PATRICK CASADAY AWARDED SANDY
2024 NOAL BATEMAN SERVICE AWARD
By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com
Patrick
“Pat” Casaday’s youngest daughter, Kayley Zenger, remembers a camping trip when a severe storm ripped apart everyone’s tents. Her father’s response, she said, was to quietly gather all the dental floss in the camp and begin sewing up the rips and tears.
“There’s no more deserving man,” Zenger said of her father and his recent award. “He’s been the epitome of selfless service my whole life, but the kind of humble service he doesn’t want recognition for—getting this reward seems almost out of character, just because he finds more joy flying under the radar [and] making life better for other people without the notoriety of it.”
On Oct. 1, during a formal ceremony in his honor, the longtime Sandy resident of more than 40 years was awarded the 2024 Noal Bateman Service Award for his city and community involvement and worldwide service.
Bateman’s daughter MelRae Brown and her husband David Brown attended the award banquet in Casaday’s honor, along with several other Bateman family members and previous Noal Bateman award recipients.
Christine Edwards, Sandy City Council outreach and event coordinator, council office manager and organizer of the event, called the recognition the “city’s most prestigious award.”
“My motto throughout my life has been, ‘Service of others above service to oneself,’ and I have always tried to dedicate myself to serving other people,” Casaday said in a city video. “People in Sandy City are absolutely wonderful, and I think there are many well-deserving people of the Noal Bateman Award—I’m surprised,
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Applied Medical Engineering Lab pushing the limits to life-saving care
By Becky Ginos | becky.g@thecityjournals.com
Imagine living in a rural area, hiking in a remote place or taking a family trip away from a city where there are life-saving medical services and needing that help to survive. The University of Utah has just launched a new laboratory called the Applied Medical Engineering (AME) Lab to create cutting-edge medical technology designed to deliver that life-saving care at any location and for any patient with any injury.
“Just being 10 miles from a facility where you don’t have access can make the difference to slow down a heart attack or if you need blood,” said Dr. Jake Jensen, Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Utah. “For example, there are some freezer system treatments that maintain medication that an EMT or field medic doesn’t have access to.”
There is some promising research going on at the U for more portable freezers, he said. “It’s smaller than a mini fridge. It’s more the size of a Rubik’s Cube that is ultra frozen that medics can carry in their pack that can stop hemorrhaging more quickly. Or it can be sidestepped completely with freeze drying to maintain efficiency.”
That is one of the first things being researched through the AME platform is to work on these problems, said Jensen. “Another huge one is lightweight robotics. There are so many applications.”
If an EMT or field medic is triaging patients in the field, there’s usually only one field medic or just one or two EMTs, he said. “If they’re treating multiple patients they have to spread out life saving measures that require more than one medic. The EMT has to make the choice whether to continue applying pressure to stop blood flow or get bandages from his pack. A lightweight robotic arm with controlled voice (AI) command could apply pressure, etc. A single provider then becomes more than one.”
The U of U has been a leader in robotics for a long time, Jensen said. “We have already developed robotic legs, arms, etc. that are high functioning mostly for prosthetics. It’s amazing technology but we decided to branch out and ask ‘where else could this be useful? What problems can we solve?’”
Who hasn’t been in a situation where they couldn't use three hands? he said. “Take movers. A lightweight robotic
arm would allow them to move safer and faster. The functionality for multiple people is incredibly exciting.”
Another area of AME application is mental health. “It’s an issue from many people,” said Jensen. “But there are noticeable disparities in rural counties. Rural communities have more signs of mental health issues such as suicide than urban areas. This is designed to help mental health. That is huge. People can receive counseling wherever they are and there is a Telehealth component.”
Jensen said the area he’s most excited about is women’s health. “The AME lab is developing technology to assist in maternal and infant survival. There’s been work in this for over 100 years, but there’s been little progress in infant and maternal mortality. You’d think we’d be further along.”
Think about a baby and mom that don’t have access to medical facilities, he said. “They live too far away from treatment that could have saved their life. Ten miles could be the difference between if a mother or infant dies. If treatment is available we need to use it.”
The AME lab showcased its groundbreaking work at the 47G Zero Gravity Summit held on Thursday.
47G promotes and advocates for companies in Utah that are developing the next generation of aerospace, defense and cyber technologies, said Aaron Starks, 47G president and CEO. “Our partnership with the University of Utah’s AME Lab reflects our commitment to collaborate on applied research that will directly benefit Americans serving around the world and right here at home.” l
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A concept photo shows how the robotic arm can be used by medics in the field. The arm is just one of many cutting-edge medical technologies being developed by the AME Lab. Courtesy AI image
Alta High students convey powerful messages through this season’s theatre productions
Theatre delivers a message.
That’s a point Alta High theatre director Linze Struiksma appreciates.
“I don’t know how to do a piece that does not stand for something,” she said. “Theatre, from Shakespeare to musicals, has messages to convey.”
Alta High thespians began their school year with a compilation of Shakespeare’s writing with a message based on equality.
“It’s not just gender equality, but we’re showing it through that lens,” Struiksma said. “We’ve strung together a speech a male protagonist gives and he riles up the city to stand up for justice. Then the whole entire scene freezes and rewinds to reset as a female is the main protagonist. She gives the exact word-for-word speech, but people respond to her differently because of her lack of power. It shows when a woman said something the same, she get less clout. We embodied that idea and at the end of our piece, both the male and the female protagonist come together to say not to hold judgments for any gender or group, and let people stand for what they’re speaking about.”
Twenty-nine student-actors took part in the ensemble, three students recited monologues, and two groups performed scenes at the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival. In addition, Alta students competed in Tech Olympics. They also watched other high schools compete and saw “The 39 Steps” presented by the Utah Shakespeare Festival cast.
“Shakespeare went well; our ensemble scene was selected to perform in the showcase,” said Lindsey Cline, who is directing the school’s fall musical. “One of our students won first in makeup in the tech division and everyone in our individual events did an awesome job.”
The cast of “Matilda” began rehearsals prior to the Shakespeare competition.
“They’ve already learned the music and we’re in the throes of blocking and choreographing; it’s exciting to see it come together,” she said about the cast and crew which includes more than 100 students.
Based on the book with the same name by Roald Dahl, Matilda lives with her brother and parents, who are unappreciative of her. The 5-year-old bookworm uses her telekinetic abilities to overcome obstacles caused by her family and school, with the help of her kindhearted teacher.
The show will run at 7 p.m., Nov. 20-23 and again on Nov. 25 in the school’s Performing Arts Center, 11055 S. 1000 East. On Thursday, Nov. 21 the understudies will perform. Tickets are available for $9 on the school’s website, ahs.canyonsdistrict.org/, or $10 at the door. The opening night gala, which includes meeting the cast, refreshments and show tickets, is $16 in advance.
April Lund is the show’s music director while orchestral direction is under Caleb Shabestari. The choreographer is Alisa Hor-
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
“Matilda is a good fit for us this year and I love the message of building your own reality.
Lindsey Cline
rocks and assistant choreographer is Addi Horrocks. The show’s assistant director is senior Nate Coleman and the stage manager is junior Millie Rawson.
“‘Matilda is a good fit for us this year and I love the message of building your own reality,” Cline said. “Matilda has a great line about how she learned her letters so she could read words, so then she could read books. The idea of building on your knowledge and building to create a chosen family and friend group, and the life and the reality that you want, is such a cool message. We’re conceptualizing that through building our set pieces out of blocks throughout the show.”
She said to prepare for the show, many students independently read the book and researched the film and stage versions.
“Our students do character research and analysis; a lot of them are very visual so they might sketch stuff out,” she said.
Cline saw one of the first previews of “Matilda” in New York City; it opened on Broadway in 2013.
“Whoever was sitting next to me was taking notes on the show to pass along and that was neat to see,” she said. “I’ve always loved the show, the music, the choreography. I remember sitting in the audience and thinking, ‘This is a neat show.’ When they got to the school song, which is a third of the way through Act One, I was like, ‘This is amazing; it’s the best thing ever.’ So I’ve wanted to be involved with the show for a long time; I’m excited with this amazing group of students, we’re able to create the characters and bring them to life.”
Following the musical will be “Metamorphoses” by Mary Zimmerman, which premiered in 1996 at Northwestern University. Struiksma will direct the show.
“It’s one of my favorite shows. I planned to direct it back in 2020 and then COVID happened, so I’ve just been waiting for the right group of kids to do it,” she said. “This is a group that can embody the characters and need the message as well. It’s a group that’s not afraid of hard work and who are brave about making choices. The show is about Greek gods, and the myth surrounding love and relationships and how they all tied together.”
The show will be at 7 p.m., Feb. 19-22, 2025.
Struiksma also will direct the one-act for region competition in Maarch. State is in April.
High thespians rehearse before performing at the 48th annual Utah
Also in the spring will be the student-written murder mystery fundraiser. The school’s improv president and senior, Jason Seaman, is writing the original script that will be performed at 5 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m., March 28, 2025.
In May, students will have a chance to produce and direct one-acts with the guidance of their theatre teachers. l
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Alta
Shakespeare High School Festival. (Linze Struiksma/Alta High)
Students embrace practical learning in new pharmacy tech program
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Alta High senior Anna Black knew she was interested in a medical field, but she found her likely career path when she enrolled in the new pharmacy technician program at Canyons Technical Education Center.
“It’s really cool,” she said. “We learn medical terms and about different medicines each week so I’m already getting that introduction to the field. As a pharmacist, I’ll be able to help someone without all the blood and gore.”
She, along with Hillcrest High senior Lillie Phillips and Corner Canyon High senior Ellie Blankenstein, had just finished the weekly quiz on medications. Next, they were going to learn how to make blister packs.
Phillips wanted to enroll in the new medical course.
“I already have taken anatomy, physiology, intro to health sciences and CNA (certified nurse assistant) classes so this class is a new experience and it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “I want to become a veterinarian so a lot of what I’m learning will give me that core understanding and knowledge.”
Blankenstein wants to work in the psychology field.
“Once I earn my pharmacy tech certificate, I can work in the field while I’m in college,” she said. “Learning all the medications will be helpful in my career.”
While the students acknowledge there is a lot of memorization, they’re quick to acknowledge their instructor, Makenna Mitchell, supports them by not only making assignments fun, but also “redirecting us to correct something when we realize we didn’t get it right,” Phillips said.
With just weeks into the course, they know the difference between creams, lotions and ointments by the texture and simple versus compound medication.
During the class, students reviewed the advantages of blister packaging versus medication in a pill bottle including easier to track medications and convenient to carry. Mitchell questioned why long-term facilities may prefer the blister packs and students quickly responded with it provides increased safety and quick checks to identify if a resident had taken their medication.
The three seniors, along with their classmates, counted Smarties or Skittles using pharmacists’ spatulas on silver trays by fives, practicing as a technician would do it in a pharmacy. They placed them in individual doses before sealing and labeling the month’s mock supply of medication.
They worked at lab tables in front of a mock pharmacy, which was stocked with over-the-counter medication bottles and on the shelves, other pill bottles and boxes filled with beads and beans, were available for student to pull to fill a pretend prescription. The pharmacy includes a landline to take orders by phone as well as a computer to check the patron’s prescription and refill number, the patient’s address and phone number, medication delivery method and other information.
“They can pull up a patient’s profile for a prescription, then fill it by counting the drugs on the tray and labeling it before selling the prescription to a patient,” said Mitchell, who has been a pharmacy technician for the past decade.
She said that students will explore the differences between pharmacies; CTEC’s mock pharmacy has sections to represent both one they would see at a hospital as well as in the retail world.
“This gives them the familiarity of both kinds of pharmacies,” she said.
Soon, laminar flow hoods will be installed so students will wear protective gowns and gloves while they learn how to draw medication from a vial to insert and prepare IV bags
for patients. They also will learn how to compound medication in a sterile setting.
“Maybe that would look like crushing a tablet with a mortar and pestle and mixing it with syrup to make it available for a child to take if they can’t swallow a pill,” she said, adding that students also will follow the compounding log, fill out appropriate forms, print correct labels and check it with her, as an acting pharmacist, for accuracy.
