South Jordan Journal | March 2024

SOJO’S GRACIE OTTO HAS AMBITIOUS, OLYMPIC DREAMS

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Few people have goals set for the year.

According to U.S. News and World Report, about 80% of people lose their resolve and motivation in February after setting new year’s resolutions.

Even fewer people have goals for five years out or even have a 10-year plan.

But a 24-year-old South Jordan resident does, and she wants to be on the world’s stage.

Gracie Otto is a skeleton racer.

She will jump onto her sled, her face just inches away from the track as she looks ahead at the icy path. Her shoulders and legs control the direction of the sled, making the best line on each of the curves.

Otto has a plan for each day, each season, each year. Ultimately, she’d like to race in the Winter Olympic Games in 2030 or 2034.

“I would love to make that happen, and especially on our home track, that would be amazing,” she said.

Otto knows she has work ahead of her.

“USA bobsled and skeleton has a push standard for athletes to qualify for each race circuit. I’m working on trying to meet the stan-

dard,” she said. “Next year, I want to start competing in the North American Cup. Then I’ll make my way up to the European Cup and the World Cup.”

This March, the 5-foot-3 racer will submit her analytics, including her 40-yard dash time, her vertical jump, her long jump and other statistics, in hopes of an invitation to the national rookie camp in New York.

Otto knows her goals are ambitious; she’s willing to work for them.

“I have my eye on trying to make it to Lake Placid next season,” she said. “My coaches are telling me I should totally strive for that. They’re supportive and remind me that I’ll get there; it just takes time. I’m training hard and hope Team USA will recognize and move me forward.”

Otto didn’t grow up racing skeleton, just going down a steep hill in the Daybreak community.

Continued page 24

Hillcrest High alumna Gracie Otto is training in hopes of qualifying to compete in next year’s North American Cup. (Photo courtesy

of Cece Otto)

Daybreak resident set to conquer the Boston Marathon

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Melissa Lister will run her first marathon on Monday, April 15, which just happens to be the Boston Marathon. She’ll be one of more than 22,000 participants competing in the event that’s been held for 128 years.

Lister is running to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in honor of her father who passed away from lung cancer in 2015. An immigrant from Turkey, he never smoked but inhaled secondhand smoke for years while he was waiting tables.

“He had trouble breathing for so long and he didn’t tell anybody,” Lister said. “I can overcome obstacles in a race, like struggling to breathe, and keeping my heart rate down. I try to imagine people like my dad, who couldn’t express what they’re feeling and how they feel. So that’s the real reason for running and now doing this for charity.”

The 41-year-old’s goal is to raise $15,000 with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Lister played soccer in high school but hated running. Later, when she saw celebrities racing in the New York Marathon she was inspired to give road running a shot. In 2008, she started doing half marathons and never looked back.

“There was just something really fun about pushing yourself and about just seeing how far you can go mentally and physically.”

Lister moved to Boston in 2011 and competed in the Boston 5K, 10K and half marathon several times. She also raced the New York Half Marathon and got into Spartan racing after her father passed away. Nationally and world-ranked in her age group, Lister competed in the obstacle course racing world championships in 2017 and 2018. She

averaged 15 Spartan races each year when she lived on the East Coast.

When Lister first started dating the man who would become her husband, they traveled to Utah for a vacation and she fell in love with the state. They moved to Logan in 2019 and then moved to Daybreak in the summer of 2022. She works as an assistant principal at Alta High School in Sandy.

Once she moved to Utah, she got involved with mountain bike racing and trail running. But last year, she started doing road races again when she decided to run the De-

seret News 10K.

“I thought, maybe I should get back into road racing, because it’s actually pretty fun,” she said. “And that’s when I decided to run the Boston Marathon for charity. It’s funny because I was in Boston for eight years, and I never thought to run the Boston Marathon. And now I move across the country and I’m like, let me just give this a go. It’s my first marathon ever.”

She’s stuck to a rigorous training schedule, increasing her mileage each week to prepare for the event. She said it’s fun to see her

body is still okay with road racing after not doing those types of events for 10 years. To support Lister’s charitable goal, visit rundfmc.org and search for Melissa Lister.

“I’m just super excited for the energy at the marathon,” she said. “If you’ve ever watched it on TV, you see the crowd and everybody who’s along the road. It’s really what makes the difference between the Boston Marathon and like, the Ogden marathon, right? Like they’re both huge accomplishments. But the crowd is the biggest piece of it.” l

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South Jordan resident and Alta High assistant principal Melissa Lister will compete at the Boston Marathon on April 15. She’s running to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in honor of her father. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Lister)

Enrollment increasing as Aspen Elementary celebrates community night

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Father of nine Mike Ika was watching his third-grade son, Bobby, demonstrate how to properly wash his hands. Bobby’s fifthgrade sister, Lanei, also had reviewed the technique.

“I like being here with my kids; there’s always something for them to pick up and learn to improve themselves,” Ika said. “This is our first year at Aspen, so tonight is a good way to get acclimated to the school and supporting school programs is important.”

They were at one of about 40 stations at Aspen Elementary’s third annual community night.

Jordan School District nurse Wendy Murrill said learning how to wash hands is a good lesson for all students.

“We are going over hand washing because especially during flu and COVID season kids, and sometimes the adults, can forget to thoroughly wash our hands,” she said. “It serves as a reminder and for some of our littler kids, we teach them the proper method.”

The nursing staff also conducted vision screens, “trying to catch any kids who might have missed or siblings who are just coming in.” They provided additional information in both English and Spanish.

That’s because they’re wanting to serve Aspen’s diverse enrollment.

“We are enrolling students from all over the world who aren’t familiar with the services in the community and in our district,” Aspen Principal Suzie Williams said. “We have community and district people here to provide information and resources for our families.”

She said that in one room, she noticed families from India, Portugal, the Netherlands, Latin America and South America.

“We had 14 new kids come to Aspen this week alone,” she said.

Enrollment at the school has increased by 350 students in the three years Aspen has been open.

“A lot of our families come with nothing, so this gives them a chance to meet people and learn about resources available to them,” Williams said.

Those providing resources ranged from local first responders to Salt Lake County librarians.

District digital learning teacher specialist Kiera Beddes was providing information in English and Spanish about the resources available.

