicponski@murray.utah.gov Council District 2 D. Blair Camp 801-214-8547 blair.camp@murray.utah.gov Council District 3 Jim Brass 801-598-7290 jim.brass@murray.utah.gov Council District 4 Diane Turner 801-635-6382 diane.turner@murray.utah.gov Council District 5 Brett A. Hales 801-882-7171 brett.hales@murray.utah.gov Council Administrator Jan Lopez 801-264-2622 jlopez@murray.utah.gov

–Dave Nicponski, City Council District 1

MAKE SMALL CHANGES

FOR BIG IMPACTS

When idling your car, keep these numbers in mind. Do your part to keep our air clean. • 10 seconds of idling wastes more fuel than restarting the engine. • Driving warms up your car 2 times faster than idling on a cold day. • 2 minutes of idling uses as much fuel as travelling 1 mile. • 40+ hazardous air pollutants are emitted from engine exhaust. • 3 pounds of pollution per month are generated by every vehicle dropping off and picking up kids at one school.

February 2017 | Page 13

M urrayJournal.com

february 2017 Murray Arts Beat Winter Season

Auditions Auditions for the Murray Arts in the Park summer musicals will begin in March for “Fiddler on the Roof.” Other dates and times will be coming for “The Music Man” scheduled for late July and the title TBD in mid-August. “Fiddler on the Roof” auditions will be Friday, March 3, 7-9 p.m. and on March 4, 9 a.m.-noon at the Murray Theater located at 4961 So. State. Parking is limited in front of the theater, so please park to the south behind Murray City Hall. Do not park in the post office parking. Please be prepared to sing 16 to 24 bars of a Broadway-style song, not from “Fiddler on the Roof.” An accompanist will be provided. No CDs please. Please come prepared for a dance audition too. Families are welcome to audition together. The show is being directed by Candy Tippetts, musical direction by Lynn Chatterton and choreography by Peggy Sherratt. Performance dates are June 22-28 at the Murray City Park Amphitheater.

• Feb. 10, Choral Fest, MHS choirs with guest artists, MHS, 7 p.m., Free • March 2-4, 6, “The Odd Couple,” MHS, 7 p.m., $5-$6 advance, $7 door • March 11, “Sounds of Spain,” Murray Symphony, MHS, 7:30 p.m., $6, under 10 free • March 15-18, “Henry V,” Produced by CHS, 7 p.m., $7 advance, $8 door • March 16-18, “The Black Cauldron Fairytale Ballet,” Murray Ballet, 7 p.m., $7

Storytelling Festival March 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., MHS Little Theater and Choir Rooms

For additional information, please contact Mary Ann Kirk at 801-264-2638

Grant Elementary – Grades 2-6 Jan. 30; Feb. 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 23 Judging March 3 • 3:20-4:20 p.m. Murray Library – Grades 2-12, adults welcome Jan. 21, 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25 Judging March 4 • 1-3 p.m., Heritage Senior Center – adults and seniors Jan. 23, 26, 30; Feb 2, 6, 9, 13, 16 Judging March 3 • Noon-2 p.m. Twin Peaks Elementary – Grades 2-6 Feb. 21, 22, 24, 27, March 1 Judging March 3 • 3:45-4:45 p.m. M-Th, 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Fridays

Murray Park Amphitheater Amphitheater upgrades - Rendering:

Public Art Fundraising Campaign Murray City will open a newly remodeled amphitheater in June 2017 with many added features, improved handicapped seating and a beautiful plaza entrance. Our goal is to install a public art piece in the plaza to incorporate a visual art element in this performing arts facility. Our goal is to raise $30,000 by recruiting 10 donors of $1,000 and 200 donations of $100 each from our patrons who have supported our summer programming since 1985 when the amphitheater was first constructed. Join us in in this effort. Contact Mary Ann Kirk at mkirk@murray.utah.gov for a donation form or print one from the Murray City website at murray.utah.gov.

Murray Cultural Arts will host a city-wide storytelling festival featuring approximately 50 storytellers from ages 8 to 100! The event is free and the public is welcome! Murray will select finalists from our City Festival to participate in the 2nd Annual County Festival, Story Crossroads, in April. There are a few remaining workshops for those who would like to learn the art of storytelling with a chance to tell at the city festival. Contact mkirk@murray.utah.gov for registration information.

Murray Library

Kids Café The Murray Library started a new program in 2016 called Kids Café. This program is through the Utah Food Bank and provides a snack or small meal to children under the age of 18 after school hours. According to the Utah Food Bank, they prepare “more than 1,800 nutritious meals each weekday and transports them to 42 after-school sites.” Through the Kids Café program, the Utah Food Bank provided almost 283,000 meals last year. Many children rely on the meals provided for them at their schools and the Kids Café program hopes to help fill in the meal gap that many children experience once they leave school for the day. The Utah Food Bank is one of the oldest and most trusted nonprofit organizations in our

state and we are happy to be working with them to fight hunger among our youngest citizens.

We have Kids Café scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The schedule is outlined below: Tuesdays: 3:30-4:15 p.m. Wednesdays: 1:45-2:45 p.m.

Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Visit us online at murraylibrary.org or call us at

801-264-2580

for more information 166 E. 5300 S., Murray, UT 84107

Fridays: 3:30-4:15 p.m. If you know of any children who could benefit from this program, please send them our way!

Murray Library Home

Murray Library Calendar

Page 14 | February 2017

Murray Journal

If you have questions, please contact the Murray Public Services Department at 801-270-2440

Street Department 5900 South The 5900 South Project will reach its completion in the spring of 2017. The contractor, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), and City crews worked feverishly to provide vehicular and pedestrian access for the winter season over the months of November and December and appreciate the patience of residents, commuters and the businesses along the corridor. Many driveways and sidewalks were paved in asphalt in the efforts to

provide this temporary access and crews will install the permanent concrete in the spring. Also to be addressed will be side street tie-ins from Stratler to 20 East where punch list work will occur. Landscaping and irrigation work will be completed from Commerce to State Street as well. Thank you again for your patience as we work to finish this project expeditiously in the spring. For further project updates and project related questions, please e-mail 5900south@utah.gov.

Sewer Lateral Ownership Notice Did you know that YOU, as a property owner, own the sewer lateral that runs from your home or business to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sewer mainline? As a result, you have the responsibility to maintain your lateral. Maintaining the lateral includes keeping the lateral line flowing and free of debris from items such as roots or grease. It also includes making repairs to breaks in the line. Laterals extend from the building or structure to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main line in the street or easement (see depiction below).

Laterals typically range in size from four to six inches in diameter and may be located within the public right of way, including under the sidewalk, park strip, and asphalt or concrete roadways. If you live in a private development, you will need to contact your homeowners association for clarification of ownership and or responsibility. The Murray City wastewater collection system is a publicly owned system comprised of approximately 152 miles of underground pipes that range in size from 8-48 inches in diameter. Three main sewer pump stations keep the wastewater flowing to the Central Valley Wastewater Reclamation Facility. Sewer backups can cause tremendous damage to the interior of a home or business. To minimize this potential, the city provides continual maintenance services to keep the public sewer main line running clear and free of debris. However, because the sewer laterals are entirely owned by the property owner(s) they serve, the city does not perform maintenance on these laterals. Unfortunately, because laterals are out of sight, they remain out of our minds and therefore are rarely serviced, until disaster strikes. The purpose of this flyer is to educate you about this responsibility. In some instances, your property insurance may cover a break or damage to your sewer lateral. We suggest you review your policy to determine if you have coverage.

M urrayJournal.com

ENTERPRISE

February 2017 | Page 15

Health insurance help: How to live with it and not without By Mandy Ditto | m.ditto@mycityjournals.com

ven though open enrollment for this year has closed, there are plenty of things to be confused about when it comes to health insurance. Though many people may know the basics about deductibles, premiums and copayments, there are always pitfalls — or just deeper questions — people should be aware of and asking about. Unfortunately, there are times that insurance companies are simply limited, or have created policies that limit them with what they can cover, and people aren’t aware until a medical emergency of some kind comes up and they need help. Here are some professionals’ tips, and personal stories from the Salt Lake Valley pertaining to navigating health insurance. What isn’t covered Due to the fact that every insurance provider is different, it is difficult to say which things are typically not covered. However, if people are asking questions about the conditions they have or may have to deal with before they pin down which insurance policy to use, they can often get the answers they need about which carrier and policy works best for them, said Heidi Castaneda, Small Employer and Individual Plan sales director at Select Health. Oftentimes, however, nobody can know what exactly what is going to happen to them or their family, and they simply need coverage for emergencies. There are also experimental procedures that insurance companies often don’t cover for various reasons, and needing something like this with no coverage can be costly. For the Nichols family this has been a reality over the past several years, as they have fought for understanding about their 15-year-old son’s medical conditions and health. Brody — or Spencer, at school — was born with hydronephrosis on the left side, which causes swelling of the kidney because urine can’t drain properly. He had surgery at 10-months-old and the family was told he would live a normal life. They later found out that Brody also had it on the right side, and in May 2015 he was feeling sick again. After several months and fighting for an ultrasound, they discovered that neither kidneys were draining properly. Surgery was done again on both sides at the beginning of 2016, but they still had to have nephrostomy tubes put in during the summer, to help the kidneys drain into bags Brody carries on his back. After several doctors discussed Brody’s condition they decided he needed a kidney autotransplant. “Brody will be the first minor in Utah