This mock pharmacy and lab are new to CTEC, said Janet Goble, Canyons Career and Technical Education director.
“We remodeled the tech center starting last year so there’s a lab, a mock pharmacy and a lecture classroom for the program, which serves about 25 students in both the morning and afternoon,” Goble said. “It provides students another viable pathway in the medical field.”
Mitchell said students, who attend class for 2.5-hours per weekday, also earn concurrent enrollment credit through Salt Lake Community College.
“This first term is a lot of medical terminology so they’re memorizing more than 200 drugs – their brand and generic names and their drug class and what the drug treats. We’re also talking about pharmacy law, all the regulations and standards for both Utah and nationally, and they’ll do a pharmacology section as well, learning about the individual body systems and the drugs that help with those body system,” she said.
During the program, students need to complete an unpaid 180-hour state-required externship as part of their pharmacy tech licenses. Mitchell already has lined up a mix of hospital, retail, independent community and compounding pharmacies for students.
In the second semester, the class will discuss more about compounding and pharmacies, complete their externships and prepare students to take their exams.
“We’ll be talking a lot about insurance, so they’ll gain a good understanding of what a commercial insurance is, the difference between Medicaid and Medicare and the different parts of Medicare. They’ll put in insurance into the pharmacy system and bill it as well,” she said.
At the end of the program, students will receive a Canyons School District certificate of completion.
A national certification test also is required for students to earn their pharmacy tech licenses.
The program itself is working toward the American Society of Health System Pharmacists accreditation.
“All the students this year, when the program is accredited at the end of the school year, will have attended an accredited program through ASHP,” she said.
Mitchell said there is a demand for pharmacy technicians.
“Pharmacies are desperate for technicians. There’s been a shortage recently so right now, getting pharmacies fully staffed has been a hard thing,” she said, adding that an average starting pay may be about $20 per hour. “For students who have their ultimate goal to be a pharmacist, a pharmacy technician is a good stepping stone because you get experience with how the pharmacy works. You go into pharmacy school having a basic understanding of medications and what that specific medication does. When they’re in pharmacy school, they would understand a lot deeper about the drugs and how they interact with each other, and what to look for, but this gives them that first overview and understanding.”
Mitchell earned her licensure and worked as a pharmacy tech to pay her way through college.
“I’ve kept with it because I like what I do. The best part for me is interacting with patients, building a relationship with them. There’s a level of trust there and I like helping them work through any problems with their medications or if their medications are too expensive for them,” she said.
Students also will practice both communication, math and workplace skills in the program.
“What’s cool about this program is that they get a lot of hands-on experience,” Mitchell said. “They’re counting medications, they’re learning to answer a phone call and talk with a patient, they’re practicing giving injections and they’re calculating supplies of medications and will know how long an IV bag with last at a certain flow rate. They’re learning a lot by doing.” l
CTEC instructor Makenna Mitchell explains to pharmacy tech students how to create blister packs of medications. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
More students getting involved with Jordan High theatre
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Giving students opportunity — that’s what Suzie DuVal wants for Jordan High’s theatre program.
As director of the program, it was on her mind when she gave 19 students speaking parts in a 10-minute ensemble piece for the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival. It’s on her mind when she reached out to multi-language learners to try their talents to perform on stage.
It’s on her mind when she decided to share the leading roles for different productions amongst the student-actors, so everyone had a chance.
“We’re working really hard to open the umbrella and make this a welcoming place for all our students,” DuVal said.
That same philosophy rings true with rehearsals. DuVal and co-director Drew Cannon are creating rehearsal schedules with minimum after-school time so students who have other responsibilities — jobs, babysitting or they’re involved in other commitments — can be part of the program. It also rings true with the improvisation team, allowing drama club students to have the flexibility to be part of the team and perform after attending two rehearsals before the show.
“We’re really trying to involve as many kids as we can and to have our performing arts department match the diversity of our school. Right now, our school is 39% minorities, so we’ve had good success with getting more Latinos and multi-language learners involved this year and that has really diversified our group,” DuVal said.
Jordan’s theatre season kicked off with 74 students loading onto buses to go to the Shakespeare festival in Cedar City. There, 32 students performed a compilation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“It was an interesting challenge to do the compilation of the whole play in our allotted 10 minutes; my goal is always to have the most kids speak and have the most kids have opportunities, so it was a lot of fun to do,” she said.
DuVal said most of those with speaking roles were sophomores.
“We made the decision if kids had speaking or lead roles in the musical, they weren’t going to play the leads in the Shakespeare ensemble scene. It worked out this year was a good year to give younger students those experiences and build our team,” she said.
In addition to the ensemble, three students performed monologues and four stage tech students competed in eight contests. In addition, drama students took part in two scenes and choir and dance students also competed.
“It’s a lot of fun for our students to go there, put forth their effort and get to see others perform as well,” DuVal said, adding
this year, the students saw Utah Shakespeare Festival’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”
About 70 Jordan students also are preparing for their upcoming musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The show will take place at 7 p.m., Nov. 14-16 and again, Nov. 18 on the school stage, 95 E. Beetdigger Blvd. Tickets, $8 for adults and $6 for students and children, are available through a link on the school’s website, jhs.canyonsdistrict.org, or at the door.
“I picked ‘Drowsy Chaperone’ because I felt I had the perfect cast for it. We have nine leads in the show. It spreads out opportunities for everybody to shine. It also has an ensemble that comes in as back-up singers in almost every number. They’re in a lot of things, but it doesn’t require them to be at quite as many rehearsals, which works out well for our students,” she said.
DuVal adds the jazz band under the direction of Jordan Wright will accompany the actors, giving those musicians opportunity to perform on stage.
The show is under direction of DuVal and Cannon. Jordan dance teacher, Jenni Humphrey, is the choreographer and choir teacher, Karen Putnam, is the music director.
The musical is followed by “Night of Broadway,” which will be performed at 7 p.m., Dec. 19 in the auditorium. About 30 students will take part in the performance.
The school’s spring play is Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which will be at 7 p.m., Feb. 20-22, 2025 and again, Feb. 24, 2025. Fifty students will be involved in the production, and it will be performed in the auditorium.
In the spring, the student-actors will compete in a one-act as well as individual pieces for region in March. State is in April.
The Theatre 2 showcase is set for 7 p.m., May 6, 2025 and the season closes
with student-directed one-act performances at 7 p.m., May 7 and May 8, 2025.
“Usually we do all student-written pieces if we have enough playwrights. Usually, we perform them in the choir room, because it’s just a better setting for those smaller pieces,” she said.
Eventually, Jordan High will have a black box theatre and that’s where DuVal
“We’re really trying to involve as many kids as we can and to have our performing arts department match the diversity of our school.”
Suzie DuVal
plans to have students perform those pieces.
The black box theatre, as well as the renovation of the auditorium, are part of a recent bond the Canyons Board of Education approved. The auditorium renovation is scheduled for summer of 2025.
Additionally, the improvisation team will have about five performances this year, with the first one scheduled in November.
As members of the drama club, students have socials, perform service and attend performances at Hale Theatre, Pioneer Memorial Theatre and Eccles Theatre.
“We’re trying to give our students these opportunities and experiences where they learn and are a part of an inclusive group here at school,” DuVal said. “We have a lot of fun.” l
From start to finish line: young runners race in middle school championship
Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade runners dashed around the 2.25-mile course at Jordan High before temperatures reached a record-breaking 86 degrees on Oct. 12. It was the Canyons School District’s annual intramural cross country championship for all eight middle schools. Midvale Middle’s seventh-grader Nora Goodman ran 15:35 to win the race of 59 girls while Indian Hills’ eighth-grader James Gardner ran 14:32 to win the boys race of 67 runners. However, it was the Butler Bruins who claimed both girls’ and boys’ team titles. Draper Park and Albion finished second and third, respectively, for the girls while Albion and Indian Hills were second and third for the boys. (Photo by Julie Slama)
Jordan’s theatre season kicked off with 32 thespians performing a compilation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” (Bradley Moss/Canyons School District)
Homecoming is heartwarming at Jordan Valley community
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
It was much like any other school’s homecoming. Royalty was announced, a dance was held and alumni returned.
However, this one was a bit more special.
First, Miles Askvig was crowned king and was photographed with his family. Then, with the entrance of the queen, Abigail Wilburn, her favorite song played — “This is Halloween” from “Nightmare before Christmas.”
Kira Wadsworth is a paraprofessional in the students’ class.
“Abby is our sassy one,” Wadsworth said. “She loves ‘Nightmare before Christmas’ so we listen to it almost every day.”
As the crown was placed on her head, her Jack Skeleton doll slipped from her wheelchair before it was gently returned. The staff had gotten it for her.
“Miles is our troublemaker. He likes the bangs and the knocking, but he has the best, most infectious laugh. They are both very fun,” she said.
Both students are graduating from Jordan Valley this year.
Jordan Valley students have severe multiple disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, communication impairments,
genetic disorders and syndromes, deaf–blindness and students who are extremely medically fragile. The goal at Jordan Valley School is to improve the quality of life for about 80 students, age 5 to 22, and their families.
“They love to talk to us through (adaptive communication) switches,” Wadsworth said. “They’re both capable of doing a lot of activities. Every week we have art class. Today, we patterned all these snakes out of colored paper and we made a book of colors a couple weeks ago. Abby’s good at art. Miles loves beating the drums. He has a shaker that we put on his wrist and shake.”
Then, there were pictures of the Wilburn family and a photo of the royalty with Principal Stacey Nofsinger and Canyons Board of Education member Kris Millberg.
The homecoming royalty’s teacher, Jenny Warner, wrote the introduction, which included, “When (Abby) smiles and laughs, she lights up the room and warms our hearts.”
She continued to say Askvig “is our wild man” who often rolls “Around in his wheelchair, looking for mischief. He is always ready for a good time.”
Then, it was back to dancing with family, friends and Hillcrest High’s Peer
Leadership Team to the tunes played by DJ Brad Sa’u, who gave the school a special discount. Chick-fil-A, Crave Cookies and WinCo also gave donations so the dancers could take a break and have refreshments.
Paraprofessional Stephanie Porter had been dancing with Miles.
“I met Miles when he first came to the school and we clicked,” she said. “We’ve been best buddies ever since.”
Porter has seen him blossom during the five years.
“His left arm used to be curled. Now, he’s able to move it physically and he’s just a lover. He was adopted from the Ukraine and it was like he had never been socialized. When I first met him, he went from
barely letting me touch him to now I can wrestle with him. He can move tremendously. His attitude, his health, everything has improved,” she said. “He loves school. It’s his favorite place. He’s the one person in the entire building who hates Fridays because he loves school so much.”
Wilburn came post-high school.
“Abby has become more vocal. She was a little shy at first and overwhelmed, but now not at all. She lets you know what she does and doesn’t like. She loves music and she’s a sweetheart,” Porter said.
It’s going to be hard for Porter at the end of the year when they leave.
“They’re my favorite people on the planet.” l
Jordan Valley alumnus Noah Imig danced with members of Hillcrest High Peer Leadership Team and Canyons Board of Education member Kris Millerberg at Jordan Valley’s homecoming dance. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Union students bring 1970s cartoons to life on stage
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
After being in the newly built Union Middle School for one year, Union drama teacher Brooke Grant is experiencing a challenge.
“We’re trying to figure out routines for the new auditorium, from where do we store certain things to how we perform on a smaller stage,” she said.
That’s because the new auditorium was completed months after the school opened; last year’s musical, “UMS Musicals: Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” was performed throughout the school.
“This is a good thing; we have a space and we’re grateful,” she said. “I prefer this stage size; it’s smaller which fits for middle school performances, because their little bodies don’t fill up the whole space and when you’re making sets, you think that they’re big, but on our old stage, they looked miniscule. That stage was bigger than most Broadway stages.”
However, with only 630 seats to the previous auditorium’s 1,200, the cast of the upcoming musical will perform two shows per night.
“The good thing is our show, ‘Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.’ is a shorter show, right around an hour,” she said.