“We have digital tools that are available for students like Canva and Adobe,” she said. “We’re here to share with parents that their students have access to these and to show how they can reinforce what they’re learning in the classroom by doing fun projects at home as well.”

Jordan Education Foundation had supplies of kitchen utensils, non-perishable food, footwear, towels and other items available

for the students and their families.

“I love this community night because the whole school comes out,” Mayor Dawn Ramsey said, who also served as Foundation president preceding the current president. “It’s a great opportunity for families to be part of the school. There are so many services offered in one easy location to make it so easy for families to connect with each other and with any of the services that they may need. We see everyone come together to support each other.”

Gabriela Rondon and her son, Max, had just spun a wheel at a booth where the third grader had won a snack.

“It’s my first year here; I like learning a lot of math, fractions,” he said.

They came from Venezuela eight months ago and Rondon said they found some medical information at the community night.

“I really like the information they provided me,” she said in Spanish. “All the people are kind.”

Fifth-grade teacher Mikayla Miller said that was the hope when the first community night was created and continues to be its purpose this year.

“Every year, we want to help our community make connections,” she said. “Our school is extremely diverse. About 30% of our students are multi-language learners and come from other countries, so having one night where all parents can access them is so beneficial. We’re getting together as a com-

munity to help provide the resources for the students and also, providing a night for us to embrace our community.”

She said the community night is held in the middle of the school year to help parents access resources who may not have used them yet and to help those who have moved into the school after the beginning of the year.

“We had 200 to 300 people last year; we have 600 to 700 people this year. More people are learning about these resources and learning what’s going on in our school,” Miller said, who relies upon the 32-member student council’s help with the event. “I love to hear the ideas of our student council members; they have been so helpful with set-up and planning. They wanted to include things kids love, like games and prizes, as well as information for parents. Right now, they are giving out some math games.”

Gil Gaertner IV is a fifth grader on student council who, along with his peers, set up tables with tablecloths, made decorations and prepared snacks.

“This is important to me; I wanted to bring the community all together and have a fun night,” he said.

Gil applied to be on student council and, along with those selected, attended a leadership conference at the beginning of the year.

“We learned how to bring people together, like tonight. We had meetings, gave our ideas and thoughts on what tonight should look like. Everything was straightforward,”

he said. “I wanted to be part of student council because I knew it’d be fun. I wanted to help my school by being a good example.”

In addition to helping plan the community night, the student council collected more than 1,200 jackets, hoodies, hats, gloves and other clothing items to provide for those students who didn’t have them.

“We’re planning to do more service, have a spirit week and at the end of the year maybe have a talent show,” Gil said.

Jordan Board of Education President Tracy Miller, who also is a Jordan Education Foundation board member, was impressed by the event.

“This community is amazing; I cannot believe the turnout here tonight,” she said. “It’s great to see people involved in their school and it’s great to see the school and the district welcoming the community with open arms and helping them understand all the resources that are available to them.” l

Top: Third-grader Bobby Ika shows Jordan School District nurse Wendy Murrill his hands during a hand-washing lesson at Aspen Elementary’s community night. (Julie Slama/City Journals) Right: Students show their creativity during Aspen Elementary’s third annual community night which combined fun activities with community resources for families. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Spanish dual language immersion program to be offered at Aspen Elementary

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Aspen Elementary will begin offering Spanish dual immersion this coming fall.

Principal Suzie Williams will begin the hiring process for Spanish-speaking teachers this spring after students who put in their applications will find out if they’re accepted into the program in March.

The program, which had a grass roots start with students’ parents asking for it at the school level, was approved in January by the school board and more recently, granted funding by the state legislature.

“We’re excited,” Williams said. “We have been approved by the state for dual language starting with first grade.”

Similar to other dual immersion elementary schools, Spanish will be offered to first-grade students. Those students enrolled in the program will receive instruction for half of the day in Spanish and half of the day in English. The entire school will learn Spanish culture and traditions with the hope of them gaining a more global education and experience, said Williams, who previously had been a principal at another dual language immersion school.

The process to get dual immersion in the school has taken awhile.

“We had interest when we opened in 2021, but we didn’t have the enrollment to sustain it,” Williams said. “The reason we’re getting it is the community has pushed for it. We’ve had parents pushing for it for two years.”

It came to the forefront again this past fall when it was introduced at Aspen’s School Community Council meeting.

“I brought it up at our school community council meeting,” Aspen parent and teacher Haley McCall said. “I knew a lot of people from the community really wanted it as well.”

In October, McCall drafted a letter to the school board letting them know that Aspen’s school community council was interested in the dual immersion program.

“They had concerns about the boundaries with a new elementary school opening nearby, so initially, they said no. A lot of parents were not quite thrilled with that response. As a community council, we encouraged our community to contact school board members. Our parents came out in force, which to me showed how much they wanted this program. With that outpouring from the community, the board reconsidered and sent out the survey,” she said.

Jordan School District Asst. Superintendent Mike Anderson said the survey was sent in December to 2,227 patrons in the Aspen, Bastian and Oak Leaf elementary schools. Nearly 300 parents responded. A survey also was given to Aspen Elementary staff.

On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being extremely interested, the patrons’ response for introducing the program was at 8.5. Break-

ing that down more, the interest level from heritage speakers was 9.7; English speakers was at 8.3.

“The responses were very, very positive and supportive so that’s what prompted the Board to approve their request,” he said.

McCall said the response surprised the Board.

“They ended up getting more response back from any other DLI survey before and they had a big response from our heritage-speaking community, which they haven’t had in the past,” she said.

McCall, who taught at Welby Elementary when Spanish was introduced there, understands the program, the teachers’ apprehensions about it as well as the benefits of dual immersion.

“When they first brought DLI to Welby, I was not excited about it. Amongst teachers, there’s a lot of misconceptions. A lot of people worried about losing jobs, or what it would look like. But I thought if we’re bringing this program, I want to help create a strong foundation for it. As I did that, I ended up falling in love with DLI,” she said. “The students became more empathetic learners being able to learn a different language and a different culture when they’re 6 years old. It opens their eyes to a bigger world around them. By the end of the year, the amount of Spanish they learned blew me away. “

She also saw the bonds formed of the cohort that begin in that first-grade classroom through graduation.

“I love the friendships that they created.

