Sandy Journal | July 2024

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WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES WITHIN SANDY’S BORDERS?

Throughout his many years in the unincorporated Granite Community, Vaughn Cox who is chair of the Granite Community Council, has heard stories about how Sandy City forces annexation among unincorporated county islands in its borders.

But this time it isn’t Sandy’s doing, it’s the state’s.

New legislation passed in the beginning of 2024 will force either annexation or incorporation for all unincorporated county land within the next three years leaving many residents in these “islands” unsure what the future holds for them.

Sandy City Mayor Monica Zoltanski addressed concerns from residents in a town hall meeting on June 10 where information was given about what annexation would look like for new residents.

“I want to make one thing clear,” she said. “For decades, Sandy has never

had a policy of takeover of our neighbors. We are here for those who want to join Sandy. We are here to answer your questions. We would love to receive you. We think we’ve got a great city and great opportunities here for people to join Sandy, but we are not coming after your neighborhoods.”

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Dancing the night away: Unforgettable moments uniting students at prom

Hillcrest High student Javier Garcia admitted his feet hurt, but he wasn’t going to stop dancing.

“Dancing with Abbi is the best part, but I liked the arcade and food too,” the freshman said about his date while attending Canyons School District’s first unified prom.

He knows Hillcrest sophomore Abbi Clark as a peer tutor. She also is a unified sports partner.

“Being with all the kids and watching them have fun is what tonight’s all about,” she said. “A bunch of us went to the Nickel Arcade together beforehand and played all the games. It’s great that they’re getting to have this opportunity.”

While individual students pushed for a districtwide unified dance the past few years, it was Corner Canyon’s Peer Leadership Team and adviser Kelsie Wilson who were able to get the nod and coordinated the efforts for the dance. It was held in Sandy’s Lone Peak Park Pavilion shortly before the end of the school year.

Corner Canyon senior Natalie Lawson was part of that team.

“I became a peer tutor as a sophomore and fell in love with the students in the class,” she said. “They’re always happy and in turn, they make me happy and grateful. Being a part of this effort is a way I can give back to them. We had other schools’ PLT reach out to help so it really united the community.”

Lawson asked her date, junior Jonas Osterhout, to the prom through a poster. He replied affirmatively the same way.

“It’s part of the tradition and fun to make and leave a poster at the door of your date, so I wanted him to have the same experience,” she said. “He’s getting the whole dance experience. A small group of us went bowling today, then we’ve had food, popcorn, cotton candy and danced here tonight. This is a better experience for these students than just attending the first hour or so of a school dance where it’s loud and it gets late so it’s not as much fun for them.”

When the dance was scheduled to be over, Osterhout didn’t want to leave. He insisted on photo after photo with all his friends, taken by his father, who was there to get him home.

“He loves being social,” his father Devin Osterhout said. “This is a blessing in our lives that he is getting to be at this dance with his friends. He loves to spin (in his wheelchair) and he’s so happy. These kids are his heroes.”

Jordan High student Cheyenne Patrick also was there at the end of the prom.

“This party was a jam,” said the senior who has a 20-year-old cousin who has special needs and she also helps with the Miss Amazing pageants. “We go beyond ourselves; we make the whole night about them. We make sure they’re having fun and tons of pictures to remember this by. This is all about friendship and fun.” l

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Corner Canyon junior Jonas Osterhout and senior Natalie Lawson pose during Canyons School District’s first unified prom. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Canyons’ unified prom gave students a memorable night of dancing and fun. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Canyons Teacher of the Year shares insights on trying new teaching methods

Walking into a math room across from Alta High’s commons, something is amiss.

The desks are missing—intentionally.

This past year, Alta High math teacher Kevin Clyde traded desks for more white boards which grace three of the four classroom walls. Students stand, working together at the boards to solve problems. They look to one other, not Clyde, to figure out the steps on how to reach the answer.

“When they do ask me questions, some are returned with other questions,” he said. “What I’m trying to do is get students to think.”

Canyons School District’s 2024 Teacher of the Year said his approach isn’t traditional.

“I’ll set things up for them and give them some things to think about. I ask a couple questions; then they work together. I check in with the groups and I ask more questions. ‘How did you get this answer? Tell me how you came to that. Why do we know this happens the way it does?’” Clyde said.

There is a psychology to the approach, he said.

“When kids have their notebook paper and their pen, they’re afraid of making a mistake. Erasing or crossing it out seems to be a block for them. When they’re at a whiteboard, they can wipe it off and start over again. They’re learning that making mistakes is OK and they become less afraid to make a mistake. Often, they’re quicker to spot their own mistakes. It’s a subtle element to the learning process that sometimes gets missed,” Clyde said.

However, he is open when a student approaches while puzzling out a problem.

“They’re learning advocacy, asking for what they need,” he said. “The students have developed a relationship with somebody who she trusts. That’s a big thing in life. You don’t always know what to do, but if you have people around you, you can ask for help.”

Building relationships and having those connections were key to Clyde’s decision to teach.

“I asked myself some of my best memories of high school. Was it things I learned or was it the people around me? When I asked myself about my favorite teachers, I can think who have more of an impact and the relationships we have years after high school as compared to six months after they leave high school, they’ll forget most of what they remembered most of what they learned. I don’t take that for granted in 10 years, they likely won’t remember how to factor a quadratic, but they’ll remember me,” he said.

Two teachers—Angela Herrin at Thomas Jefferson Junior High and Robert Lake at Kearns High—impacted his life, and his teaching. Herrin played John Williams’ music and “she sparked a really good conversation

about how music makes you feel things” and Lake used wit and sarcasm in his teaching.

Clyde has incorporated those qualities in his teaching and often takes the lead from students if they want to build upon the teacher-student relationship. As a former high school athlete, he can talk sports from Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan sinking the shot against the Utah Jazz in the NBA finals to the Northwest Derby rivalry of Manchester United versus Liverpool. He supports the arts, even having watched “The Great British Bake Off Musical” that premiered in 2022. He is knowledgeable about history, understanding strategies he has learned at World War II museums.

“Kids will ask about English, and I’ll talk about English. Then we will talk about science. Teaching is not what I do; it is who I am,” he said, adding as they talk, often times, students will pick up one of the many logic puzzles on his desk to give it a try.

As a boy, Clyde would choose a letter and sit down to read the World Book Encyclopedia.

“I was a curious person. The subject doesn’t matter to me,” he said, but admitted he wasn’t the family champion of Trivia Pursuit. “It was my dad’s game. If we didn’t answer it verbatim, we wouldn’t get the pie wedge.”

After working in youth ministry, Clyde decided to continue his passion of working with teenagers in high school.

“Growing up, math made the most sense to me. I’d ask a ton of questions, and I had a good memory so it just came together in a way that clicked,” he said. “I can relate to a

lot of the kids and talk to them about a number of subjects. I encourage them to think, to ask questions. Carl Sagan was talking to Johnny Carson about children asking a lot of questions and pointed out future generations will need people who ask questions. He said if they’re not asking questions, they can’t problem solve.”

Another thing Clyde learned from his teachers is to be a lifelong learner.

“I realized my best teachers are the ones who want to keep learning new things and were the ones who always were never afraid of being wrong,” he said. “I started challenging the paradigms and the norms.”

Learning about task-based learning by reading books by Stanford University’s Jo Boaler and a Canadian math education professor Peter Liljedahl, he discovered the best approach for students to learn is through exploration.

“Jo wrote that kids achieve higher levels when they’re doing the tasks and Peter said by doing that as they’re standing, there is improved student behavior. Their posture is better, their mood is better, they persevere,” he said.

So, two years ago, Clyde transitioned to starting his class by students working together at a white board or paper on the wall.

“It was really hard to get the kids to commit to a task, so I reflected on what I was doing, the best way to approach it, what they needed to learn and understand and how we could get there,” he said. “This past year I simplified what I’m doing. Rather than give them a page of notes, a bunch of definitions, or eight different points to solve something,

I’ve given them pieces of the problem and we build up from there. Before I would do something, but I wouldn’t say what I did or how I did it. Now I’m slicing it and building upon that. If I had done that earlier, I might have seen more success. My teaching has evolved through these eight years.”

At Westminster College, where Clyde earned his bachelor’s and master’s in math, he learned about educational psychology and social learning theory like “how kids learn in groups and how to group things and consequences like behavior management. In my early years, I was figuring out content and how do I best manage behaviors. Now I am able to look at the best ways for them to learn, and not just the math. I want them to become better learners for all subjects.”

While he continues to reflect and fine tune his teaching—“I’m not afraid to try new things” — Clyde often gets good suggestions from his wife, Anne, who is an educator at Union Middle.

“She’ll ask, ‘how do you really approach learners who might be struggling?’ She asks me a lot of questions to get me thinking on purpose,” he said.

At the Teacher of the Year ceremony, Clyde was first congratulated by his own kids, who scrambled onto his lap on stage to a standing ovation. Then, he was congratulated by 200-some Alta High students in his Secondary Math 2, Secondary Math 2 honors, Advanced Placement, Stats and concurrent enrollment classes.

He also will be Canyons’ representative in the 2025 Utah Teacher of the Year selection process, which is part of the National Teacher of the Year competition.