The cast and crew will present the family-friendly musical at 6 p.m. and again at 8 p.m., Nov. 13 through Nov. 15. On Nov. 16, there will be noon and 2 p.m. shows on the school stage, 615 E. 8000 South. Tickets will be available on the school’s website, unionmiddle.canyonsdistrict.org, or at the door, if seats are available.
The show is directed by Grant along with music teacher David Christensen and dance teacher Roxanne Paulsen and with blocking assistance from Kaylie Short.
“The show is fun, and because most of the parents remember from Saturday morning cartoons, it’s nostalgic for the community,” said Grant about the Emmy Award-winning 1970s cartoon series.
The musical introduces Tom, who turns on the TV to overcome his nervousness about his first day teaching. Through
light their commercials, which will be projected with the help of a 25-member stage crew.
Another fun element will be the cast wearing bright colors.
“We’ve gone with color blocking, so every item of their clothing is a different bright color to make them stand out as cartoony looking characters. Then there are a few costume pieces some of them will put on for different numbers, like a conductor’s hat and a bill costume,” she said. “We’re trying to stick with the iconic animation style from the original show for a lot of the props and the costume pieces.”
One thing Grant discovered while researching the 1973 show created by David McCall and Bob Doro was the number of people who wrote the original music went on to write Broadway musicals.
the timeless collection of animated songs that taught multiplication tables, grammar, science, health, American history and government to an entire generation through the concept, “knowledge is power,” Tom becomes ready to face his class.
“I like it introduces something to the kids that is genuinely valuable, like learning the ‘Preamble’ song. It will help them and now, they’ll have it memorized. There are other songs, like ‘Circulation,’ ‘I’m Only a Bill,’ ‘Conjunction Junction’ – so they’re learning more than one subject area,” she said.
She said the 130 students, who are double cast, are rehearsing, “getting into the kind of playfulness of it; we remind them ‘you’re playing cartoon characters, essentially.’”
To go along with the original morning TV-watching, Union’s advanced theatre class is “working on filming Saturday morning commercial throwbacks replicating commercials. I reached out to parents and said, ‘Tell me the commercials you remember from that time period.’ So they’ve given me Doublemint gum and Life cereal
and Trapper Keepers (school binders). Our plan right now is to have them play as the audience is coming in to help everybody get in that time frame and what it was like to watch this show at that time because these kids are not used to commercials,” she said. Those 42 advanced theatre students will have several 30-second spots to high-
“Lynn Ahrens is one who stands out to me the most. She wrote ‘Once on this Island’ and ‘Seussical,’ she said. “A lot of people know they’re fun songs from a cartoon, but once you realize who has written some of these songs and been a part of it, you realize this is why it translates so well onto the stage.”
Union Middle students rehearse for their November production of “Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.” (Brooke Grant/Union Middle)
amazed, flabbergasted [and] overwhelmed I was the one that was picked to receive this.”
Each year, nominees are received through community recommendations and then one is chosen by Sandy City Council members and the Noal Bateman Committee, made up of previous award recipients.
Casaday received two nominations, one by Councilmember Marci Houseman of the Sandy City Council and the second by the 1992 Noal Bateman Award-winner Michael Coulam.
In Houseman’s nomination, she wrote, “Pat has served in our community for many years and in many ways…his compassion knows no bounds.”
Casaday has served his city, his community and internationally.
While serving Sandy City, Casaday served in roles such as a member of the planning commission, deputy city mayor and senior attorney, which he served as until his retirement.
Casaday’s career at Sandy City started after he retired from the United States Airforce where he served his country as a fighter pilot and retired as lieutenant colonel. He was actively engaged in several wars.
Within his faith, he and his wife served within his congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina, Casaday serving as mission president.
He’s also been part of a plethora of committees and boards throughout the city, as well
as service projects around the globe, including his most recent endeavors of installing a freshwater drill in a remote Kenyan village of 450 inhabitants. He organized the help of WHOlives, the Sandy Rotary Club and four other clubs in the valley and two nonprofits to complete the project.
“I know many of the people who have received the Noal Bateman award and they are, in my opinion, a class unto themselves, a class well above mine,” Casaday said. “There are many of our friends and our neighbors who
Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday; it’s an opportunity to cultivate a deep sense of gratitude in our lives. The question many often wrestle with is what does it actually mean to be thankful, especially in the face of challenges. One of the keys to this hurdle is to evaluate happiness and joy. Happiness is often circumstantial and fleeting, dependent on external factors. Joy, however, is a state of being that comes from within, often rooted in faith and a sense of purpose. Focusing on joy rather than fleeting happiness is just the beginning of helping us cultivate a lasting sense of gratitude.
There are certain principles we can embed into our routine that can help us to not take our blessings for granted and rather to be thankful this Thanksgiving.
1. Change our attitudes. Entitlement and discontentment are major obstacles to gratitude. Such attitudes can prevent us from being thankful.
2. Embrace each day as a gift. By focusing on the present and not
can accomplish just about anything.”
The Noal Bateman Lifetime Service Award was first awarded in 1986 to its namesake, Noal Bateman who was known as “Mr. Sandy.” Since it was created, it has been given to at least 37 individuals, recognizing those who have given prolonged service to Sandy and its residents.
Casaday described Bateman as “a good, gentle, behind-the-scenes service-oriented individual who always set his heart on doing good.”
Bateman lived all but the first three months of his life in Sandy, where he spent 70 years serving, per Bateman’s obituary. He held positions such as treasurer, councilman and mayor. In 2001, the Sandy Post Office was also named after Bateman before he died in 2006.
are very deserving of the Noel Bateman award, certainly in my opinion, and more deserving than me. And I’m humbled and honored beyond words that you chose me. And again, I thank you.”
He encourages everyone to get involved in the community by starting on Sandy’s website and finding a topic of interest. He said that unity and working together creates a big impact.
“I’m reminded of the ‘power of we,’” Casaday said. “As we involve others, value their opinions, and gain their trust and support, we
Cultivating thankfulness this Thanksgiving
By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com
worrying about future uncertainties, we can find joy in the moment.
3. Share our blessings with others. By connecting with others and sharing what we are thankful for, we can spread the spirit of Thanksgiving and inspire others to adopt a grateful mindset.
Although a secular holiday, Thanksgiving is deeply rooted in biblical principles of giving thanks and worship. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln wrote a proclamation where he declared a national day of fasting and thanksgiving. Lincoln’s words remind us that despite
our “growth in numbers, wealth, and power…we should not forget the gracious hand that has blessed us.” This Thanksgiving, let us unlock the spirit of Thanksgiving by choosing joy, contentment, and gratitude as we embrace each day as a gift while sharing our blessings with others. Happy Thanksgiving! For more in-depth on this topic or for related episodes, check out Holly’s Highlights podcast Season 3 Episode 24. Holly’s Highlights podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts such as Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, as well as on www. hollycurby.com. l
Tracey Cowdell, the Noal Bateman Committee vice president, said the organization gathers nominations from the community every year for the award. Anyone can make a nomination at www.sandy.utah.gov/2146/ Noal-Bateman-Recipients.
“If you are out and about and you are in your community and you see good women and men who would be excellent members of this committee and recipients, please keep the committee in mind and look for opportunities to nominate those people,” he said at the event. “We need good nominees to be selected, so we have a great pool to choose from for future winners.” l
Patrick Casaday accepted the award at an award banquet held in his honor as well as during the Sandy City Council meeting on Oct. 1. (Courtesy of Justin Adams/Sandy City)
A Thanksgiving meal with loved ones and friends. (Photo courtesy of Scott Harding)
‘All the World’s a Stage:’ Waterford thespians to perform ‘As You Like It’
One of playwright William Shakespeare’s most famous lines comes from “As You Like It” being: “‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Eighteen Waterford Upper School student-actors and five stage management crew students will present Shakespeare’s wellknown play at 7 p.m., Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 as well as at 3 p.m., Nov. 16 in their black box theatre, 1480 E. 9400 South. Tickets are free, but they need to be reserved with Waterford’s front desk prior to the show because of limited seating.
Additional students, who are part of the school’s costume club and help prepare costumes, contribute to the program as well as those students who are assisting the show’s technical director, Lee Wright, with building and painting sets.
“This play is a really great fit for my students,” director Javen Tanner said. “The past two years, we’ve performed tragedies with ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ and ‘King Lear.’ Before that, we did ‘Henry IV, Part 1,’ so a history. ‘As You Like It’ is a very different play; it’s a fun, hilarious Shakespeare comedy and one I haven’t directed before so I’m excited to do it.”
Comedies, he said, are every bit as complex as tragedies.
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
“It’s fun to create these funny moments with them and to see the audience enjoying it and laughing. I’m excited for my students to have that experience, for them to have that real special thing that happened in a good comedy,” he said.
Tanner said the whole play is “a pastoral play” set in the ancient Greek countryside and actors will wear “those lovely Grecian costumes.”
“The script, the story itself, looks to Shakespeare’s romances, the plays he wrote at the end of his career, but this is not a romance. It does have this element where we go to the woods to figure things out and it ends with the goddess of marriage appearing. I want to really play around with the philosophical idea that we go to the woods to work out our problems, which is a theme all through Shakespeare’s plays,” he said.
Tanner said not everyone realizes “Shakespeare as the greatest writer ever, the guy who wrote the greatest tragedies, is also the guy who wrote the silliest comedies ever, which is really a fascinating thing; the more you dig in, the more you realize how connected those things are. He knew exactly what he was doing, but the silliness of his comedies, that’s his style. You really know that a director understands Shakespeare’s comedy if they’re very funny
and very silly and very over the top. That’s how Shakespeare wrote,” said Tanner, who said he’s “spent my whole life in Shakespeare’s plays. I’ve read his plays multiple times, and I’ve directed more than 20 of his plays” in addition to acting in many.
Tanner read his first play in high school.
“A friend had this old copy of ‘Macbeth,’ and she gave it to me, and I read that, and I didn’t understand all of it, but I found some moments where I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is really cool,’” he said. “That’s where it ignited for me.”
It was acting in Shakespearean plays in college where he began to understand the playwright’s words.
“If you have a good teacher, they can really light a fire and help you see what Shakespeare is. Sometimes, English and humanities teachers, and even theatre teachers really don’t get it. But when you’re in that Shakespeare play you start to see it for what it is, because you’re inside it,” Tanner said. “That was in college for me and that’s where I just started to realize, ‘this is really incredible.’ That’s the thing I care about is for our students to have that experience and see how profound it is, how fun it is.”
Shakespeare’s words also had an impact on about 30 sixth through eighth graders in early October when they performed, “Comedy
of Errors,” under the direction of Riya Sahasrabudhe.
“They’re beginning to learn about his words and how silly his comedies are,” he said. “They (were) having great fun with sword fighting with rubber chickens.”
Following Shakespeare, Upper School students are invited to be in the Dec. 20-21 show, “This Bird of Dawning,” the Christmas story told through music, poetry, and mask, produced by The Sting and Honey Company downtown.
“I usually use former and current Waterford students because the kind of mask work it involves is mask work I teach here at Waterford,” Tanner said, who is the artistic director for the company. “The masks are called blank masks, those white blank masks, and I teach my movement classes the technique behind blank mask. It’s a mask of projection. When you’re wearing this blank mask, you tell a story with your body and what you put in your physicality, the audience will project onto the mask. When you commit physically to something like anger or rage or sadness or joy, the audience will start projecting that onto the mask, and they’ll think they see it on the mask. In this piece, we tell the story of the nativity, however nobody speaks. It’s all done through movement. It’s beautiful.”
A spring show has yet to be named. l
About 30 Waterford sixth through eighth graders took to the stage in early October when they performed, “Comedy of Errors,” under the direction of Riya Sahasrabudhe. (Javen Tanner/Waterford School)
Mary Nickles loves reporting the news more than ever
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
IfMary Nickles wasn’t so good at telling television viewers what’s going on in their world every morning, she might be writing a cookbook. Fortunately for Salt Lake City and much of the Intermountain West, the popular and award-winning news anchor for KUTV 2News has no plans to shift gears.
Mary and her husband Kent never thought they’d stay in Utah, when she accepted a job at KUTV in April 1991. The native of Renton, Washington, was working at a station in Yakima when she decided to test the waters in a larger market.
