Sandy City Journal June 2018 by The City Journals

June 2018 | Vol. 18 Iss. 06

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SANDY CITY COUNCIL VOTES DOWN TERM LIMITS PROPOSAL By Justin Adams | j.adams@mycityjournals.com

uring the May 1 Sandy City Council meeting, the city councilors voted 4-3 to reject a proposed code amendment that would have set term limits for all elected officials in the city. The amendment, written by Councilwoman Maren Barker, would restrict city councilors and mayors to two four-year terms. “It always seemed odd to me that our president of the United States has a term limit of eight years, but no one else has term limits,” said Barker as she introduced the amendment. “I believe our government from the very beginning was set up to be part time. It’s a part-time community service,” Barker told the Sandy City Journal following the council meeting. “I think 10 years, 20, 30, we’re getting away from the idea that you serve in a voluntary capacity and then you go back to your normal job.” All but one of several citizens who gave public comment supported the term limit proposal, though some did say that they would be fine with three four-year terms rather than two. Cyndi Sharkey, the one resident who spoke against term limits, said she was against term limits on principle. “I’m against any law whose sole purpose is to protect us from our own stupidity. If we’re too dumb or too uninformed to vote out candidates who have outlived their usefulness, then we deserve what we get and hopefully we learn something very valuable in those kinds of cases.” Sharkey added that having years of experience should not be considered a disqualifier. On the other hand, Dea Theodore, who ran a campaign for a city council seat in 2017, said during citizen comments that long terms of service can have a negative effect. “After serving in an elected position for so long, one can become complacent, entitled, lose connection with residents and maybe even forget the reason they decided to run for office in the first place,” said Theodore. Theodore also noted that her position on a PTA board even has recommended term limits and that other PTA boards even have enforced term limits. Councilman Chris McCandless said he opposed the idea of term limits because of how much value experience brings to the position.

Sandy City Councilwoman Maren Barker reacts to her proposed term limits amendment being voted down. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

He suggested that if he and the other longer-serving members of the city council were not there, the new Hale Centre Theater would not be located in Sandy. “A lot of people participated in that but I’ve been credited with being the point of the sword,” he said. McCandless also cited his record of obtaining state funding for city projects, which he said is made possible by maintaining relationships with state legislators and agency officials, relationships which he said would be harder to establish with a higher turnover rate on the city council. Councilman Steve Fairbanks also opposed the term limits amendment. “We already have term limitations. They’re called elections,” he said.

Councilwomen Linda Martinez-Saville and Kris Coleman-Nicholl joined Fairbanks and McCandless in voting against the amendment. Barker was joined by Brooke Christensen and Zach Robinson in voting for the amendment. All three are currently in their first terms. Barker said after the meeting she wasn’t surprised by the results. “It was as I expected,” she said. “The newer city council members are understanding where the residents are coming from and the longer term council members don’t want to give up their power.” l

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Welcome to your summer festival guide By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com The Sandy City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout Sandy. 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 Sandy 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 Tracy Langer Tracy.l@mycityjournals.com 385-557-1021 Corbett Carrel Corbett@mycityjournals.com 385-557-1016 CIRCULATION COORDINATOR: Brad Casper circulation@mycityjournals.com EDITORIAL & AD DESIGN: Ty Gorton

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Movies in the park will take place at various festivals throughout the summer, such as this one held in Murray last year. (Alisha Soeken/City Journals)

ometh summer, cometh the festivals. Each year, cities across the Salt Lake Valley hold a summer celebration to commemorate the community, city or country. They do so with parades, contests, music and fireworks. This year’s slate of festivals starts after Memorial Day and will run into fall. Here’s a chronological guide to everything on tap for summer 2018. SoJo Summerfest | May 30–June 2 South Jordan kicks off the summer spectacles with its third annual SoJo Summerfest. This replaced its traditional Country Fest two years ago. The four-day festival features events all over the city from Mulligans Golf Course (10600 South 692 West) and City Park (11000 South Redwood Road) to the public works parking lot (10996 South Redwood Road) and fitness and aquatic center (10866 South Redwood Road). Events will feature family fun activities such as the carnival, 5K race, parade, car show, superhero party or swim with local performing group, Utah Mermaids. A skateboard competition, tennis tournament, chalk art contest and multi-category Battle of the Bands are also set to take place throughout the festival. A complete list of events and times can be found at sjc.utah.gov/sojo-summerfest/. Fort Herriman PRCA Rodeo | June 1–2 Held at W&M Butterfield Park (6212 West

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14200 South), Herriman’s annual rodeo features a family night on Friday and military night on Saturday. The rodeo will also include a special needs roundup on Saturday from 3–4:30 p.m. Visit herriman.org/prca-rodeo/ for more information. Music Stroll | June 9 The seventh annual Heart and Soul Music Stroll returns to Sugar House on June 9. Dozens of local performers will share their musical talents throughout the day (last year featured 44). Free to the community, the Music Stroll has 14 different locations spread throughout a two-block radius along Filmore and Glenmore streets between 2700 South and Zenith Avenue. Thirteen performing areas are arranged on front lawns with one stage set up at Imperial Park (1560 East Atkin Avenue). Heart and Soul is a nonprofit organization based out of Salt Lake City that aims to bring the “healing power of music” to people in isolation. Performers donate their time throughout the year performing at places like senior centers, prisons or hospitals. Streets are lined not only with hundreds of people but several food trucks as well. Visit heartsoul.org/music-stroll for more information. WestFest | June 14–17 What started in the late ’70s at Granger Park with a car show, pony rides and a few food

booths has blossomed into one of West Valley City’s premier events. The annual celebration, which commemorates the establishment of West Valley City and the recognition of its residents’ various backgrounds, will take place at Centennial Park (5415 West 3100 South) from June 14–17. The 2018 version will feature a WestFest Sombrero Bowl Skate Competition, the 13th annual Dutch Oven Cook-off, a 5K and 10K and entertainment from No limits, This is YOUR Band, Chance McKinney and Channel Z. For more information and for those interested in volunteering, visit westfest.org. Fort Herriman Towne Days | June 18–23 The city’s weeklong celebration of everything Herriman begins on Monday, June 18, with a talent show and ends on Saturday June 23 with a carnival, parade and fireworks. Each day of the week features something different such as a disc golf tournament, home run derby, K9 and trampoline shows and a foam party. All events will take place at W&M Butterfield Park (6212 West 14200 South), J. Lynn Crane Park (5355 West Main Street) and Rosecrest Park (13850 South Rosecrest Road), where the Herriman Hyzer Disc Golf Tournament will take place. Times and events can be found at herriman.org/fort-herriman-days/.

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Taylorsville Dayzz | June 28–30 Located at Valley Regional Park (5100 South 2700 West), Taylorsville Dayzz holds a full slate for its city celebration on the west side of the valley. From Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. when the carnival begins to Saturday’s fireworks finale at 10 p.m., the festival is nonstop with entertainment. Tributes bands Imagine (Beatles) along with the West Valley Symphony & Cannons will perform Thursday night, Desperado (Eagles) takes the stage Friday night and Stayin’ Alive (Bee Gees) with the Taylorsville Orchestra will close it out on Saturday. Every show is free to the public. Saturday also includes a 5K fun run, pony rides and a car show. A full list of events and times is available at taylorsvilledayzz.com. Riverton Town Days | June 28–July 4 Riverton starts its celebration one day early this year on June 28 with its Three-Man Arena Sorting Competition and the Riverton Rodeo and runs right through to July 4 with its full slate of activities on Independence Day. July 4 will feature the 11th annual ATV Rodeo (Riverton Rodeo Grounds, 12780 South 1300 West) where races will include pole bending, barrel racing, pantyhose race, a key hole race and a hide race. Independence Day will also see Riverton Country Mile 10K, 5K and one-mile races in addition to the Tour de Riverton Bike Race. The starting lines will begin on the south side of Riverton City Park at 12800 South. Food, hay dives and a July 3 evening parade are still on the docket for this tradition since the early 1900s. For more information, visit rivertoncity.com. Western Stampede | June 30–July 4 What starts with a fun run, children’s parade, carnival and family fun night on June 30 continues with the focus of West Jordan’s summer festival — its rodeo. July 2–4 features a PRCA rodeo at the city’s rodeo arena, 8035 South 2200 West. The rodeo also features the winner of the Western Stampede Queen Contest, which was scheduled for May 12. Visit westernstampede.com for more information. Murray Fun Days | July 4 Murray City carries a full slate of activities for Independence Day. Beginning at 8:30 a.m. will be the annual parade, which begins at Fashion Place Mall (6100 South State Street) and ends at the west end of Murray Park (296 East Murray Park Avenue). Awards are given for the following parade entry categories: special interest/antique, business/commercial, equestrian/animal and civic/ royalty/political/float. The rest of the day takes place at Murray Park. It features a community breakfast, chalk art contest, talent show, a Ducky Derby along the creek in Murray Park, a coed volleyball tournament on the softball field and ends with fireworks. For exact times and events, visit murray. utah.gov/283/Fun-Days.

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Hundreds of people listened to various bands at last year’s Heart and Soul Music Stroll in Sugar House, including Jaboom at Imperial Park. This year’s version will take place on June 9. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

July 4 Parade and Festivities | July 4 South Salt Lake will continue its festival tradition at Fitts Park (3050 South 500 East) on July 4. The day begins with a 5K fun run at 8 a.m. while the parade gets underway at 9:30 a.m. and the one-day celebration rounds out with a festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sandy City 4th of July | July 4 Sandy holds its Independence Day Celebration on the grassy promenade between Sandy City Hall and South Towne Mall at 10000 South Centennial Parkway. The Sandy Classic 5K race begins at 7 a.m. A youth arts festival commences at 10 a.m. where children ages 4–12 can participate in face painting, craft stations and sand sculpting. At 6 p.m. the parade begins with a concert at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks to close out the night at 10 p.m. Draper Days | July 5–7, 12–14 Draper’s festival will take place over two weekends in July. Culminating in the second weekend with fireworks and concerts, Draper Days will begin with various athletic contests the first weekend including a tennis tournament, pickleball tournament and 3 v. 3 basketball tournament. Other events include Splash Dogs, horse pull, pie contest, rodeo, Draper Idol and a children’s parade. Full event schedules and information can be found at draper.ut.us. Butlerville Days | July 23–24 Cottonwood Heights continues its traditional celebration this year on Monday and Tuesday, July 23–24. Planned by volunteers, city staff and the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center, Butlerville Days takes place at Butler Park (7500 South 2700 East). The festival expects to have games, entertainment, a carnival, parade and fireworks show. A creative craft market and pickleball tournament are recent additions to the yearly commemoration to go along with the 5K fun run. Bluffdale Old West Days | July 27–28, August 6–11

While the rodeo will take place July 27– 28, the city’s official Old West Days celebration goes all week long in August. Details for events are still to come, but if last year is anything to go by then this year can expect another monster truck competition. Last year also featured a 25-mile cycling ride and ATV rodeo. Check bluffdaleoldwestdays.com later this summer for more information. Harvest Days | August 6–11 1938 marked the first Harvest Days in Midvale, according to the Midvale Historical Society. It was sponsored by the Midvale Kiwanis club. Details are still being ironed out, but the weeklong celebration of Midvale, begins August 6. The week’s events generally feature an induction into the Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors, a parade and a grand festival and Midvale’s City Park (between Center Street and 7500 South, at approximately 425 West). Check midvaleharvestdays.com later this summer for more information. Blue Moon Arts Festival | August 25 Holladay rounds out the summer season with its annual Blue Moon Arts Festival. The one-day celebration is different from other cities’ week-long engagements. Holladay will have its Concerts in the Commons series running from July 14 through Aug. 25. July will also feature Jim McGee’s ambitious art project combining storytelling and large-scale charcoal portraits. “It’s an opportunity for people to model and collaborate, to be seen and heard in a unique kind of way,” McGee told the Journals in February. Culminating in a festival for music and arts, the Blue Moon Arts Festival takes place at Holladay City Hall Park (4580 South 2300 East) from 3-10 p.m. on Aug. 25. This year’s musical attractions will include Motown group Changing Lanes Experience and Gypsy jazz group Red Rock Hot Club. For more information, visit holladayarts. org. l

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Animals are people too in Sandy artist’s paintings By Katherine Weinstein | Katherine@mycityjournals.com

ighly engaging paintings of all kinds of animals, some behaving very much like humans, fill the walls of Sandy painter Lucia Heffernan’s studio. A pipe-smoking fox in a plaid cap gazes thoughtfully at the viewer over his eyeglasses while in another painting, young penguins line up for skiing lessons. Friendly dogs seem to lean out of their frames as if to sniff you, and a massive bull charges out of his background, tail lashing wildly. Heffernan’s lifelong love of animals shines through in all her works. By depicting animals engaged in human activities such as eating ice cream cones, driving cars, grocery shopping or taking selfies — to list a few examples — she seeks to give her subjects a voice and show their personalities. “I want to make people aware that they all have personalities,” said Heffernan. “Hopefully my work will inspire people to think differently about animals.” While earlier in her career Heffernan focused on highly realistic paintings of animals, she now seeks to tell stories through her work that the viewer can relate to. She regards her most successful painting, “Norman Catwell,” as being about self-confidence. The painting, which has had over a million shares online, is a tribute to Norman Rockwell and shows an orange tabby cat painting a portrait of himself — as a fearsome tiger. “Cats see themselves as better, as something else,” Heffernan said with a smile. The original painting now hangs in the office of a school guidance counselor. In another work, “Polar Express,” a tiny polar bear cub sits up straight on his mother’s shoulders as she swims, seeking an ice floe. The piece depicts not only the mother’s tender care of her cub but subtly raises the issue of the plight of polar bears amidst melting Arctic ice.