As the teacher of the year, Clyde received a $1,000 cash prize from the Canyons Education Foundation. Park Lane’s Jamie McDonald and Eastmont Middle’s Stephanie Davis were the top elementary and middle school finalists; they both received $500 from the Foundation.

About 5,000 nominations were submitted by students, parents and employees for deserving teachers. All Canyons school and program Teachers of the Year received gifts and prizes, including a $250 cash card, from the Foundation. In addition, Canyons first-ever Preschool Teacher of the Year is Sandy Elementary’s Kristen Stevenson. The inaugural Instructional Coach of the Year is Glacier Hills’ Jeny Wariner, and top paraprofessionals were honored at each of the Canyons’ schools.

“What has been most gratifying is through the years, I’ve gotten all these notes and thank-you cards that say, ‘you affected me,’ ‘you loved my kid,’ ‘you were a person and didn’t treat me like a number’ and I’ve kept everyone,” Clyde said. “It reminds me what I do matters. I love what I do.” l

Alta High’s Kevin Clyde helps a student puzzle out steps in a math problem. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Mayor Zoltanski rides the Pony Express trail with a message for Sandy’s children

The dust swirls under Little Miss Rise N Shine’s feet as Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski urges her buckskin horse onward.

She’s on the way to one of 15 stops in a 10-day Pony Express Re-Ride hosted by the National Pony Express Association. The trail goes through seven states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California.

“As I ride today and see traces of our country’s history along the Pony Express trail, I can’t help but admire the tenacity of those early riders who braved the hot dust storms, wind and freezing cold, and out-foxed scoundrels looking to pounce,” Zoltanski said.

“The original Pony Express riders were known for their grit, riding skill and courage. You’d have to be brave to ride solo at breakneck speed, crisscrossing the frontier though rugged terrain in any weather, sometimes encountering nefarious types along the treacherous route.”

Volunteer riders from the association, including Sandy’s own mayor switched off to make the trek, starting in St. Joseph, Missouri on June 17 and ending in Sacramento, California on June 27.

A week into the re-ride, Zoltanski rode a total of eight miles along the stretch from Murray City Park to Sandy City Hall, switching with other volunteer riders in two-mile increments. The mochila continued on to Camp Floyd State Park and then to Simpson Springs’ Pony Express stop on June 23, where it finished the Utah portion of the route.

To carry the mochila of letters from across the country, riders took an oath to not curse, smoke or drink while on the trail and refer-

enced the bravery of the original Pony Express riders who carried a Bible and a gun without fail.

To further commemorate the first day of the 164th Pony Express Re-Ride and the bravery of the riders, the United States Postal Service celebrated with the release of five new horse stamps for “unwavering loyalty, tireless dedication and wild beauty of America’s equines.”

One specific letter carried in the mochila and passed from rider to rider throughout the nearly 2,000 mile journey was addressed to the children of Sandy City from Zoltanski.

In her letter written to the children of Sandy, Zoltanski challenged Sandy’s children to “choose a path that fulfills and improves the lives of others, while always conducting yourself in a way that will make others proud to know you.”

“There were few who would embrace such a challenge and those are the ones who forever changed the landscape of the American West. I am in awe of their courage,” Zoltanski said of the Pony Express riders. “Likewise, I look forward with great anticipation to your journey ahead, knowing you possess the passion and skill for unimaginable progress of your generation.”

“I hope you are inspired by the history of the Pony Express and want to learn more about our nation’s history and how young people played such an important part in building the great State of Utah,” Zoltanski wrote in the letter. “Did you know kids around your age did so much to shape our history? By working together for a common good, early settlers accomplished so much, and you can too!” l

Volunteers during the Re-Ride oathed not to curse, smoke or drink during the ride. (Courtesy Sandy City)
Mayor Monica Zoltanski stands at city hall with her horse Rise N Shine after riding from Murray Park for the 164th National Pony Express Association’s Re-Ride event on June 23, 2024. (Courtesy Sandy City)
Mayor Monica Zoltanski signs the mochila full of letters from across the country alongside other volunteers’ signatures. (Courtesy Sandy City)

Amateur radio operators in Sandy: The unseen backbone of emergency response

Amidthe routines of everyday life in

Sandy lies a network of unsung heroes prepared to leap into action when disaster strikes. These are the members of the Sandy Amateur Radio Club, a dedicated group of amateur radio enthusiasts who play a crucial role in emergency communications, ensuring that vital lines of communication remain open when conventional methods fail.

On April 18, the Sandy Amateur Radio Club (SARC) participated in the Great Utah Shake Out in conjunction with Sandy City Emergency Management. The Great Utah Shake Out, an annual event designed to simulate a major earthquake scenario, isn’t just about theoretical preparation; it’s a practical test of the organization’s ability to step in when modern communication infrastructures like cell towers and internet connectivity are compromised.

“It’s about getting the information out to the community to enable people in the community to get information they need to make good decisions, and also to get information they need about where resources are,” said Carroll Mays, vice president of the SARC and retired police officer. He emphasized that their primary mission is to fill the gap left by traditional communication methods during emergencies. When repeaters, devices that boost signal strength,

fail due to disaster-related infrastructure damage, the ham radio operators of Sandy use simplex communication, a direct radio-to-radio method, to maintain essential lines of communication between different community sectors.

In times of crisis, such as wildfires or earthquakes, ordinary communication channels can quickly become overwhelmed or disabled. Ham radio operators provide a robust backup, enabling officials to communicate with affected communities and coordinate emergency responses effectively.

In the event that cell service goes down during an emergency, residents can visit their local elementary school to communicate with ham radio operators and get vital information on shelters, food, emergency supplies and family members outside the Sandy area.

“As an emergency communicator, once I make the ham radio contact to somebody outside the disaster area who has cell phone service and internet service, that’s golden, because I can use that person,” Mays explained. “And these people are willing to do this. They will make phone calls. They will contact anybody that you want in order to get the message out.”

During the Great Utah Shake Out, the club successfully coordinated 98 radio

check-ins and utilized Winlink, a system for sending emails via ham radio, to establish contact with neighboring amateur radio clubs and emergency operations centers across the valley. This exercise demonstrated their ability to relay critical information and coordinate responses, even under challenging conditions.

Each city in the region has its own amateur radio club, and they collaborate closely with county-level emergency services through organizations like ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service). This interconnectedness ensures that during a crisis, resources and expertise can be pooled to respond swiftly and effectively.

The commitment of Sandy City’s ham radio operators extends beyond occasion-

al drills. They conduct weekly nets (on-air meetings) to ensure equipment readiness and participate in events like “Field Day,” where they test high-frequency communications capabilities under simulated emergency conditions. These activities not only hone their skills but also reinforce their readiness to assist in real-world emergencies.

For those interested in getting involved, the SARC hosts monthly meetings and provides guidance on obtaining FCC licenses, a prerequisite for operating amateur radio equipment. Those interested in learning more about ham radio or joining the SARC can find more information by visiting sandyarc.wordpress.com. l

Sandy City Mayor Monica Zoltanski and Sandy Amateur Radio Club vice president Carroll Mays during the club’s National Amateur Radio Field Day event. (Photo credit Cathy Spuck)
Sandy Amateur Radio Club vice president Carroll Mays at the Sandy City Emergency Operations Center in City Hall during the Great Utah Shake Out. (Photo credit Richard Morris )

From state champions to national contenders: Waterford shines bright in Science Olympiad

Capturing medals in all, but four events, Waterford’s high school varsity Science Olympiad team took the state title and qualified to compete at nationals.

Winning the state championship has been a team goal.

“Our first year, we only had five kids go to state,” said Daniel Osipovitch, who has advised the team for the past seven years and was honored as the state’s outstanding high school coach. “We came in first in one event. The past few years, we came in fifth, then third and then second before winning this year.”

Usually, Waterford finishes behind West High in the 15-school competition, said team captain and senior Gia Weaver.

“We’ve never beat West until this year; we consider them our rival,” she said. “We spend a lot of time practicing, prepping and preparing for the season. In the events we didn’t medal in at state, we placed in the top five.”

With only a few weeks before nationals, there wasn’t much opportunity to do additional prep work, junior Keean Kawamoto said.

“After state, we had AP (Advanced Placement) tests, then as soon as those tests were done, I spent all of my nights cramming for all of my events for Science Olympiad,” he said.

At nationals, 60 top high school teams of the 6,000 who participate across the country and from Japan gathered for the contest in Michigan.

Waterford’s 15-member team placed 45th overall at nationals with its top events being eighth in Engineering CAD and 12th in “Write It, Do It.”

The team from Fairfield Junior High in Kaysville won state middle school division and also competed at nationals.

Osipovitch said competing at the national level was a learning curve.

“We had random stuff that happened and if it hadn’t, we could have done better. There were some of the issues we couldn’t have anticipated since we had never been to nationals before,” he said. “Some of our best events crashed and burned. For example, in the flight competition, at state, our plane got double the flight time of any other plane, but the ceiling was a bit lower at nationals. The first plane went straight to the rafters and got stuck. The second plane we weren’t planning on flying because it got slightly damaged in transit so it nosedived to the floor. So, after getting nearly a perfect score at state, we didn’t do much of anything, which has never happened in four years.”