“I had a clause in my contract, so I could leave for another job if it was in a Top 50 market,” she said. “We crossed off the Top 50 cities we didn’t want to go to, and Salt Lake was one of them.”
She came to Utah for the interview, got the offer, and signed a two-year contract.
“It was for a weekend anchor position with three days reporting, but we figured after two years, we’d be out of here,” she said. “We weren’t Mormon and we didn’t ski, so why would we stay here?”
What they discovered was the beauty of Utah and the wonderful people.
“Channel 2 has been fantastic. I keep signing new contracts, and Ron [Bird] and I have been anchoring the morning show together for 27 years. I absolutely love the people here. I talk to a lot of people who come here on vacation and they want to stay. Kent and I are two of them.”
Mary is the eighth of nine children, raised by her telephone man dad and state legislator mom. “We were resourceful, team players, and we learned to work hard. The joke was that we were all born on a team. And we’re all kinda tall and athletic; five of us got college athletic scholarships.”
That included hers to Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, where she played volleyball. While in high school, she was involved in sports, choir, student government and also wrote for the school newspaper. When she got to college, there weren’t many journal-
ism classes, but one set her up with a local radio station doing a blues show and news breaks from midnight to three in the morning. “It’s where I learned about radio broadcasting and I had a whole lot of record albums! I wanted to learn more and I love writing, so I majored in English with a speech minor at Lewis-Clark.”
She later moved home and interned at a TV station in Seattle unpaid but “a great learning experience. It was a blast. I was setting up lights and microphones, but would pick the brains of the reporters, watching what they did and how they wrote and crafted stories. I saw that you have to weave the story with the video that you have, the facts you research, and the sound you get from the interviews.”
And she was hooked on a journalism career in TV or radio or newspapers. One of the production team at the station helped her put together an audition tape which she sent out to several stations in the Northwest.
Her first job in Yakima paid $800 a month for 40-plus hours a week. She said it averaged out to about $3.73 an hour, and she was what is known now as a one-man band.
“I had to shoot my own video, write and edit the stories, then do the reports. Eventually I produced and anchored the evening news, but after four years of that, I realized I like reporting more than anchoring, and started the job search that brought me to Utah.”
What she loves about 2News is the feeling of teamwork, the idea that “we help each other get better and the whole team wins. Maybe it’s from coming from a big family–we all did chores and errands and never undercut each other. That’s the way it is here at Channel 2. The morning reporters are often not very experienced, and we want them to strengthen, and help our whole team get stronger. We don’t bark at people in the mornings–we tell people stories. You’re just waking up as viewers, so we don’t want to yell at you–and we use verbs.”
All journalists find stories that have connections to their lives, but nothing has
been more personal to Mary than her journey through breast cancer.
“It was Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, and Utah women are the second worst in the nation for getting mammograms,” she said. “So the station had me get a screening for a story, to show viewers how easy it was. After the interview, looking at my x-ray, the doctor told me I needed to come back for a second look.”
The ultrasound and biopsy found a cancerous tumor.
“I’ve always been healthy, active, take care of myself, don’t smoke and eat well, but I still got it.”
She made her journey through treatments into a series of stories that included losing hair and wig shopping. She had doctors explain what radiation is doing to her, why chemotherapy was needed, and how someone you know might be going through the same thing.
“I hate being a part of the story, but in this case, it made the story more real and powerful. Explaining that chemo is like bombing a city to get two bad guys. Showing that I can work through treatments and focus on positivity through adversity.”
That was 12 years ago. Mary’s story helped scores of others dealing with breast cancer, and she’s heard from many viewers thanking her for those reports.
As the health reporter for decades, she grew frustrated during the controversy around COVID.
“Public health officials save lives by telling you things they’ve learned to keep you healthy, and it was strange to have people doubt their intent,” she said.
Another side to Nickles’ life is coaching, from little kids into high school, including volleyball at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper.
“My daughter played in the younger parochial leagues, and I just wanted her to have fun. I wanted to teach them the basic skills of the sport and help them fall in love with it. I coached the freshmen, and when they got good enough, they moved to the next gym with the varsity.”
Another one of Nickles’ loves is cooking, something she learned from her mother, who would make a meal and “add a handful of this or a spoonful of that.” She found when she posts her meals on social media (35,000 followers on Facebook) people want the recipes, and it’s fun to share. “I learned ways to feed our twins (Zachary and MacKenzie) healthy things, like chopping up carrots and spinach in our spaghetti sauce. They were getting their veggies and didn’t even know it.”
She says Kent is her sous chef, and preps a lot of the vegetables, and they make a double batch of taco meat, salmon, or roast, so they can make a different, easy meal out of the other half later. And they have an outline for a cookbook in one of their kitchen cupboards.
In fact, she donates meals to be auctioned off at fundraisers, and they’ve raised thousands of dollars for causes close to her heart, like Image Reborn Foundation, Children’s Service Society, and Ronald McDonald House. “I love using notoriety to help charity.”
Next to family, though, news is always a passion for Nickles.
“I would like to keep doing this as long as I can, and I’d miss it. Even when I’m on vacation, I still check headlines and still look on our website. I don’t want to be out of the loop. Up at 1:30 a.m., to the station by 3:45 a.m. and on air at 4:25 a.m. Being a journalist is fascinating and fun, and I never get tired of telling our viewers the news they need to know.”
Looks like that cookbook will have to remain on the back burner for now. l
KUTV news anchor Mary Nickles has been on the air for 31 years in Salt Lake City. (Photo courtesy of Mary Nickles)
Mary Nickles and co-anchor Ron Bird have done the morning show on 2News for the past 27 years. (Photo courtesy of Mary Nickles)
Mary Nickles and her husband Kent along with their twins, Zachary and MacKenzie. (Photo courtesy of Mary Nickles)
Drone operator training is revolutionizing road safety
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Aspart of their investigations, Utah Highway Patrol troopers and other law enforcement officers may use drones as one of their tools to have measurable data to determine what exactly happened in an accident. They maintain it’s a cost-effective and safer way to resume the traffic flow.
“When we’re doing a scene, these drones are more accurate,” UHP trooper Devan Biggs said. “They’re able to communicate marks to the satellites to measure skid marks, for example, and we know it is within however many centimeters. That’s more accurate than me taking my yard stick or tape measure.”
The drones are not only more accurate, but they’re also more cost-effective to get traffic resumed sooner, said Douglas Spotted Eagle, director of client experiences with the Las Vegas-based The LiDAR Pros, a team that instructs trainers on drones and is part of the Sundance Media Group, a training and education organization for 30 years.
“It’s been determined that every time there’s a road closure in the heart of Las Vegas, it costs about $150,000 per minute per mile,” he said. “When there’s a crash on the freeway, people can’t get to work. People can’t make deliveries. Tours can’t make their destinations. A typical fatal crash in Salt Lake, can take three to four hours to investigate, sometimes more. Drones can save us hours with crash sites. Sometimes, it almost takes longer to change the drone battery than it does to set up the specific mission. I can fly it in five minutes from the time I get it out of the box to being able to help traffic get moving again.”
Drone use isn’t new to the world, but the technology is being used more commonly. They’re used for hospital deliveries; surveying; inspecting bridges, dam and cell towers; mapping; construction; aerial photography; preventing possible mudslides and more. Drone education is being taught in public schools and professionals have a FAA Part 107 pilot license.
“Utah is probably one of the top states in the country pushing drone programs,” Spotted Eagle said.
His colleague, Ben Goddard, agrees: “If you can imagine a way to use a drone, we can find a way to make it work. We’ve done about everything. Drones are a flexible and versatile tool in anybody’s tool bag.”
Recently, both drone pilots were part of a three-person team that was instructing Utah Department of Transportation trainers how to teach fellow troopers to operate drone programs during a five-day intensive course.
“It takes a lot of dedication to go through this course; there is both a practical and a written test that has to be passed to qualify and certify as a trainer,” Goddard said. “Everything we do is done under ISO (international organization for standardization) standards. Everything is done safely, and if we see any anything that stands out to any of our instructor
examiners, we will stop the operation, as will the instructors.”
As part of their evaluation, the instructors taught volunteers ranging from high school students to retirees.
“We train new trainers so the state agencies, such as UDOT and the Utah Highway Patrol, and some of the municipalities, can be self-sufficient, so that they don’t have to hire outside pilots to come in. We are teaching them how to run and develop their training programs for drones,” he said, adding the trainings are offered quarterly.
In addition to course work, the seven trainers used Autel EVO II drones, a foldable pocket drone, to teach the volunteer students. Only one of their students had any experience with drones, years ago.
That volunteer student was retiree John Leonard, who started the drone program with UDOT’s incident management team. Now, there are about 28 certified pilots within the team and 55 overall with UDOT.
That’s where Goddard, who has his professional pilot’s license, started teaching in 2000.
“We’ve been able to use drones so much more with the new age of them about 10 or 12 years ago,” he said. “Right now, there’s a great need for pilots, so we are seeing an uptick in number of training classes. That uptick comes with development of new roadways and the growth Utah is seeing. The more we see the growth in Utah, the more need there is for qualified pilots to be able to help assist and save taxpayers money by flying drones to collect data ahead of events or during events.”
Utah Highway Patrol trooper Steve Crowe was under review to become a certified trainer and was giving feedback to a volunteer student.
“You listen well, and you move the con-
trols smoothly; it’s just a matter of repetition to remember what the sticks do,” he told her.
She had just flown the drone for the first time, from making sure the space outside of UDOT’s traffic operations center was clear to take off to maneuvering it forward, backward, side to side, higher and lower, and landing.
Crowe is part of the major crash investigation team. He will help oversee training for the other 40 drone operators within his department. There also are drones within the dive and SWAT teams.
“I got into the drones with crash investigation; it was something I’ve always been interested in,” he said. “I practice flying drones twice a month, just to keep up on things. I enjoy the teaching aspect of it. Teaching drones is a natural progression.”
Biggs also enjoys flying drones. As a pilot of five years, he appreciates the bigger picture it provides when they stitch together photos they have taken of a crash scene.
“I really like the end product, it helps to wrap your mind around the scene,” he said. “When we fly drones, we take pictures, and then a program interlays them all together into one big picture with a top-down view. It’s easier for me to process the scene and get the perspective from one big view than individual pictures.”
Biggs said the program can 3D print a crash scene to help troopers better illustrate a scene.
“It just gives us a lot more data and resources; it’s another process we can use to determine what happened,” he said.
Leonard said when drone are used, it’s on a defined mission.
“The operators plot their missions, and then the drone automatically flies it so that it gets the correct overlaps and everything. They
will pull up the satellite and outline the area on the highway that the drone will fly,” he said.
Goddard, who estimated the drones being used cost $1,800 to $2,100, said the drone can connect with 10 to 30 satellites at a time, which helps increase its accuracy.
Leonard said accuracy is important with Utah traffic as there are more vehicles on fewer interstates than other states.
“Literally taking an hour off of a crash investigation could be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to the economy, or even millions if we’re doing a full freeway shutdown,” he said. “For example, if I-80 was closed in Parley’s Canyon, trucks and the main traffic would be diverted either to Provo Canyon or to Ogden Canyon so you’re talking an hour out of direction for 50-60 miles. When that’s multiplied by 10s of 1000s of vehicles. It can be very substantive.”
Leonard said that was the mission behind starting the program, which several year ago, saw 18,000 reportable incidents that impacted traffic.
“The goal of the incident management team is to reduce the impacts of incidents that happen on Utah’s highways and by assisting and supplementing the investigating agency. With the foresight of the drone program, we realized we could expedite the clearance of the incident and restore traffic much earlier, which is a significant benefit to the traveling public and to Utah’s economy,” he said.
With colleague Boyd Frank, Leonard introduced the incident management team in Utah in 1994, laying the groundwork several years earlier. Originally funded with a Wasatch Front Regional Council grant under the Clean Air Act, it was a way to clear traffic effectively and reduce idling and emissions.
“We proved that reducing the duration of an incident improved air quality because there’s less idling, people can go through the incident area quicker and more efficiently. When IMT determined it was worthwhile to keep, it became funded through UDOT,” he said.