Page 6 | June 2018

“Norman Catwell” oil painting by Lucia Heffernan. (Photo courtesy Lucia Heffernan)

“For me, the challenge has always been to create a beautiful piece that people love, but bringing the whimsical into it. I want to create some sort of relationship, a piece people can relate to on an emotional level,” Heffernan explained. Heffernan’s works have great depth and texture to them, a result of working in oils and putting down layer after layer of paint. She explained that she uses different types of brushes to capture the feel of fur on various animals. When painting rabbits, for example, she uses a soft sable brush while using stiffer brush-

es to depict the bristle-like hair on pigs. She begins each painting by first sketching out her composition, then seeking out images of animals to work from. Heffernan subscribes to a stock photo service and takes her own photographs of animals when possible. She always asks herself, “Does the composition look strong? Is the story there?” Heffernan’s mother was an art teacher and inspired her daughter to start making art as a young child. Her family emigrated from Taiwan to rural upstate New York when Heffernan was in her early teens. She graduated from SUNY Binghamton where she studied anatomy. Avid skiers, Heffernan and her husband moved to Utah for the “greatest snow on earth” and to enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains. They raised their children in Sandy and Heffernan took up her paintbrushes again after her twins were grown. Heffernan will present 20 new pieces at the 15th Street Gallery in Salt Lake City, May 18 through June 9. She has also exhibited her animal paintings internationally, most recently in Melbourne, Australia, and Hong Kong. In addition to her upcoming show at the 15th Street Gallery, she is represented locally by Mountain Trails Gallery in both Park City and Jackson, Wyoming, as well as Southam Gallery in Salt Lake City. She is honored to be asked to participate once again in this year’s Cat Art Show LA. Created by the founder of the popular CatCon, it is the largest multi-artist exhibition of cat-inspired works for sale ever exhibited in one place. The exhibition will take place June 14–24 in Los Angeles. 15th Street Gallery is located at 1519 South 1500 East in Salt Lake City. Heffernan’s original paintings as well as prints and calendars are available for purchase on her website, www. luciaheffernan.com. l

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Masterpieces of purrfection By Linnea Lundgren | linnea.lundgren@mycityjournals.com

olly and Neko aren’t interested. In fact, the two felines can’t even be bothered to look at the unique cat paintings that surround them. They’d rather bask in the sun than admire “Mona Cat” by Meownardo da Vinci or “The Kitty with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeow. That’s all right with their human, Shu Yamamoto, the artist behind the hundreds of classical masterpieces transformed into cat art at his Sandy home. “They provide moral support just being here,” he said of the sun-bathing twosome. That support has come in handy. Yamamoto has completed more than 500 pieces converting the great masters’ works into great cat works and then including a cat-chy twist to the painting’s name and artist. Every room in his home is like an art gallery. A professional illustrator and graphic de-

Shu Yamamoto’s cat Neko, which is Japanese for “cat.” (Linnea Lundgren/City Journals)

Artist Shu Yamamoto holds Molly. (Linnea Lundgren/City Journals)

Molly poses in front of Shu Yamamoto’s cat art. (Linnea Lundgren/City Journals)

signer, Yamamoto found himself a retired empty-nester about 11 years ago. He recalled cleaning the house and discovering one of his son’s childhood art pieces — a Van Gogh self-portrait on which his son had placed a cat’s face in instead. “It was hilarious,” he said. “It worked perfect. I wondered if that could be applied to other paintings. So, I experimented with pencil and, lo and behold, it works, most of the time.” Since then Yamamoto has painted every day, sometimes while still in his pajamas, and usually with Molly or Neko asleep nearby. “They never pose,” he added. His wife of 45 years, Reiko, whom he met while studying graphic design at Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts in Japan, doesn’t complain much about his art, but sometimes can’t resist a witty remark. “I told her one day my work will be famous here. And she said, ‘Yes, after you’re dead.’” Cats are an easy subject for Yamamoto to paint. Since he was a child he’s adored their “love me or leave me alone” attitude. Plus, he continued, cats have a natural elegance, a nobility that works well in classical art. “Suppose a dog was in the ‘Mona Lisa,’ its

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sive book “Cat Art” after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The nation was in a somber mood and the publisher thought fun cat art was just what the country needed. “Cat Art” is now in its fifth printing in Japan, which Yamamoto said is a “great surprise” for him and his publisher. He’s also published three other cat art books, including “Vermeow,” a collection of 37 of Vermeer’s best-known paintings-turned-cat art, as well as a book of Japanese woodblock prints featuring kitty-cats. Yamamoto eagerly discussed his upcoming artistic tour de force — a replica of the Sistine Chapel ceiling with cats. Unlike Michelangelo, he doesn’t want to paint upside down, so he’ll divide the work into 100 canvas sections and then, when finished, he’ll digitally compile them to recreate the ceiling. “Michelangelo spent four years on that,” he said. “I project six months.” Follow Yamamoto’s work on Instagram @ finefelineart. l

“Brushington Crossing Delaware” by Shu Yamamoto. (Courtesy of Shu Yamamoto)

tongue hanging from its mouth. Not nice,” he said. “But if you change the human [subject in the art] into a cat, it’s always an improvement.” For the record, Yamamoto does like dogs, often babysitting his son’s pooch, and includes dogs in his work, but usually in a subservient or background role — like the dog server in Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks” catering to the cat patrons. Yamamoto works on large canvas using acrylics, which he says can imitate everything that oils can do, don’t smell, and dry faster, so

he can paint more paintings. That’s important, since the more he strives to replicate the masters’ works, the more he learns about their techniques, their brush strokes and their manipulation of light and color. As for being unique, there’s only one other person he knows that does this extensive amount of cat art, but she lives in the UK, paints in watercolor and her cats wear dour expressions. It’s important to him that his feline works are whimsical and fun. That whimsy was noticed by a Japanese publisher, who published Yamamoto’s exten-

“The Kitty with a Pearl Earring” by Shu Yamamoto. (Courtesy of Shu Yamamoto)

June 2018 | Page 7

Sandy seniors invite EMS and first responders to pancake meet-and-greet By Keyra Kristoffersen | keyrak@mycityjournals.com

s a thank-you to the EMS and First Responders of Sandy City, Cedarwood at Sandy, a retirement community, hosted a pancake breakfast on Thursday, May 3. “We wanted to do something nice to give back to EMS and First Responders,” said Jesse Buntjer, executive director of Cedarwood. “Just to be able to sit down and get to know the residents and vice versa.” Buntjer said that a lot of times in senior living, interactions between residents and First Responders is when a resident falls, feels lousy or they have to take them to the hospital, so a lot of times the interaction with them is pretty brief and always under a stressful situation. Cedarwood hoped to combine the groups in a relaxed atmosphere to allow for real communication and gratitude, not just for the residents but the community of Sandy as a whole. Around 20 to 25 people from three different stations came as well as some representation from the police department, along with residents and staff. Buntjer was pleased with the outcome. “They were able to come in and sit down and get to know the residents, which was so fun to be able to watch them interact and find out more about them,” said Buntjer. “We decided we want to kind of do this as an annual thing where they get to come in once a year and do breakfast with the residents.” Cedarwood at Sandy is a four time recipient of the Best of State award given by The State of Utah and was recently selected as one of the 2018 Best of Assisted Living award winners on SeniorAdvisor.com, the largest site for ratings and reviews of senior care and services in North America and Canada. The annual Best of Senior Living awards considers over 150,000 reviews to determine the highest quality care providers. Of the nearly 45,000 communities currently listed, just over 1,600 were recognized with the award, Cedarwood being one of the few from

Cedarwood at Sandy residents dine on pancakes with EMS and police officers. (Jesse Buntjer)

Sandy. “Whenever people come to visit our facility we always hear that it just feels different,” said Buntjer. “Even though our residents are older and they physically can’t do the things that they used to be able to do, we try to create an environment that allows them to thrive, allows them to feel as independent as possible, and like family.” To facilitate the positive, Cedarwood at Sandy is currently in the final stages of a $3 million renovation which includes the main lobby, entrance and grand parlor as a gathering area. Some of the walls have been pushed out by 15 feet to accommodate a brand new fitness and wellness center which will offer yoga, Tai Chi and exercise classes as well as gym equipment. The wellness center is scheduled to open in September or October of 2018. Cedarwood is also taking the opportunity to renovate many of

the 179 apartments that they have between assisted and independent living. Buntjer attributes much of the community’s success with residents over the last 30 years not only to the feeling of family that they strive to offer, but to many of the amenities put into place over the last few years, such as private care services for residents so that they don’t always have to take a trip to the hospital for minor health issues. “We’re the only community in the state of Utah in independent living that does private care services for residents,” said Buntjer. In addition, the community offers all-day dining from a chef that has been cooking there for 18 years. Residents have a choice of the entire menu and dining times throughout the day. l

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Nothing to hold them down: adaptive systems help children with disabilities learn rock climbing

By Keyra Kristoffersen | keyrak@mycityjournals.com

n partnership with the Momentum Climbing Gym in Millcreek and Sandy, the National Ability Center (NAC) offers eightweek indoor climbing camps for children ages 5 to 17 and their siblings. “It’s a great program,” said Laura Lambert, leader of the Rock On! program. “My son was a participant for probably three years back when he was 10.” The camps were sponsored by the NAC in 1985 and based in Park City, which merged with Splore, an adaptive adventure company, in January 2017. Splore began in 1977, offering first river-rafting trips then skiing and rock climbing trips custom designed for individuals and families with special needs. Adaptive teaching and equipment were specially designed to ensure that almost any physical and mental ability could participate in Utah adventures. “There’s really not much we cannot accommodate with these adaptive systems,” said Lambert. “It’s pretty remarkable how these guys are able to adapt the system for each kid.” The Rock On! climbing program has been around for over 10 years and began by working with children and teens on the Autism spectrum. Its success in building confidence and social skills caused it to be expanded to kids with other types of disabilities and even some young adults who have down syndrome or cognitively and intellectually fit in with a younger crowd. The former Salt Lake program director went to Petzl, a climbing equipment company, and he would change the type of grip depending on upper body strength or lower body strength. There are also special gloves to help the climbers keep their hands on the grips. It was a lot of trial and error to get chest or full-body harnesses that could be used to work with each child depending

on what their abilities are. For children on the spectrum, it can be a big deal just getting them in the harness and to be okay, said Lambert, but the adjustments have come a long way. One boy who has cerebral palsy had an adaptive chair built for him, but it was too big. Now, just a couple of years later, he fits in it perfectly. “It’s fun to watch them grow through the program and their progress,” said Lambert. Volunteers are climbing mentors in each class and work one-on-one with each child throughout the eight weeks. “It really helps with things that the kids don’t even realize they’re working on,” said Lambert, whose own son needed help with social skills and was learning them as he built a rapport with his climbing mentor and didn’t realize it. “There was some amazing improvement, even better than some of the therapy he had been getting.” Volunteers are not required to have climbing experience, but are trained in skills like belaying, as well as ability awareness and how to work with people of different ability levels. The volunteers go through a training session before each camp starts. “We’re totally reliant on our volunteers program, which is great that the community gets involved,” said Lambert. The Rock On! program runs year round (except for December) and each eight-week session rotates between the Millcreek and Sandy Momentum locations with two evening classes per week. There is no minimum number of students per class and all ability levels are welcome. Siblings are also welcome to join in the sessions. “We have one family that has a set of triplets and a younger child who all participate,” Lambert said. “It’s really nice for the