A lot of my first students are still good friends with each other and they have graduated high school. I love that,” she said. “It’s incredible to see how far they’ve come since first grade. They’re more advanced academically and can graduate high school with a Spanish minor in college. They have this tool that helps them their entire lifetime. They’re already ahead of their peers because they can speak fluently in two languages, which can only help them on their career paths.”

McCall, who will receive training this summer as she will be teaching the English side of the program, believes that Aspen’s program will be unique to some other Spanish dual immersion programs because of the heritage speakers enrolled in the school.

“At Aspen, we’ve got quite a big Hispanic community, just from the number of refugees we have at our school and the number of Spanish-speakers coming in. I’m hoping this will help our Spanish kids learn English at a quicker rate and help them catch on to academics quicker when they’re able to learn it in their native language for half of a day,” she said.

Another area McCall can foresee the program will help is integration of students and their families at the school.

“I often see on the playground that children playing don’t mix because of the language barrier. I see this to bridge the gap. The program also will make heritage-speaking parents feel more comfortable in the school and they can help us embrace and learn about their culture,” she said.

McCall has a personal reason for introducing the program to the school. She wants to enroll her younger son in Spanish dual immersion.

“My kindergartner is half Mexican and he’s meeting some of his biological family who speak Spanish, so he has a great interest in learning about his culture. He has been wanting to learn the language and he keeps asking how to say different things. I’d like to keep my son at the school I teach at; I put his application in to be able to have him participate in that program. This program will help him connect with his culture and his biological family in ways that I’m not able to help him,” McCall said, who knows basic conversational Spanish, but is not fluent.

Jordan Board of Education President Tracy Miller said dual immersion is one thing that she foresees will benefit all students.

“Aspen Elementary’s community wanted the Spanish-immersion program here partly to unify the school,” she said. “There are a number of students moving into this area who are Spanish-heritage speakers. The community saw this as a great opportunity for their kids to have the opportunity to learn Spanish so that they can better communicate with these heritage speakers, and it also helps the heritage speakers because they can learn the structure and foundations of their own language in the DLI program, and it will help them learn English. This is an amazing opportunity for kids to leave school fluent in both languages.” l

At Aspen Elementary, signage already is in both Spanish and English ahead of the implementation of the dual language program in the fall. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Bingham High students learn hands-on STEM skills through building robots for competition

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

OnMarch 2, the winning alliance will be determined.

That will be after more than 40 high school robotics teams battle during a threeday friendly competition in the Utah robotics challenge this year. The contest attracted teams throughout the west coast and from as far away as Turkey.

The For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics Competition helps to promote and foster science and technology learning among high school students, with hopes of inspiring them to become engineers, programmers and scientists. Each year, the competition takes on a different theme and the nature of the game changes.

Amongst the local teams at the Maverick Center this year will be the 8-Bit Miners, Bingham High’s team 7436.

One of those stepping on the floor will be first-year member senior Parker Heath, who was introduced to the competition years ago.

“My aunt took me to the FIRST Robotics Competition when I was 6,” Heath said, who wants to become a mechanical and aerospace engineer. “I thought robots were cool so every year since, I went and watched. I’ve always wanted to join, but when I did this year, I didn’t know much about the machinery or coding. I’ve learned from other teammates; we teach each other what we know. We research online, reach out to other teams or ask how to use some tool from our teachers. Everyone has been helpful.”

A few weeks before the competition, Heath was helping his teammates adjust their yet-to-be-named robot to be able to shoot hard plastic round “notes” into a wooden slot as part of the contest challenge, “Crescendo.” Each note in the shoot will give the team points. When the notes go in a smaller slot, or amp, it amplifies or adds two points to the team score. The Miners also practiced hanging their robot on a chain, simulating the end of play, which will give them additional points.

Sophomore Bryson Hughes said the hardest part of the challenge is getting the notes in the amp.

“That’s why we’re adjusting it; it’s a huge part of being able to score a lot of points,” said the first-year team member who likes to take things apart and understand their mechanics.

Coming to Bingham, he knew Python and C++ programming languages and has since added Java to his repertoire. He has relied on his knowledge of VEX robots to help the team.

“VEX has certain pieces that you could use. Here we use whatever we want. This is more like the real world where we have ac-

cess to anything, not just limited pieces. But with VEX, I learned how to design a robot which I think helped us in designing this robot,” he said.

The design and efficiency of the robot has improved from last year, said senior captain Jeremiah Skarda.

“This year, we did a lot more research so we have a better idea of what will and won’t be successful and designed it before we started building it,” he said. “Last year, we designed as we went; it didn’t really turn out very well. A couple times our robot had a tipping problem; our arm was top heavy so every time it extended the robot would tip. In an early match, we were disqualified because when the robot tipped over, another team bumped us, and it pushed us all the way outside the field.”

They were able to fix it before their next match.

That’s part of the goal, said technology and engineering teacher Nathan Jensen, who coaches the team with physics teacher Shannon Briscoe.

“They’re doing lots of problem solving

and putting what they’ve learned into their robot,” he said.

Through classes, team members learn coding, CAD modeling, electricity, machinery and safety training.

“We go over some of the basics in (Team Robotics) class the first semester,” Jensen said, who has coached for three years. “During the main season, it’s all them. It’s their design completely.”

Briscoe helped start the team seven years ago. It’s the only team in Jordan School District.

“We’ve had a lot of competition from other teams in the (Salt Lake) Valley and in the state that have been established, but this year, the team is really prepared,” she said. “They’ve learned lessons the last couple years and knew what they wanted to improve on. This is the best robot they’ve ever made.”

That’s a compliment the 15-member team likely appreciates as they’ve spent 90 minutes every class period on the robot and its mission. Other team members, who aren’t enrolled in the class, join them afterschool for another 90 minutes or more.

Skarda’s goal is to be an alliance captain.

“It guarantees we’ll be in the playoffs, and it means we did well,” he said.

Two years ago, the team was ranked ninth and captained an alliance. This year, Briscoe is hoping they improve upon that.

“For their sake, I hope they qualify to go to nationals,” she said. “I’ve been really impressed with this team. They’re able to problem-solve and troubleshoot. When they compete, it’s as close to a real-world engineering process as they can get. Stuff will break. They’re going to figure out how to fix it. They’re going to have to collaborate with each other, and with the other teams to get help if they get stuck. It really is a great engineering opportunity.”