As a licensed professional traffic operations engineer, Leonard oversaw the incident management team twice before recently retiring. He was awarded the American Traffic Safety Services Association’s National Safety Award after helping write a section of the national manual on traffic control and management.
“Drones are one of the tools in the toolbox that the incident management team can use to reduce the duration of incidents that are happening,” Leonard said. “Because of that, it’s making Utah roads safer. By reducing the duration of the incident, there’s less exposure to the people responding to the crash or incidents, as well as the public that has to go through an incident zone – and hopefully, prevent a secondary crash, which oftentimes can be worse than the first crash.” l
Utah Highway Patrol troopers, overseen by The LiDAR Pros, teach volunteers how to fly a drone as part of their course to be flight instructors. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
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Salt Lake County confronts aging population challenge at Regional Solutions event
Whatwill Salt Lake County look like when over 20% of its population is at retirement age?
This pressing question drove local leaders, planners and experts to convene Oct. 2 for the "2024 Regional Solutions: Aging in Place" event at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan, where they sought answers and solutions for supporting the county’s aging residents. With demographic projections indicating a significant shift in the coming decades, the event provided a critical platform to address how communities can adapt to meet the needs of older adults, ensuring they can live independently and comfortably for years to come.
The event brought together both local and national speakers who highlighted existing initiatives and future plans aimed at helping older adults age gracefully within their communities. Liz Sollis, communications director for the Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office, emphasized, "Balancing immediate and future needs of an aging population is something we have been doing for many years and intend to continue. The Regional Solutions events are one way we inform our practices and policies."
Planning for a Growing Demographic Shift
With the retirement-age population expected to rise, Salt Lake County has been implementing measures to ensure that aging residents can remain independent and connected. Ryan Anderson, Municipal Services and Regional Planning program manager for Salt Lake County, explained that the county is bringing planners together to integrate long-term strategies into regional planning. "Our goal is to support infrastructure and services that meet the evolving needs of older adults, lessening the reliance on social services in the future," Anderson said.
Salt Lake County’s Aging and Adult Services department has long provided programs such as Meals on Wheels, Senior Centers and Rides for Wellness, which directly assist older adults. But as Anderson noted, preparing for an aging population involves more than just expanding existing services—it requires comprehensive planning to accommodate older adults' needs through thoughtful community design and affordable housing solutions.
Addressing Financial Instability Among Older Adults
Economic stability is a growing concern for Utah’s older adults, especially as the state’s median income falls below $60,000 during retirement years. Nearly 60% of renters aged 65 and older are considered cost-burdened, spending more than 35% of their income on housing. As housing costs rise, Salt Lake County has prioritized affordability in its plans.
"The 'Aging in Place' event is a key fo-
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
rum to explore these financial challenges," Sollis stated. "Salt Lake County is committed to integrating affordability into its regional planning initiatives, focusing on livable communities that support residents of all income levels." One of the county’s initiatives involves changes to the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance, allowing homeowners to build secondary residences on smaller lots, thus providing more affordable housing options for older adults.
Additionally, the Housing Trust Fund supports the development of affordable and special-needs housing. By encouraging denser, more accessible housing, officials hope to create a system where aging residents can live close to family or caregivers while maintaining independence.
Promoting Age-Friendly Community Designs
Beyond affordability, Salt Lake County is focused on designing communities that are more age-friendly. Accessibility, walkability and connectivity are at the forefront of the county’s planning. According to Anderson, the Planning and Transportation Division has been improving infrastructure to ensure safety for all modes of travel, catering to residents of all abilities.
"Parks and Recreation recently added an accessible boat dock at Pioneer Crossing Regional Park, and the new trails within Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park are wide enough for adaptive bikes," Sollis said. Other efforts include improving the connectivity of regional trail systems, allowing residents to use soft or paved trails for both recreation and transportation. Initiatives like these underscore the importance of creating environments that enable older adults to remain active and engaged.
Integrating Healthcare and Community Resources
Aging in place is not just about where one lives; it’s also about having access to essential services. Although the county is not the primary provider of healthcare, it partners with organizations to ensure older adults can receive necessary support. Programs such as Medicare counseling and long-term care assistance help residents navigate complex healthcare needs.
Anderson highlighted that the county views its role as facilitating partnerships between healthcare providers and community organizations to ensure aging residents have access to affordable and quality care. “The 'Aging in Place' event served as a platform to discuss ways to improve these connections and identify models that can be implemented in Salt Lake County.”
The Future of Aging in Salt Lake County
As more people retire, the workforce is likely to shrink, leading to potential labor shortages. Salt Lake County has already de-
veloped programs to counteract this trend, such as the Salt Lake County Pre-apprenticeship Program, which focuses on helping underserved populations enter high-demand careers. While not exclusively aimed at older adults, the program offers a model of how skill development can help maintain economic stability across different age groups. Salt Lake County officials were keen on
learning from successful models nationwide. The event featured keynote speaker Danielle Arigoni, known for her work on community resilience and housing. Her insights on integrating housing, transportation and healthcare services provided local planners with valuable guidance as they work to design age-friendly communities.
According to Sollis, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson has long prioritized access to services for people of all ages and this event is an extension of that commitment. "Balancing the immediate needs of our aging population with long-term sustainability goals is central to our planning efforts. By addressing the needs of older adults now through better urban design and housing affordability, we are building resilient communities that will benefit residents of all ages in the future."
For more details on affordable housing initiatives, visit the Housing and Community Development website at www.saltlakecounty.gov/regional-development/housing-community-development. l
Mallory Bateman, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute director of demographic research addresses Salt Lake County’s Aging in Place event. (Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County Regional Development)
UDOT installs radar-enabled crosswalk buttons at 250 intersections for safer pedestrian access
By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@thecityjournals.com
The Utah Department of Transportation installed radar-enabled crosswalk buttons at nearly 250 intersections across the state.
The department is among the first in the nation to implement widespread use of the accessible pedestrian signal (APS) technology at crosswalks, making the pedestrian experience safer, UDOT said.
APS technology reportedly utilizes action movements – like nodding or waving – or activation via an app to assist pedestrians. Once triggered, the APS alerts pedestrians through an audio feature with statements like “wait” or “walk sign is on.”
The app, PedApp, also provides pedestrians with live, supplemental information at crosswalks, such as the amount of walking time remaining or the street name and direction they’re heading, UDOT said. Sight-limited pedestrians can also enable a feature that helps locate the button.
Crosswalks with this type of technology can help people with varying disabilities safely, confidently and independently across the street, UDOT said.
“This new crosswalk technology benefits everyone by facilitating safe and independent movement through pedestrian networks regardless of age or ability,” said Mike Blanchette, UDOT traffic engineer. “The app and touchless buttons are key
components of an accessible, inclusive transportation system.”
UDOT has installed more than 1,000 of the buttons at nearly 250 intersections in Cedar City, Moab, Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo and Logan.
UDOT encourages the public to participate in the installation process by flagging areas to prioritize.
“Citizens can submit an online form to notify UDOT of the need for APS technology at a crosswalk,” UDOT said. l
The Salvation Army in Salt Lake County offers assistance year-round
Volunteers with The Salvation Army in Salt Lake County are much more than season bell-ringers. The organization’s programs include helping people experiencing homelessness, hosting food pantries and assisting families affected by disasters.
Captain James Combs has served with The Salvation Army since 2013. He oversees the Army’s programs and activities within the area and works with local partners and agencies to get people the resources and help they need.
Services include homelessness prevention and emergency assistance to help pay rent, emergency housing needs or transportation issues during an immediate crisis. The Army also provides hygiene kits and clothing or furniture vouchers.
“The most sought-after program we offer is our utility assistance program,” Combs said. “We have agreements with Salt Lake Water, Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy and contract with them to help with utility assistance. There’s a wide variety of emergencies that people are facing. So we have an emergency fund that can step in and help somebody get back on their feet.”
The organization is also home to its Client Choice Food Pantry, operating Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m.
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
and Fridays from 2-4 p.m. Located at 438 S. 900 West, the food pantry is run like a grocery store where people can choose the items they need for their family.
On Thanksgiving Day, Salvation Army volunteers take over the county’s Meals on Wheels program, delivering nearly 1,000 meals to homebound residents.
“You’d be surprised at how fast that goes with the number of people that are there to help,” Combs said. “The clients call us to reserve a hot Thanksgiving meal. It’s really fantastic.”
During the holidays, the Army’s Angel Program and Golden Angel Program provide gifts to thousands of children and senior citizens. Through the programs, people can adopt a child or senior to help for the season.
In 2023, The Salvation Army had more than 26,000 food pantry visits, prepared 42,000 meals, assisted nearly 2,700 people with utility payments and helped more than 142,000 people across the state.
Funding for the program is paid for through partnerships, donations and the generosity of people who donate to the Army’s bell-ringers at Christmastime. Last year’s donations exceeded more than $2.2 million in Utah. There’s also a virtual kettle where people can donate online through Venmo, Apple or
Google Pay.
“Community volunteers are always welcome, especially during the holidays,” he said. “If people want to help ring the bell, which helps more than just at Christmas. It helps us do everything we do all year long. They can volunteer to ring the bell for two hours at a time. That goes a long way to help support our programs.”
Combs said The Salvation Army isn’t a cookie-cutter organization. It adapts and creates programs based on the needs of the resi-
dents it serves. All donations received, stay in the area they are given.
Volunteers are always needed to help at the food pantry, deliver meals, help with emergencies or work at the service center. For more information about services or volunteer opportunities, visit saltlakecity.salvationarmy.org.
“A lot of our programs, over the last few years, have taken a shift,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that our folks were making the impacts and filling the needs that were needed here in Salt Lake County.” l
Map of old, planned and installed crosswalk buttons across Salt Lake Valley. (Photo courtesy of UDOT website)
Assistance for people experiencing homelessness is just one of many ways The Salvation Army in Salt Lake County helps residents needing help. (Stock photo)
Nov. 1 designated as ‘Extra Mile Day’ in Sandy City
By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com
As one of five cities in the state, Sandy City is the newest municipality to designate Nov. 1 as “Extra Mile Day” to encourage residents to serve in their community and recognize those who go the extra mile.
During the Oct. 23 Sandy City Council meeting, Mayor Monica Zoltanski and the city council officially adopted the new holiday within the city and effectively joined the organization Extra Mile America’s mission to celebrate “the capacity we each have to create positive change in families, organizations, communities and ourselves when we ‘go the extra mile.’”
“The mayor and city council do hereby proclaim Nov. 1, 2024, to be Extra Mile Day, and urge each individual in the community to take time on this day to not only ‘go the extra mile’ in his or her own life, but to also acknowledge all those who are inspirational in their efforts and commitment to make their organizations, families, community, country, or world a better place,” read the proclamation.
The other cities in the state that have adopted the day and joined in the mission of Extra Mile America include two others in Salt Lake County namely Draper and West Valley City, as well as Brigham City and Park City, per Extra Mile America.
In addition to hosting the Extra Mile Day in the city, Draper awarded two residents with Extra Mile awards for their service in the community earlier this year. The city has celebrated the day for at least the last four years.
West Valley adopted the day in 2021, per a city agenda.
Zoltanski said it’s the spirit of volunteerism that’s already in the city that makes Extra Mile Day a good fit.
“People in Sandy go the extra mile to help one another,” Zoltanski said. “Whether it’s shoveling a driveway in the winter, participating in the Earth Day Cleanup in Dimple Dell or the city’s Beautification Day in the spring and summer, or delivering a meal in challenging times, we are there for one another, and we celebrate that spirit proclaiming Nov. 1, 2024, as Extra Mile Day in Sandy City.” l
Extra Mile America was founded by author and speaker Shawn Anderson and has the goal of reaching 550 cities across the country and having them recognize the day. As of Oct. 21, 477 cities have adopted Nov. 1 as Extra Mile Day.