Volunteer climbing mentors work with each child to help with technique and social skills. (National Ability Center)

kids to be able to do something together that they might not be able to do in another setting.” Pricing for the camps runs around $130 to $160, around $20 per class, and covers entrance fees and gear rental for the entire eight weeks. The next class begins in Sandy on May 23 at 220 E. 10600 South, Sandy. Millcreek Momentum is located at 3173 E. 3300 South, Millcreek. Volunteers are always needed for the various adaptive, confidence-building Utah activities the National Ability Center offers. For information about volunteering or upcoming events, visit http://www.discovernac.org/. l

Remember these safety tips during fireworks season

ndependence Day is a day (and night) to celebrate the birth of our nation. There’s watching parades, enjoying backyard barbecues and, of course, igniting fireworks. Fireworks. There’s lots of them here, especially with July 24 , Pioneer Day, also being a holiday where fireworks play a major entertainment role. In makes for month full of blasts, bangs, whizzes, and sparkly colors lighting up the dark. But the joys of fireworks come with risks. To avoid accidents (or even death), here’s a few tips to remember as you and neighbors prepare to celebrate your state and country. 1. Recent legislation passed in Utah limits the days of the year allowed to light fireworks. Only light fireworks during those days in accordance with the newly passed law. 2. Check with your city to determine what areas allow fireworks. Cities such as Sandy and Herriman have decreased the areas that permit fireworks. 3. Know your fireworks. Read cautionary labels and performance descriptions before igniting. 4. Don’t get fancy. While it may be tempting to be creative and construct your own fireworks, the results may not be worth it. Just ask a friend who lost half his hair and needed to wear a hat/bandana for six months to protect his scalp. 5. Responsible adults should not only be present, but should supervise closely. Never give fireworks to small children. 6. Alcohol and fireworks does not make a good cocktail. Save your alcohol for after the show. 7. Light one firework at a time and don’t linger. Fireworks look just as pretty from 30 feet away as they do from five. 8. This one may seem obvious, but fireworks should be shot outside, not inside. 9. Dress appropriately. Loose clothing that can catch fire easily should be left in the drawer, while snugly fitted long sleeves and pants can protect from potential burns. 10. Always have a bucket of water and charged water hose nearby. 11. Never shoot fireworks into metal or glass containers. The ricochet hurts just as much.

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12. Dispose of spent fireworks by wetting them down and place in metal trash can away from any building or combustible materials. 13. Report illegal explosives. They ruin it for the rest of us. 14. Don’t forget about your pets. Make sure they are securely indoors and have identification tags in case they do escape during a fireworks display. 15. Keep fireworks out of reach where curious children can’t get to them. High heat or damp air can damage the fireworks. The best place to put them is in a cardboard box in a high location such as a cabinet or shelf. 16. Last, but not least, make sure everyone using fireworks has safety glasses or goggles. l

June 2018 | Page 9

Sandy Arts Guild hosts youth showcase with theater workshops

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Sandy Arts Guild holds theater workshops, auditions and put on a musical revue showcase with kids ages 6 to 18. (Jenn Wilhite)

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he Sandy Arts Guild will be hosting the 2018 Youth Showcase, a two-weeklong series of workshops for children ages 6 through 18 to teach skills in auditioning, scene design and stage management. “This is the fourth year we’ve done it and each year we get to make it better,” said Karla Marsden of the Sandy Arts Guild. In previous years, the focus has been on how to audition successfully and then try out for parts in the showcase production; however, this year the workshops have been expanded to include subjects in costuming, lighting, stage management and set production. All taught by theater professionals so they have a more broad overview of what goes into a theatrical production. Students will help create and paint scenery and create a prop that will be used in the production. “In the past we’ve concentrated only on auditioning the kids, and now we’re teaching them more about the whole process putting a show together,” said Marsden. The first day of the camp will include auditioning workshops as well as learning a song and dance. The second and third day will be a round-robin of workshops as well as callbacks. The show will be cast and rehearsals begin that first Friday. Two weeks later on June 29, the students will perform for an audience. “The thing that’s unique about this is everyone that’s in the play can say whether they want to have a featured speaking-dancing-singing role or focus more on dancing-singing or blend with the ensemble if they’re shy,” said Marsden. “We adjust the script so that everybody can have the type of part they want.” The showcase is open to anyone ages 6 through 18, not just Sandy residents, and in previous years the number of participants has reached as many as 65 kids. Directors Jen Wilhite and Ashley Stone-

braker, who have been handling the program since the first year, have created workshops and a performance centered around the theme “Be the Hero of Your Story” with songs from “The Greatest Showman,” “Hamilton,” “Matilda”, “Frozen,” “Mary Poppins,” “Rent” and “School of Rock.” “Students will leave with a solid understanding of what goes into putting on a musical theater show and will be equipped with the know-how to audition with confidence and learn songs and choreography in a show amount of time,” said Wilhite. In previous years, themes have included “Dare to Dream” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from “Hairspray.” “It’s about just being the best you,” said Marsden. The workshops will be June 11–13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the cost is $20 at Mount Jordan Middle School (9351 S. Mountaineer Lane, Sandy). For those also participating in the performance, rehearsals are at the same time, weekday mornings June 15–29, and will also take place at the school. The cost to participate in the showcase is $80. To sign up, visit the Sandy Arts Guild website. Preparations are also in the works for the summer production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” August 3–11 at the Sandy Amphitheater (1245 E. 9400 S.). Marsden said the costume design for the musical is very clever, but probably the most interesting thing so far has been the number of families that have been cast. The actor playing Joseph also has his father playing Jacob and a brother who is Potiphar, as well as nephews in the children’s chorus. There is also a mom cast with her three daughters and another man whose two kids are part of the chorus. “We’ve got this family thing going,” said Marsden. “It’s a good mix. We’ve got a lot of new people that we’ve never worked with before as well as those returning.” l

Sandy City Journal

Teens study life skills through Peer Connection Discovery program By Keyra Kristoffersen | Keyrak@mycityjournals.com

eens with trouble in social communication are being offered the opportunity to gain vocational skills through the Easter SealsGoodwill programs. “It’s a really rich program for the students to really start developing their pathway so they can see where they’re going after high school,” said Janet Wade, senior director of family support and transition programs for Easter Seals-Goodwill of the Northern Rocky Mountains. The Peer Connections Discovery program is available thanks to a grant through Vocational Rehabilitation. They work with families of students ages 14 to 21 who have barriers or perceived barriers to educational and work opportunities during and after high school. They meet with each family’s student to get a sense of who they are, their capabilities, and pull out three main areas of vocational theme and interest. Rather than simply being placed in any available job, these themes will help guide teens and families toward opportunities based on what is available throughout the community. Through informational interviews with employers about jobs available, skills and education required and how the employer got to be where they are, students get an idea of the job landscape. They find what jobs are accessible and what training is needed to move into that line of employment with disabilities such as autism, cystic fibrosis and other issues that can

Teens learn social skills in a professional environment through the Peer Connections Discovery program. (Janet Wade)

impede vocational success. This could include social communication and physical limitations. “There’s a perception that work might not be an option for some people, but work is an option for everybody,” Wade said. “They are very capable and can be very successful.” Part of the Peer Connections Discovery program has students volunteering at the Living Planet Aquarium in Draper with a peer. They do the job that any other volunteer would be doing and are not distinguishable from any other

volunteer there, but the peer present is helping to model the professional behavior of showing the patrons around and explaining the exhibits. “That’s the way to practice those social skills that they really need to be successful in employment,” said Wade. “They get the opportunity to be in a work-like environment to practice those skills and then my counselors work with the family and the students to develop and find out those vocational things that the students might be interested in.”

The Peer Connections Discovery program also has partnerships with the Leonardo Museum, Thanksgiving Point and Goodwill stores to help find the right match for each student. In addition to helping teens, the Sandy center offers classes for children ages 3 to 6 years old called the Wiggly Work Sensory Class, which works on sensory issues through a summer session as well as a Lego club and music therapy classes. Since they also share a building with truDigital Signage, the opportunity for students interested in computers to learn more has also arisen. “We help them understand that there are better opportunities out there, then we can help set them on the right course,” said Wade. The Provo location has an early intervention program for children birth to 3 years old with disabilities and developmental delays, and there are locations in Washington County, as well. Easter Seals-Goodwill has been around for 10 years and recently moved from the Children’s Center in downtown Salt Lake to a new location in Sandy to better serve the many families they work with between Salt Lake and Utah Counties, especially since so many families were traveling from Sandy. The official open house was in January 2018. “Some kids think they can’t have friends or have a social life — life looks a lot brighter when they realize otherwise,” Wade said. l

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June 2018 | Page 11

Sandy couple and eBay take children to the stars for Autism Awareness Month By Keyra Kristoffersen | keyrak@mycityjournals.com

2018 EvEning SEriES

Season Tickets: $49 Adult, $45 Senior, $29 Child Murray Amphitheater Parking: 495 E 5300 S Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or murrary.utah.gov June 2 ................................... Hairspray, Sing-A-Long June 9 ................................. One Voice Children Choir June 21-23, 25-27 .............Thoroughly Modern Millie June 30 .................................... Murray Concert Band July 7.................................... Murray Symphony Pops July 13-14 ............................... Ballet Under the Stars July 26-28, 30, 31, Aug 1....................Into the Woods August 10-11, 13, 16-18 ......................Secret Garden August 25...................................... SLC Jazz Orchestra September 3 ..............Murray Acoustic Music Festival

FAMiLY nigHT SEriES

Bring the Whole Family Young and Old! The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Murray Heritage Senior Center (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 block west of State) June 11 – In Cahoots.......................Cowboy Music July 9 – Skyedance..............................Celtic Music Aug 13 – Company B....................................Oldies Sept 10 – Mixed Nuts .......................... Jazz, Swing

LUnCH COnCErT SEriES

Every Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5 FREE June 5 – Michael Robinson ............Cowboy Poetry June 12 – Eastern Arts ...................... Ethnic Dance June 19 –CHASKIS......Music & Dance of the Andes June 26 – Chris Proctor .. Guitar for the New World July 10 – Wasatch Jazz Titans .................Jazz Band July 17 – Red Desert Ramblers............... Bluegrass July 31 – Time Cruisers.................................Oldies

CHiLDrEn MATinEE SEriES

Every Thursday at 2 p.m. in Murray Park Pavilion #5 FREE June 7 – Stephanie Raff ......................Storytelling June 14 – Nino Reyos .........Native American Drum June 21 – Miss Margene ..............Children’s Dance June 28 – Coralie Leue .............The Puppet Players July 12 – Jonathan the Magician ....... Magic Show July 19 – Rebeca Wallin ........Shakespeare for Kids July 26 – Popcorn Media .....................Family Rock Aug 2 – Honey Buns........................... Song/Dance This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts, and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Museums & National Endowment for the Arts.