Weaver said the fragile plane sat on student’s laps during their flight to Michigan since it didn’t fit in the overhead compart-

At nationals, we traded items and it was a great way to connect with people,” she said, noting her twin, Niko, 3D-printed Utah keychains to give to others and she made friends with someone from Hawaii who this fall will attend Duke University like she and her brother.

Kawamoto said collaboration was stressed this year as they created 10 leadership positions.

“We divvied up what needed to be done so we had people making lab kits, people who were over the schedule,” he said, adding he and another team member coordinate the middle school team. “We got a lot more organized this year and made sure we were prepping what needed to be done since September.”

Weaver and Kawamoto competed together in forensics as one of their events.

“We’ve been studying forensics once a month for years. We created a study guide and do tests on different materials and make notes on a comprehensive Google spreadsheet,” he said.

ment or under the seat.

Another Waterford student waited until after they arrived in Michigan to build a tower needed for a contest. He had individually wrapped each piece to ensure it wouldn’t break, but he had to stay up until 4:30 a.m. the day of the competition to complete it.

“That was the hard part for us is not knowing how to transport stuff. Some schools have vans dedicated to Science Olympiad that drive their teams’ stuff across the country to this event,” Osipovitch said.

Kawamoto said some schools not only brought 15 varsity members, but also brought 10 alternates and 10 coaches. Those schools have an independent study period, or a class designated for Science Olympiad.

“We were definitely the little fish there, but next year, I’d like us to be able to travel to California to compete against other teams to build our program. This year, we only had one in-person contest before state while the eastern schools had six in-person tournaments at Harvard, MIT, Brown, Princeton and those type of schools. We’ll be looking for some sponsors to help us,” he said, adding that at the Snow College tournament, Waterford’s varsity placed first and the middle school team got third.

The team also will need new advisers as both Osipovitch and middle school adviser Kirsten Walker are stepping down. The middle school team was new last year and placed third this year at state.

“We’re guiding the middle schoolers through the preparation, as mentors, and showing them how they can properly study and use resources, but then, they come up

and make our team stronger at the high school level. We even had one person on varsity this year who was on middle school last year,” Kawamoto said.

Waterford not only has a varsity and a middle school team, but also a JV, junior JV and novice teams.

“The team has grown so much,” Weaver said. “We have 45 kids in high school and over 70 counting middle schoolers.”

Osipovitch pointed out Waterford had 16 seniors vying for varsity; rules only allow five seniors.

“It’s fairly competitive within the teams themselves,” he said. “But a big part of our success is experience. A lot of the students who are now seniors have been on Science Olympiad for several years and even if they’re not on varsity, they’re studying and helping guide others. I love seeing the kids come together to work at something and have this shared vision. They push themselves outside of the classroom and the students rally and support each other.”

It’s the teamwork that Kawamoto and Weaver also appreciate.

“The element of teamwork we have is awesome. All of us are always helping each other out and we have fun at the tournaments together,” Kawamoto said, adding that the nearer the tournament, the more time they spend together.

Weaver said there is a community within each event when working with a partner or two.

“You build friendships. Through it, you’re taking a test, but you’re really working with your friend learning things, and it’s fun. We meet kids at other schools.

It paid off when one test gave them a bunch of powders, blood and hairs and asked participants to “identify as much as you can in 50 minutes,” Weaver said.

Both students got involved in Science Olympiad because of their adviser.

“I had honors chem freshman year, then I had him for AP and this year, organic chemistry,” Kawamoto said. “He’s been super impactful. Dr. O got me to join freshman year and I sucked. Forensics was my only event, and I got one question right on the test. This year, we won state on it. I like being able to think on my feet; it’s not like a standardized test where you’re being drilled information for the sake of taking a test. I like the hands-on aspect to it. Getting into the lab whether it’s electromagnetism or testing blood powders or like running a chromatography, it’s something you can do and show them you know it.”

Weaver said she happened upon a Science Olympiad meeting advised by Osipovitch her sophomore year, mid-season.

“I like the application of what we learned here in fun topics like forensics. We’re using chemistry knowledge from our AP chemistry class, but we’re applying it to these fake crime scene situations. I’m also learning about new topics and delving deeper into those. I’ve competed in Microbe Mission, and I’ve learned it’s something I want to look into studying in college,” she said. “What’s fun is being surrounded by a lot of people who have the same love of science and engineering and being on a team in that way. We have a nice little Science Olympiad community at Waterford.” l

The Waterford School captured the state Science Olympiad title and recently returned from competing at nationals in Michigan. (Photo courtesy of Waterford School)

Family story during WWII inspired local Japanese-American author’s young adult novel

Nearly 80 Alta High students stayed after school one Wednesday anxious to hear the back story of Sandy author Emily Inouye Huey novel, “Beneath the Wide Silk Sky.”

Many of them had read the 318page book they received as being members in the school’s book club. Later they waited their turn as Huey carefully signed each copy; some students told her they were sharing with friends or family to read this summer.

The young adult novel is a composite of the stories Huey learned while interviewing her Japanese-American grandparents and 92-year-old aunt. Her book shares the story of the racism a young girl, Sam Sakamoto and her family and neighbors, faced leading up to when Japanese-Americans were incarcerated during World War II.

“There was a poll taken at that time and 93% of Americans thought Japanese-Americans who had been born in Japan should be put in these prison camps,” Huey told the students. “I can’t think of anything that 93% of Americans agree on today. I can’t imagine what it was like to live back then.”

Signs were posted on fences and telephone poles informing Japanese-Americans they had to go to camp.

“They were given between two days and two weeks. It didn’t matter if you’re a kid or a grown-up, you still had to go. If you have 20% of your ethnicity Japanese or if you’re an orphan who had been adopted into American family, it didn’t matter. You still went,” she said.

Through the stories and her research, Huey learned it already was an uneasy time, but signs of racism and of kindness became evident after Pearl Harbor.

“My grandma was a beauty queen, and she had this big dream not to be a farmer’s wife. Things were bad for her family. The people who they rented their house from didn’t even let them have the two weeks that they had to get ready to leave. They moved their things to the back porch,” she said. “My grandpa, who had just graduated from Stanford, and his family’s experience was nicer.”

Huey told students her uncle had just bought a brand-new mechanized tractor. When his neighbors heard he had to leave and was going to lose his crops, his land and his house, they offered to store his tractor so when he came out of camp at the end of the war, he had something to start over with.

“My family has never forgotten those people; it made a difference to know someone was on your side at that time,” she said.

Huey also recalled a story that their neighbors spoke up to the FBI about her great-grandfather, ensuring them he wasn’t a spy.

“He still ended up having to go to camp, but was able to stay with his family, which made a huge difference. Others would disappear when FBI agents would come in the middle of the night. Sometimes they wouldn’t hear for months; there are some people who never heard from their fathers again,” she said.

The first place her family stayed when taken away were the racetracks.

“They lived in horse stalls. The soldiers had left the manure and just put a board on top of it, and then just painted over the manure on the walls,” she said.

When they built “permanent” camps, the Japanese-Americans were loaded onto trains.

“They weren’t told where they were going or how long it would be, and the train windows were covered with black paper. My family was on the train for three days; they heard someone knocking on the windows, but the soldiers had said, under no circumstances could they open these windows. The knocking continued and eventually, someone opened it to find a woman on the train platform with a giant laundry bag full of coats and blankets. She start-

ed putting as many of them in the window as she could until the train took off. She told them, ‘Where you’re going, it’s cold.’ She couldn’t fix everything, but did what they could, in the very short time she had,” Huey said. “That kindness wasn’t forgotten.”

Her family and 12,000 others were sent to Wyoming’s Heart Mountain Relocation Center, in barracks made of tar paper.

“You can imagine how much those coats mattered in a Wyoming winter,” Huey said.

Her grandparents dated by walking circles around the camp.

“My grandma always would tell this story, and she would laugh and say, ‘He was such a fast walker. That’s all I knew about him before I got married,’” Huey said.

They married in a barrack and Huey’s dad was born there.

At the end of the war, they were given two weeks to leave, but told they couldn’t return to their former states. Her grandparents took down one of the barracks and moved it to the edge of a farmer’s farm where they worked as laborers.

“It was 13 years when they could afford to move into a real apartment,” she said. “My book is mostly based on my family story. My characters are fictional, but Charlie—my grandpa’s name is Charles—is a little bit like him. My grandpa, like Charlie, had big

Sandy author Emily Inouye Huey talks to an Alta High student about her award-winning book, “Beneath the Wide Silk Sky.” (Julie Slama/City Journals)

dreams; he had been valedictorian. It was just a time when everything got interrupted and he couldn’t do anything. And there really was a family who sold my family a farm where, like the book, if they missed one payment, they would lose everything.”

At first, Huey wasn’t going to write a novel.

“I had the idea of getting those stories down because it had happened during the war and the U.S. government said not to talk about it as if it didn’t happen. It felt like a secret and people were ashamed. I wasn’t planning to publish it. I put it away for a while, but it gnawed at me why my family had this shame. I eventually returned to my book, and I finished it,” she said.

Huey’s first draft took three years, then she spent another year revising the 57 chapters.

“I love working with the language, rejuvenating a paragraph over and over again until it feels right. I could revise for years. The hardest thing for me is the first draft,” she said.

Huey took time to answer students’ questions.