Stanley Tumbler
Extra Mile America was founded by author and speaker Shawn Anderson and has the goal of reaching 550 cities across the country and having them recognize the day. As of Oct. 21, 477 cities have adopted Nov. 1 as Extra Mile Day. (Rod Long/Unsplash)
Breast cancer survivor retreats offer support, resilience and hope
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Breastcancer survivors often struggle with challenges beyond the physical aspect of the condition and treatment. Anxiety, depression, body-image issues and cognitive changes can cause emotional and psychological challenges.
Image Reborn offers breast cancer survivors the opportunity to gather with other women going through similar issues by holding free renewal retreats. The program is a chance for survivors to talk about their experiences and offer support to other women.
“We’re actually in our 26th year,” said Bobbi Lord, Image Reborn executive director. “We have weekend retreats that are a place for women to focus on their feelings. The best part is to see that connection as these women come together. They instantly know what the other one’s going through without having to vocalize it, which I think is very powerful.”
Retreats are held in private homes with a small number of attendees (usually less than 10 women) who are pampered and nurtured during a two-night stay. A chef provides healthy meals while women can take part in yoga, massage therapy, group counseling sessions and a grief circle. A medical provider attends part of the retreat to talk with women and answer questions.
Several health aspects are included in each retreat including mindfulness, physical activity and tools for handling emotional distress. Because medical bills quickly add up during a cancer diagnosis and treatment, women can attend the renewal retreat at no cost.
“The only requirement to attend is that they have breast cancer,” Lord said. “The retreats themselves are completely free. We do ask for a small $100 deposit to save their space, and then it’s returned after the retreat.”
Cinthya was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. She attended a retreat earlier this year after her radiologist gave her a pamphlet about the program.
“It was a way for us to have a break from everything and celebrate the end of treatment,” she said. “It was a great experience. I met a lot of ladies, and I learned a lot about their experiences. After that, I started volunteering for them because I felt I wanted to give back to the organization.”
Each retreat is facilitated by professionals experienced in addressing the concerns of women with breast cancer. Renewal retreats are held several times a year and have expanded to include events in Florida, Texas and Colorado. Women are invited to attend at any time during their cancer experience but most sign up two or three years post-diagnosis.
Image Reborn also holds events for women with specific needs including young survivors, women with stage 4 cancer and Spanish-speaking women.
The organization provides ongoing wellness activities for survivors including virtual grief-tending, restorative yoga, virtual hypnotherapy and a sex conference. Additionally, adventure retreats during the year focus on mental and emotional health but include a challenging component.
“Last year we partnered with the National Ability Center, and we did canoeing at Flaming Gorge,” Lord said. “We also did one down in Southern Utah that was canyoneering.”
Volunteers are always needed at Image Reborn. They might help at an event, pick up women from the airport or donate their home as a retreat location. Financial support can be provided through monetary donations, fundraising or by linking the Image Reborn Foundation to a Smith’s Rewards card.
Image Reborn held its annual gala at the beginning of November and was expecting to bring in more than $300,000 in donations. The money is used to provide free retreats, offer travel scholarships for those coming from out-of-town and fund ongoing wellness programs. For more information, visit ImageRebornFoundation.org.
“We are trying to grow across the nation,” Lord said. “We have wait lists and our goal is to make this available for everyone.” l
At Image Reborn renewal retreats, breast cancer survivors can access mental and emotional support while creating new friendships. (Photos courtesy of Image Reborn)
6 local nonprofits to support this holiday season
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Salt
Lake County residents have long demonstrated a commitment to service, upholding the belief that collective action leads to meaningful change and stronger communities.
With hundreds of nonprofit organizations in the area, there are many options to donate time, money or expertise to a cause close to your heart. Take time this month to show gratitude for all you have by supporting one of these charities doing big things in the Salt Lake Valley.
Murray Children’s Pantry, 170 E. 5770 South, Murray
Providing food to any family in need, the Murray Children’s Pantry offers boxes of food to feed one person for two days, or family boxes. With the help of dedicated volunteers, the pantry creates thousands of meals every month and gives them to those who need help, no questions asked. Support this organization through monetary or food donations, or volunteer to help pack meal boxes. More information is available at murraychildrenspantry.org.
Wasatch Wanderers Animal Rescue
It’s not just cats and dogs being abandoned along the Wasatch Front. Rabbits, domestic ducks, turtles, lizards, chickens, guinea pigs and other animals are often dumped by their owners in the wild, where they don’t survive long. Wasatch Wanderers rescues these rejected pets and finds new homes where they can be part of a loving family. Get involved with this organization by adopting or fostering an animal, transporting rescued animals to rescue farms or donating money to their care. Visit WasatchWanderers.org for more information.
Warrior Rising
Through strategic partnerships, Warrior Rising helps veterans become thriving business owners. Using a network of professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, the nonprofit created a remote learning platform that uses mentors, coaches, experts and grant money to provide vets the opportunity to build a successful life after they have served the country. Entrepreneurial volunteers are needed to teach skills and help vets through the business start-up process. Find more info at WarriorRising.org.
The Christmas Box International, 3660 S. West Temple Open all year, The Christmas Box International is a short-term, emergency shelter helping children suffering from abuse, neglect, trafficking and homelessness. More
than 14,000 children were served at the home last year and organizers are always looking for donations to help support the programs offered including resource rooms and international projects. To honor the children they serve, The Christmas Box International only accepts new donations of clothing, books, toys and toiletries. Monetary donations are also accepted. Learn more at Thechristmasbox.org.
Encircle, 331 S. 600 East
Based on the premise that the LGBTQ+ community deserves to live free from discrimination, prejudice and violence, Encircle offers programs and therapy to strengthen LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Volunteers, monetary donations, fundraising, interns and community supporters are all needed to create a safe environment for these young people. With art and music nights, brunch and friendship circles, volunteers can find the most effective ways to donate their time and talents. Visit EncircleTogether.org for more information.
Fourth Street Clinic, 409 W. 400 South
With cold temperatures on the way, people experiencing homelessness will need extra support to stay safe. Fourth Street Clinic provides health care to a population that often doesn’t receive continual medical attention. The clinic accepts donations including travel-size hygiene items, tents, sleeping bags, tarps, gloves and hats, new underwear and warm socks. Monetary donations to Fourth Street Clinic are leveraged to create an additional in-kind donation dollar for every $1 raised. Learn more at FourthStreetClinic.org. l
Brighton High theatre season lineup includes family-friendly favorites
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Somefavorite childhood characters will come to life on the Brighton High stage this school year.
The season starts with a beloved, precocious 5-year-old bookworm, Matilda, in the show with the same name based on the book by Roald Dahl. Matilda lives with her brother and parents, who are unappreciative of her. She uses her telekinetic abilities to overcome obstacles caused by her family and school, with the help of her kind-hearted teacher.
“It’s a fun musical with modern music,” Brighton theatre director Makayla Conner said. “The cast loves the dancing in it. This is something they wanted to do and they’re excited to perform it.”
Sixty-six students will perform on stage and another 18 are part of the tech crew. Students help with costuming and design the posters and videos.
The show opens at 7 p.m., Nov. 21 and runs through Nov. 23. There also will be a 2 p.m., Nov. 23 matinee. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for children age 12 and younger and are available on brightonbengals.org. The show is on the school stage, 2220 Bengal Blvd.
“The show has a strong message of empowerment to kids. We live in a world where kids are trying to have their voices heard a lot more, and they have the abilities and the platforms too. This show has messages about kids standing up for what they believe in, and kids having a voice. That’s important for the generation we have in high schools right now to understand how important their voice is in so many different aspects. With social media, they can have their voices heard a lot more, but it’s important they learn how to use their voice in a proactive light so they can be more successful with using those platforms,” she said.
The musical theatre class has been reading the novel as they have been rehearsing.
“There are a lot of connections to the original book, which I was surprised about, because I hadn’t read it before,” Conner said. “We have 35 kids from the cast in that class, but we include everyone who auditions in the musical. With the musical theatre class, we have featured sections of dancers, so they are the ones who learn those ahead of time, and then they can teach the rest of the cast. The same with featured actors. It helps when we have a short time to rehearse before a production.”
During the show’s run, the thespians will have drop boxes for those who want to support their drive to provide personal hygiene and essentials, such as socks, for those impacted by the recent hurricanes.
The show comes on the heels of success the thespians found at the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival.
The school’s Shakespeare team earned second place in the overall sweepstakes and
second in their ensemble piece, “Coriolanus.”
Senior Kate Cutler won first in props in the Tech Olympics while senior Jeffrey Burnham finished fourth in sound. The Larry Lott Award, the highest acting award at the competition, was given to junior Lucia Glime for her performance as Coriolanus in the ensemble.
“It was a huge weekend for our Shakespeare team,” she said about the 24 students.
“We picked ‘Coriolanus’ because it has a lot of themes of political conflict, and especially in this election year, it brings a modern discussion. The kids have their own personal experiences with political conflict in this modern day, so it’s cool for them to be able to see that those issues still applied when Shakespeare wrote.”
While in Cedar City, the team also participated in team-building exercises.
“It’s important, especially with ensemble work, that every kid understands their role is crucial, even if they feel like, ‘I’m only in the background and I have no lines.’ That’s not the case. Through those team bonding exercises, they bond as a team and see the whole goal as a bigger picture than just themselves,” Conner said.
Those skills will pay off as they plan to perform their one-act play, “Martyrs Crossing” by Melissa Leilani Larson.
“It’s about Joan of Arc and how she was
guided by angels to help her make the decisions she did in her lifetime. It’s written by a local playwright and a fascinating idea of even though you’re trying your best to make the outcome correct, it still will end the way that it was supposed to or needed to,” she said.
Pending approval for the show as of press deadline, the thespians will perform the show
at 7 p.m., March 6-8, 2025 and again at 2 p.m., March 8 in their black box theatre. They also plan to compete with it in their one-act at region in March. State is in April.
The spring production company show returns to childhood favorites with “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
“I love how fun it is to be in this show and how simple it is. The music’s great, the dancing is fun, we’ll wear traditional costuming. Everyone just loves Charlie Brown; everyone has some kind of connection to Charlie Brown,” she said.
Conner said the tech crew is going to “focus on the artwork in the comic strip for the sets and the lights and utilizing that for inspiration for their set they’re going to design” to make it historically accurate and include “that childhood nostalgia.”
The show will be at 7 p.m., May 1-3, 2025 in the school auditorium. A 2 p.m. matinee on May 3 is planned, with a possibility of a meet-and-greet the cast and photo opportunity in the works.
The season’s theme is from the Charlie Brown musical.
“The kids picked it. It’s called, ‘Why not fly?’ It comes from the song, when Charlie Brown tries to fly the kite over and over, and it doesn’t work. At the end of the song, he gets it to fly,” Conner said. “The idea sometimes it might be hard to push through a long rehearsal or feel like there’s no way we can, we can. They picked it because they wanted to have the open-ended question of, ‘Why aren’t we pushing ourselves?’ so it’s giving them a motivated idea behind everything they’re doing this year.”
Brighton opens its improv season at 7 p.m., Nov. 1 in the black box theatre. The 12-member team also has three other shows planned on Dec. 6, March 28, 2025 and May 9, 2025. Tickets are $5. l
Brighton High thespians perform in the showcase with their ensemble piece from “Coriolanus“ at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. (Photo courtesy of Bella Koza)
Brighton High’s team smiles with the awards they earned at the Utah Shakespearean competition in Cedar City. (Photo courtesy of Bella Koza)
Unseen kindness: Stories from a walker crossing America
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Day 56. Mile total: 1,100.
Mike Bassett Sr. pushed his jogging cart across 11000 South on 700 East in Sandy.
Having started about 3:30 a.m., he left Millcreek, walking 700 East through Murray and Midvale. Draper was his destination for the day, which he would reach by noon. It was a short day for him, only 15 miles, compared to the day before when he walked through Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake or other days when he averages 20 to 25 miles.
Bassett, who grew up in Logan and once lived in Salt Lake City, is walking across America. He started at Cape Meares Lighthouse, 12 miles west of Tillamook, Oregon on the Pacific Coast and will walk to the Atlantic Coast, perhaps to Harbour Town Lighthouse in Hilton Head, South Carolina — his route is still unfolding as he walks.