Page 12 | June 2018

lber and Theresa Goldberg partnered with eBay’s charity organization to help bring wonder and comfort to children for Autism Awareness Month this April. “The Goldbergs are just an amazing story giving back to children with disabilities, especially needs that can only be addressed by their unique talent,” said Chris Librie, head of Global Impact and Giving at eBay. eBay got in touch with Autism Speaks to promote their Everyday Heroes campaign and found the Goldbergs through their online seller profile GloMania USA. They were creating glow-in-the-dark paint mixes and selling them online, which not many people were doing at the time. Selling the paint helps fund their true passion, which is painting ceiling murals. The Goldbergs are originally from Blackpool, England, but moved to Sandy eight years ago to help start StarMaker FX, an expansion of the work they had been doing for friends and charities in the UK. A severe head injury caused Theresa to become even more focused on what she felt was her calling. “When I came around, I was very ‘this is what we have to do, we have to go and paint star ceilings for children all over the world,’” said Theresa, who has a background in special needs care. “This is my vocation, this is what I’m doing.” Librie’s team contacted the Goldbergs and Autism Speaks to find a family that would benefit from their talents and sponsor a project to help the Casper family in Virginia. Mareto Casper, a 7-year-old boy whose parents adopted him from Ethiopia at five months old, has autism. This has especially impacted his sleeping, so the Goldbergs went to work while the children were at school and created a night-time mural throughout his room. The couple even did some rainbows and a moon for Mareto’s younger sister while they were there as a surprise. Mareto was delighted by the cosmic mural on his wall that included constellations and star alignments from the day he was born. But not more so eBay flew the Goldberg family to Virginia to meet the Casper family so they could create than his mother, Lauren Casper, who was awestruck when he slept for 11 a star ceiling for Mareto Casper to help him sleep at night. (Ebay) hours straight for the first time. “We put little trees in, we made it very personal. That’s what we do. We make every ceiling personal to that child,” said Theresa. changes things. It’s just magical.” Theresa and Alber are convinced that this project helps the children Alber said it can be a tough project to promote because people onbecause it creates a focus for them. line don’t always understand what it’s about, so most of the work they “At night, when you’re lying in bed and you’re worried or you’re do comes from word of mouth. Either from those who have benefitted upset what do you see? Nothing. Black ceiling, there’s nothing there,” or once it’s been explained and the Goldbergs ask if the person knows said Theresa. “We go in and put our stars scenes on the ceiling — it someone whose family could benefit. “It’s about families and giving back,” said Alber, who hopes to begin expanding the StarMakerFX and train more people to go out and create for others. The couple is working to get local businesses to sponsor ceilings for families who could use that help. That made the partnership with eBay’s Everyday Heroes so helpful in getting the word out by creating a video of the project with the Casper family that could be shared across social media. For every share, eBay donated $1 up to $10,000 to Autism Speaks. “The objective here increase awareness of autism in general but in Autism Speaks in particular and drive donations through the dollar per share that will run throughout April,” said Librie. “So far, eBay has raised over $800 million for various charities and we really wanted to put that power behind Autism Awareness Month.” “We started looking at how to make it work, how to get the revenue to do this, and we’ve never looked back since,” said Alber. “This is my wife’s dream and I’m coming along for the ride.” For information on getting involved with StarMakerFX, visit https://starmakerfx.com/ To see the video of the Goldberg and Casper Families and to find out more about Everyday Heroes, visit https://www.ebayinc.com/globTheresa and Alber Goldberg researched the star positions present the night of Mareto Casper’s birth in Ethiopia and created a glow-in-the-dark star scene based on it. (Ebay) al-impact/everyday-heroes/. l

Sandy City Journal

Utah’s local bookstores unite for Indie Bookstore Day By Joshua Wood | joshw@mycityjournals.com

uying local does a community good. That’s why several area businesses took part in Indie Bookstore Day on April 28 to help connect Utah readers with their neighborhood bookstore. With the growth of online shopping and recent decline in sales at brick and mortar stores, bookstores, like businesses around the country, have worked to combat the retreat of faceto-face business. According to the American Booksellers Association, independent bookstores express confidence that they are better equipped than chains to weather the changing retail landscape. Visiting Utah’s diverse independent bookstores shows good reason for that confidence. “I am always preaching the gospel of local businesses,” said Tony Weller of Weller Book Works in Downtown Salt Lake. “It’s not about the preservation of our own old family bookstore. It’s about the community I want to live in. There are a lot of businesses in this community that I used to support that no longer exist. I am saddened to see good businesses disappear.” For supporters and members of the local bookstore scene, Indie Bookstore Day is about more than reading and local bookstores. It is about community and the important role that local businesses play in how they are shaped. “The Local First movements across the country, and especially in Utah, are educating

people about what shopping locally does for them, how it keeps their economy healthy, how it keeps their neighbors in their houses, pays for their sidewalks,” said Anne Holman of The King’s English Bookshop in Sugar House. “It’s a good thing to do. It’s the right thing to do.” With many local businesses struggling to compete with chain stores and online retail outlets, independent bookstores have led a budding renaissance. In fact, the American Booksellers Association stated that there has been a 35 percent increase in the number of independent bookstore locations since 2009. “People have come to realize that where we shop defines our community,” said Aaron Cance of The Printed Garden in Sandy. “Where we buy our stuff defines what our neighborhood looks like. Independently owned businesses of all types have enjoyed a little resurgence in support.” As part of Indie Bookstore Day, patrons could participate in a bookstore crawl, get a passport card stamped at each location, and get a chance to win free books. The event has taken place for four years and is gaining traction in Utah with the bookstore crawl now in its second year. “It says a lot about the valley that there is a lot of value placed on reading,” said Cance. The event served as a reminder to buy local, to let more people in the community know

that there are more independent bookstores in the area than they might realize, and of course, to encourage people to enjoy books. The diversity of bookstores in Utah is similar to the diverse subjects they offer their customers. “You should balance the information that you’re bringing into your head,” said Weller. “I try to convince readers to leave that department where that they feel so comfortable and walk across my bookstore to a different section and pick a book.” The same could be said for the businesses people support and how they help shape the character of their communities. “You have work, you have home, and you have the other place you like to spend time,” said Cance. “It’s a place where you can be yourself, where you can discuss things without fear. It’s important for a lot of reasons.” Indie Bookstore Day served as a reminder of the importance of local bookstores, and local businesses in general. Those who discover them, tend to keep coming back. “A lot of our customers have been shopping here for 40 years, and now we’re on third generation, fourth generation,” said Holman. Other local bookstores in the Greater Salt Lake area include the Golden Braid (Salt Lake City), Ken Sanders Rare Books (Salt Lake City), Booked on 25th (Ogden), Marissa’s Books and Gifts (Murray), The Children’s

Hour (Salt Lake City), and more. The American Booksellers Association’s website has a search function to help people find bookstores in their communities. Visit www.bookweb.org l

Independent bookstores host local author events like this children’s book author Mac Barnett at the King’s English Bookstore in 2016. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

See how animals run, adapt and help modern-day science at ‘Nature’s Ultimate Machines’

ave you ever wondered why a woodpecker never gets a headache? Or what tiny animal has a punch so strong that it can break aquarium glass? Or who has a stronger grip: a human or a chimpanzee? These questions and many more can be answered at the new traveling exhibit ‘Nature’s Ultimate Machines’ at the Natural History Museum of Utah from now until Sept. 3. “I believe this exhibit is one of the most hands-on and interactive exhibits we’ve had to date,” said Lisa Thompson, the exhibit developer for the Natural History Museum of Utah. This exhibit shows the amazing inner workings of how creatures have learned to adapt to harsh environmental conditions and how they fight daily battles to help them survive. The exhibit features 130 specimens, scale models, videos and interactive displays to help guests discover how plants and animals have developed unique ways of moving, adapting and surviving in their own habitat. When visiting the new exhibit guests can: explore a larger-than-life termite mound and look and see how its design is used in modern architecture, feel how much energy it takes to pump blood up through a giraffe’s seven-foot neck, learn which creatures can crush over 8,000 pounds in one bite and learn about different ways creatures swim, slither, jump and

S andy Journal .com

By Christy Jepson | christy@mycityjournals.com sus which shape of wings are needed for birds that fly long distance. Guests will be engaged in all the interactive and digital exhibits while learning also about the marvels of natural engineering that inspire modern mechanics, such as the creation of Velcro, chainsaws and wind turbines. This entire exhibit brings to life the connection between biology and modern day engineering. For example, guests will be able to see that by studying the bone structure of a woodpecker—and why they never get headaches or concussions even when they peck wood 20 times Students visiting ‘Nature’s Ultimate Machines’ exhibit per second—is helpful and useful in research and exploring the strength test of different materials in to help make better, stronger, and safer helmets our bodies and in nature. (Photo/Caity Gainer, Natural for football players. History Museum of Utah) This exhibition was developed by The Field Museum in Chicago. All Field Museum gallop. “One of the favorite areas for kids is the exhibits are in English and Spanish. The Natural History Museum of Utah is flying chair where guests can sit on a tall ofopen seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. fice chair which spins, and choose between two different types of wings that are made out of a except Wednesdays when they are open from light PVC pipe and canvas. They flap the wings 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ticket prices are $14.95 for up and down to help them spin around,” said adults, $12.95 for seniors 65 and older, $12.95 Thompson. Different shaped wings have dif- for ages 13-24, and $9.95 for children 3-12 ferent results when you start to move them up years old. University of Utah students and facand down. According to Thompson, this hands- ulty are free with valid ID. The museum is loon flying area gets guests thinking about which cated at 301 Wakara Way in Salt Lake City. For shape of wings help birds fly away quickly ver- additional information, visit: nhmu.utah.edu/ ultimate. l

Students at the museum looking at how hard the giraffe’s heart must pump in order to get blood up through its tall seven-foot neck. (Photo/Caity Gainer, Natural History Museum of Utah)

June 2018 | Page 13

Sandy City issues new restrictions on where/ when you can set off fireworks By Justin Adams | j.adams@mycityjournals.com

A map showing the new geographical restrictions for fireworks in the city of Sandy

andy residents eager to celebrate the 4th of July with barbecues and fireworks this summer may want to double-check that they’re not breaking a new Sandy City ordinance that expands the area within the city where fireworks are prohibited. During this year’s Utah state legislative session, the legislature passed House Bill 38, which granted cities more autonomy in how they restrict fireworks within their city. While it did not allow cities to ban them completely, many Wasatch Front cities are taking advantage of the bill by cutting down on when and where fireworks can be set off, including Sandy. Sandy City ordinance 18-13 (passed on May 8) restricts both when and where fireworks can be set off in Sandy. Previously, fireworks could be used three days prior to the 4th of July or Pioneer Day, the day of the holiday, and three days after. Now, that time frame has shrunk to two days before the holiday, the day of, and one day following. For this year’s holidays, that means fireworks in Sandy will only be permissible on July 2–5 and July 22–25. As for new geographic restrictions, the ordinance amended city code Title 8 Chapter 6 with a new section, which prohibits the discharge of fireworks in “mountainous, brush-covered, forest-covered, or dry grass-covered areas,” “within 200 feet of waterways, trails, canyons, washes, ravines, vacant lots, or similar areas where natural or unmaintained vegetation is present,” and “the wildland urban interface area, which means the line, area, or zone where structures or other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or land being used for an agricultural purpose.” What that all boils down to is in large areas of Sandy where fireworks used to be okay, they

Page 14 | June 2018

are now prohibited. This includes most of the city east of 1300 East and everything west of 300 West. The Sandy Fire Department hopes these new restrictions will help prevent large fires during the dry summer months. “Last summer we had a firework-related fire in the Dimple Dell area that burned several acres,” Sandy Fire Marshall Robert Dekorver told the Sandy City Journal. According to Dekorver, the final ordinance is based on the feedback of both city officials as well as the responses of a citizen survey conducted by the city. Of the 1,000+ Sandy residents who responded to the survey, Dekorver said that over 90 percent were in favor of increasing restrictions on fireworks. Concerns about fireworks extend beyond the issue of safety. At a previous city council meeting when this ordinance was first introduced, some citizens noted that fireworks can be distressing for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Others noted that fireworks can be dangerous for animals, who become startled when the fireworks are set off, resulting in everything from dogs running away or dying from a heart attack to a horse falling into a backyard pool. The main hurdle for the fire department going forward is enforcement, which Dekorver said is always the hardest part of any fireworks legislation. At the May 8 city council meeting he said the fire department would be notifying people that they can call the city police department’s non-emergency phone number to report illegal use of fireworks. “Hopefully we have a lot of citizens that take this responsibility,” he said. “We hope that people will enjoy the 4th of July but that they’ll enjoy it responsibly in a legal area.” l

Sandy City Journal

Details of former police chief’s harassment revealed during city council meeting By Justin Adams | j.adams@mycityjournals.com

Greg Moffitt reads a letter submitted by one of the victims of alleged sexual harassment by former Sandy Police Chief Kevin Thacker to the city council.

dditional details about the behavior of former Sandy City Police Chief Kevin Thacker were revealed in the form of a firsthand account which was read aloud during the May 1 Sandy City Council meeting. The letter, written by a Sandy City employee identified only as “Victim #3,” was read by Greg Moffitt, the president of the Sandy Fraternal Order of Police. In the letter, the victim stated that she wished to remain anonymous because she believed “there will always be coworkers who will treat me differently for coming forward and telling the truth about Kevin’s behavior.” The victim’s letter specified some of the actions that led to the April 24 firing of Thacker, which the victim characterized as “inappropriate touching of private areas.” “Kevin has massaged my neck and shoulders, touched the sides of my breasts during these hugs, rubbed and patted my upper inner thigh on multiple occasions, leered at my chest, and made inappropriate comments about my figure in certain clothing. He has forced me into physical contact by announcing, ‘Come give me my hug,’ in work settings,” the letter read. The victim said she never reported the harassment to the city’s human resource department because she felt it would have hurt her working environment as well as her chances of advancing in the department. However, she said she was “relieved” to come forward once the investigation was opened after the anonymous allegation of an-

other victim “opened the floodgates.” “I was glad to get the incidents off my chest because it made me feel dirty and ashamed,” the letter read. The letter also called out Councilwoman Kris Coleman-Nicholl for forwarding an open letter posted by Thacker on social media to the department. The victim characterized that decision as being “openly disrespectful to the victims,” in her letter. Following the city council meeting in which the letter was read, Coleman-Nicholl said she regretted forwarding the letter. “Bad call on my part. All on me, 100 percent. There was an open letter on Facebook that I forwarded to the police department, not intending to hurt anyone. But absolutely I deserved what I got, and I’ll own it,” she said. The city is now underway in its search for a new chief, with city officials and residents alike anxious to move on. l