“Why did I choose to leave the story where I left it?” she repeated the student’s question. “I chose to leave it there because, I didn’t want to make it too easy. You have to be true to the experience of the people who had this experience. It’s at a time when they were making choices about how to treat people. Who are we going to be? What are we going to do to people? That’s what I want to write about.”

A student wanted to interview her own grandparents. Huey suggested writing a letter like she did to ask permission.

“My grandpa took time to think about it and he said, ‘It’s really hard for me, but I love

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you. So, I’ll do it.’ It was painful, but it’s such a treasure that I have from him. It’s worth it to ask,” she said.

Second-year Alta librarian Amanda Scott appreciates the setting of Huey’s novel, which won the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators’ Golden Kite Award and the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature.

“Emily made the choice not write about the life in the camp, but to take a sensitive subject and develop characters so we know the characters as her story leads up to the camp,” Scott said. “She chose to write about that time because in a way, we’re always at a point before injustice and question how we will act and how we will define our society.”

Canyons School District High School English/Language Arts Specialist Lesli Morris supports Alta’s book club members, who read seven books throughout the school year.

“Adults forget, and it’s so important, for kids to have a place where they can talk openly about books and express their thoughts and feelings and opinions,” she said.

Earlier this year, local young adult fiction author Jenna Evans Welch, who wrote “Spells for Lost Things” and “Love & Gelato” Zoomed into the book club and provided students with writing tips.

In December 2024, local author Erin Stewart is planning to talk about her book, “Scars Like Wings.”

“Book club gives a place of community for a lot of these students,” Scott said. “It’s a great place for students to come, make friends and connections, read and learn from books and authors, and have some incredible conversations.” l

Sandy author Emily Inouye Huey takes time to sign her novel, “Beneath the Wide Silk Sky” for Alta High book club members. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Z News

Hello Sandy Friends,

July 4th Celebration

It’s a great time of year in Sandy City- a time to celebrate our patriotic city and our great nation! In fact, Sandy is known for hosting the best day-long July 4th celebration across the Wasatch Front.

is year, we’ve got a full day of activities starting with the ag raising and 5K at Sandy City Hall. e fun continues with exhibits, food, live music with local bands, and a complete festival atmosphere.

e Sandy July 4th parade begins at 6:00 pm at the Sandy City Promenade and this year’s grand marshal is someone your school kids may recognize… our beloved crossing guard supervisor Janice Parker. She is retiring after 30 years with the city. We will send her o with the best party ever!

Be sure to arrive early to secure your spot for the reworks at dark. I’m so excited this year that we’ll see the return of a local favorite, e Salamanders, who will perform before and after the reworks.

As we celebrate, let’s do so safely. Remember, no reworks east of 1300 East. Come join the celebration at City Hall. Check out the full 4th of July Celebration schedule on our Sandy City website. sandy.utah.gov/715/Fourth-of-July

Exciting City Events

Our city o ers many opportunities to celebrate the summer and come together as a community. I just love this time of year when the weather is warm, and we get together outside with family and friends. When we gather and connect with others from our city, we are able to share interests

and priorities. We build bonds that help strengthen us as individuals and collectively. Here are a few of the events planned in Sandy for July:

• Movies in the Park

We kicked o our Movies in the Park series last month and turned America First Field pink for the blockbuster lm “Barbie.” Our next show will have more of a green theme. Join us at Flat Iron Park on July 26th to watch Shrek. In August, we’ll go purple and gold as we feature Wonka on the big screen at Falcon Park. is is your golden ticket for family fun.

• Sandy City Amphitheater

Did you know our Sandy Amphitheater was just awarded Best of State as the top public entertainment venue in Utah? When you visit, you’ll see why with its fantastic views, friendly volunteers, and the hottest acts around. Now, you’ll also enjoy the expanded concession area. Great entertainment continues all summer with a wide array of genres for everyone.

• Sandy Farmer’s Market

It’s been a goal of mine since coming into o ce to bring a farmer’s market to Sandy City. Now, it’s in full swing! Each Saturday from 10:00 to 1:00, vendors o er locally sourced products to the public at Sandy’s Amphitheater Park. You’ll nd the freshest fruits and vegetables, products like salsa and honey, and small arts and crafts each week. is is sure to become a favorite starting point every summer weekend in our city.

As you can see, our event schedule is robust, with opportunities to bring our community together. Be sure to mark your calendars and participate!

Alta Canyon Sports Center Plans

Every summer, folks young and old love to splash and swim in the pool at Sandy’s Alta Canyon Sports Center. It’s in a beautiful location right at the base of the Wasatch mountains. I’m pleased to announce that my phased approach for a remodel of the center received the city council's unanimous support. With the allocation of more than $8 million in one-time funding, adding to the $3 million already budgeted for the rebuild, we are nally ready to move forward with a reimagined recreation center.

e rst phase of the project will incorporate some of the things you, as residents, told us you envision in a quality sports center. rough a recent city survey, our general plan open houses, and direct correspondence, you’ve told us you value the outdoor pool, the natural views, and community gathering space. You’ve also told us you do not want a tax increase for the new center. All of these elements will be key as we nalize the Alta Canyon plan. We value your input.

So, let’s jump into a fantastic summer in Sandy City! I look forward to seeing you soon, either at the Farmer’s Market or one of our great events. When you see me in my red cowboy hat, be sure to say howdy! I enjoy meeting you and making new Sandy City friends. Happy summer!

Yours in Service, Mayor Monica Zoltanski

Photo contest winner: Rachel DeAzevedo

Landscape Hazards

e Sandy City Code Enforcement team would like to highlight a common complaint received by our o ce: landscape hazards. e Sandy City Code has regulations related to landscaping hazards found within Title 19-2-1(d) of the Property Maintenance Ordinance, Landscaping, Structure and Lot Maintenance. Below is the standard:

Hazards. Landscaping shall be maintained to minimize property damage and public safety hazards, including the removal/replacement of dead or decaying plant material, removal of low hanging branches and those obstructing street lighting, sidewalks and tra c sight distance requirements. In the event a tree, shrub, or other plant causes damage to streets, sidewalk, trails or other public improvements, the Community Development Director and/or Public Works Director may order the removal of the o ending vegetation and/or other landscape features.

e most common violation of this code section involves plant material growing over or blocking the sidewalk. We would like to remind residents to prune their plant material, so it doesn’t protrude onto the sidewalk.

Another common complaint is related to the height of tree canopies and/or blocking visibility. Trees planted within fteen feet of a driveway, or intersection, shall not exceed three feet in height and tree canopies must be a minimum of eight feet high to maintain clear vision areas. Tree canopies should also be maintained at eight feet over a sidewalk and 14 feet above vehicular travel and parking lanes.

ese hazards are safety concerns, and we want to make sure everyone is safe in Sandy City! We appreciate the e orts you make to keep our community safe and beautiful.

To le a complaint related to landscaping hazards you can contact Siainiu Tei-Misa at 801-568-7254 or by email at steimisa@sandy.utah.gov. You can also report it with your Sandy City CityServe app. If you haven’t setup your account, download the app and stay connected to Sandy City.

How to Access your Court Case Information: MyCase

In 2020 the Utah State Courts launched MyCase, an online portal for individuals to access court case information at no cost. Previously, individuals who wanted to access their court case information would utilize Xchange which required a monthly fee or a visit to a local courthouse. Since 2020, MyCase has expanded and now allows parties to access their case in both the Justice and District Courts. For Justice Courts this includes access to Small Claims Online Dispute Resolution as well as the state’s Deferred Prosecution for dismissal of minor tra c o enses. MyCase is available to anyone who is a party to a case in any court in the State of Utah, including access to expunged cases. Individuals can see the case history, documents led on the case, make payments as well as see upcoming hearings on all cases they are a party to through the MyCase portal. On certain case types, individuals can also electronically le documents with the court through MyCase, including Small Claims at the Sandy Justice Court.

To create a MyCase account, go to utcourts.gov/mycase and follow the instructions.

If you have received a recent tra c citation and are interested in Deferred Prosecution, go to utcourts.gov/deferredtra c

Individuals looking to access case information on any case, not just their own cases, can still do so with a monthly subscription to XChange. To access XChange go to utcourts.gov/xchange

Access to MyCase and X Change at no cost, can also be accessed at the Sandy Justice Court’s new Court Video Booth/ Kiosk located at the Sandy Justice Court (210 W Sego Lily Drive, Sandy) on the second oor near the clerk’s station. e Kiosk was installed in August 2023 and is available to anyone who would like to utilize MyCase, XChange, view the Court’s website or attend a remote hearing for any District or Justice Court statewide.

July 6 AWSC Pops Concert Free!

July 10 Nickel Creek & Andrew Bird

July 11 Direct From Sweden: The Music of ABBA

July 24 The Decemberists

July 25 Norah Jones

August 1 Air Supply

August 3 Demetri Martin

August 9 Koe Wetzel

August 10 Hotel California: A Salute to The Eagles

August 14 Walker Hayes

August 16-17 Howard Jones & ABC

August 30 25th Anniversary Celebration Free! AND

Sandy Justice Court

9565 S. Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah 84092

PLAY & LEARN PRESCHOOL 2024-2025 (AGES 3-5)

Children learn to express themselves through play, activities, and interaction with others. rough free play, group learning indoor and outdoor play, we o er a variety of activities to help children learn and grow as individuals. We provide a safe learning environment that allows children to be creative and build con dence.

BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL 2024-2025 (GRADES K-5)

Children will enjoy their after-school time doing a variety of games and activities. Schools we drop o and pick up from are Beehive Academy, Peruvian Park, Silver Mesa, Willow Canyon, Park Lane, Quail Hollow, Granite, and Brookwood.

KINDER CAMP (AGES 3-5)

Hours 9:15 a.m. -11:40 a.m.

Two-week sessions

Session 4 July 15-26 | Session 5 July 29 – Aug. 8

INCLUDES:

• 30-minute swim lesson at the end of class

• Arts and Crafts

• Games

• Activities

• Plenty of active play

JUNIOR LIFEGUARD SESSION 5

is camp is a 2-week long program for ages 9-14. Junior Lifeguard will receive lessons that include American Red Cross Lifeguarding techniques, CPR/AED and First Aid skills, and safety. is program is taught by American Red Cross Lifeguards, Lifeguard Instructors and Water Safety Instructors.

SNAPOLOGY SUMMER

Mining & Building (Minecraft)

Travel to the Nether with Snapology but watch out for those creepers! Come join us as we bring Minecraft® to life using LEGO® bricks. Create your own world, including animals, creepers, and your very own Minecraft® character.

POKEMANIA

In this themed camp, students will build and explore the world of Pokemon as they create their own gyms, battles, and even their very own generation of Pokemon using LEGO® bricks. Children will also learn about real world science as they learn about the habitats of the Pokemon. Your child will have a blast becoming the best Pokemon trainer ever.

POWERCHESS - AUG. 5-8

PowerChess’s Summer Camps are an excellent opportunity for students of all ages to improve their critical thinking skills and keep their minds engaged over the summer break. e PowerupSummer Camp is designed to help students learn the FUNdamentals of chess including basic piece movement, checkmating patterns, and other foundational principles of the game in a dynamic and engaging environment.

River Oaks Golf Course

9300 S. Riverside Drive, Sandy, Utah (801) 568-4653

Sandy.utah.gov/golf

NORTH RANGE TEACHING FACILITY

Ryan is a class PGA professional. He has been teaching golf for 16 years. He is a Teaching Professional at River Oaks in Sandy City. Ryan is the 2016 Utah PGA Teacher of the Year. He has certi cations with the Titleist Performance Institute, Trackman, and K-Vest. His Computer Science Degree from the University of Utah helps him use the most up to date technology in his lessons. Ryan teaches players of all levels from beginning juniors to professional golfers.

To schedule a lesson or club tting with Ryan; call (435)-840-3102 or email ryanholtgolf@gmail.com.

SUMMER GOLF ACTIVITIES

• Junior Golf Classes – Taught by PGA Professionals from Inmotion Golf inmotionjuniorgolf.com

• Women’s Golf Classes – Learn from professionals trained in the uniqueness of the women’s game.

• Golf Tournaments – Book your Company Golf Tournament Today mhigh@sandy.utah.gov

Coach Highlight: Barry Hecker

Barry Hecker, a former NBA coach, is bringing his extensive expertise to the youth basketball players of Sandy Utah. Barry Hecker has had a substantial career of coaching basketball that spans over fty years. He has worked on various coaching levels including high school and college teams, as well as being a clinician working for USA Basketball and clinics overseas.

Hecker’s most distinguished career achievement is working in the NBA for 21 years. During this time, he found success while coaching the guards with the Los Angeles Clippers and the forwards with the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition to assistant coaching, Hecker was also a Player Personnel Director for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Grizzlies. He has worked alongside many renowned NBA players as well as four hall of fame coaches.

Even though working in the NBA would seem to be the pinnacle moment of any basketball coaches’ career, Hecker has noted that he nds more ful llment in working with the up-and-coming players of today. He nds it highly rewarding to install important fundamental skills and morals in youth players to help ensure a bright future in their basketball careers.

Hecker explained, “I simply enjoy teaching the game. It’s great to see a smile on someone’s face as they experience success. If you help somebody, you’ll be somebody.” is past June, Hecker continued his highly eminent youth basketball camp in Sandy Utah. e camp is designed for girls and boys in 4th to 9th grades. ese young players were taught fundamentals of foot work, passing, dribbling, and shooting. Campers were separated by skill and age levels. Hecker has taught camps for Sandy Recreation for many years, typically in June and December. If interested, you can register for his camps six-weeks prior by going to sandy.utah.gov/registration.

“ ese camps are all about the basic fundamentals of basketball,” Hecker said. “We focus on quality fundamental instruction; we work hard with a lot of discipline and structure, and we have a lot of fun. When these kids walk out of there, they know they’ve been taught and improved.”

PARKS & RECREATION

JULY

HAPPENINGS (For detail and registration, visit: sandy.utah.gov/registration)

• Spock’s Skate Camp – Learn the fundamentals of skateboarding. Helmets, knee, and elbow pads required. Session 2 begins July 12, 19, 26; Session 3 Aug 2, 9, 16. Camps are held on Fridays from 9–11 a.m. Camp costs are $75.

• Challenger Soccer Camps - Challenger Sports is the leading soccer camp company in North America and our International Soccer Camp is where we channel our energy and passion for the game into a fun yet developmental environment. Our industry experts have crafted an approach which uses methodologies from all around the world to truly reflect the global nature of the sport today. We use ageappropriate practices to help players develop at their own pace, learn brand new skills, and become an all-round better player...while having an amazing time with our international coaching staff! Dates: July 8-12. Ages: 3-14.

• Utah Elite Soccer Camps - Have your young athlete trained by college soccer players this summer! Whether your child is just starting out, or looking to improve on existing skills, Utah Elite Soccer will help your child achieve their goals while having a blast, making friends, and learning life lessons. Camp Dates: July 15-19, Aug. 12-16. Ages: 4-12.

• Skyhawks Multi-Sports Camp - Multi-Sport camps are designed to introduce young athletes to a variety of different sports in one setting. Athletes will learn the rules and essential skills of each sport, along with vital life lessons such as sportsmanship, inclusion, and teamwork. Capture the Flag, Dodgeball, & Ultimate Frisbee Camp Dates: July 15-19. Ages: 6-12.

• Skyhawks Basketball Camp - This fun, skill-intensive program is designed for beginning to intermediate players. Using our progression-based curriculum, we focus on the whole player - teaching sportsmanship and teamwork. Boys and girls will learn the fundamentals of passing, shooting, ball handling, rebounding and defense through skill-based instruction and small-sided scrimmages. Camp Dates: July 22-26. Ages: 6-12.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE CLUB

Outdoor Adventure Club is made for kids ages 5-9 to get outside and have fun. Sessions include crafts, games, and adventures such as painting, nature journals, plant/ animal identification, yard games, scavenger hunts, etc. Sessions are 2 hours long, once a week, for three weeks. Each week will have a new theme with new activities. Sessions will be held at either Hidden Valley Park or Falcon Park. Limited number of participants at each site. Sign up early.

Registration Deadline: Week of Session or until full

Session 1 Dates: July 8, 15, 22

Session 2 Dates: July 9, 16, 23

Session 3 Dates: July 10, 17, 31

Session 4 Dates: July 11, 18, 25

Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Ages: 5–9

Cost: $40

2024 SANDY BASKETBALL CAMP

Camps are designed and geared for boys and girls of varying ages and abilities. Emphasizes execution of fundamentals like dribbling, passing, shooting, rebounding, and footwork.

Dates: July 16-18 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

Grades: 3-7

Times: Boys/Girls 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Boys/Girls 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: $45

Location: Sandy Parks & Recreation Gym - 440 East 8680 South

MIDNIGHT MOON RUN 5K

Registration fee includes a race t-shirt, awards, and a prize drawing. Family discount to immediate family members with three or more people registering from the same household. Group discount also available.

Dates: Sep.20 (Friday Night at 11:59 p.m.)

Time: Midnight

Cost: $30

Location: Alta Canyon Sports Center – 9565 South 2000 East

FALL ADULT SOFTBALL LEAGUES

Come play a short 7-game season plus tournament. Double header leagues available.

Registration Deadline: August 11

Divisions: Mens and Coed

Leagues Begin: Week of August 26

Cost: $400/team

2024 FALL SPORT REGISTRATION

Sport/Programs Age / Grade Deadline Begins

Recreation Soccer PreK-10 July 28 Aug. 17

Baseball (Machine & Player Pitch) 3-6 August 4 Week of Aug. 26

T-Ball & Coach Pitch PreK-2 August 4 Week of Aug.26

Girls Softball (Fastpitch) 3-6 August 4 Week of Aug. 26

Soccer Academy PreK-2 Until Full Sep.9 & 10

Flag Football 1–4 August 4 Week of Aug. 19

Girls Volleyball 5-8 September 1 Week of Sep.23

48 E 9400 S, Sandy, UT 84070 paulsautoand4x4.com

Paul’s Automotive is a family owned and operated business. e mechanic shop has been in business since 1981. ey originally opened shop where the “J” statue from the old Jordan High School currently sits and then in 1994, they moved to their current location (48 E 9400 S) due to needing more space to expand their business. Most of their customers are referrals, but the hard and honest work they put into each vehicle speaks for itself. ey o er emissions tests on a walk-in basis for just $38 and you can schedule an appointment with them for almost any other vehicle repair needs.