to have this procedure done, he’ll be the first one at Primary Children’s to have it done, if it gets authorized to be okay,” said Rachel Nichols, Brody’s mom. “University of Utah is a research school, so they have done at least 30 cases on adults, but there’s not enough evidence for children with his diagnosis to prove that this will work, so they’re calling it experimental.” However, because of its experimental nature, the Nichols’s health provider, Select Health, told them they wouldn’t be able to cover it, due to their policy. The family has been fighting and appealing to gain coverage for the $100,000 to $150,000 procedure ever since so that “Brody can live and be a teenager,” Nichols said. Because Brody’s right kidney was saved in time and is functioning, the autotransplant would simply move the kidney into the pelvic area to attach directly to the bladder, Nichols said, which is what is done with kidney transplants from donors. “If we can do that, we feel that he will live a healthy life, he will not be on any anti-rejection medicine and he will not be on any opioids,” Nichols said. “From the doctors that we’ve had, we’ve had three different opinions, they all say yes, he needs to have this done. Select Health gets to rubberstamp it after five doctors have said … all five have said yes, but they are calling it experimental and there’s not enough information stating that this will work for him.” Nichols believes that if this can be approved and pushed forward, that Brody “can open the doors for other children to have this done.” The Nichols were denied on December 14 and so Rachel turned to social media about it, and got the attention of an appeals manager. Brody had a surgery date set for January 3, but the appeal wasn’t processed in time. As of mid-January the chief medical officer of Select Health is looking at the case personally, and the Nichols are waiting to see what will happen. “It makes you think about what health insurance company you want to use, and that’s something people need to look into: what is covered by one insurance and what is not covered by another insurance,” Nichols said. In regards to covering experimental procedures like autotransplants, “all types of insurance have limitations and exclusions, and the reason around that is from a cost standpoint,” said Scott Schneider, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Select Health. “You could cover every single thing possible and then the cost would be reflective of that

… insurance plans typically covered a mandated level of benefits … all forms have a form of limitations or exclusions.” Questions that need asking about health insurance Because it can be intimidating for people to look through those official documents that explain coverage, Castaneda suggests that “reaching out for additional resources is obviously going to be a good idea for some, whether it’s reaching right out to your insurer or agent or broker, to be able to answer some of those questions you might have that are not straightforward.” Out-of-pocket maximums, deductibles, pharmacy copays, emergency room copays and urgent care costs are some of the specific things people should look at as they go over their SBC and schedule of benefits, Schneider said. In regards to medical emergencies, people should “get a feel for, ‘Where could I go receive urgent care benefits?’ It’s nice to look at those things while you’re calm, so you could say, ‘Hey urgent care is a $100 visit but the emergency room is $500,’ and go back and say ‘Where is my nearest urgent care unit,’ so they get a feel for what are their copay differentials,” Schneider said. Something many people may not consider is that they can’t always buy insurance, at any time of the year. Because of the Affordable Care Act, there is an enrollment period that goes from November 1 to January 31, said Robert Sautter, current president of the Utah Association of Health Underwriters. People need to be aware of when they need insurance and when they can sign onto a plan; preparedness for the plan they want is also important, so that they are stuck with what works for them. Cost is an obvious thing people are looking at with insurance plans and it all depends on one’s needs to decide how much is reasonable to spend. “People should be looking at what are their needs, are they buying insurance to cover a catastrophic need, in other words do they not have many day-to-day needs, or do you have a common condition to where you need to establish day-to-day care, you need to be covered for that,” Sautter said. “They need to look at their situation, they need to know how much insurance they need. Costs are so high these days, and people will ask to just show them the lowest price product and of course that comes with a high deductible and very high out-of-pocket. The price may be right, but what they realistically need it doesn’t make sense to buy that.” l

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EDUCATION

Page 16 | February 2017

Murray Journal

Grant students break rules for school fundraiser

Grant students help with TV weather segment

By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

Grant Elementary will hold a “Yes Day!” to students who pay to break the rules as part of school fundraiser. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

f students want to break rules, Grant Elementary administration is saying “yes.” “Yes Day!” is the school-wide fundraiser set for Friday, March 3 and a chance for students and their families to make a financial contribution to the school in trade for opportunities students usually are denied, such as running in the hall, having a food fight, chewing gum and wearing pajamas to school. Several supervised activities are pre-set with costs ranging from $1 to $5 to “break the rules and allow every student to participate,” Principal Matt Nelson said. “It’s a fun way to raise funds and it’s one day out of the ordinary that is memorable,” he said. “Everything is predetermined. It’s the only day students can do these activities and it raises funds that directly benefit the kids.” With a goal of $4,000, the funds are earmarked to purchase non-fiction texts so that students can read and use them for resources. Nelson said that the non-fiction purchases could include subscription to National Geographic Kids Explorer, Time Magazine for Kids, Scope magazine and others. “We have a lot of fiction and literature in our library, but we have a lack of resources when it comes to non-fiction. So this fundraiser is set to support the students’ exposure to nonfiction,” Nelson said. Nelson said that while Grant Elementary’s math scores on standardized testing have steadily increased in recent years, the language arts exam scores have been “flat.” “A lot of our testing is on non-fiction

so we’re hoping to give our students more exposure to it, have more repeated practice reading articles and drawing conclusions, to help improve our understanding,” he said. He said that during the week leading up to March 3, students can bring in donations and select what grade-level activities they may like to participate in, such as doing origami, riding a scooter on the black top, having an extra recess or bringing a stuffed animal. Teachers keep track of the money and activities. On Friday, students are given a bookmark with the activities they selected and teachers mark those off after they participate. “Some of our students do extra chores so they could donate more to participate in additional activities,” he said. “Yes Day!” also will include assemblies from the Utah Opera and Utah Ballet. This is the second year they have done the “Yes Day!” fundraiser. Last year, the school raised $3,500. “We had teachers who thought it was fun and wanted to participate so we included activities they could choose,” he said. Nelson said the fundraising idea came from Longview Principal Chad Sanders, who brought it to Murray School District from another school district. Longview has held the fundraiser several years, with this fall raising about $7,000. In addition to similar activities, some highlights at Longview included throwing a pie at student council members, attending a magician show and getting a picture taken in a photo booth. l

“It’s the only day students can do these activities and it raises funds that directly benefit the kids.”