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June 2018 | Page 15

Dimple Dell Preservation Community organizes mass cleanup of park By Justin Adams | j.adams@mycityjournals.com

his past Earth Day (April 21), the Dimple Dell Preservation Community (DDPC) held its second annual Earth Day cleanup of Dimple Dell Park. Cleaning up the vast 646-acre park in the middle of Sandy is no small task, so the DDPC needed all the help it could get. And the community delivered. “It was an overwhelming success that exceeded our expectations,” said Monica Zoltanski, the president and founder of the DDPC. According to Zoltanski, there were over 500 volunteers (up from about 100 last year) that hauled out 5.36 tons of trash (up from 2 tons last year). One of the volunteers was Sandy Mayor Kurt Bradburn, who said it looked like there were 10 times as many people as there were last year. “It’s a huge testament to all of you for stepping up,” Bradburn told the crowd of volunteers. The volunteers came in every shape and size. There were young adults, families with small children and many elderly people. There were several local Scout troops as well as a mass of volunteers from Vivint Solar, one of the corporate sponsors of the event. Ace Turley of Boy Scout troop 1013 said he was happy to come clean up the park. “I like that it’s one of the last things of nature that you can get close to a residential area,” he said. “Stuff like this makes a community,” said

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Sandy City Councilor Kris Coleman-Nicholl, who was one of several Sandy City employees to volunteer. “It helps with our public services enormously. Especially with Dimple Dell because it’s so big; we can’t touch every part of it as a city or a county, so this is phenomenal.” The 5.36 tons hauled out by the volunteers was made up of all kinds of garbage — from plastic water bottles to whole couches that had been dumped in the park. Volunteers also worked to dig up certain species of invasive weeds, such as myrtle spurge, a plant that is sometimes sold as ground cover but can easily spread from people’s homes to nearby parks. At a follow-up meeting of DDPC leaders, Zoltanski said after the cleanup event, she was struck by how beautiful the park was. “We made a huge, huge dent,” she said. For next year’s event, Zoltanski said she’d like to consider the possibility of bringing in more sponsors to help make it more of a festive atmosphere that can bring the community together, with a barbecue following the cleanup. In the meantime, the DDPC has achieved its 501(c)(3) status. It hopes to use its official nonprofit status to raise funds for other projects meant to protect and improve Dimple Dell Park. For example, one of the group’s top priorities is restoring the Poulsen house, an old Pioneer-era home in the park, and converting it into a small educational museum where people can learn about the park. l

The community came together to clean up Dimple Dell Park on Earth Day where there were reportedly over 500 volunteers. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Sandy City Journal

Alta High brings home sweepstakes award for top music department By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

Alta High’s wind symphony won first place at the recent WorldStrides festival in New York City, helping to bring the music department the sweepstakes award. (Courtesy Alta High School)

t was an experience like none other for 186 Alta High performing arts students this past spring break. Joined by 40 chaperones, as well as their directors, music students in the Alta delegation competed against 20 other schools nationwide in the Riverside Church near Central Park in New York City. “There were screams” when Alta music department won the sweepstakes award at the WorldStrides festival, instrumental director Caleb Shabestari said. As a result, their suitcases may have been a little bit heavier as they brought home three large trophies and several plaques. This wind symphony received first place, scoring 94 of the 100 points possible; the instrumental program receiving first place overall; all choirs received gold ratings; and the jazz band, orchestra, Madrigals and concert choir took second-place honors. In addition, four students — junior Avery Gunnell, sophomore Hannah Stark, sophomore Brianne Crismon, and senior Sydney Pexton — were recognized for their accompaniment or solos with the Maestro Award. Those students, as well as the wind symphony, have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall next year, Shabestari said. “We’ve had some phenomenal performances and it has been so rewarding for the hard work our students have done,” he said. After each performance, the judges came on stage to give the students feedback. “The wind symphony was told they were ‘singing through their instruments.’ We have a very strong low brass section and had some very difficult literature that featured them, so we pulled it off very well,” Shabestari said about the auditioned group, of which about 80 percent, or 45 members, were able to make the trip. He said all the groups listened to other performers for their style as well as their balance, intonation, energy and articulation. “We chose New York at the right time for

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all our programs,” Shabestari said. “We planned it for one and one-half years as an opportunity for our students to appreciate the performing arts there. Our music students could experience different music than that in Utah or on the West Coast. There is a different approach and sound. Each community reflects the community where they live so it was really cool to hear music where it is thriving on the East Coast.” While the musicians had their rehearsals and clinics, the drama students had a Broadway workshop where they learned from those who perform “Anastasia” on Broadway, he said. All students had the opportunity to experience Broadway theater. The students split into small groups and could see several musicals such as “Wicked” and “The Lion King.” The groups also explored the Big Apple, checking out Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, 9-11 Memorial, Empire State Building and other sites. Some students also got extra tickets for plays or late-night television shows. “It was really adventurous to get 200 people in a subway together and ferry them to Ellis Island and back,” Shabestari said. “It was my first time there and I was able to see my greatgreat-great grandfather’s name on the memorial wall.” Their hard work also helped them to prepare for state competition, he said, as wind symphony, Madrigals, chamber orchestra and drama students were scheduled to compete in late April and May. Amongst those competitions, Shabestari was kicking off the 2018–19 marching band season to prepare students to march in parades, including those locally in Sandy, Draper and Pepperwood, over the summer before the competitive season begins in the fall. There already are plans for students to tour Disneyland next spring, where they will use a professional recording studio and in two years, Washington, D.C., to take part in the Memorial Day Parade. l

June 2018 | Page 17

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Page 18 | June 2018

Rachel & Friends conquer Dragons in friendly book battle

astmont Middle School seventh-grader Avery Williams loves to read, so when the opportunity came for her to compete with her America’s Battle of the Books team, she was excited. “It sounded like fun,” she said. “I liked reading the books and hanging out with my friends on the team.” While Eastmont has offered a school-wide Battle of the Books competition the past three years, April 13 was the first time it has been offered as a competition between all of Canyons School District’s middle schools. “It was fun competing to win against other schools, and more fun winning first place,” said Avery, who was a member of the team Rachel & Friends, named after her eighth-grade friend, Rachel Jefferson. Rachel, who said the team name came during lunch last year, added, “It was really cool (that the team was named after her) and it makes winning more worth it because my name was on it.” Battle of the Books is a reading incentive program for students who have created teams to read books and come together to demonstrate their abilities and to test their knowledge of the books they have read. Canyons School District Library Media Specialist Jim Wilson said they started talking about bringing the program district-wide about one year ago. “There was enough positive talk and contributions from the schools that have held their own competitions that we felt this would benefit our students district-wide,” he said. “There are some elementary schools that also hold their own contest, so this would lead them up to this competition.” Wilson said about 500 middle school students prepared for the competition by reading from a set book list. “There is so much emphasis in academic reading that it has taken the joy out of reading, so this is an exciting way to see students be able to dig into a story they may not have chosen otherwise and understand it,” he said. Much of the coordination was put in the hands of Eastmont’s teacher and librarian Sonya Miles, who has overseen her own school’s competition and is a supporter of

By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com the program. She wrote and received a $357 Donors Choose grant to help get the program started. “I really believe this helps students read more books, and the exposure to more books improves their reading strategies and their education,” she said. Miles and other district librarians met to review the book list and changed a few to allow for more genres to be read, which resulted in librarians creating their own questions. The questions, posed to the students in a Family Feud game style, asked students to answer the question with the title of the book before receiving additional points with the author’s name. Miles said Battle of the Books is more than just the competition. “One of my favorite things is to see the students check out books that they never would normally read and to see them really enjoy them. With greater exposure to literature, they’re expanding their selection of reading,” she said. Magical Mages eighth-grader Britton Bettinson said that’s what he learned. “A book doesn’t have to be hardcore fantasy for me to like it,” he said. Rachel & Friends eighth-grader Lauren Rodgers said, “There were a couple books that I thought would be boring that I ended up liking.” At Eastmont, students have the support of faculty, some of whom even participated on their own teams, and students participate as part of their English honors classes. The school had 300 students participate on 62 student teams, which had to compete for two entries into the district-wide Battle of the Books. The Magical Mages won the school competition and their second-place team, Rachel & Friends, advanced to the district. At district, the two teams met up with Mt. Jordan’s teams, who have had the program for six years at their school, as well as teams from Albion, Butler, Indian Hills and Union. Midvale Middle, the host school, and Draper Park had scheduling conflicts with their teams so they were unable to participate in the inaugural district competition. “Battle of the Books goes along with intramurals, chess and

Eastmont teams Rachel & Friends and Magical Mages battled two teams from Mt. Jordan in the final rounds of the inaugural Canyons School District’s Battle of the Books. (Sonya Miles/Eastmont Middle School)

debate as a way for our students to showcase their talents,” said Mt. Jordan librarian and coach Kim Mitchell, who held a school competition between the nine school teams before the district-wide tournament. “It’s also a lot of fun for the students.” Besides creative names, students made signs or wore matching clothes. Mt. Jordan’s Dragons came with silkscreened shirts and the school’s Kick’n Chickens brought their own (stuffed) mascot. While most teams divided the 20 books on the list into a sizeable number to read, Mitchell said some of her team members read every book. “They thought it was more likely that they could answer the questions if more than one team member had read the book,” she said. Every team competed in the first three rounds, and then the field narrowed to the two veteran schools. Before the final round, there was a sudden death tie-breaker between Rachel & Friends and Kick’n Chickens. “It was very close and intense. These students seem to thrive on it,” Mitchell said. When Rachel & Friends edged out Kick’n Chickens, they met the Chickens’ classmates, the Dragons, in the final round. Alice Peck and Mike Sirois, who are Canyons School District’s performance directors and

the Grand Battle judges, were impressed with the students. “I saw how much work and energy these students put into knowing their books,” Peck said. “There was a lot of collaboration and camaraderie on the teams.” In the end, Eastmont’s Rachel & Friends (in addition to Rachel, Avery and Lauren, seventh-graders Ava Judd and Serena Jefferson completed their team) pulled ahead, with Mt. Jordan’s Dragons (seventh-grader Holly Evans and sixth-graders Taylor Gould, Mackenzie McKay, Chiara Telford and Sierra Watson) finishing in second place. Mt. Jordan’s Kick’n Chickens (seventh-graders Sydney Archer, Destiny Howard, Elena Nielsen and Sabrina Smith) placed in third ahead of Eastmont’s Magical Mages (Britton and his eighth-grade peers Drake Glauser, Matt Merkley, Cort Lawlor and Blake Lawlor). Students received books as prizes. Rachel & Friends received “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”; the Dragons got “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” and Kick’n Chickens got the “The Book Thief.” For Eastmont’s school champions, Magical Mages, their season isn’t quite over. They will challenge their faculty in an endof-the-year battle. “Already, the students are wanting to know the books for next year’s battle,” Miles said. l

Sandy City Journal

Splash of fun whets Jordan High students’ desire to learn By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

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Jordan High AP environmental biology and biology students paddled alongside dolphins near Newport Beach during their trip to Southern California where they learned about unique ecosystems. (Heather Gooch/Jordan High)

or years, Jordan High AP environmental biology and biology teacher Heather Gooch has taken students to learn about the unique ecosystems in California’s Santa Monica National Forest and in the Crystal Cove shoreline. “I have these days so packed, I thought I had it down, but this year, I changed it up and perfected it,” she said about the four-day excursion. It is an option for her AP environmental science students in the fall, and then it’s opened up to her AP biology students. This year, near the end of the 34 students’ trip, Gooch arranged for them to take three outriggers from Newport Beach. It ended up being one of the trip’s highlights. “We went out and it was sunny, but then we got caught in the rain and just got drenched,” said junior Caroline Winegar about the group, who mostly were in shorts for the California sun. “Luckily, the sun came back out and we dried off before flying back to Utah. But there were dolphins that swam right along side the kayak. It was a lot of fun, but unforgettable.” Their trip began with the group staying at Camp Shalom in the Santa Monica National Forest, with their program conducted by the environmental educational group, Nature Bridge. The program was designed for the students to learn about plant adaptation, water evaporation, carbon cycle and ecosystems. The students were divided into groups and mixed in with other student groups attending Camp Shalom. Through hikes in the area, they learned about bird life, erosion and estuaries. “We saw how quickly the environment changed where the freshwater met the salt water,” said junior Shin Hunter, who took a keen interest in examining rocks during the trip. “We went from sand and rocks to more greenery with plants and forests with streams. It was a drastic change. We were able to learn and have experiences we could only read about in a classroom. To be able to touch it and retain the experience firsthand was worthwhile.” Another group learned about yucca plants that are native to hot and arid climates. “I hadn’t seen a yucca plant before, so when our guide asked us what it was, he showed us how they have adapted to the costal sand, mountains and dry areas we were in and how its seeds disperse when the plant dies,” sophomore Isaac Service said.