Skarda, who wants to study engineering, said regardless of the placement, it’s a rewarding experience.

“It’s challenging, and it takes a lot of time and effort to make and program the robot,” he said. “When we see it working out in competition, that’s the big reward.” l

Bingham High’s robotics team test their robot’s shooting mechanism prior to the Utah regional FIRST Robotics Competition. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Thought-provoking questions inspire inquisitive minds: South Jordan fifth graders reflect on Constitution

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Why did the framers not abolish slavery at the time they wrote the U.S. Constitution?

What can you learn about a country’s government by studying its constitution?

Fifty-five men attended the Constitutional Congress. Do you think our Constitution would be different if the representatives had been women? How?

These questions and more were examined by South Jordan Elementary fifth graders at their We the People congressional hearing.

It’s based on material they studied together beforehand in classes taught by Diane Witt-Roper and Chris Gedicks. Then, the students are divided into teams, each named for framers of the constitution.

Students wrote and presented speeches about topics in their textbook before judges asked questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the purposes of government, The Bill of Rights and the Constitutional Convention, the three branches of government, freedoms and the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of citizens.

Many students answered using historical and contemporary issues to reply to the questions.

Fifth-grader Lailah Uhlendorf was pre-

pared for the questions.

“We learned about the Constitution, the presidency, congress, framers of our government,” she said. “It’s important to learn this now and even more in high school because we will have this knowledge when it’s time to vote and be involved in our government.”

Through the experience, Lailah, who is contemplating a future law career, has come to a better understanding of the constitution and the issues surrounding it.

“We learned about slaves and the thoughts surrounding their freedom. We were considered a free country, but were we? Girls and women didn’t have rights or freedom. How would our country have looked, what would have changed, if everyone was actually free back then?” she pondered.

Jordan Board of Education President Tracy Miller supports the program.

“The kids learn so much about government and civics in the We the People program,” she said. “They wrestle with the same things that are our founding fathers and the framers of the Constitution wrestled with. They study and debate those issues and are able to share their own opinions and understand what it means to be civically involved.”

Miller, who has been a judge for years,

said that on top of it, the students are learning other skills.

“It can be scary for these kids. It’s a formal dress event and they present in front of a panel of judges as well as an audience of parents. It’s a big deal and will get some out of their comfort zone. So not only do they need to learn the material and understand it, here they are presenting it formally. It gets them to dig deep and do hard things,” she said. “It’s a lot of extra work on the teachers to hold a program like this, but it’s one of those school experiences that they learn from and will stand out. I think this is one that the kids will remember being a part of.”

The program was interspersed with the national anthem and other patriotic songs and a slideshow at the end.

In addition to Jordan School District’s teaching and learning director Rebecca Smith and South Jordan Elementary’s principal, Bruce Eardley, and school resource officer, Det. Zachary Coy, South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey asked students questions about the constitutional principles.

Ramsey wishes “every student in America had the chance to participate in the We the People program” and thanks the teachers for preparing students for their lives.

“We the People is an incredible program

and I look forward to this event every year,” she said. “These brilliant students did an outstanding job presenting their knowledge about the Constitution, the founding of our nation, and the way the different branches of government work. It was impressive to see the way they stretched themselves as each student wrote and delivered a public speech, demonstrated critical thinking skills, used historical and modern-day examples to support their presentation, and performed heartwarming patriotic songs. These young people are prepared for respectful civic engagement and understand the importance of it.” l

Mayor highlights her four focuses during state of the city

By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

It may have been the great American humorist Will Rogers who first said, “It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.” Well for elected officials in South Jordan, their first ever State of the City event highlighted many true and significant milestones the community has accomplished, things that could clearly be bragged about.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey hosted a celebration at the South Jordan Community Center on Feb. 22. Present were leaders from city government, the Jordan School District, private corporations and Congressman Burgess Owens–along with many residents. It was a chance to learn of both accomplishments and goals for one of the 10 fastest growing cities in the nation.

“I want to begin by paying tribute to the members of our city council,” Ramsey said. “The city has moved forward due to your leadership. We’ve grown from a community of 65,000 to more than 100,000 residents in the past few years, and it’s largely due to the livableness and friendliness of this city.”

She touched on four areas she’s focused on as the city’s mayor.

First is relationships–within the city’s departments and with other cities and agencies.

“South Jordan is strong in part because of our schools, our educational opportunities.” She introduced Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent of the Jordan School District, who

only one-third of the jobs are on the westside, stressing the need for “building a thriving micro economy.” She introduced Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company that is building a new baseball stadium in the Downtown Daybreak area.

9/11 day of service cleanup efforts.

“I offer praise to your residents for getting engaged in projects that serve the community,” Bradley said. “You have visionary leadership and it’s reflected in your sense of service.”

agreed that “we cannot do what we do without strong relationships with the city. We may have different roles in government and education, but we have the same goals. We want to work together.”

He said 2,300 of the district’s teachers now use artificial intelligence in their classrooms, helping students to learn with and about that technology. He said, “South Jordan also leaps into action when we need help,” and he told the audience that the district is building a new elementary school in Daybreak as student enrollment increases.

Ramsey’s second focus is on economic development. She said while two-thirds of Salt Lake Valley residents live west of I-15,

“Quality of people and a culture is what really matters, and this has both. It’s a place that’s in the path of progress for our residents,” Starks said. He lives in South Jordan and loves raising his family in the community. He said the LHM Company remains in contact with the ownership of the Oakland A’s, who are considering playing games in the soon-tobe-finished Salt Lake Bees ballpark in South Jordan in 2025, while the team’s new stadium in Las Vegas is getting ready for the 2028 MLB season. Nothing has been decided by the A’s, but at least SoJo is in the conversation, he said, adding A’s officials visiting the city last month “couldn’t believe the beauty of those mountains that would face home plate!”

Third on the mayor’s list is partnerships, and she introduced Heath Bradley, Global Manager for JustServe, an organization based in Salt Lake City that now operates in 17 countries, linking community volunteers to projects where they are needed. Ramsey said South Jordan was one of just six communities in the United States to receive the JustServe City Award for its volunteer efforts during the

Ramsey said the fourth area of focus is infrastructure, something she said “usually lays in the ground, is not often very pretty and is always expensive.” She referred to streets and sidewalks, water projects, and those elements critical to a city.