Every year, more people are moving into re prone wildland urban interface or WUI areas. e “wildland urban interface” (WUI) is where development has occurred in wildland settings. is general movement to WUI areas has placed more homes, property, and lives at risk. Why? ere are not enough re- ghting resources to protect every home in all situations. Recent conditions, including drought, insect infestations and lack of re (which normally cleans out densely vegetated areas) have resulted in dangerously re prone WUI regions. ese circumstances have forced WUI residents to take additional precautions by preparing now:

• Sign up for your community’s warning system. e Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.

• Know your evacuation routes and nd several ways to leave the area. Drive the evacuation routes and nd shelter locations. Have a plan for pets and livestock.

• Gather emergency supplies, including masks that lter out particles in the air you breathe. Keep in mind each person’s speci c needs, including medication. Don’t forget the needs of pets.

• Keep important documents in a reproof safe. Create password protected digital copies.

• Use re-resistant materials to build, renovate, or make repairs.

• Find an outdoor water source with a hose that can reach any area of your property. Create a re-resistant zone that is free of leaves, debris, or ammable materials at least 30 feet from your home.

Additional resources can be found at:

• utah reinfo.gov/active-wild res

• sandy.utah.gov/1524/Wildland-Urban-Interface

• ready.gov/wild res

• beready.utah.gov/utah-hazards/wild re

Conservation Quarterly: Smart Watering Habits in Summer

If you have lawn in your yard, it’s most likely a cool season grass like Kentucky Blue Grass. Cool season grasses go dormant in the heat of the summer, leaving your lawn looking a little yellow and sad. This is normal, and totally okay! Adding more water will not necessarily revive these dormant areas. Instead, you may just be wasting water. Your lawn will green up again when the weather cools down.

You can help your lawn become more resilient by maintaining longer mow length (3-4”), aerating and fertilizing appropriately, and not beveling grass edges. You can maximize your watering efficiency by adjusting your watering schedule: Water your lawn during the early morning hours or late evening to minimize evaporation. This allows the water to penetrate the soil effectively and reduces water loss due to heat and sun. Avoid watering during the hottest parts of the day when evaporation rates are highest.

Not sure how much to water? Check out the DNR’s Weekly Watering Guide. conservewater.utah.gov/weekly-lawn-watering-guide

Want to upgrade your irrigation’s intelligence? Consider getting a Smart Controller. Rebates are available! Head to utahwatersavers.com

• Want to get an assessment of your irrigation system’s performance? Sign up for a free irrigation audit through USU WaterCheck. visit: extension.usu.edu/cwel/watercheck

CITY

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July 4th Holiday Waste Collection

Thursday July 4 is a holiday, so if your service is scheduled on Thursday and Friday, your collection will be delayed by one day. Regular service resumes the following week.

Waterford checkmates opponents to repeat as state champions

About 600 elementary students from 23 schools sat one Saturday at tables with checkered boards at Waterford School. They were silent except for an occasionally clicking of plastic.

After about 10 hours, 93 Waterford students erupted in cheers as they were announced the elementary school chess champions. In their back-to-back title, the chess enthusiasts scored 26 out of a possible 30 points.

“The team, we were elated, excited— and tired too,” Waterford coach Alexander Gustafsson said. “Chess is very competitive. It’s demanding physically, mentally, emotionally. It’s serious business. Winning it again, or staying on top to prove you’re a champion, that it’s not a fluke, is very difficult.”

American Preparatory Academy took second place with 23.5 points.

“The morning before the chess tournament started, I addressed our students and reminded them they all had worked hard. It’s a lot of sacrifice of time and energy for the kids and parents to be there all day and all the hours they put in before,” he said. “I was proud of them as I’ve watched them get their individual trophies. It was a great moment when we all held the team trophy.”

Waterford kindergartners swept the top three places. Grace Shang took first place, with Katie Gao and Daniel Beecher coming in second and third.

“We had a couple ties for first place in second and third grade,” Gustafsson said.

Second-grader Allen Chip TonkinNemeth tied for first place and Bo Kang and Gidon Guo tied for first place in third grade.

“There was a four-way tie for first

place, so they did a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker, which is something you don’t really have a lot of control over, is based on how well your opponent did,” he said, noting it is similar to sports’ RPI ranking.

After the tiebreaker, Allen took second place in second grade, while Bo was crowned champion in third grade and Gidon ended up third.

“These kids, they’re practicing an hour per day, six days per week, all year,” Gustafsson said, adding that he, as a candidate master player, also gives private lessons to about 25 students every week.

Chess is a required class for grades one through five at Waterford. About 70 students are in each grade.

“Most of them are brand new to chess so I teach them something and let them play,” he said, noting chess club is similar, but with more time than the 40-minute class period to answer questions. “Chess is good for operational thinking—if I do this, this happens—and that is the same thinking that’s used in mathematics and computer science. In chess, they learn to have a plan and when they have a move, to look for a better one. More than that, many social skills are built and learned like winning with grace, losing with grace and resiliency. Being resilient develops your character because no matter how good you are, you’re going to lose, and you need to learn how to cope with that. There’s a lot you can learn from chess and Waterford sees the value in that. They care about the kids enjoying it and building these skills.”

Before teaching at Waterford, Gustafsson taught at Challenger in Lehi, building that school’s chess culture.

“It took some time to train those kids

Waterford School students won the Utah Elementary State Chess Championship, earning back-to-back championships. (Photo courtesy of Waterford School)

so they could be good players and state champions,” he said. “Now it’s Waterford’s time. I don’t think it’s going to go away for a while.”

Before Gustafsson was hired at Waterford, he remembered seeing “a sea of kids all wearing the same shirt.” He learned they were from Waterford and was impressed with the number of students participating.

“When I got hired on to Waterford, I said, ‘I love your enthusiasm, but let’s focus on getting better.’ The kids put in great effort and now they’re a strong team. I’m proud of them,” Gustafsson said, “Can we win a third time? I think we have good chances. It’s never a guarantee because there’s a lot of people who are hungry.” l

Alta boys finish sixth in state in inaugural volleyball season

Acrossthe state, many high school boys had been waiting several years for boys volleyball to become a sanctioned sport. At long last, it happened this past school year.

And Alta didn’t take long to make its mark as one of the top squads in Class 5A.

The Hawks impressed this season with an 18-9 record overall and a second-place finish in Region 6, going 9-3 in league play. Alta had a strong showing in the 5A state tournament, placing sixth.

Alta entered the state tournament as the No. 8 seed and earned a first-round bye. However, in the second round, the Hawks lost at home to Viewmont on May 16 in five sets, 25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 23-25, 16-14. In the double-elimination tournament, losing early on puts a team in a tough position, but the Hawks responded.

Facing the prospect of ending their season, the Hawks won three matches in a row to capture sixth place. Alta beat Box Elder on May 16 in two sets, 25-14, 25-18

and then got by 13th-seeded Salem Hills on May 17 in three sets. After losing the first set 25-22, the Hawks rebounded by winning 25-23, 27-25.

That pitted Alta against Timpview in the sixth-seventh matchup on May 17.

Like it had in the previous match, Alta got behind after the first set, losing this time to Timpview 25-16. The resilient Hawks came back to win 25-23, 25-22 to clinch the win.

LARKIN MORTUARY HONORS

Larkin Mortuary is one of the most respected funeral homes in the Salt Lake Valley. Its pioneer founder, George William Larkin, arrived in Utah in 1863, having emigrated from Cambridge, England. He started the Larkin tradition of arranging funerals in 1885. Today, with seven generations of history serving Utah families, four mortuaries, cremation facilities and two cemeteries, Larkin Mortuary remains locally family owned and managed.

Larkin’s vertically integrated services also provide a premier floral shop, monument, urn and vault manufacturing facilities, along with beautiful memorial meeting and luncheon facilities. Multilingual staff honor and facilitate important traditions of many cultures.

In the first season of boys volleyball, the Hawks had a lot of success and encountered some bumps along the way. Alta started the season with a 1-3 record and was just 2-5 after seven matches. But the Hawks went 16-4 the rest of the way. During that 20-match stretch, the team posted six straight-set wins. Conversely, following a 3-0 loss at home to Skyline on March 21, Alta didn’t suffer another shutout defeat the rest of the way. l Larkin Mortuary - Downtown 260 East South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 363-5781

Larkin Sunset Gardens 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 S) Sandy, UT 84092 (801) 571-2771

Waterford second-grader Anaya Chintala, who finished sixth, makes a move during the Utah Elementary State Chess Championship. (Photo courtesy of Waterford School)

Raise Your Expectations

330, county-owned islands across Utah have to annex and become part of existing cities or work toward incorporation and become a new city.

Several unnamed unincorporated islands, along with the communities of Sandy Hills, Willow Creek and Granite, within Sandy’s borders will no longer be able to exist unconnected or unestablished.

Since amendments in H.B. 330 are only applicable to those islands that have a community council, only the communities of Granite and Sandy Hills are eligible to incorporate and take on the title of “city,” said Deputy Mayor Kim Bell during a May city council meeting. All other noncontiguous islands will be annexed.

If either Granite or Sandy Hills decide to move forward with creating a new city through incorporation, a feasibility study is required to determine whether or not the community can be self-sufficient. Which Cox said could be an issue since there is no commercial tax base and the community is split into several different parts.