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While in the Santa Monica National Forest, students kept field notes, made observations, prepared hypotheses about what they were learning and graphed data they collected so they could conduct their own experiments. Service focused on yucca plants; he designed his question and hypothesis and then climbed through several bushes to mark different locations so he could learn how plants adapted to different ecology. “I learned a lot of terms that I will be able to use as I study more biology,” Service said, who added that he liked being able to explore the remote and peaceful area of Banana Ridge. The group also learned about personal responsibility as they recorded food waste left over from their meals by measuring and graphing that data. It wasn’t all serious, Winegar said. When the group brought back part of a discarded yucca plant, it was quickly named Ron, and made it into several photos. Insects, dolphins — Danny, Dougy, Davey and Dukey — and other critters they came in contact with also were given names. The students got a chance to check out tide pools at both Leo Carrillo State Beach and Crystal Cove where they saw a variety of marine life, including an orange snail Winegar named Sandra. “When we talk about what we saw and did, we remember all the crazy names and stories,” she said. “It was amazing to see so much marine life, but when the dolphins were within 20 yards of us on the kayak, I thought they would go right under us.” Gooch said this change in the schedule was incredible. “For many, they got to do something — be on a kayak outrigger in the ocean — they had never done before and saw something — dolphins swimming alongside them — that they’ve never seen before. It really makes it exciting,” she said. A part of the trip the students also appreciated was helping to clean up the beaches. “I learned how pollution can wash down the canyons and end up on the beaches and in the ocean,” Winegar said. “It made me more aware of trash and how it is a problem. It has become my passion to help put an end to it.” l

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801-927-3052 www.getbankified.com June 2018 | Page 19

Teaching is life, not a job for award-winning Alta View teacher By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

hen Alta View’s fourth-grade teacher Jamie Richardson learned at an assembly that she was the school’s choice for Teacher of the Year, she was “completely surprised.” Weeks later, she not only was one of 46 teachers representing schools who were being honored, but she was chosen as second runner-up as the Canyons School District’s Teacher of the Year. “I am humbled and grateful,” she said. “I’m not much for the limelight, but this has been a wonderful experience. It’s an amazing feeling to be recognized.” Richardson, as well as Canyons’ teacher of the year Amber Rogers, from Corner Canyon High School, and first runner-up Lena Wood, from Midvale Middle School, also will be honored at a Real Salt Lake game June 2. In addition to a crystal award and a gift basket, Rogers received $1,000 from the Canyons Education Foundation, Wood received $750 and Richardson, $500. Richardson says she is putting the money toward IXL for math programming that can provide students problems and instant feedback. “I wouldn’t have gotten the award without the students, so it makes sense to give it back to them,” she said. Richardson, who is in her fourth year teaching, was nominated by her students and former students as well as parents and colleagues. One reason is for what she describes as “fun and silly” ways to engage students in learning. “When they seem tired, I’ll have them give me some jumping jacks or have a ‘mingle mingle’ time and get them moving,” she said, adding that it helps them refocus. “I love working with kids and watching those ‘a-ha’ moments when they get it after helping them learn.” Richardson said she debated teaching as a career, after watching her sister put the effort into it when she became a firstgrade teacher in Jordan School District, but continued to want to teach. Her grandfather also taught woodshop at Olympus High. “I knew I’d have to dedicate myself to it if I chose to teach. Teaching is a life, not a job,” she said. Amber Rogers Corner Canyon’s Rogers said it was during her junior year in high school that she decided to become a history teacher, after taking AP history from Kathy Williams in her Mesa, Arizona high school. “She was not only appreciated at my school, but she was highly regarded throughout the country for teaching other teachers how to teach AP history,” Rogers said. “I would forget to take notes, but instead sit there and listen to her tell stories about individuals in history. I told her I wanted to be a history teacher; I try to emulate her.” Rogers said she reconnected with her teacher 10 years after she took her class to let her know she became a teacher as she vowed. After receiving the Teacher of the Year award, she sent her a message. “It’s the highest form of flattery,” she said. However, the 10-year veteran has learned a few valuable skills of her own. “If you give students high expectations and the tools to do them, they will succeed — even with tough tests,” said Rogers, who chairs the social studies department and is the National Honor Society adviser. “I love giving students opportunities. We went back to the president’s inauguration and whether they agreed politically or not — it’s an experience being in that kind of atmosphere, they’ll never have again. And while we were there, we got caught up in the women’s march as we tried to get to a museum — again, another experience where they can say, ‘I was there.’” Even in her own classroom, she has experiences like the

Page 20 | June 2018

Canyons School District’s top three Teacher of the Year finalists — Alta View’s Jamie Richardson, Corner Canyon’s Amber Rogers and Midvale Middle’s Lena Wood — were all smiles after receiving their awards in April. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

World War I simulation where students represent countries and try to come to terms with the Treaty of Versailles. “They try to figure out what they want, the cost, the military, the geography of Europe and how to develop strategies with others to get what they want,” she said. She has mock congresses where students create their own legislature, and a decades project where students not only learn about the historical events for that time period, but also share the culture with one another. Another instance is when one student was transferred into her class as other teachers grew frustrated with him. “I made a snap judgment wondering why he got straight F’s and what his story was. The first day he was respectful, so I wasn’t sure what was going on,” Rogers said. Afterward, he told her no other teacher allowed students to have a discussion as she did with a dialogue about the Great Depression, and that engagement got him back on track, she said. “I’ve learned it’s the time when teachers aren’t talking when kids are learning more,” Rogers said. That belief in students working hard and engaging one another led to a round of applause by students and teachers coming into her classroom shortly after the announcement was made at her school that she was selected as Teacher of the Year. “It was really sweet and I was a little embarrassed by the attention,” she said. “It took a moment, but then I got back on track with my students’ AP test that day.”

Lena Wood First runner-up Lena Wood also is known to be able to relate to her students. In sixth-grade, her dad was sent to prison, and she realizes it’s the choices that students make that can send them to success or poor circumstances. “I didn’t tell my friends and kept it quiet,” she said. “I always felt like I didn’t fit in because of it. I wasn’t good at math and struggled. It wasn’t until I discovered music that I flourished.” After listening to the drummer for Yanni and thinking percussion was “so cool,” Wood used her piano background to learn percussion in junior high and became involved in marching band and drumline in high school. She graduated from Weber State University with a music education degree on scholarship. “At the beginning of the year, I told my students my story. Kids need to hear that we all aren’t super successful from the start; that we struggle, but sometimes there is a person they can relate to or something at school that gets them going. It’s OK if it’s music, dance, gym. The arts are important in school and it can keep us going,” she said. Wood, who has taught for 11 years, said it wasn’t until she came to Midvale Middle School she felt comfortable. “I fell in love with the diversity here,” she said. “It’s so different. I felt accepted. Now I feel super honored to be honored. It gives me more confidence in my teaching and tells me that (I’m) doing OK. It gives my students that encouraging message.” l

Sandy City Journal

Alta Mini-Hawks celebrate learning through school’s 40th graduation By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

This year will mark Alta Mini-Hawks’ 40th graduation ceremony. Seen here, an Alta Mini-Hawk graduates in 2010. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

his past month, some of the youngest graduates may have passed through Alta High’s halls. The Alta Mini-Hawks held its 40th graduation, allowing 30 preschoolers to be honored for their early education success. This year, the celebration was allowed their high school teachers the chance to talk about each student before presenting their diplomas. Alta, like all the high schools in Canyons School District, has a preschool that allows students who are age 3 and potty trained a chance to learn. It also gives high school juniors and seniors a chance to explore the possible career of becoming a teacher, said Alta preschool director Kim Hanni. “The preschoolers get one-to-one attention from our high school students,” she said. For 38 years, the preschool rotated with the high school schedule, having students attend preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays one week and Tuesdays and Thursdays the next. Two years ago, Hanni switched it so it would be easier with parents’ schedules to have their children attend school on the same days each week. “This allows for the preschoolers to get used to two different teaching styles as they have one high school teacher one day and an-

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other a different day. This actually has worked out very well and the parents are pleased we listened to their comments,” she said. Alta students, who earn concurrent enrollment in education through Salt Lake Community College with the class, create the lesson plans and activities for the preschoolers under Hanni’s supervision. “We focus on letters each week and themes such as oceans, space, science, art, zoo animals, farm animals and others. We have learning centers that have art, science, math, language, sensory and dramatic art activities. We used to encourage students to rotate through them, but this year, we introduced the centers with a colored bracelet. As long as the student wanted to stay engaged at the center, they wore a certain colored bracelet. When they want to switch to a different center, they would need to switch bracelets with another student. This allows the preschoolers to build on their communication skills as well as their emotional skills when someone may not be willing to switch,” she said. While Hanni said the preschoolers have several speakers, such as fire fighters, police officers, dentists, nurses and even therapy dog trainers, they only go on one field trip — to the

Living Planet Aquarium, where they learn more about marine life to tie into their oceans unit. “My favorite thing is to watch the little kids learn and catch on to concepts,” she said. “They learn so much and become so knowledgeable in such a short time. The same can be said for the high school students. Some are really shy or insecure, but this gives them a way to get some hands-on teaching experience to become more confident.” Even for those high school students who might not end up in the education field, they have gained skills in teaching and leadership as well as become certified in first aid and have their food handler’s permit, Hanni said. Through the years, several high school students continue to stay in touch with their former preschool students, even as they approach their high school years. Many schools have open enrollment for fall preschool, but Hanni said that as of early May, Alta already has a waiting list. “I have some parents who put their name on the list when they learn they’re going to have a baby,” she said. “I work a lot with Jordan and Corner Canyon since we’re close by one another, and Corner Canyon still has openings.” l

June 2018 | Page 21

Teens rewarded for serving others By Julie Slama | julie@mycityjournals.com

hen Miss America Cara Mund read “Waterford School,” high school senior Tabitha Bell lost it. “I couldn’t believe it was me,” Tabitha said. “I was so overwhelmed. Oh my goodness, I remember thinking, ‘it can’t be happening; it’s like a dream.’” Tabitha, who was helped to the podium by her father, Paul, and her service dog, Nox, was the last recipient to be named one of 10 Prudential Spirit of Community national winners. “I remember trying to keep myself together and telling myself not to look at my dad, but every time I did, I started crying more,” she said. Her dad managed to keep it together while her daughter gave her “jumbled thanks,” but afterward broke down in tears, tightly hugging his daughter. Her mother, Jennifer, kept wiping away her own tears right from the announcement. Tabitha, who represented Utah as its top high school volunteer, was selected for the program that honors youth for their outstanding volunteer work. She received an all-expenses paid trip in late April to Washington, D.C., where she was joined by Utah’s middle school recipient, Abigail Slama-Catron, also of Sandy, and the top two honorees from other states and the District of Columbia as well as several countries for four days of nationally recognized events. Tabitha, who has Dejerine Sottas, a form of muscular dystrophy, relies on her German shepherd to give her mobility and balance. But her story doesn’t begin there, her mother said. “She was born severely premature in Siberia,” Jennifer Bell said. “It was in extremely poor conditions we discovered when we went to pick her up in September 2001. We were told under no circumstances were we to ever give up our passports because we wouldn’t know what would happen. But then we were asked to and told about what was happening in the U.S. that day, 9-11, and we handed them over.” That was the start of a long journey that has taken Tabitha Bell to this place of recognition. The journey, which includes nine surgeries, seven for her feet, as well as operations to fuse all her vertebrae and long-term therapy after suffering severe concussions from falls, hasn’t left her emotionally scarred. “I was meeting with my surgeon, when I realized he had