Anthony Thompson, with the help of Photographer John Eulberg, got to hold the television camera when KUTV Good4Utah aired from his Grant Elementary classroom. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

hen fourth-grade teacher Ginger Shaw heard that KUTV needed classrooms to air weather segments for Good4Utah and that her students could learn from a meteorologist between segments, she called the station. About one week later, on Jan. 6, meteorologist Devon Lucie was explaining to students about precipitation, transpiration and warm, cold and stationary fronts as part of the television station’s weather school program. He also explained to them how he reads weather charts. “I could see the students making a personal connection, learning, exploring, having a spark of knowing new things,” Lucie said. “It’s my hope that they realize math and science are important in today’s life and it’s everywhere around them. Many people don’t realize that.” Lucie, who has lived in Utah for about eight months, said that the students surprised him. “I’m impressed with their knowledge of knowing every county in Utah and with their knowledge about the weather in fourth grade. They sang songs about these and taught me as well,” he said. And not only did the class join him live on television as he gave the forecast, but he invited them to sing. They shared with viewers their “Cloud Song,” an original lyric song by Shaw set to the tune of “Polly Wolly Doodle,” which describes cumulus, nimbus, stratus and cirrus clouds. Shaw has another song, “On Top of the World,” that includes meteorology terms such as anemometer, barometer, prediction, rain

gauge and more. “I write these songs so they can remember what they’re learning and having them be part of the weather school and on TV will be another highlight they’ll remember from fourth grade,” Shaw said. Photographer John Eulberg said that they travel weekly to classrooms throughout the year as they want to be actively involved in the community and help students learn. “These students knew more about the weather than I’ve picked up the three years I’ve been working at the station,” he said. “And they’re showing they want to learn. This is giving us a chance to be out in our community, meeting people and making relationships.” Eulberg made a connection with nineyear-old Anthony Thompson when Anthony asked the camera man how heavy the television camera was. “He told me he’d show me after we were done,” Anthony said. “Then, he let me hold it and showed me where to look and aim. It was my favorite part of their visit. I liked learning more about the weather. It was a fun experience.” Classmate Preslee Stock said it was not only fun, but she learned about cold, warm and stationary fronts. “We hadn’t talked about those, but it was easy to understand,” she said. “Being on TV was fun and a little scary at first since we couldn’t see who was watching and we didn’t want to make a mistake. But it was fun. It’s been great day learning about how TV works and more about weather.” l

SPORTS

M urrayJournal.com

February 2017 | Page 17

Screaming Eagles debut at Maverik Center By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com

ndoor football returns to the Maverik Center in West Valley. The Salt Lake Screaming Eagles begin play February 16 as members of the Indoor Football League. The team also forges in a new era of sports team management. The fans helped hire coaches, pick dancers and will call plays as part of the franchise. “We are excited and have signed 28 guys and make some cuts down to 25 guys that will lead to a great team out on the field,” said Screaming Eagles President Thom Carter. “I am more excited about how we want people to experience sports. We are trying to make history. We are allowing fans to have their voices be heard.” The fans have decided the team name, hired the coaches and with a downloadable app will be able to call the plays during the game. “This will be perfect for lots of fans. The guy who likes to bring his family to the game and buy a beer and a hot dog; the fantasy football guy that is all about the stats and lastly the video game fans who want to feel like they are playing the game,” Carter said. The Screaming Eagles have signed University of Charleston graduate Jeremy Johnson to compete for playing time at quarterback. The 6-foot-1, 197 lb. dual threat QB was a highly recruited four-star athlete from Silsbee, Texas. He originally played at West Virginia after leaving with several injuries he was finally resigned to ending his football career, but The University of Charleston found him and offered a chance. In 2015 Johnson threw for 2,170 yards, 17 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions.

University of Utah offensive lineman Junior Salt has signed to be part of a line that includes another former Ute, Siaosi Aiono and Arizona Wildcat Steven Gurrola. “We do not know what our final roster will look like, but the local standouts make me excited. Everyone has bought into this team. Our opponents are well established and winning programs. We also think our 10,000 offensive coordinators will help us figure out ways to win. The power of all of these ideas will make us a better team and organization,” Carter said. Devin Mahina, a former BYU Cougar and Washington Redskin tight end, and Utah State wide receiver Alex Wheat should provide reliable targets for Johnson. Mahina is a 6-foot-6 receiver who finished his Cougar career with 46 receptions and five touchdowns. “We feel we are empowering arm-chair quarterbacks. The people who call in on Monday mornings to the sports talk shows can now show us what they got. We live in an age of immediate access and fans are demanding this of their sports teams,” Carter said. William Macarthy was hired by the fans as the team’s first head coach. The organization narrowed down nearly 220 applicants to the best six finalists. Facebook live interviews and 38,000 votes from fans in 21 different countries finally gave Macarthy 34.9 percent of the votes. He has coached on four different indoor teams. He has been a general manager, defensive coordinator, head coach and special teams coordinator. Most recently he has been working as special teams coordinator at Monroe College in New York.