In total, the unincorporated county property within the city’s borders includes an estimated 1,700 households and population of more than 5,000, Sandy City officials said.

Bell echoed the words of the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jordan Teuscher when she said the bill “was established to consolidate services, to increase efficiencies and to eliminate the county from having to service unincorporated county islands” and calling it “inefficient when they’re not contiguous.”

Which communities will annex and which will incorporate?

Sandy Chief Administrative Officer Shane Pace said of the two eligible areas, Granite looks the most likely to become its own city, with an estimated 80% to 85% of community residents favoring the idea of incorporation over annexation within the community.

Residents of Sandy Hills, Pace said, are leaning more toward incorporation due to its smaller size.

And the islands on the border the city shares with Cottonwood Heights are planned to be annexed into either city, depending on if the land is encompassed by mostly Sandy or Cottonwood Heights and the desire of the residents.

What concerns do unincorporated residents have?

Concerns from residents in the islands range from city planning and policies to money and the cost difference in fees.

Jeff Ferlo, who is a Sandy Hills resident of more than 25 years and previous community council chair, was not only worried but a little upset when he attended the town hall hosted by Sandy City in June. He called the legislative action “a big deal.”

Going into the meeting, Ferlo’s concerns were about having to pay more in taxes and fees than he was previously and not wanting a large sidewalk placed in front of his house.

With the help of Sandy’s budget calculator and to his surprise, Ferlo found he’d actually be saving about $250 in taxes.

Cox said in Granite Hills, a large concern shared by residents is keeping the rural feel of the community.

Similar concerns are held by residents of Sandy Hills, Barbara and Jeff Chapman. They don’t want any street lights placed on their street for fear that it will increase traffic and cars’ speed on their road.

The city staff also spoke about working with newly annexed residents to meet needs and make the transition easier for a more “unified Sandy.”

“We go to the same parks, we go to the same businesses, we go to the same schools and church together,” Zoltanski said. “Why not unify our Sandy community?” l

About 100 people attended the Sandy City annexation town hall on June 10, with the majority from the Granite and Sandy Hills communities. (Courtesy Sandy City)

Sandy Rotary learns about new state, city flag during Colonial Flag visit

During a recent weekly gathering, Sandy Rotary Club toured Colonial Flag where the members learned about the symbolism from the five snowy peaks to the red rocks in Southern Utah on the new Utah state flag that the state released on March 9.

The former, or historic state flag, which was adapted first in 1913 and most recently in 2011, will be used for more formal ceremonies.

Likewise, Sandy City adopted its first flag in September 2023 after residents were asked to submit designs.

A blue and green color scheme was selected to represent Sandy’s sustainabili-

ty efforts for air quality and the environment. It also had geographical symbolism: the mountains of the Wasatch Front, Little Cottonwood Canyon and thick lines representing the railroad through Sandy.

Colonial Flag didn’t have a vote on either flag, but a company representative served in an advisory role.

Colonial Flag, which is located at 9390 S. 300 West in Sandy, sews thousands of 3-foot by 5-foot flags annually and recently was recognized for stitching a massive Stars and Stripes which was displayed at the Super Bowl. l

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A Colonial Flag staff member constructs the new state flag in front of Rotary members. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Park Lane scholarships awarded in honor of beloved teacher

Park Lane third-grade students Zara Lindahl and Paisley Higgs are the recipients of the Susan Homer Memorial Scholarship, each receiving $500 toward their continued educational pursuits.

The scholarship was established by Drew Homer in memory of his late wife who taught at Park Lane for 32 years.

He chose to recognize two third-graders as she spent her last years teaching that grade before dying of bacterial meningitis in 2022.

The scholarship began last year with awardees Katelynn Heap and Desdemona Larson.

Homer aims to maintain the scholarship fund indefinitely to support students, with the goal of selecting students that his wife would have particularly favored.

“Park Lane has a special purple (friendship) bench and tree dedicated to Susan’s memory as well as she served her whole career at the school and truly left a legacy,” Principal Justin Jeffery said. l

Park Lane third-grade students Paisley Higgs and Zara Lindahl were awarded $500 each from Drew Homer in honor of the wife and late teacher, Susan Homer, to help with their continued educational pursuits. (Justin Jeffery/Park Lane Elementary)

Read more online about what’s happening in Sandy schools

S

andy Journal is offering readers more education stories. To read these stories, go online to www.sandyjournal.com.

Altara students rock magical tale of merriment, music and movement — A skip, sway and a spin revealed the history of dance in Altara Elementary’s production, “The Knight the Castle Rocked.”

Beehive Academy’s International Cultures Day: A mosaic of tradition, unity and celebration — With more than 82 unique cultures in its community, Beehive Academy embraces this richness in the International Cultures Day event.

Canyons’ bus driver wins state “Road-e-o” title — Canyons’ bus driver wins state driving title and is set to compete in June for international contest.

Canyons’ middle school soccer teams play on during spring shower — Canyons middle school students play in a tournament for intramural championship.

CTEC construction program integrates real-world experience —

CTEC construction students engage through hands-on learning to build a home in Sandy. A inside look of a construction project: Local high schoolers are changing lives — Local CTEC students are helping the chronically homeless by building homes for an affordable housing neighborhood.

Acts of kindness: Indian Hills students raise funds to help little girl — Middle school students at Indian Hills come together to help a local child.

Thousands of local girls engage in SheTech Explorer Day activities — About 3,000 girls participated in a hands-on STEM conference that included workshops, a TechChallenge and meeting role models to learn more about the industry and fields.

Union Middle’s STEAM week is first step in shaping next generation of leaders — Union Middle STEAM week challenges students’ attitudes toward science and technology. l

CTEC construction students recently finished a 1,900-square-foot home at 142 Cottage Ave. in Sandy, which is up for sale. (Emalee Brown/CTEC)

Local heroes receive life-saving recognition from Sandy City

For a life-saving act in late April, five local heroes received an award for their bravery from Sandy City on June 13 at city hall.

Five pharmacists who work at the Smith’s Food and Drug at 2039 E. 9400 South were presented the award after saving the life of Giles Fronce who lost consciousness in a chair outside the pharmacy.

“I truly believe that the patient’s outcome would not have been as positive as it was had the Smith’s staff not acted so quickly and efficiently,” said Stacy Jorgenson, the paramedic from Sandy Fire Station 32 who arrived on the scene.

The quick response was started by Sam Conte who alerted the other staff members that Fronce was slumped in the chair and unresponsive. Whitney Coe looked for a pulse and determined there was none. Koffi Amevor started CPR soon after while Jane Player called 911 and Heather Davidson called for the AED, administering a shock to Fronce.

“By the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Mr. Fronce was alert and doing significantly better,” Sandy Fire Chief Ryan McConaghie said.

“In the emergency response world, it is known that the two interventions that improve the chances of survival in a cardiac arrest are high quality CPR and early defibrillation, both of which were provided to Mr. Fronce that day by the lifesaving efforts of the Smith’s employees,” McConaghie said.

“I’m so glad that they were trained and jumped in when they needed to, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” Fronce told KSL TV.

Fronce’s wife, Marti Fronce, called Amevor a hero through tears at the event when she hugged him.

“I’m just grateful to see Mr. Giles (Fronce) be able to be here today and continue to do better,” Amevor told KSL TV. “That’s just what I’m grateful for today.” l

Local heroes Koffi Amevor, Sam Conte, Jane Player, Heather Davidson and Whitney Coe received life-saving recognition from Sandy City on June 13. (Courtesy Sandy City)

7 outdoor concert venues perfect for summer nights

Just imagine a warm summer evening, the sun starting to set and sitting on a grassy lawn listening to live music—this is the epitome of summer and community for some. It’s a time to unwind, listen to good music and enjoy the beauty of summer.

Here’s a list of seven outdoor venues in or near the Salt Lake Valley with live music to enjoy this summer, some even offering free shows for the public.

1.

SANDY AMPHITHEATER (SANDY)

Cost of tickets: $39+

Summer’s playlist at the Sandy Amphitheater will include the voices of Norah Jones, Air Supply, Koe Wetzel, the Old Crow Medicine Show, the Brothers Osborne and more.

Several free events are offered throughout the summer, including the “Jazz in the Park'' that falls on May 18 this year and the venue’s celebration of its 25th anniversary in August, with more details to be released later this summer.

2. RED BUTTE GARDEN AMPHITHEATER (SALT LAKE CITY)

Cost of tickets: $40+

Featuring artists Kaleo, Mat Kearney, Stray Cats, Slash, The Revivalists and more, there’s plenty of concerts to enjoy at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheater. The whole lineup can be found online.

3. GALLIVAN CENTER (SALT LAKE CITY)

Cost of tickets: $50+

With events such as the Twilight Concert Series and 2024 Utah Blues Festival hosted at the Gallivan Center, there’s plenty going on this summer. The summer lineup includes local artists like Alli Brown and international musicians like Laufey.

4. UTAH FIRST CREDIT UNION AMPHITHEATRE (WEST VALLEY CITY)

Cost of tickets: $46+

Formerly known as USANA, the Utah

First Credit Union hosts live events all throughout the warmer months. Their 2024 lineup includes artists Niall Horan, A Day To Remember, Neil Young, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Sam Hunt.