Tabitha Bell gets hugs from her parents, Jennifer and Paul, after being named one of the Prudential Spirit of Community national winners. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Page 22 | June 2018

other patients who needed a service dog and couldn’t afford one. I realized even with my own struggles, I wasn’t as bad off as they were. I’m by nature a go-getter, so after I learned about it, I started Paws at my school, where there are a lot of other go-getters, to help getting service dogs to those who need them,” she said. Paws, short for Pawsitive Pawsibilities, is a nonprofit organization that, to date, has provided nine service dogs. But Tabitha didn’t start with Paws. When her family first moved to Utah, she lived in Park City and had heard about the National Ability Center. After visiting, but not actually riding there, she realized they needed new tack for the horses. As an equestrian, she took it upon herself to gather $5,000 as well as some unused tack to donate to the center. “I learned right there, I could make a difference in people’s lives,” said the winner of this year’s 14- to 18-year-old Canadian National Championship for equestrians of all abilities. “I knew a huge community of people growing up in the horse world and if I could tell them about the need, they were generous in helping people. It was a lesson I learned and have continued to build upon.” That lesson transformed into Tabitha’s efforts, along with those of her friend, Morgan Kane. They raised more than $100,000 through selling bracelets, holding a school dress-down day fundraiser and organizing a 5K race and benefit concert. Tabitha also overcame her shyness and battles with needing her first service dog (Sunny, who now is retired). “At first, they would just stare at me and say, ‘I love this dog,’ and that was really hard. I was mad and thought, ‘why can’t they mind their own business?’ I came to realize they were just curious. So, I became an ambassador for service dogs and would say, ‘yeah, this is my dog, let me tell you about him,” she said. That led Tabitha to creating a coloring book to help youngsters learn about service dogs as well as speaking to others at schools, camps and civic group gatherings about her mission. “It was definitely scary and nerve-wracking the first time I spoke to a rotary group. I remember waving my hands all around, but since then, I’ve become a much more composed speaker,” she said, then added, “Up until Prudential — I was genuinely surprised and taken back.” At Prudential, she said people accepted her as well as her dog — including Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, who was the keynote speaker. “She stopped to pet Nox. It was super cool that she noticed him and asked me about what he does and his breed. My dog always outshines me,” she joked, but also added that she has been invited to try out to train for the U.S. Paralympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Even after being accepted as a state winner and flying to D.C., Tabitha admits she didn’t understand the significance of being a Prudential honoree. “Even when I walked onto the red carpet after getting off the bus from the airport, I didn’t understand how big of a deal it is. They flew in all 102 winners to honor them and when I heard their stories, I was blown away at what all they had done. I was the first winner from Waterford and I thought that was a big deal, but understanding what they all did, was incredible,” she said, adding that Miss America was a Prudential award honoree. “It was great to meet all these people; we already started connecting with the other kids and we want to create a nationwide fundraiser to benefit our organizations.” As a national winner, Tabitha received a gold medallion and $5,000 for her nonprofit organization, along with a second $5,000, which she plans to use at University of California-Berkeley in the fall as she plans to become a CEO or CFO of a company. Abigail Slama-Catron Silver-award medalist Abigail, who was honored for her work in environmental education, helped invent a “bionic scare-

Abigail Slama-Catron and Tabitha Bell represented Utah as the top youth volunteers at the Prudential Spirit of Community awards in Washington, D.C. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

crow” that keeps birds away from airplanes as they take off and land at airports. There currently are three devices being tested at the Salt Lake International Airport. She has demonstrated the environmentally friendly device to scientists, wildlife officials and government and education leaders as well as to students wanting to learn to be inventors themselves. Abigail also created a film, “Strike Out,” about her device, which won Canyons School District’s 2017 Middle School Best Documentary and was shown at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival in February. She also has created the film “Stand Up, Speak Out” to inspire other youth to become advocates about their passions. She was nominated by 4H, who honored her with the Outstanding Youth award in environmental education and earth sciences. Prudential Financial Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld said that through the 24 years of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, which is sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary Schools Principals, he has seen many projects, but this one was unique. He said the Utah honorees have given of themselves and their time, which is why they were selected. “They have demonstrated leadership, compassion and perseverance,” Strangfeld said. Both Tabitha and Abigail also received the President’s Volunteer Service Award. With the honor, they each received a personalized certificate from President Donald Trump for giving more than 100 hours of service to their community. Along with bronze medalist and American Preparatory Academy senior Keerthana Ramalingam, who created an app to customize text functions to improve the web browsing experience for people with dyslexia, the three Sandy residents were honored by Sandy Mayor Kurt Bradburn for their volunteerism. Abigail, who also performs service work with Girl Scouts and with her school, Midvale Middle, was grateful for the experience. “Being part of this amazing program helped me realize that there are so many others who care about our future as much as I do,” she said. “Service doesn’t have to be something you go out of your way to do. As one person, you can volunteer to show you care and make an impact.” Editor’s note: the writer’s daughter is Abigail Slama-Catron. l

Sandy City Journal

Alta girls lacrosse builds throughout season

Carpe Di End

By Ron Bevan | r.bevan@mycityjournals.com

y many accounts, it could have been a throwaway season for the Alta girls lacrosse team. With only one senior and a handful of players with varsity experience, the Hawks looked ripe for picking. But instead, Alta got through the first part of the season and began to soar as the year progressed. The Hawks ended the season with a 9-4 record and an appearance in the state playoffs. “We saw a lot of improvement from all of the girls, especially the freshmen on the team,” Alta assistant coach Madison Brown said. “Their agility and how they handled their sticks grew with each game.” Alta entered the 2018 season with just one senior, Hannah Lundlow, on its roster. Although Ludlow is an aggressive scorer from the attack position, she would need some of the underclassmen to step up to help make her final season at Alta a success. “Ludlow was our captain for this season,” Brown said. “She was a great motivator for the younger players and kept the team very positive.” But Ludlow didn’t just sit back and try to keep the other players learning for the future. She led by example, scoring 17 goals on the season. “She was one of our top scorers,” Brown said. “She is fast and her attitude when she is on the field is contagious to the other players.” Alta was led in scoring, however, by Marin Lowry, a promising junior who found the back of the net 31

S andy Journal .com

times this season. Lowry also assisted on 12 other goals. Lowry was also the player the Hawks turned to for all draws, or the beginning of play after each score. In lacrosse, two opposing players hold the ball between the nets on their sticks in a face-off style start. When the official blows the whistle, they try to maintain control of the ball for their team. “Lowry is very dominating on the draw,” Brown said. Just behind Lowry on the scoring leaderboard is Majena Horoba, a sophomore on the team with a quick stick. Horoba scored 28 goals this season and tallied 17 assists. “Horoba is a very smart player for her age,” Brown said. “She is very dedicated and loves to assist others as much as score.” Alta got a lot of help this season from a newcomer as well. Freshman Eliza Johnson put in 17 goals and solidified her spot on the varsity team for the next three years. “You usually don’t see scoring like that from a freshman in this sport,” Brown said. “She is going against players much bigger than her. But she is a sneaky player. She knows her way through defenders.” While the team may have lost out to Weber in the first round of this year’s playoffs, losing just one senior gives Alta hope for the next few years. “We have a lot of very good players that earned a lot of experience this season,” Brown said. “The future looks bright for us.”l

Gain peace of mind knowing everything is taken care of your way. Alta’s Anika Sanger looks for a passing lane during a recent girls lacrosse game. (photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

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Marley Webster makes a move on Jordan’s defense during Alta girls lacrosse action. (photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

LarkinMortuary.com June 2018 | Page 23

Jordan finishes season sharing Region 7 baseball title By Ron Bevan | r.bevan@mycityjournals.com

Hunter Swapp awaits a pitch in a recent Jordan boys baseball game. Swapp, a junior, was one of the leading hitters on this year’s squad. (Photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

hen realignment gave the Jordan boys baseball team lemons, they went out and made lemonade. Every three years, the Utah High School Athletic Association (UHSAA) analyzes each school’s enrollment and decides whether schools need to move from one classification to another. For 2017–18 school year, the UHSAA even created a new 6A category for the largest of schools. This meant that some 5A schools that hadn’t been in the same region would now be foes. And for Jordan, that meant a pairing with baseball powerhouse Cottonwood High School, last year’s 5A state champions. But it didn’t scare off the Beetdiggers, who found success with the leadership of a strong senior class. Jordan managed to squeeze out a 13-2 region record, tying itself with Cottonwood as region co-champions. “We entered the state tournament as the second-place team for the region,” Jordan baseball coach Chad Fife said. “Cottonwood got the top seed because they beat us two out of the three times we faced them.” Jordan’s growth this year in baseball is significant, considering last season the Beetdiggers barely made the state playoffs as the thirdplace team in region play and was knocked out of the winner’s bracket in the first round. Jordan picked up a single win in the loser’s bracket before being bounced out of the tournament in the third round. The difference this season lay in the maturity of the team. Jordan suited up a total of 13 seniors, all with several years of experience on the team. “Leadership this season was at the core

Page 24 | June 2018

of our team,” Fife said. “Last year we had no seniors on the team. So this has been a good experience for us. All the seniors have been together for so long that they know how to play good ball together. They cover the diamond very well.” The Beetdiggers were usually led on the field by senior right-handed pitcher Gage Edwards. A mountain in stature at 6'4" and 220 pounds, Edwards was an intimidating presence on the mound with a variety of pitches to keep batters occupied. Edwards carried a 2.36 earned run average into the state tournament and struck out over 50 batters. “He throws very hard,” Fife said. “He is just a gamer. He comes ready to play every game.” Edwards’ value to the Beetdiggers extended from the mound. He is also one of the top hitters on the team, and would play catcher or third base so his bat could be used in every game. Third baseman Noah Hennings is also finishing a four-year career at Jordan this season. Hennings’ defense is solid and the Beetdiggers use him not only at the hot corner but also as shortstop when needed. But it is his batting that has helped Jordan’s success this year, knocking in 28 runs and scoring an additional 26 of his own. “Hennings is a good hitter who has a lot of experience,” Fife said. Fife contributes a lot of his team’s success to the cohesiveness of the group. He said his players were involved in a variety of service projects off the field that he believes not only strengthened the team but the players themselves. In February the entire team went to a local

Sandy City Journal

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Junior Kyson Stein puts the ball into play during a recent Jordan boys baseball game. Stein, a lefty, played outfield and also pitched this season for the Beetdiggers. (Photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

homeless shelter and helped feed the residents. “They loved doing that project,” Fife said. “It may have been the highlight of the year for them, and certainly helped them understand the world we live in.” The team also mentors special education students at the school, spending time with them

and tutoring them when needed. As for the future, Fife isn’t that worried about losing 13 seniors. “We have a strong junior group as well as a sophomore unit,” Fife said. “Things are looking good for the future at Jordan.” l

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July 26 - July 27 Install stoves or build garden boxes, visit Lake Atitlan, Zip-line through the trees, see monkeys and butterflies.

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Aug 12 - Relax and enjoy the black sand beach!