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SPORTS

Page 18 | February 2017

Murray Journal

Spartans ascending: girls basketball furnished with youth

MISSION STATEMENT

The Murray Chamber creates synergy among professionals. We facilitate the creation of long lasting business relationships between members that are based on trust, value, and cooperation. We provide tools to connect education, service opportunities and interaction between members.

By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com

The Murray Area Chamber of Commerce thanks the following members for reinvesting in their memberships. When shopping or looking for a product or service, be sure to contact the chamber. We are YOUR Business Family!

Thank You from Your Murray Chamber! Greenwood Addiction Centers – Nikki Greenwood Infinity Tax Solutions – Lisa Shumway Flooring Brokers & Design – Meeka Spyker PGA & W Architects – Kris Pasker Center Court Apartments – Ann Royce

Rob’s Wildlife – Rob Daughtery Forest Product Sales – Tom Butterfield Boys & Girls Clubs – Bob Dunn University of Phoenix – Holly Heffron RedLee SCS – John Bond

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www.murraychamber.org

Sophomore Isis Beh of the Murray Spartans shoots a free throw during the first half against Hillcrest. (Travis Barton/ City Journals)

ith four sophomores in the starting lineup for the Murray High School girls basketball team, the Spartans season has been a literal baptism by fire. “There’s a process and I knew there would be with this group. The learning curve, they’ve handled it well and they’re starting to see those flashes of greatness,” said third-year head coach Holly Gillette. That process included a brutal preseason that saw the Spartans go 1-7. Six of those eight teams currently have winning records. It was a schedule Gillette did purposefully to give her young team plenty of experience. “We played a lot of tough teams so I feel like we were more prepared than what we would have been if we played easier teams,” said sophomore center Isis Beh. With only one returning varsity player in senior captain Rylee Moore (senior Jurnee Murray suffered a knee injury), Gillette said she knew there would be growing pains, but the girls would learn from them. “We’re just getting better and understanding the level, the intensity that it takes. What the difference at the varsity level (is), the aggression, the work ethic it takes. It’s just taken some time,” Gillette said noting the girls are no longer intimidated, but comfortable in their roles. Moore said it was a little weird to start the season with such a new team but they’ve come together as the season has evolved. “We just really learned to get used to each other and understand each other and what we’re going to do,” Moore said. While the Spartans may have started with seven losses in eight games, that preparation boded well for region play where as of Jan. 19 the team was 3-2 with wins over Hillcrest, Olympus and Cyprus. “Our region has improved. Skyline is up there but there’s a little more parity with the next four or five teams. Anybody can beat anybody and I’m trying to keep them focused on one game at a time,” Gillette said. The game by game approach is one adopted

by the girls as they hold specific goals for each contest. Those include 75 percent free throw shooting, have less than 10 turnovers, allow no more than eight offensive rebounds by the opposition and limit opponents to under 10 points every quarter. Moore said while they still need to improve free throws, they are much improved with the other goals. For Gillette, rebounding and turnovers have been key. “Games where we’ve controlled the boards and kept our turnovers low, we’ve either been right there or we’ve won,” Gillette said. Moore, a 5-foot-6-inch guard, has epitomized that by being one of the team’s leading rebounders. Gillette said the team has a nice mix of guards and post players, especially inside where Beh has made her presence known averaging 10 points and seven rebounds a game. “Isis and Rylee are doing a great job,” she said. The team’s greatest strength, however, may lie defensively. The Spartans recorded 20 steals in their home game against Hillcrest. “We’re trying to make that our focus defensively, hopefully that’s going to create points…our guards have played fabulous defense,” Gillette said. And it’s not just steals, Beh provided plenty of blocked shots down the stretch in that same Hillcrest game. “I’m also a volleyball player, so I guess it’s natural for me to hit a ball if it’s in front of me,” Beh said. The team is optimistic about its goal to qualify for state, hopefully as a two or three seed. The Spartans first round opponent would be from Region 8, it’s the reason Gillette scheduled three teams from that region in preseason. “Once we get to state (tournament) anything can happen… I wanna get them to state, get them a taste of state,” Gillette said. To get there, coach and players agreed they will have to fulfill their goal of outworking their opponents. “They work hard without me begging it out of them…they come in and work their tails off,” Gillette said. l

SPORTS

M urrayJournal.com

February 2017 | Page 19

UHSAA sets region alignments for 2017 By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com

he Utah High School Activities Association recently rearranged its member schools region alignments. A process they revisit every two years. They have also been forced by the Utah State Board of Education to revise its own transfer rules. “I personally like that the activities association re-evaluates the region alignments every once in a while. It helps keep the classification and school sizes close. I think it also helps with safety and spreads out travel costs,” said Riverton High School Athletic Director Daniel Henderson. Under current UHSAA rules, they realign region alignments on a two-year cycle. The proposed school classification was presented in a public meeting in November. In December, their proposal for the 2017-18 school year was approved. The biggest change in the upcoming school year will be the division’s six classifications for all sports. Salt Lake County schools were affected by the changes in various ways. Here is how the regions stack up: Region 2 will maintain some and add long time rivalries amongst neighboring schools; Hunter, Granger, Hillcrest and Kearns will be joined by Cyprus. The Pirates jumped into the 6A classification because of its adding ninth grade students from Brockbank Junior High. Region 3 will see a complete remake. West Jordan, Copper Hills and Taylorsville will welcome Riverton, Herriman and East (in football only). East is the defending 4A-state football champion. “In my opinion the realignment is a good thing. I wish they could last three years though, to help us continue and build rivalries,” said Copper Hills Athletic Director Darby Cowles. Bingham representatives argued during the alignment public