Owens was happy to report the city will receive $5 million from the federal government to build a much-needed culinary water tank. He praised both the city and the state for efforts at projects like the Inland Port and the update of airports, saying “Utah will be the distribution point of the West. People love coming here and many want to stay and raise their families here. I know I did.”

The mayor finished by running off a long list of South Jordan’s accomplishments. It was listed in Money Magazine’s top 50 Best Places to Live in 2021, and has received accolades from WalletHub, USA Today and even Where to Retire magazine. With Downtown Daybreak’s development, she’s pledging that the momentum will continue.

In short, she said, the state of the city is good. l

Jordan School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Godfrey with Mayor Ramsey. (Photo courtesy of South Jordan City)

South Jordan Elementary fifth graders presented then pondered questions in the We the People congressional hearing. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

High-quality, innovative health care with a heavy dose of compassion

With a focus on health care excellence, community service and faith – the doctors, nurses and care teams at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley and Holy Cross Hospital - Jordan Valley West are committed to compassionate and high-quality care for their neighbors.

It has been nearly a year since CommonSpirit Health took over five Wasatch Front hospitals that now bear the name Holy Cross, a reference to the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who brought Catholic, faith-based health care to the people of Utah nearly 150 years ago. Today, the hospitals are reinvigorating the Sisters’ vision while caring for all with open arms.

“Our care is focused on neighbors helping neighbors, whether they be in West Jordan, West Valley City, or our surrounding communities,” said Christine McSweeney, CEO of Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley and Interim CEO at its sister hospital in West Valley City. “Our care providers live in these communities, and we are committed to playing an active role in improving the health of those around us – inside and outside of our hospital walls.”

Besides innovative health care in services that include orthopedics, bariatric programs, a cancer center, heart care, stroke accreditation and a Trauma III ER, the hospital’s teams are actively involved in helping to make the communities better, from leading food drives at local schools to partnering with the American Heart Association to educate our communities on heart health.

Through its Hello Humankindness program, CommonSpirit is actively promoting the health benefits

of kindness and recognizing employees who go above and beyond the call of their jobs to help those in need.

“We believe that simple acts of kindness have a profound impact on the lives of our patients and communities, in addition to the medical expertise that our doctors and nurses provide,” McSweeney said.

The community-focused work also involves close partnerships with local first responders, including fire departments and EMS agencies, who understand the advanced medical care that CommonSpirit provides at its Holy Cross hospitals when patients need an ambulance.

“They know we have some of the most advanced stroke care in our communities and some of the most advanced heart care,” McSweeney added.

CommonSpirit’s mission includes advancing social justice for all, and last fall, it bestowed eight grants from its Health Equity & Advancement Fund to local nonprofits that are working every day to improve lives in ways that include health screenings for Spanishspeaking neighbors and mental health treatment for children and families.

With a long legacy of service and healing, CommonSpirit is just getting started in extending health care excellence for all Utahns at the Holy Cross hospitals.

“Our vision is a healthier future for all – inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by our humanity,” McSweeney said.

Learn more about the services, care providers and mission-driven work of the Holy Cross hospitals and CommonSpirit Health at www.holycrossutah.org.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Christine McSweeney, CEO

The cost to play high school sports may increase next school year

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

The cost to participate in high school athletics in Canyons School District may increase next school year, but District officials say it’s to match inflation and the rising costs associated with sports.

The proposed bump “isn’t unusual; it occurs every couple years,” said Canyons School District Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood.

“The UHSAA (Utah High School Activities Association) has had an increase for the cost of officials the past few years; they’re paying more to attract more officials, so we have to account for that,” Sherwood said. “We don’t raise fees every year. We try to phase them in.”

One of the least expensive sports, cross country is proposed to cost a maximum of $2,560 per student-athlete, up $265 from last year and up $655 from 2021-22 season. While the UHSAA participation fee has increased $40 during the past few years, camp costs have increased $325 and team travel, $250.

Cheer, one of the more expensive sports, has risen from $3,950 in 2021-22 to a proposed $4,240. However, the increased from last year to this year is only $40. During the past couple years, UHSAA participation fees have remained the same, but its camps, clinics and team meals that have fluctuated.

“We tried to equalize the sports in terms of travel and camps and clinics.

There’s no reason to have a camp and clinics cap different by sport. It should be the same for all sports and the same can be said for travel,” he said.

Canyons’ proposed camp and clinic maximum within each sport is $400. Travel, at $1,500, matches the current school year’s maximum cost.

“It’s important to realize that the maximum amount per student in athletics and in activities is $5,000. That doesn’t mean every student will reach that amount. Last year, we only had one student who did. It also doesn’t mean every coach will spend $1,500 per student on travel; we’re setting the boundaries and trying to make it fair across the board,” he said. “All this money goes to that program and to kids by rule. We don’t use it to pay for anything outside of that program or for the kids. None of this goes into the coaches’ pockets or to the school. This is just the operational costs for these activities. A few years ago, the (Utah) legislature made it so every activity had to be self-funded. The kids have to pay whatever it costs to play that activity. So, when the activities become more expensive than what we’re collecting, we got to adjust it.”

Canyons School District’s fees also increased for soccer, golf, track and volleyball. The proposed fees for Canyons’ sports and activities can be found at www.feeschedules.canyonsdistrict.org/#/

home/700.

The student fee proposal will be reviewed by the Canyons Board of Education through its March 12 meeting, said Canyons spokeswoman Kirsten Stewart. Patrons can address the Board through public comment or by contacting their school’s Board member.

“No child has ever been turned away from an activity,” Stewart said. “We always work with families.”

Families who qualify can apply for fee waivers. Schools, on a case-by-case basis, may grant fee waivers to a student who does not qualify for a waiver, but because of extenuating circumstances, is not capable of paying the fee, she said.

Sherwood added that most teams also provide fundraising opportunities.

The cost of student fees for athletics and activities is reviewed annually by school districts. While each district may break it down differently and can vary per sport, usually it accounts for participation fee, camps and clinics, uniforms and clothing, team activities and meals, travel and miscellaneous costs.

Murray School District’s proposed student fees for the 2024-25 school year can be found at www.murrayschools.org/ high-school-fees.