“I have no agenda; I don’t care how long it takes me,” he said, adding he thinks he will be done by the holiday season. “I’m looking at heading on a more southern route by Texarkana, Texas because from what I’ve read, they’ll have milder temperatures come this fall.”
Soon after Bassett set out on June 1, he encountered three days of downpours in Oregon’s coastal mountain range, followed by every day nearing or bettering 100 degrees by the time he was in Sandy on July 26.
“It’s been baptism by fire. I start out my day early, trying to beat the heat,” he said.
Bassett worked in the automotive business for more than 40 years. He was once the general manager of Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne in Sandy’s Auto Mall. Then, he moved 15 years ago to the Los Angeles area to continue working in the industry.
“Most people have a good reason why they walk the country. I really don’t. I had an office job for 40 years. Every time I went anywhere, I’d go to big cities and stay in nice hotels, but I’ve never seen this country. So, I just decided I would walk it,” he said.
Walking the country was never Bassett’s goal.
“It’s never been anything I dreamed of doing, but I knew after I finished my master’s degree in May from John Hopkins University, I wanted to do something epic. At first, I thought I’d climb Mount Everest, but the reason I moved from Utah is I don’t like the cold — and there’s snow on Everest. So, I decided not to do that,” he said. “Then I started watching YouTube videos about people who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail and that led me to a guy who walked across the United States. When I decided to do it, I didn’t think I’d make it. I still not sure I’ll make it, but I know I can walk to the next city, the next mile marker or the next telephone pole. So, I just keep doing that over and over. I just keep going.”
The 60 year old’s walk has taken him to visit his family and friends as he often ven-
tures on the back roads and highways of the country. Some nights, he finds a motel — “I’m not roughing it as I could; I want to enjoy this, too, and a motel means a shower, free breakfast and internet” — but he can go five days camping in disperse lands and eating rehydrated food.
Bassett’s converted cart can weigh up to 100 pounds, often with three gallons or more of water, which he drinks from his bright pink Ozark Trail water bottle. He has a second water bottle he uses for coffee. His wardrobe is simple — two long-sleeved quick-drying Jolly Gear shirts with hoods (one purple, one blue), two pairs of identical pants, four pairs of Darn Tough socks (he wears two at a time) and his black Hoka Ones shoes — “They work well because I walk on a lot of roads, and there’s rocks so having that extra sole helps quite a bit.”
Inside the zippered jogging cart, he packs rain gear, bug spray, sunscreen, first aid kit, pepper spray, a warm hat, a head net for mosquitoes, a headlamp, a camp stove, coffee, powdered milk, granola, prepared meals, a GPS, a tent, a chair, a sleeping bag and a recently purchased pillow. He also carries a solar charger, two battery power packs, headphones and a phone where he downloads books (recently by Stephen King, JK Rowling and others adventure tales, such as Peter Jenkins’ “Walk Across America”) to read when it gets too hot to walk. He also uses them to document his adventures on his OregontoCarolina Instagram account.
“My plan was to walk about 15 miles per day and then take some days off. Well, there’s nothing to do in some areas, so I just keep walking. I planned about $3,500 per month, but it’s probably closer to $5,000 because I
do stay in motels,” he said. “I got everything I own in the world right here in this cart except for my diplomas, which my son has. I flew from graduation to his house so he could take me to the coast. So, I am very free. When I finish, maybe I’ll do some research or maybe I’ll do some writing.”
Bassett was on his third pair of Hokas in Utah, having them mailed to him at certain destinations.
“They last me about 500 miles and I’m estimating my route will be 3,700 miles. I’ve changed my route at least 20 times based on water, food, places to stay. I don’t set out to see a certain thing or visit a state or national park. If it’s within 20 feet, I’ll go see it. I was going through Twin Falls, Idaho and Shoshone Falls was five miles away and I didn’t see it. I’m not walking five miles out of my way. I have no desire to walk extra steps,” he said, adding the only plans he has are to visit his grandchildren for their birthdays.
Having walked about 10 miles per day for six months leading up to his journey, Bassett is thankful his only ailment so far has been chapped lips.
“I have not had a single blister. I’ve been lucky. I try to wear my sunscreen, but I do get burnt sometimes on my legs and my back in my hands because I push this cart,” he said.
Cooling off means “I run through sprinklers whenever I possibly can” and “eating ice cream. That’s the nice thing about burning five 6,000 calories a day; I can eat whatever I want,” he added.
Bassett isn’t worried much about dangers, saying he can use common sense for most situations. What scares him more is people driving and texting and not paying attention as well as dogs that are unsecured.
“If I am ever king in the world, there’ll be bike paths everywhere. There will be
shoulders on every road because some roads have the white line and then it’s a drop off. About 90 percent of the people will move over and give you some room, it’s the others I need to worry about,” he said.
What makes him sad is to see beer bottles, vape pens and dirty diapers thrown alongside the roadside.
“This beautiful landscape has garbage everywhere. It’s pointless,” Bassett said.
The good outweigh the bad on his journey.
“I’m having a blast walking across the country. My favorite thing is meeting people and being able to share my journey,” he said. “As a car dealer, I drove and owned a lot of cars. When you drive across the country, you go so fast you don’t see things. Even going down 700 East, I’ve noticed things. I lived here for 20 years and now I’m noticing things I’ve never seen before.”
From the coast, Bassett walked to the base of Mt. Hood then onto the remote Warm Springs Reservation.
He has tales of how at first, people looked at him strangely, thinking he was homeless until a friend from St. George mailed him signs, “Walk Across America,” which decorate the front and side of his cart. He is grateful a National Park Service employee who he once sold trucks to; the man gave him a national park service hat to shade him along with a utility knife to use on the journey.
Bassett’s favorite makeshift campsite thus far was along the Snake River in Idaho, and he said semitruck drivers surprised him, often slowing down to hand him bottles of water.
He remembers the kindness of a 17-yearold boy who literally ran after him across the barren fields between Malta, Idaho to Snowville, Utah to give him some MREs
Mike Bassett is walking across America, having started at Oregon’s Cape Meares Lighthouse, which he had tattooed on his arm. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)
Former area resident Mike Bassett Sr. is walking across America, pushing a converted jogging stroller with all his worldly belongings. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Having already ventured through Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Murray and Midvale on July 26, Mike Bassett is a block away from the Sandy-Draper border in his walk across the country (Julie Slama/City Journals)
(meals ready to eat) and water.
“I was amazed someone put that much effort into doing something. The generosity of people is overwhelming and has been this entire journey,” Bassett said, adding he doesn’t accept monetary donations, but does accept water, popsicles and energy bars. “A guy in a dump truck yesterday stopped to give me water. We talked for probably 20 minutes. People are curious as to what drives a person to walk across the country. For me, it’s more of my own journey. I’ve lived a different life, traveling to fancy places. Now I’m alongside the road in the dirt with mice.”
After he pushed his cart to Draper, Bassett ventured on toward Provo and then to Duchesne, Utah, where he encountered onemile of road construction — with no shoulder. Understanding the desire for a continuous walk, the supportive foreman followed him in a truck with his lights flashing, while the road crew cheered and patient motorists waved.
Bassett got caught in another storm
— and luckily, took shelter in an unlocked snowplow station. A motorist concerned for his well-being at an 8,020-foot summit called highway patrol; the officer gave him water and checked on him.
Often the encounters turn into people who follow his journey on his Instagram account. There Bassett has answered questions from explaining he wears his rain suit when he does laundry at a motel to how he has a traveling mailbox service that opens his mail, scans and emails them and follows his instructions to shred a document or deposit a check.
Bassett expects somewhere in Kansas will be his halfway point, and he looks forward to the flat plains after climbing Colorado’s Rockies.
“I tattooed my arm when I started with Cape Meares Lighthouse. When I finish, I’ll do my other arm with the lighthouse at Hilton Head,” he said. “Dad, Grandpa, student, car guy — those are the labels I’ve choose to put on myself. Now I’d add walker too.” l
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Unveiling reality: The challenges and joys of raising special needs athletes
Murray High parent Kim Domiguez used to watch other mothers taxi their kids from one practice to another.
Then, while her oldest, Braedon, was in high school, Special Olympics introduced unified sports and Murray High was one of the first Utah schools to jump on board.
Coed soccer and basketball were the first sports, now track and field, swimming and e-sports are options at the high school. The athletes with differing abilities are joined with partners, often peer tutors, to play alongside each other on the same team.
“It used to be that we came up with stuff to do on our own, but now with unified sports, we’re busy,” she said. “I can tell you from a special needs parent’s standpoint, I now understand what soccer moms go through. Unified sports definitely keeps kids involved.”
While Braedon has graduated, he is a constant face on the sidelines of four unified sports, cheering on his brother, Reilly, or more commonly called, Turbo. The high school junior nicknamed himself after the Dreamworks movie, “Turbo,” when he first saw the movie at age 6.
“The only person who he allows to call him Reilly is his brother,” his mother said.
While Domiguez may have an idea of what typical parents do to shuffle their kids and prepare them for competition, not many understand preparing a unified athlete to play.
At Murray, unified soccer and basketball athletes practice 90 minutes once per week.
“As parents, we get their bags ready and then, some of us help the teachers get their gear on, make sure their shoes are tied and are ready for practice. Most of the kids complain about it, asking ‘why do we have to do it?’ It’s outside of their comfort zone. But once they get there, they love it,” she said.
Domiguez said few unified athletes grew up playing the sport, so they’ve had to learn the skills. Her family also had her sons watch the Utah Royals on TV and YouTube to understand fundamentals.
“It’s been a work in progress. When we first started the program, most of our kids would just stand out on the field. They’ve learned how to kick the ball and where to kick it. Now they play defense. Lots of our kids love to be the goalkeeper because they realize they don’t have to run up and down the field, but then they had to learn how to stop the ball, how to pick it up and throw it. We had to start all over with basketball. At first, they’d stand on the court, put their hands up and somebody would dribble around them. It’s been with the help of the peers, with other teams, the coaches and all these reps, that our kids come to play,” she said.
Turbo doesn’t have hours of homework, but he does have a life skills class so his mother has him practice the skills at home.
“Sometimes he does well, sometimes I will need to redo it. He loves the vacuum, and
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
he loves to shred. I know if I need something shredded or something vacuumed, it will get done very well. If I need a table wiped off, and I’ve explained it to him 1,000 times, I know I’m still going to have to redo that,” she said.
The night before a game or a meet, it’s not early to bed for Turbo.
“He’s not a go-to-bed early kid. He’s a ‘I’ll go to bed when I am darn-well-ready kid.’ We say nine o’clock, take your melatonin and pajamas and he’s still up at midnight walking around. We try to keep the boys’ schedule the same without disruption. Each kid is different, but most special needs kids love their schedules, and they like it being always the same. I don’t tell him we have a soccer match the night before so he won’t get upset that he will be missing class and will have to make it up. From a special needs standpoint, getting ready and to the event can almost be as difficult as being in the event,” she said.
Turbo gets up at 5:30 a.m. before being at school two hours later “because he’s not in a hurry to do anything in his life. He could shower and then lay down a little, take his time at breakfast.”
On a game day morning, he used to be “on edge.”
“Turbo is a creature of habit. He likes things to be the same, but now he knows what to expect so it’s easier. He knows there’s going to be people there he knows. He’s going to have a chance to ride on the bus. It’s going to be a fun adventure,” his mother said.
Domiguez’ husband, Dean, offered his help to coach the team alongside special education teacher Jessie Agiriga and other educators who have guided the program from its inception.
“Turbo listens to Dean. He didn’t want to come today and we had to put in effort to get him here,” she said about an early fall tournament at Highland High. “Now, he’s all in.”
Still, when the regional tournament rolled around, and Turbo got frustrated, his dad explained, “Turbo’s ideal soccer game is not to play it, but to watch it on TV.”
The frustration came about from Turbo playing on a higher skill level team than he previously competed on as an underclassman. At the beginning of the season, every school tests students’ abilities and from there, it’s determined what unified division level of teams the school will have and where athletes will be placed.