Runners start their race at the Utah High School Activities Association state meet in October. Schools including Murray and Cottonwood will be changing regions for 2017. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

hearing that placing them in Region 4 would force higher travel costs on their programs. Their requests were denied and they were placed in the prominently Utah County region with American Fork, Lone Peak, Westlake and Pleasant Grove. The 2017 6A football playoffs could be exciting. Current classification champions East and Bingham will both be in the 6A classification. East High School will compete in Region 6 for all sports except football. They will face Highland Olympus, Murray, Skyline and West (Lehi will take East’s place for football only). Region 7 will pair Alta, Brighton, Jordan, Corner Canyon, Cottonwood and Timpview.

Smaller county schools like Providence Hall, Summit Academy, Judge Memorial and American Leadership will move to the 3A classification. “At the end of the day the UHSAA has an incredible task to make everyone happy. There is no way they can. We are content with the changes. The transfer rule change is going to be difficult. Every time I discipline a player I will wonder if he is going to leave,” West Jordan boys basketball coach Scott Briggs said. The trustee alignment meetings were overshadowed by the Utah State Board of Education’s fall ruling to open the student athletes transfer ability. The UHSAA was forced to change its guidelines in relationship to transfers. Sub-varsity athletes are now eligible to transfer at will; while varsity athletes may only transfer in defined circumstances. “I think these new rules will encourage coaches to make varsity rosters with many freshman players to prevent them from transferring,” Cowles said. From July 2015 to June 2016, the UHSAA had 1,994 student athletes request transfers, only 16 transfer requests were denied. “I feel that some of our Hunter kids go to other schools because of the wrong reasons. Sports teaches more than just the activity. It teaches integrity and character. It is now all about winning. True development of the student athlete has been lost,” said Hunter head football coach Scott Henderson. Open enrollment has forced many high school coaches to recruit its own boundary students to stay in their hometown program. “I know we lose many incoming freshman to other schools. We do not know the numbers, but we hear it a lot,” Henderson said. l

Page 20 | February 2017

Life

Laughter AND

PERI KINDER

Murray Journal

Head Over Heels

’m a terrible romantic. I mean that literally. I’m terrible at being romantic. When God handed out sentimentality, I was hiding in a bathroom stall eating a box of chocolate donuts. If I’d married an unfeeling psychopath that wouldn’t be a problem, but my husband could be the spokesperson for the Hallmark channel. He’ll plan Valentine’s Day like he’s competing for a spot on “The Nicholas Sparks RomanceA-Thon Reality Evening.” There’s roses and poetry and candlelight and chocolates and puppies and rainbows and glitter. And then there’s me, sitting dumbfounded saying something like, “Did Valentine’s Day come early this year?” Don’t get me wrong. I’m lucky to have a husband who remembers not only my birthday, but the time of my birth, what the #1 song was and the Oscar-winning movie from the year I was born. But by comparison, it makes me look pretty pathetic. I often return kind thoughts with chilling sarcasm—but he still hugs me and makes me feel like I’m not quite the monster I think I am. (But he should probably stop calling me FrankenPeri.) So because of all the sweetness he shows me, and because I’m still learning this whole romance thing, this is my Valentine’s letter to my hubbie: Thank you for having my back and being willing to fly into battle to defend me from the smallest slights.

Thank you for telling me I’m beautiful even without make-up (you always look beautiful without make-up) and when my hair looks like I barely survived a rabid ferret attack. Thank you for not noticing when I have a zit the size of Mt. Rushmore hanging off my chin. Well, I’m sure you notice, but thank you for not calling me the Zit Witch. The same goes for when I have a scorch mark on my forehead from the flat iron, a gash on my shin from my razor and cuticles that look like I get manicures with a cheese grater. Thank you for telling me when the bloody parts are over during Quentin Tarantino’s films. Thank you for not taking me to any more Quentin Tarantino movies. Thank you for not noticeably rolling your eyes when I serve a meal consisting of quinoa, sweet potatoes and kale. Thank you for ordering pizza when the meal tastes like $%&*. Thank you for understanding that I hate watching romantic comedies (see paragraph #1) and appreciating when I sometimes suffer through a sob-fest of a manipulative romance. In return, thank you for occasionally watching animated films, even though you hate it as much as I despise romance. Thank you for putting up with my irritations, like having an unstable bi-polar thermostat that ranges from Arctic cold to erupting volcano. Thank you for not freaking out when I blow our budget on

Amazon (“Where did that come from?”). Thank you for binge watching TV shows, not dragging me to parties, reading next to me in bed, laughing at my jokes, going to my yoga class and snuggling every morning before we head out to face the world. And here’s the funny thing. Despite my resistance and outer shell of cynicism, I often feel like the Grinch when his heart grows three sizes. I’ll find myself crying at movies without embarrassment (but I’ll still get offended when you offer me a tissue). You’ve taught me to appreciate sunsets, beautiful clouds and a gentle hug at the end of the day. Maybe one day I’ll change from being a terrible romantic to being terribly romantic. Probably not. But it could happen.