5. DEER VALLEY SNOW PARK OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER (PARK CITY)

Cost of tickets: $21+

From groovy ’70s music to sophisticated classical by Tchaikovsky, and anything in between, Deer Valley offers a little bit for everyone all summer long at a good price. The “Disney in Concert: Once Upon a Time” event is sure to be a family-wide function.

6. MIDVALE OUTDOOR STAGE IN THE PARK (MIDVALE)

Cost of tickets: free

A free concert series created by the Midvale Arts Council will be playing every Friday night at 7 p.m., running from June 16 until Aug. 4 and sponsored by Midvale City, Salt Lake County, and Utah Department of Arts and Museums.

“MAC is grateful for [our sponsors’] generous support of our programs which allow us to bring the concert series back year after year at no cost to the community,” MAC treasurer Stephanie Johnson said. “We encourage people to bring a picnic dinner, blankets, and/or camp chairs and enjoy a great evening of music and community.”

The concert will always be family friendly and cycle through different genres of music and different artists, with food trucks nearby.

7. THE KENLEY AMPHITHEATER (LAYTON)

Cost of tickets: free

Every Sunday starting on June 2 at 7 p.m., the Kenley Amphitheater will host a weekly outdoor concert free to the public. The lineup includes local musicians such as the Riverton Jazz Band, Clayton Smalley and The Reel Folk.

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Concertgoers listen to a live concert at Kenley Amphitheater. (Courtesy Davis Arts Council)

Top 5 splash pads in Salt Lake County

Splash pads are a summertime staple with water jets, sprays and fountains helping kids of all ages beat the heat. As cities look to create sustainable, family-friendly activities, splash pads continue to grow in popularity, transforming public spaces into vibrant interactive centers.

While Salt Lake County has many splash pads, these five parks stand out for creativity and size.

Wardle Fields Regional Park, 14148 S. 2700 West, Bluffdale

With myriad water features, Wardle Fields splash pad is perfect for warm summer days. A wading river runs through most of the area and the waterfall offers a cool spot from the heat. Sprayers, misters, fountains and shallow pools provide playful options. Bring shade tents to create a sun-free zone. Water at the splash pad is filtered to water the adjacent park. Open Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.

Magna Regional Park, 4042 S. 7200 West, Magna

This award-winning 62-acre park in Magna features an inclusive splash pad for people of all ages and abilities. The waterfalls are a popular attraction, as are the misting vents, musical toys and large rocks that spray water. The splash pad covers a wide area and features

unique fountains for all-day play. Open Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.

Heritage Splash Pad, 10828 S. Redwood Road, South Jordan

Incorporating 17 different water spray features, the splash pad at Heritage Park turns 1-year-old this year. Highlighted by an old-fashioned water tower, a wading creek, small waterfalls and numerous interactive spaces, including a shaded area for small children, the splash pad is a destination spot for families this summer. The park utilizes a recirculation system to reduce water consumption. Open Monday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sandy Splash Pad at Amphitheater Park, 1245 E. 9400 South, Sandy

Featuring seven unique waterfalls, the Sandy City splash pad offers an interactive water experience for families seeking relief from the summer heat. Water from the falls flows through the splash pad area to create a fast-moving, shallow river, while sprayers, fountains and misters add fun elements for kids and parents alike. With large grassy areas, ample shade and beautiful views of the Wasatch Mountains, this splash pad is a great place to spend a day. Open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Smith Fields Splash Pad, 150 E. 13400 South, Draper

Using an interactive river, spray nozzles and fountains, the Smith Fields Splash Pad provides hours of water fun in a shady venue. A “water weave” design cascades water down the steps at the park with arching, vertical and bubbling sprays to keep everything cool. Dumping buckets, spray cannons and spin soakers create

fun opportunities for water play while shade sails provide relief from the sun. The splash pad is operated with limited hours, to reduce water usage. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Aug. 31. l

Several splash pads in the county offer fun, wet, cool summer relief. (Stock photo)

Excess of existing low-rate mortgages lock out new Utah homebuyers

Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates have been hovering around 6-7% for nearly two years, but most Utah homeowners have locked in a much lower rate. In fact, 72% of Utah homeowners have a mortgage with an interest rate at 4% or lower – the greatest share of homeowners in any state, according to an analysis by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.

One reason for Utah's high percentage of low-rate mortgages is the state’s strong housing market. Surging home values over the last decade helped existing homeowners build equity, allowing many to refinance their mortgages and take advantage of historically low rates.

While rock-bottom rates benefited those who were able to refinance or get a new mortgage before rates shot up, the surplus of existing low-rate mortgages has created a lock-in effect in the market.

Current homeowners unwilling to give up their lower rates are freezing up housing inventory, making it more difficult for younger and lower-income families to enter the state’s already- tight housing market.

Utah’s average home value was $522,754 in May 2024, well above the national average of $360,681, according to the

Zillow Home Values Index. A Zions Bank analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and Zillow data found that housing costs are taking a much bigger bite of the household budget than they were a decade ago. In 2022, a typical Utah family spent five-and-a-half times their annual income on a new house, up from just over three times their annual income in 2012. The result is that Utah’s housing mar-

ket is the most unaffordable in our state’s history.

The Beehive State’s homeownership rate dropped from 71.2% to 70.3% from 2022 to 2023, which isn’t surprising given that more than 90% of renter households can’t afford a median-priced home.

To address housing affordability, Utah needs more housing units, more housing

density and a variety of housing options, including more multi-family units and mother-in-law apartments. The Gardner Institute projects 153,000 new housing units will be needed by 2030 to meet growing demand and keep the housing market in balance.

Utah also needs more starter homes, and those starter homes need to be less expensive. This will require a reassessment of what homebuyers demand and what homebuilders provide. For example, I bought my first home in 1999, an 1,100-square-foot house with a carport. Today, a young family would be hard-pressed to find a similar cost-effective option along the Wasatch Front.

Housing affordability is a tough issue, but if we don’t address it, it will impact the state’s future workforce. Utah may start losing young families to more affordable parts of the country, or transition away from a home-ownership society to become a rental society like Europe.

Regardless of one’s personal housing situation, affordable housing is foundational to health and well-being, educational outcomes, social stability, and the economic vitality of our communities, state and nation. l

exit doors blowing off, landing gear falling on neighborhoods, wings ripping apart and engine covers shooting into the skies, you’d think airlines would be handing out free puppies and hundred-dollar bills, trying to convince people to support air travel. You’d be wrong.

Instead of lowering ticket prices (in your dreams), dropping baggage fees (you’re bonkers) or making flights more comfortable (ROFL), airlines double down on lazy, expensive service.

Even when Southwest Airlines (whose motto is “Sit Down and Shut Up”) was fined $140 million for leaving thousands of holiday passengers stranded, the industry knows we will travel. And we’ll pay any price.

If airlines have open seats, and the flight takes off in a week, instead of offering reduced prices, ticket costs rise. Once, after we purchased airline tickets, we got an alert that prices had jumped $1,000 per ticket. That’s bananas!

Recently, my husband and I flew Hawaiian Airlines for the first time. With its slogan, “Well, you could just drive to Honolulu,” we didn’t expect great service, and we weren’t disappointed.

We settled into our six-hour flight with its panic-inducing, claustrophobic seating, only to find movie screens weren’t provided.

Kinder Life and Laughter

Fight or Flight

However, we could download the airline’s app to watch movies on our phones, as long as it was downloaded an hour before boarding. So, as soon as time travel is invented, I can go back, download the app and have access to movies for our flight.

We left early in the morning and breakfast sandwiches were offered to passengers with normal digestive systems. If your body treats gluten like poison, you get to starve or purchase a box of gluten-free crackers and hummus. I’ve learned to pack snacks because, like the United Airlines motto states, “Suck it up. We’re not your mom.”

As we flew through the skies, we played games like, “Is it turbulence or did we just lose the landing gear?” and “Annoy Fellow Passengers.” I think I won that when I reclined my seat from 90 degrees to 95 degrees. The woman behind me sighed like a passive-aggressive parent who was not mad, just extremely disappointed.

On the way home from the Big Island

of Hawaii, we ended up running through the Honolulu airport because our connecting flight was late. We dashed to our terminal, which is not the best way to end a vacation, especially after eating your weight in kalua pork and fish tacos.

Net profits for the airline industry are set to hit more than $30 billion this year. Even Boeing (“Safety is Our 15th Priority”) knows it can install faulty parts, disregard safety inspections and hunt down whistleblowers because people will always want to fly.

Boeing stock is dropping faster than its Max 737s but the company doesn’t seem concerned. Even when people bounce off the ceilings due to cockpit issues or have to make an emergency landing in Denver be-

cause a passenger is stuck in the bathroom, Boeing knows people will fork over handfuls of cash to travel.

Passengers expect delays, cancellations and lackadaisical assistance. Any other industry would hire a fancy PR team to encourage people to use its services but the airline industry doesn’t give a flying fig about its image.

Even with its rock-bottom reputation, the airline industry has us over a barrel. With wheels ricocheting off the runway, engines catching fire and toilet waste flooding the cabin, passengers continue to pay increasing costs for the “luxury” of travel. And, like the Delta slogan states, “We Really Don’t Care.”

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