“It’s not always sunshine and roses and he will let us know that. When he’s reaches the end of what he can handle, he needs some downtime,” his mother said. “What’s different about playing unified is everybody is so wonderful and gracious; they want everybody to score and do well. It’s fun to see the competitive nature of a lot of these kids come out, but then also their humanity side comes out even more. If there’s a kid who has shot at a basket six times in a row, you’ll find everybody rooting for the seventh, eighth and ninth attempts until he finally scores. Then we all cheer.”
Domiguez said that’s different than a typical sporting event.
“But don’t get me wrong; our kids still like to win. They know when they come in first or second. They understand our team didn’t win, we might not advance,” she said.
As an increasing number of Utah high schools now have unified programs, competition has stepped up. At the metro regional tournament, there were 55 area teams. Sev-
eral schools, like Murray, have added additional teams.
Every year Murray’s unified athletes and their partners have qualified for state, even winning the championships multiple times. This year, both teams fell short of being in the championship games while three other area teams — West Jordan High, Alta High and Hunter High — all qualified and finished second in their divisions.
“There’s disappointment. They must face it just the same as any other kid. Sometimes they do well with that, other times they do not. When they don’t, we just talk through it. It’s a lot of the same dynamics and feelings as a typical kid losing, only our kids’ emotions might be a little bit more on the surface,” she said, then added, “Luckily for us, basketball rolls in right after and we’ve already started swimming.”
Her husband, a former Murray High swimmer and water polo player, also coaches unified swim. He’s able to spend time with the team as he has macular degeneration, so he retired from his desk job, and now, with Braedon and Braedon’s grandfather, does construction work for the family business.
Domiguez said both her sons, who were born premature, were diagnosed with autism before age 2 after doctors were monitoring their progress. They attended a preschool for students with autism before entering Viewmont Elementary. Braedon integrated into a kindergarten class while it wasn’t until second grade that Turbo fully integrated.
“His peers didn’t know he spoke until second grade. He was very quiet, and he was a runner. The kids were so helpful, if Turbo got up and ran out, a nice girl would go after him,” she said. “Every year, I’d go to their classes and talk to the kids about what autism is, or answer their questions, ‘why is Turbo acting the way he does? Or should I be afraid of him?’ We thought the best way to combat bullying was let the kids get to know us.”
Now some of those classmates are the ones who fill the bleachers at games or are the cheerleaders rallying for Turb o and the rest of the unified team.
“What’s been fun for the team is when we people are there to cheer for them; they love the support,” she said.
That gift of acceptance and being part of the school is not lost as the Domiguez family returns their support, often going to soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball games to cheer on those players who have helped the unified teams. They even support their classmates in the school musicals and attended University of Utah women’s basketball games, after those players practiced with Murray’s unified team.
Domiguez, as the sole driver for the family, says it isn’t easy, as she herself often attends unified games in a wheelchair as she has “really bad arthritis. We’re a lot better
At the unified soccer state championship game, Alta and Westlake high schools’ teams go after the ball.
(Julie Slama/City Journals)
than we look on paper, but we do live in a very different world than I think a lot of people. I used to be a type A personality. Now it’s ‘Let’s just see where the day takes us.’”
She knows she can’t leave her younger son without a “Turbo-sitter” as he has a track record of dumping out all the kitchen spices or emptying the fire extinguisher, but she is pleased he likes his classes such as video editing, ceramics, cooking and zoology. He also participates in Best Buddies program and has attended school dances.
“Turbo got himself a rainbow sequined suit for a Halloween dance. He asked one of his peer helpers to go with him, and she had the same suit. They wore matching rainbow suits and had a lot of fun with it,” Domiguez said.
And those special moments, such as when Braedon scored a last-second shot to win a basketball game, are often relived.
“Everybody went nuts, running onto the
court, screaming and dancing. And an hour or two later, we’re driving home, and the kids were still excited. Braedon still brings it up and they talk about how great it was,” Domiguez said. “Those are some of the moments that make us smile and make it so worthwhile.”
This year, Turbo had a memorable goal.
During the season, Murray High ate dinner with the Utah Royals’ unified team and the Spartans met their mascot and the Utah Royals players. Then the two unified teams scrimmaged on the America First field.
“We got our butt handed to us, but Turbo scored a goal, and that’s all that mattered,” his mother said. “When they score, that’s when they’re the happiest and the whole team jumped around, they high-fived each other, and even the Royals unified girls gave them high-fives. We got one goal. Oh, by golly, we celebrated the heck out of that goal.” l
Jordan High brings the ball up field in the game against Copper Hills in a regional unified soccer tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)
Overtime playoff loss ends season for Jordan girls soccer
By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com
Inheartbreaking fashion, the 2024 girls soccer season ended a bit early for Jordan High School.
The Beetdiggers fell at home in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament with a 3-2 overtime loss to Sky View. Seeded 14th, Jordan was looking to advance to the second round but came up short when Sky View scored an overtime goal to break a 2-2 tie.
Jordan led 1-0 at halftime but allowed two second-half goals while scoring one more of its own after halftime. Jordan’s Kyrie Evans and Emberly Camacho scored goals, with Julia Willham getting an assist.
On the season, the Beetdiggers were 10-8. They were 6-6 in Region 10, finishing in fourth place. Last season, Jordan was 4-8 in league play and 7-10 overall. This was the first time since 2019 that Jordan finished with a winning record. That year, the Beetdiggers were 8-6. The 10 victories this season were the most for the program since going 10-6 in 2015.
Reflecting on the season, head coach Justin Jahnke was pleased with how hard the girls worked and with their performance on the field.
“We played our style; we played Jordan soccer,” he said. “It was great to see the girls working hard, keeping possession, defending hard and attacking bravely. Those were all in-
ternal goals we set for each other as a program.”
Though Jahnke didn’t like how the season ended, he was impressed with how well the girls played together and with the effort they put out each day. He said it was easy to coach
this group.
“I was disappointed to drop the playoff match versus Sky View, but hats off to them; they never quit,” Jahnke said. “Our team played together as a unit. Our chemistry was great to see—everyone helping each other on and off the field. What stood out to me was the level our training sessions were at. All those girls were locked in at training, giving 100% of what they had to give. They were awesome to coach, as all I needed to do was focus on the soccer. They brought the motivation, intensity and discipline themselves.”
Jordan got region play off to a great start this season. The Beetdiggers won their first two games of league play, defeating Cottonwood 5-0 and Hillcrest 3-1. After a close 1-0 loss at Park City on Aug. 26, Jordan beat Tooele 5-2 and Murray 1-0 to improve to 4-1 in Region 10. The rest of the season had some ups and downs, but Jordan still outscored its region foes collectively by a 20-14 count and scored 32 goals overall this season while giving up 19.
Defensively, the Beetdiggers had eight shutouts, thanks largely to the play of goalie June Joseph. Jahnke will be fortunate to have the sophomore back for two more seasons.
As the season progressed, Jahnke made some adjustments, some of which were helpful and some not as much. A variety players got experience in different positions, as Jahnke used many contributors.
“We changed formations and tactics after the first half of the season,” Jahnke said. “You’ve seen everyone once, and teams and coaches pick up on patterns. The more dynamic we played, the harder we were to play. At times I got too fancy for my own good, so I take blame for some of the losses on the back side of our schedule. Bringing in some girls from JV helped and moving some of our girls to different spots made us less predictable.”
Two Jordan players led the team with 10 goals each. Willham, a senior, and freshman Sydney Vessey paced the Beetdiggers in scoring, while Camacho, another freshman, had a team-high eight assists. Willham had seven assists of her own. Evans, a junior, had three goals, as did senior Paige Walters.
Going forward, Jahnke hopes some changes will come to the Region 10 scheduling.
This past season, Region 10 teams played two league games a week like all other regions. However, in Region 10, the games were Monday and Wednesday. Jahnke said the fast turnaround between games made it physically and mentally taxing on the players.
“Rest and recovery would help,” he said. “Playing games on Monday and Wednesday is tough. One day of rest in between isn’t ideal for letting athletes recover athletically, not to mention mentally. Our girls are not only high performers on the pitch, but they all are amazing students, so they take school seriously. This is something I wish would change, as [Park City head coach] Anthony DiCicco and I have brought this to the attention of our region board a couple times.”
Jahnke is excited about the prospects for 2025 and believes his team should continue to improve and be a factor in the region race. With Vessey and Camacho in the program for three more years, not to mention Evans and Joseph coming back, the future could be bright. Other key contributors this past season were juniors Chloe Glauser and Jocelyn Hauber.
“We’re returning a good number of varsity players, as well as looking at multiple JV players who had a great season, so I’m very hopeful,” Jahnke said. “The expectations will be the same as always: compete in region, test ourselves with competitive nonregion games and push ourselves to do the best we can. I’m hoping for another big freshmen class to push the girls that are returning, as I think the competition does well for us.” l
Jordan’s soccer team finished 10-8 this season. (Photo courtesy Chase Cardenaz)
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Preparing Thanksgiving dinner never gets easier. I always start with lofty culinary goals based on recipes from “The Pioneer Woman” that include truffles and capers but end up scraping scorched gravy into a dish and hoping the turkey won’t give anyone food poisoning.
Because of my poor cooking skills, I’m always looking for Thanksgiving hacks to make meal preparation more sunshine and less hurricane. I thought I’d share some tips I found to survive the food frenzy that is Thanksgiving.
Ask for help. Stop being a martyr. Don’t complain about having to do everything and then refuse any help. Give out assignments and not like “Can you bring one can of olives?” or “I need someone to pick up some napkins.” No. Ask someone to bring mashed potatoes or all the desserts or even the turkey. You don’t get a blue ribbon for Thanksgiving suffering.
Don’t make foods no one eats. Stop wasting time preparing “traditional” foods, even if it’s a recipe handed down from your quadruple-great grandmother. Especially if it’s handed down from your quadruple-great grandmother because there weren’t a lot of food options in the 1800s besides lima beans and fried hominy.
Use a mandoline to slice vegetables.
Hacking Thanksgiving
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Not to be confused with a stringed instrument from the 19th century, the mandoline slices onions, celery and carrots quickly and easily. The guest who finds the tip of my index finger in the stuffing wins a prize!
Make only one batch of dinner rolls. Homemade rolls are always a hit but now you can use them as leverage. Your grandson wants a second, hot-buttered roll? He’d better start washing dishes. Bonus hack: Purchase pre-made bakery rolls. You won’t get docked Thanksgiving points. I promise.
Thaw the turkey in water. Not only will this leave you with a bucket full of disgusting waste water but then you can spill it all over the kitchen floor on Thanksgiving morning. Maybe don’t even cook a turkey. There are no Thanksgiving laws. Have chicken wings or spaghetti bolognese.
Spatchcock the turkey. If you insist
on roasted turkey, watch a three-hour video explaining how to spatchcock the bird, which involves removing the turkey’s backbone so it lies flat and cooks quickly. (Sidenote: Who spatchcocked Utah’s governor and legislators?)
One tip said, “Use tongs to stem kale” and none of those words make sense together.
Use a Thermos to keep gravy warm. Gravy is notoriously dreadful when served cold. Trust me, I know. Grab your sisterin-law’s gallon-sized Stanley cup to ensure there’s hot gravy for the mashed potatoes.
Use pre-made pie shells. People think pies need to be made from scratch to get that flakey, buttery crust. Baloney. Unless you’re a professional pie baker, do yourself a favor and buy frozen pie crusts. Right now. Even better, get delicious pies from the grocery store.
Celebrate Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. There’s nothing worse than working three days and trying to fit in Thanksgiving preparation. On Friday, it can be a celebratory meal after everyone’s done shopping online.
Create a fun playlist. Before Uncle Jim can cue up the Jan. 6 prisoners’ chorus singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” have a variety of tunes ready to go. Include ev-
erything from Bach to ZZ Top, to equally irritate every family member.
Give yourself a break. I’ve overcooked turkey, burned gravy, made inedible broccoli-cornbread stuffing, forgot the cranberry sauce, dropped a pumpkin pie and used Tupperware lids when I ran out of dinner plates. No one cares. If you’re being judged for the way Thanksgiving dinner turns out, it’s time to find a new family.