Jordan School District’s proposed student fees for the 2024-25 school year can be found at www.proposedfees.jordandis-

In Canyons School District, cross country and other UHSAA-sanctioned sports may experience a price increase next school year by its school board to cover rising costs. Other school districts’ school boards also will review athletic fees. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)

trict.org/schedule/high.

Granite Board of Education will review their high school student fees at a March meeting, said spokesman Ben Horsley. l

For Bingham senior Banks Love, the end is just the beginning

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

Banks Love has been an All-American, has headlined two consecutive Ross Brunson All-Star Duals at UVU and has been at or near the mountaintops of amateur wrestling for most of his teens.

But Love has never been a state champion.

That changed for Love on Saturday, Feb. 17 as the Bingham senior finally lifted the state title he’s been seeking at the UHSAA 6A State Wrestling Championships, at 175 pounds.

“No one more deserving,” said his last Bingham head football coach, Eric Jones. Love was one of the coach’s defensive backs and in his opinion has always epitomized what a Bingham Miner is all about.

For Love to accomplish what he did on the same floor of the UCCU Center in Orem that he entered as a Wildcard at last year’s All-Star Duels is obviously the icing on the cake.

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Love.

That term obviously gets thrown around a lot, but it’s not often you get to line up against the No. 1 high school football team in America in Mater Dei of Los Angeles on your home field in South Jordan in September and then carry a 40-5 record as a wrestler into the 6A state championships six months later.

All will be memories to last a lifetime. Love’s road to the state title on the wrestling mat started well on Feb. 16. The Bingham senior defeated Lehi’s Mason Mickliewicsz by fall in just 28 seconds.

Then Love upended Ben Brown of Davis by technical fall in 2:49 in the quarterfinals.

Macrae Parker of Herriman came into state with a 49-7 record of his own on Feb. 17, but Love won that semifinals match by fall in 3:18.

Because Parker was the tournament’s next highest-ranked wrestler, however, he had a road back to the medals: defeat Mason Kartchner of Farmington in the losers’ bracket.

That’s what Parker did, winning a bronze medal at state by a score of 9-0 by majority decision over Kartchner.

In the meantime, Love defeated Layton’s Kaden Bennie by a 13-2 majority decision score for the Bingham senior’s first state title.

For Love, who has yet to commit to a college to wrestle, this 6A state championship will obviously help with that pursuit.

As for other Bingham wrestlers, Dax Christensen lost in the quarterfinals, but by way of the losers’ bracket worked his way back to a third-place finish and bronze medal at state by defeating four more opponents.

And Nick Hallock defeated Will Struthers by fall in 3:08 in the tournament’s first round at heavyweight.

But the junior lost by fall to Braiden Moon of Layton in the quarterfinals at state, ending what some believed could have been a surprise ascension for Hallock, who might be more well known for his ability to absolutely manhandle opposing linebackers and

defensive linemen on the football field for the Miners.

That said, it still took Moon—the state tournament’s 5th place finisher—five minutes and 52 seconds to defeat Hallock on a wrestling mat.

“If I could gamble on high school sports, I'd place a large bet [on Hallock] being a state champ next year too,” said former Bingham head football coach Eric Jones of Hallock, who is already receiving some D1 offers from college football programs heading into his senior year.

Speaking of former Bingham football players who did not wrestle at state but who did star for the Miners on the gridiron, congratulations is in order to Carson Sudbury who accepted an offer and committed to Idaho State University.

“Good pickup for ISU. Missed opportunity for our in-state schools,” Jones said, who is now the head coach at the new West Field High School in northern Utah.

“Frustrating to watch great local talent get ignored so regularly in Utah.” l

Avery busy past three months has resulted in some serious hardware for Bingham’s competitive cheerleading team a long way from home.

“This past weekend, they competed at the National Cheerleading competition in Orlando, Florida and came home with an incredible second in state,” Bingham head coach Amber Thomas said. “This success can be attributed to the amazing leadership, competitive nature and discipline of this senior class.”

Led by captains Lina Appel, Riley Scott, Sasha DeHerrera, Ella Harrison, Ashley Larson and Audrey Thomas, the Miners were at Walt Disney World from Feb. 9-12 and competed for two separate days to earn the second-place trophy.

The first day in Orlando turned out a little rough, according to Thomas, as she explained how the semifinal format worked to City Journals.

“There were 23 teams in our division, and they would be taking 12 into finals. We were the third team competing in the lineup that morning, which is really hard because the scores build throughout the day,” Thomas said. “We went out and started strong, but

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

then we quickly had two mistakes uncharacteristic of this team. We also had a fall in the pyramid.”

Because of this, the judges deducted three points from the Miners’ score.

“We were just praying that we would be in the top 12 to move onto finals,” Thomas said. “The judges must have wanted to see us again because after waiting all day long, we finally were announced as a finalist tied for ninth place.”

With the announcement from the judges over the loudspeakers at Walt Disney World that Bingham was heading into the final round, a wave of emotion poured over the team.

“We were elated to be moving on and very humbled by our first routine,” Thomas said. “We refocused the team, did a few practices, and came out on Saturday prepared to take the mat.”

From that point on, the Miners were ready to roll.

“This team was a different team on day two. They were full of fire and energy and brought the crowd to their feet,” Thomas said. “When they hit that first section, we knew as coaches that they were not messing

around this time.”

On this go-round, there would be no mishaps or falls on which the judges might dock points. In fact, the routine was about as perfect as the Miners could do—though it still meant that one of the highest scores would unfortunately still place Bingham second, per the UHSAA guidelines that prohibit Utah’s high school teams practicing as much as the first place team would.

“As their last few beats of the music played, girls were screaming with excitement and dismounted their stunts and immediately embraced their teammates with love,” Thomas said. “We were so happy that they had a second chance to take the floor that when the awards ceremony came around, we did not care what place we had earned.”

Thomas said winning in Orlando was a great way to wrap a successful season for a Bingham team that won a slew of trophies this season: they took both USA Regionals titles as well as the national qualifying event.

The Miners won titles in the time out dance and show categories and overall at the Northern Divisionals at SLCC Jan. 13 and capped off the year winning the second place

trophy at the 6A state tournament on Jan. 25 inside Orem’s UCCU Center.