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February 2017 | Page 21

M urrayJournal.com

NEWS FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

Millions of taxpayers face refund delays in 2017

INDUSTRY

A New tax law requires the IRS to hold some refunds until February 15

s many as 15 million taxpayers could have their refunds delayed until at least February 15 next year. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act now requires the IRS to hold refunds for returns claiming the earned income tax credit (EITC) and additional child tax credit (ACTC) until February 15. Approximately 30 million taxpayers claim the EITC or ACTC, with half filing early. Taxpayers should file as they normally would, even if they expect their refund will be delayed. The IRS still expects to issue most refunds in less than 21 days, although the IRS will hold refunds for EITC and ACTCrelated tax returns filed early in 2017 until February 15 and then begin issuing them. While the IRS will release those refunds on February15 many taxpayers may not see the funds deposit into their banking accounts for a few days afterward. This additional delay could be for many reasons and it is best for taxpayers to check the IRS’s Where’s My Refund website for any funding updates.

Delay helps IRS combat tax identity fraud The EITC received nationwide averaged approximately $2,500 per eligible taxpayer last year. While $65.6 billion was paid out last year, the IRS indicates that approximately one in five payments are made in error, either through fraudulent filing or confusion due to complexity in claiming the benefit. These credits are target rich for tax identity thieves and fraudsters. In fact, the EITC has one of the highest improper payment rates of the 16 “higherror” programs identified by the government. Holding taxpayer refunds until February 15, along with the mandate that employers send employee W-2s to the IRS by January 31, allows the IRS additional time to help prevent revenue lost due to identity theft and refund fraud related to fabricated wages and withholdings. It is important for taxpayers who claim these benefits to plan now for the delay. Visiting with a tax professional now can help them better understand the overall impact.

INDUSTRY

Delays just one part of tax law changes The PATH Act made dozens of changes to the tax code, including permanently extending many tax benefits, implementing renewal requirements for Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), changing eligibility requirements for certain tax credits, expanding other tax benefits, increasing the cost of making mistakes and altering small business tax benefits. But its delay of millions of refunds until at least February 15 will be widely felt by early filers who in the past could expect a refund which averaged more than $3,500 in 2015 by late January. To learn more about tax law changes and refund delays due to the PATH Act, taxpayers can visit www. hrblock.com/path. [Sam Hernandez is a tax professional for H&R Block, NEWS FROM OUR ADVERTISERS the world’s largest tax services provider. Sam has been providing expert tax advice and preparation support for taxpayers in the Salt Lake City area since 2010.]

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Page 22 | February 2017

Murray Journal

A New Way to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

JOANI TAYLOR

remember as a child carefully picking the card from the box of Valentines that had the perfect pun on it for that particular friend. Maybe it was a picture of an Elephant, “I won’t forget you are my Valentine” or the bear that proclaims “I can’t bear to be without you.” We would carefully tear along the dotted lines, so as not to rip them, then stuff each envelope with pink and yellow hearts, that when combined, made a secret message? Then we would run around the neighborhood leaving our creations on the doorsteps of our friends and those we had a childhood crush on. I remember that no matter how much we licked the envelope it wouldn’t stay stuck shut. Later as teens, when the hormones were raging, Valentines became a day of Teddy Bears and giant candy kisses, first dates and holding hands in the movie. Then finally I found that special someone and Valentines became the day where we would present cards to each other and try to think of creative ways to express our love without spending too much. After over 3 decades of marriage though, I’m finding that few of the sentiments on cards apply and I have often considered designing my own line of valentine cards that are sold according the number of years one has been together. “Valentine, our body’s may be sagging, but my love for you never will.” Or: “I can’t wait to celebrate our love tonight at

Monte’s Steakhouse and use the buy 1, get 1 free coupon we have.” As the years have gone by, it’s become the day to day little things that mean more to me than this designated day of love, like when my hubby brings me a cup of early morning coffee before I get out of bed or folding a load of laundry on a night when I’m working late. Valentines has really just become another day for us, so we decided to do something different and make Valentines a day of generosity. Instead of making it a selfish day of loving each other, something we already do every day, we’re turning it into a day of loving one another. We’ve discovered that by spending time together giving back is wonderful way to spread some Valentine cheer and bring us closer

together at the same time. Here’s a few ideas we’ve had for this year: • Make arrangements to drop off Valentine goodies to an elderly care facility. While at it you could stay a while and play a game of cards or just listen while they reminisce about the person they are missing. • Contact a children’s grief facility, like the Sharing Place, and donate craft boxes or needed supplies. • Plan a date night volunteering at the Utah Food Bank or serving up a meal at your local shelter. • Instead of dinner at a restaurant, have dinner at a charity event. Many non-profits hold charity gala’s and auctions. To find them, check http:// www.valleyjournals.com/calendar or contact the charity foundation of your choice. • Give blood together. It’s something we all intend to do, make a date of it and then have a meal together afterwards. Making February 14th a day to open your heart and share generosity is a great way for those of us with or without a Valentine. What better way is there to spend Valentine’s Day? _________________________________________ Joani Taylor is the founder of Coupons4Utah.com. A website devoted to helping Utah families save time and money on restaurants, things to do and everyday needs.