July 30 - Sunrise Mangrove tour - Leave Guatemala City

Aug 13 - Sunrise Mangrove tour - Leave Guatemala City

Senior right hander Gage Edwards was the main pitcher for the Jordan boys baseball team that was co-champion of Region 7. (Photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

S andy Journal .com

June 2018 | Page 25

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Sandy City Journal

Alta repeats as state soccer champions By Ron Bevan | r.bevan@mycityjournals.com

hey opened the season as the favorite after winning last year’s 4A state title. They closed the season with the 5A championship. Alta once against secured its place at the top of boys soccer with a 2-1 overtime victory over Viewmont to claim the 2018 5A state soccer title May 24. But the road to another boys soccer title at Alta was a bumpy one this season. The Hawks lost four games this year and had to battle back from a 3-1 deficit in the semifinals as well as the overtime championship game. “We knew this season would be tough,” Alta coach Lee Mitchell said. “There are a lot of good programs out there, and Viewmont is one of them. But I also knew these boys were just as tough.” It is the first back-to-back title for the boys program at Alta, adding an eighth trophy to the trophy case. Interestingly, the girls program also has eight titles, including four straight titles a decade ago. Mitchell has been Alta’s coach for all 16 titles, both boys and girls. “It never gets old,” Mitchell said of another championship. “Each one is special because these kids are special to me.” Alta entered the state tournament as the No. 2 seed from Region 7, losing the region title to Brighton. A win over Wasatch and another against East put the Hawks into the semifinals with Skyline. The Eagles would jump to a seemingly unsurmountable lead over Alta at 3-1. But the Hawks never lost their composure and found a way to close out the game prior to overtime and secure a 4-3 win, sending Alta to the finals. “That win helped our mental toughness for the title game,” Alta goalkeeper Traven England said. “We knew if we could take a game with those obstacles we could take anything a team could throw at us.” Alta opened the title game with a flourish, taking control of possession of the ball and trying to find ways through the Viewmont defense. But it would be Viewmont with the first true shot on goal, a rocket heading straight for the net until England parried it over the crossbar. Less than a minute later Alta midfielder Jack Anderson mounted his own attack which led to a corner kick. Anderson took the corner kick and sailed it into the box where striker Cole Fassler put it into the back of the net with a one-touch finish. “We work on that corner play every single day, every single practice,” Fassler said. “I was free in the box right where the ball came and we were able to put it away that time.” The game got interesting in the second half, with Viewmont dominating possession of the ball. During a 15 minute stretch, England was tested at the net with shot after shot from Viewmont. He deflected a few, including a near

S andy Journal .com

boys state championships. “We do that throw-in all the time,” Fassler said. “I just throw it as hard as I can and usually get an assist off of one of our players. This time we got a lucky bounce.” Lucky? Not when you have a throw-in expert like Fassler. Not when you have a program like Alta’s. Not when you have a coach named Mitchell. l

The Alta boys soccer team celebrates another state title, beating Viewmont, 2-1, to win the 5A championship. (Photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

Alta senior Kenny Kocherscheidt heads the ball past Viewmont’s defenders. Alta took a 2-1 win over Viewmont to secure the state 5A Championship. (Photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

The Alta boys soccer team celebrates another state title, beating Viewmont, 2-1, to win the 5A championship. (Photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

point blank shot, and his defenders cleaned up the rest. “Our defense is not always a brick wall,” England said. “But every one of my defenders would die for me. We are a cohesive unit that plays well together.” The defense finally gave up the equalizer in the 67th minute when Viewmont scored on a corner kick eerily similar to Alta’s initial goal. The Hawks had been on their heels prior to the goal, sitting on a one-goal lead. The equalizer gave rise again to the beast that is Alta soccer. No longer settling, the Hawks regained their momentum and battled until regulation ended. “That goal woke you up,” Mitchell

told his charges during the break before overtime. “You went back to playing the way I know you can. Now go finish it off.” The Hawks took Mitchell’s words to heart. They kept the ball on their attacking half to open overtime. And then it happened. Three minutes into overtime, Fassler unleashed one of his patented throw-ins. From his vantage point deep in Alta’s attacking half, Fassler selected his spot to deliver the ball. “He has been our throw-in specialist all year because he can throw the ball nearly as far as others can kick it,” Mitchell said of Fassler. Fassler’s throw landed in front of Viewmont’s goal, bounced off a defender and into the net, securing Alta’s first back-to-back

Alta’s Ethan Bell works the ball between Viewmont defenders during the state championship boys soccer game. (Photo by Ron Bevan/City Journals)

June 2018 | Page 27

The youngest driver might be the fastest

ocky Mountain Raceway kicked off its final season, and 14-year-old Natalie Waters is having an impact already. “I grew up with racing,” Natalie Waters said. “My uncles are Jimmy Waters and Lynn Hardy (veteran racers at the RMR), so I was at the track when I was about 6 months old. I got into a quarter midget (similar to a go-kart) when I was 6 years old. Then I drove a junior stinger and a focus midget.” Waters is currently driving a new midget racecar and an open wheel limited sprint car. In both classes, she competes against drivers more than double her age. “I like the adrenaline rush,” Waters said. “I have always thought it looked so cool. It is nice to know that I am doing well. Last year was my first year on the entire track, and I think I have gotten it a little bit. This year I feel I can go as hard as I can.” She has been fast. Her limited sprint averaged 91.2 mph around the ⅜-mile oval. Her qualifying time was fourth fastest for the opening night racers. In her midget division, she has raced competitively against Chaz Groat for several years in quarter midgets and now in the focus midgets. Groat was last year’s class champion. “My family is really close with Chaz’s family,” Waters said. “We both got into this class together and seem to be in the same step in racing. There is a little pressure being a girl,

By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com and I am the youngest ever to drive a sprint car in the state of Utah. It is different, but knowing that I get out of the car and beat those grown men is cool.” Waters has dreams of racing in NASCAR. She has support from several sponsors and a working crew. Her grandfather John Waters is her crew chief and has set up her cars from the beginning of her racing career. “I have been racing since I was 11 years old, and I have never seen anything like this,” John said. “It is so emotional to see her start racing when she was 6. She told me, ‘All I wanted was a trophy.’ She has so much passion for it. She just finished racing, and she is back here waxing her car to make them look nice.” In a race last November at the Bullring in Las Vegas, she flipped her car and totaled it. John found another car, purchased it and prepared it for this season. In set-up, John has always prepared the car limiting her on her throttle availability to ensure she could learn the handling of the car. “I did not want to give her full power,” John said. “I wanted her to drive where she felt comfortable. This year, we are giving her more of the edge. We are close to $35,000 to race these cars this year. It is expensive, but she has learned to work with the sponsors and meet their expectations.” Seeing her daughter race has been a heart-racing experience for Natalie’s mother,

Natalie Waters pilots this limited sprint race car at Rocky Mountain Raceway at speeds approaching 115 mph. She is 14 years old. (Photo courtesy Natalie Waters Facebook page)

Cassie Waters. “When she drives by the wall and I can see her face for like a split second, it might make me cry; I can’t believe that she is in control of the car,” Cassie said. “It is just crazy. I am with her every day. I make the oatmeal and do her laundry and buy her makeup. Now, she is here racing at night.” The final season at Rocky Mountain Raceway continues all summer. The sprint cars are scheduled to return June 16.

“They started racing quarter midgets with the track and with the talent they have I know they are going to do a good job,” Rocky Mountain Raceway General Manager Mike Eames said. “These young drivers have potential, and it is sad that the track is closing because it would be fun to see what they could do. They are respectful, and watching them is one of the favorite parts of my job. I can’t cheer for her because she has cooties and is a girl, but I like good racing and hope she does well.” l

The Draper City Amphitheater Presents:

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Saturday, August 18 • 8pm One of America’s greatest singers and songwriters Featuring all your favorites and many more including: • Rocky Mountain High • Sunshine on my Shoulders • Thank God I’m a Country Boy • Leaving on a Jet Plane

• Grandma’s Feather Bed • Calypso • Annie’s Song • Take Me Home, Country Roads

For tickets and more info visit: www.DraperAmphitheater.com Page 28 | June 2018

Sandy City Journal

S andy Journal .com

June 2018 | Page 29

Travel Budget

CASSIE GOFF

Schools out for summer! It’s time for vacation! One of my friends told me that her family spent around 10 grand on a two-week holiday. Don’t do that. Instead, use this nifty little invention called the internet to do some research. There are hundreds of blogs and forums where people share their travel experiences, sharing information about the cheapest transportation and best deals in various cities worldwide. Before going anywhere, check what people say about that destination and what they recommend when traveling on a budget. Flying can be an expensive hassle. Many travel bugs recommend using a credit card that offers the chance to earn miles. Cashing in those miles can mean a free plane ticket. I’ve also heard that checking fares on Tuesday, two weeks before your travel date, will be the cheapest option. Don’t hold me to that though. Driving can be boring. Don’t forget entertainment if you’re going on a road trip. If you have a Netflix subscription, download the app on your phone, and download episodes, podcasts, or comedy specials. Have everyone in your car do the same for hours of internet-free entertainment. Oh, and make sure to bring an auxiliary cord. And water. Stay hydrated people.

For lodging, don’t stay stay in your destination city. It’s generally cheaper to book a place outside of the area. For example, it’s cheaper to stay in Murray than it is is downtown Salt Lake City. It’s cheaper to stay in Sandy or Cottonwood Heights than it is to stay in the canyon resorts during ski season. Know the areas around your destination city. Luckily, we live in the era of Airbnb, where hotel prices are almost obsolete. The website is fantastic for any kind of group traveling. If you’re going with the whole family, you can check for full homes to book. If you’re traveling alone or with friends, you can rent out a room for low prices. Hostels are also great options for the lone traveler. If you’re going on vacation to see a physical place, and not going for an event, go during the off season. Tourist attractions, lodging, and other accommodations will be marked down. Plus, there won’t be so many crowds. You may end up on a tour with just a few other people, instead of a few busses. When visiting new cities, check for free walking tours. Not only are they budget-friendly, they help you get acquainted with the city. You may see something you want to visit, which you didn’t know existed.

While you’re on that walking tour, find the local grocery store. Take some time to do your grocery shopping and make your own meals. Eating out is expensive, especially if you’re doing it every day. I recommend trying some local food no matter where the destination, but don’t go crazy. Eat out on only a few occasions and pack your own food the rest of the time. Booking tours or buying attraction tickets the day-of can be mind-bogglingly expensive. Before you leave home, take some time to research ticket prices for the places you might want to visit. Many places have discounts if you book in advance or through third-party websites. If you have a discount associated

with your identity, ask for it. There are so many places that offer discounts for military personnel, seniors, students, etc. Bring some proof, just in case. I used my University of Utah student card to get a discount on a tour in Australia. Want to work while traveling? Many places offer free lodging in exchange for labor. Like farm-stays, where you can stay for free if you help out around the farm. They may even feed you too. There are also many programs outside of the country for teaching English. One day, I plan to go help baby turtles make it to the ocean safety. A free place to stay for chasing birds away?! Yes. Please. l

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Don’t Kill the Messenger

Life

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PERI KINDER

SANDY

Back when Paleolithic man ruled the world, humans only learned what was happening outside their cave when another caveman rode into town on his velociraptor. Soon, dinosaurs evolved into horses (duh, that’s just science) and traveling merchants shared stories and events as they roamed the country. They’d sit around campfires, making s’mores and spreading gossip. In cities, town criers walked the streets in ridiculous outfits, ringing bells and shouting information at passersby. When Johannes Gutenberg mechanized the printing process, he started a revolution that led to books, newspapers and inexpensive bird cage lining. Town criers became journalists, people dedicated to the pursuit of truth, shining a light on injustice and living on hot coffee and cold pizza. America’s Founding Fathers recognized the importance of the press, protecting free speech in the first amendment. Journalists were regarded as necessary vermin, an invaluable cog in the democratic process of checks and balances. Distinguished reporters like Carl Bernstein, Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite took journalism to its apex before its Icarus-like plunge into the mud of “journalism” today.

With the introduction of the Internet Machine, news has changed. A flood of misinformation is available at our fingertips and anyone can post “news” and share it as reality. Your crazy Uncle Joe has the ability to post his conspiracy theories as fact, while negating facts as theories. (Yes, I’m talking to you, holocaust deniers and urine therapy adherents.) As newspapers fold and journalists are fired, consumers must find their way in a wild wilderness, navigating blogs, podcasts, posts, tweets, forums and websites, searching for truth, justice and the American way. On TV, Barbie and Ken dolls throw softball questions at politicians, making no effort to hide their biases. They’re like balloon bouquets; pretty

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to look at and fun for a while, but then they float creepily through your home, lurking in doorways and scaring the skittles out of you at 3 a.m. Sponsored content (advertorials) sneak their way into news broadcasts and articles, looking like journalism, but in reality they’re just fancy ads. Usually, readers don’t even know. Journalists have become public relations specialists, crafting news instead of reporting it. On top of all that, our president declared war on the press. The U.S. just ranked 45th on the World Press Freedom Index, coming in behind places like Bahari, Namibia and Sokovia. (Only one of those countries is real, but I’m presenting it as fact. Most readers don’t bother dis-

covering the truth.) Do reporters pick on Trump? Yes. Does he deserve it? Maybe not all the time. Maybe. But his anti-press pomposity further erodes the faith we’ve placed in our news agencies as his bellowing cry of “Fake news!” rings from media outlets. Investigative journalists are an endangered species. It seems little vetting, research or fact-checking is being done. It’s more important to have the story first—even if it’s inaccurate. Wikipedia isn’t research. (I know that, because I looked up journalism on Wikipedia and it said, “This is not a news source.”) Here are other things that aren’t news sources: Facebook, Twitter, hateful bloggers and venom-spewing talk show hosts. In 2009, I wrote a column, grumbling about the sensationalizing of stories where a celebrity’s activities were treated as breaking news. (FYI: It’s not.) Things have only gone downhill. There are many journalists working diligently to present the truth, but it’s getting harder to hear their voices over the screeching of velociraptors, the screaming of town criers and the bellicose rants of our leaders. No news isn’t good news. No news is no news. l

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