For Thomas though, one particular moment in Orlando will stick with her for a long time.

“When we got to the top three [during national finals], it was like being in a dream. This team was more excited to earn second place than the first-place team.

As a coaching staff, we have been so proud of their resilience, leadership and discipline all year long. This was an experience that I don't think that any of us will ever forget. We had so much support from family and friends, but the Utah teams really showed us so much love while we were there.”

In addition to that second place trophy in Varsity Division I, the Miners’ cheer teams also placed third in the junior varsity Coed Division I category in Orlando and took fourth in JV Game Day Division I.

Coaches for the Miners were Amber Thomas, Taylor Davis, Curtis Finneman, Megan Boelter, Alaina Woodbury and Brooklyn Eldredge. l

Bingham High's varsity cheerleaders celebrate winning the 2nd place trophy at nationals in Orlando, Florida. (Photo courtesy Amber Thomas)

WOMeN’S SECTION

A publication covering local influential women in honor of International Women’s Day

Utah-educated doctor chosen to lead National Institutes of Health

By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

For the first time, a University of Utah medical school graduate sits at the helm of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2023. She is the second woman to serve as NIH Director since its inception in 1887 and the first surgeon in that role.

The NIH is located in Bethesda, Maryland and is comprised of 27 institutes and centers. The organization has a budget of more than $47 billion and serves as the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world.

President Biden stated: “Dr. Bertagnolli has spent her career pioneering scientific discovery and pushing the boundaries of what is possible to improve cancer prevention and treatment for patients and ensuring that patients in every community have access to quality care. Dr. Bertagnolli is a world-class physician-scientist whose vision and leadership will ensure NIH continues to be an engine of innovation to improve the health of the American people.”

Bertagnolli first earned an engineering degree from Princeton University, then she attended and graduated from the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine in 1985. She was interested in immunology but discovered a different passion. “I signed up for surgery as my very first clinical rotation, just because I wanted to get it out of the way. I still vividly remember my first day in an operating room because I immediately knew that’s where I belonged,” she told the ASCO Post.

In more recent years, she served as chair of the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s External Advisory Board. Bertagnolli was previously a professor of surgery at Har-

vard Medical School and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She has been president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and leader of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.

Prior to her current role at the NIH, Dr. Bertagnolli was the first female director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a role she took in October 2022. NCI is a component of NIH. One month into her time at the NCI, a routine mammogram led to Bertagnolli being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Since then, she has called herself a cancer survivor. “Fortunately, my prognosis is excellent. And this is due to NIH-funded research over the last several decades. And the many women who participated in clinical trials before me,” she said.

Her upbringing on a ranch in rural Wyoming as the daughter of first-generation immigrants has shaped her professional approach by providing an understanding of the medical challenges rural communities experience. An NIH press release said, “Equity is a core value that drives all her efforts, which includes ensuring NIH research is equitable and accessible to all people from all walks of life regardless of income or zip code.”

Huntsman Cancer Institute CEO Mary Beckerle, who has known Bertagnolli almost since her Utah med school days, compares her to the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who also grew up on a ranch: A “bundle of wit, resilience, and can-do spirit,” Beckerle said in Science magazine, December 2023 edition.

Beyond being a cancer surgeon for more than 35 years, her research has

DR. MONICA BERTAGNOLLI is a 1985 graduate of the University of Utah medical school. She served on an advisory board for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which is made up of 27 institutes and centers for biomedical research.

focused on the genetic mutations that lead to gastrointestinal cancer and how inflammation stimulates cancer growth. In her current role, she hopes to leverage commonalities such as how inflammation causes cancer but is also a component of Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disorders, arthritis, Long COVID and other diseases.

In 2023, she was named one of the 100 Influential Women in Oncology by Onco Daily.

Bertagnolli said in a December 2022 NCI statement, “Having been an oncologist my entire career, it was always—and still is—all about the patients and survivors. It’s one thing to know about cancer as a physician, but it is another to experience it firsthand as a patient as well. To anyone with cancer today: I am truly in this together with you.” l

Photo credit: Chia-Chi Charlie Chang/NIH

‘Look Good, Feel Good’ conference focuses on inclusion for Pacific Islander women

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

The inaugural “Look Good, Feel Good” conference, held in February at Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, was organized to empower Pacific Islander women in Utah. In partnership with the Creative Pacific Foundation, the Women’s Executive Alliance held the event to celebrate women of the PI community through education and connection.

La Wolfgramm serves as president of the WEA, the women in business arm of the Utah Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce, that just celebrated its first anniversary. As the owner of Pasifika Kitchen, Wolfgramm wanted to bring women together and provide a fun environment where they could learn about holistic empowerment, covering physical and mental health, hair and fashion.

“We started WEA because we felt that there was nothing out there for PI women,” she said. “I wanted our PI women to see that there’s someone that looks like them, that talks like them and walks like them. It’s a comfort thing to know they can come in, and if they want to, they can start a business.”

The “Look Good, Feel Good” event marked the first time Utah PI experts in food, health, entertainment and fashion joined together in one place to offer support and information.

Guest speakers included Aveda beauty and hair expert Ben Powell, “Project Runway” designer Afa Ah Loo, mental health expert Celia Moleni (owner of Manaaki Mental Health) and wellness expert Alex Millions, RN, (owner of ModeRN Hydraesthetics). The conference ended with a keynote address from Sui Lang L. Panoke, senior vice president of culture at Zions Bank.

In addition to workshops, the event featured a DJ, a 360-degree photo booth, catered food and mocktails.

Analei Samasei’a serves on the WEA board of directors. She wants PI women to understand that they belong in these spaces and that what they contribute to the community has value.

“A lot of our women are caretakers. They stay home with their families, they take care of their aunties or uncles or mothers or fathers. That’s what we inherently do in our culture,” Samasei’a said. “So they’re not always available to go to these types of events, nor do they have accessibility. But now, we have all these experts here in the room. They were all mingling together and asking questions.”

Partnering with Creative Pacific allowed WEA to host the “Look Good, Feel Good” conference with a focus on inclusion while

strengthening bonds between PI women. Creative Pacific is a nonprofit that celebrates cultural diversity.

For information about WEA and the Utah Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce visit

Upichamber.org. To learn about Creative Pacific, visit CreativePacific.org.