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February 2017 | Page 23

M urrayJournal.com

Newlyweds volunteer with children in Ecuador

your murray schools Murray City School District newsletter

By Alisha Soeken | alisha.s@mycityjournals.com

ike most newlyweds, Mary and Tyler McFarland were filled with love for each other and dreams for their future. But unlike other couples that future also included travel to Ecuador to serve the children. “When we decided to hold off on kids for a year or so after getting married, we felt like we needed a goal to work toward,” Mary said. The McFarland’s plan to serve and explore another county took sacrifice to realize. “When I was 14 years old my family took a yearlong bicycle trip around the world. My parents financially planned for that trip for nine years. When Mary and I were married we started to plan and save our money. There were many things that we wanted to buy or small vacations that we could have taken with the money that we were saving, but we had a goal and it was something that we both wanted, so we were willing to work for it,” Tyler said. Those financial sacrifices paid off when after a year of saving they flew 3,600 miles to the city of Quito, Ecuador. After a night of rest they began their orientation and the following day, their service. Tyler and Mary helped children whose parents worked all day in the markets of Ecuador. “At the market we had an area that was designated for our organization where we would set up canopy tents, rubber mats, wash bowls for the children to wash their hands and face in, and toys to occupy the children. Most of these children were the first generation in their family to attend any form of school, so when they would come to us we would help them with their homework. And, for the children who were not in school, we would help them learn necessary skills so that as soon as we could get them into school they would be better prepared for the tasks at hand,” Tyler said. Mary added, “Many of the children we worked with came from homes where they were neglected or abused in some way. There’s an unspoken understanding that they are the ‘street rats’ of the world, unworthy of attention and unable to reach as high as more privileged children. Those who are lucky enough to get into school often drop out because they lack the fine motor skills to learn to color or write their names. Those who stay have to work hard to overcome the stigma of being from the markets. My proudest moments were seeing these children realize, some for the first time, that they matter to someone, and that they can do hard things.” The McFarland’s understanding of the economic and social problems of Ecuador grew as they served. “When we were working in the markets we were in the most poor parts of the city, and not only did we see this in Quito but all across

february 2017 Know Your School Leaders Hillcrest Junior High School

McMillan Elementary School

178 East 5300 South, 84107

315 East 5900 South, 84107

Principal Jennifer Covington

Assistant Principal Buck Corser

Principal Joy Sanford

Mary and Tyler McFarland in the waterfalls of Ecuador. (Mary and Tyler McFarland)

the country. The biggest problem that we saw would have to be in the markets with the children. Most of them were either neglected or abused verbally, physically or emotionally,” Tyler said. Despite the counties poverty and social issues, the people of Ecuador and the children made it warm and welcoming. “The people have nothing but they are so happy. As long as their family is together, they can conquer anything life throws at them. I love that. Everyone we met was sweet and wonderful and treated us like long lost cousins. They know the real meaning of family. They know we’re all in this life together,” Mary said. The McFarland’s decision to serve these people not only helped the children, but it grounded the newlyweds and expanded their gratitude for each other. “We each had plenty of opportunities to see one another at our best and worst. I learned to support Tyler in his strengths, compensate for his weaknesses, and really appreciate his goodness. Seeing him work with and love the kids was a priceless gift I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Mary said. Tyler added, “I learned many things about myself and I developed more of an appreciation for Mary. After this trip I know that no matter what trials we face in our future we will be able to go through them together, side-by-side.” l

Secretaries: JoAnn Imlay, Michelle Simmons Board of Education representation: All members

Utah State Legislators Visit MCSD Several Utah state legislators met with the Murray Education Coalition in January to hear about funding concerns and positions on education issues that are of importance to the Murray City School District. Sincere thanks to these individuals for spending time and showing interest in our Murray schools.

Left to right: Senator Brian Shiozawa, Rep. Mark Wheatley, Senator Jamie Iwamoto with Murray Superintendent Steven Hirase.

Secretary: Theresa Bigelow Board of Education representation: Cristin Longhurst, Jaren Cooper

2017 MCSD

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS Monday, February 20 Washington & Lincoln Day holiday Monday-Friday, April 3‐7 SPRING BREAK Monday, May 29 Memorial Day holiday Thursday, June 1 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL The entire 2016-2017 school year calendar is available on the District website, along with the upcoming 2017-2018 school year calendar. The Murray Board of Education reserves the right to alter or amend this calendar as may be necessitated by unforeseen events.

MURRAY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT 5102 South Commerce Drive • Murray, UT 84107 Phone 801-264-7400 | Fax 801-264-7456 Website: www.murrayschools.org | Facebook: Murray School District UT The Your Murray Schools section is a Murray City School District publication, under the direction of D. Wright, MCSD communications & public information.