“We had a mental health expert who walked us through some exercises to connect back to ourselves and understand the sensations we were feeling and how

our thoughts determine actions. It was like a good therapy session,” Samasei’a said. “And so it unified everybody in that room. We’ve all shared this experience together, and now we can talk about it to our friends.”

l

“PROJECT RUNWAY” designer Afa Ah Loo talks to Pacific Islander women about fashion at the “Look Good, Feel Good” conference.

City Journals

MORE THAN 70 WOMEN attended the first “Look Good, Feel Good” conference for Pacific Islander women at Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy. The event celebrated women of the PI community.

City Journals

LA WOLFGRAMM is president of the Women’s Executive Alliance, the women in business branch of the Utah Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce.

City Journals

Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin leaves behind a legacy of student-centered leadership

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

For more than 30 years Deneece Huftalin has been a student-focused leader at Salt Lake Community College serving in various capacities within administration. What began in September 2014, when she became president of SLCC, will come to a conclusion in June of this year as Huftalin officially retires. She will have been the longest serving female president within the Utah System of Higher Education.

With the most diverse student body in the state, Huftalin said she always aimed to keep true the SLCC mission “[to] engage and support students in educational pathways leading to successful transfer and meaningful employment.”

To “support students” is something that she spent her career being focused on.

A Salt Lake City native, and a University of Utah graduate, Huftalin spent some time outside of Utah on various higher education campuses including Northwestern University, Stanford University and University of California, Los Angeles. But it was a job at Harper Community College in Palatine, Illinois that helped open her eyes to the community college system.

“I worked in orientation, but they considered their student affairs people faculty, which was a really cool model,” Huftalin said. “I was able to teach a little and serve on the college senate, but also have kind of a staff role.”

That position at Harper, although brief, left an impression. As Huftalin found herself back in Utah, returning so her husband could take a job opportunity, she found herself looking for work again on another college campus.

“There’s something [magical] about campuses,” Huftalin said. “People are thinking, discovering, laughing, having fun and testing waters, and it’s a good place to be.”

As Salt Lake Community College was booming with growth and expansion in the early 1990s, Huftalin realized that her time at Harper’s gave her a bit of competitive edge when it came time to apply for positions at SLCC. She began her tenure as the director of academic and career advising in 1992.

“I always feel fortunate that Harper College gave me a little bit of knowledge and a kind of step into a community college role,” Huftalin said.

That first role led to her eventual “dream job” in the mid-1990s, as the dean

of students. Being involved with students was always where she saw herself.

“I just love being with students,” said Huftalin said.

Over the years, colleagues took notice of that student-centered persona. Alison McFarlane, who became the Vice President of Institutional Advancement in 2012, worked closely with Huftalin, who was the Vice President of Student Services at that time.

“Deneece is the most student-focused leader I could have possibly imaged,” McFarlane said. “You always hear about Deneece being the voice for students.”

Cassidy Behling has been the Administrative Assistant to the President for the last 10 years, and has watched as Huftalin, who often gets pulled in so many different directions, has been able to focus on what truly matters in higher education.

“Her care and concern for her students is always her guiding force,” Behling said.

Huftalin admitted that she worries

about current and future students and how heavy the world is on them, especially when it comes to mental health.

“It takes a lot to break through and come and be courageous and learn and try something new,” Huftalin said.

Despite never seeing herself in the role of president of SLCC, Huftalin said that being in leadership roles has allowed her to model behavior that she has witnessed over the years. Throughout her career, she was able to be a part of women-led communities, allowing for the formation of friendships and connections.

“Younger women are experiencing things differently than I ever have,” Huftalin said. “But I do think there’s some continuity of support…and having lived longer and navigated different things, I can give advice and support or encouragement.”

While in office, Huftalin realized several goals such as, but not limited to, the addition of the Westpointe Workforce Training and Education Center in Salt Lake City and

the Juniper Building in Herriman which has increased geographical access to classes and the Open Education Resources (OER) initiative that allows students access to public domain textbooks for general education courses.

According to McFarlane, who retired in October 2023, one of the many ways that Huftalin has been able to accomplish these goals is because she is a “connector” of people and ideas, fostering collaboration within the college and the surrounding communities.

“When she sees opportunities, she’s very [eager] to give them to other people,” McFarlane said.

Those connections have led to great relationships with students, faculty and staff, and Huftalin said she will miss those the most after retirement.

“…Those relationships are hard to step away from,” Huftalin said. “Because they’ve just meant so much.” l

DENEECE HUFTALIN has been president of Salt Lake Community College since 2014 and when she retires in June, she will have been the longest serving female president within the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).

Photo courtesy of Salt Lake Community College

New South Jordan elementary being designed, boundary discussions set for spring

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Anew

South Jordan elementary school is in the design phrase. Pending approval from the Jordan Board of Education, the school could be open as soon as fall 2025.

“The Jordan School District Board of Education directed district staff to plan and prepare for a school on the Daybreak Village 9 property that the district owns,” Jordan School District communications specialist Doug Flager said.

Situated at 6642 W. Meadow Grass Drive in Daybreak Village 9 around home dwellings, the new elementary school will be about one mile from Aspen Elementary and Herriman High, two miles from Bastian Elementary, three miles from Butterfield Canyon and eight miles from the Bingham Canyon Mine.

Currently, the Board has yet to vote on funding or boundaries, and there are no requests for construction bids on the proposed school, Flager said.

“It’s in the design phase now and we’ll have those in the coming weeks,” said Jordan School District Asst. Superintendent Mike Anderson. “The good news is the land is ready to build on and there’s a lot of infrastructure already in place around it.”

School board president Tracy Miller said that the architectural plans likely will be similar to Aspen Elementary.

“We tend to use whatever our latest design is, which is Aspen, because it saves us a ton of money; we’re being cost-effective,” she said. “Once we have the design, we’ll go out to bid in March. If we approve the bid, we’ll start the process immediately with plans to open fall 2025.”

Miller said the new school will accommodate students as there is sizable growth in the area.

“Aspen has grown significantly since it opened, so this school will help to meet the needs of our growing community. The new school will be a very welcoming, friendly place just like they’ve grown used to at Aspen Elementary, and it will also have all the great resources,” she said.

In 2021-22, Aspen Elementary’s opening year, there were about 500 students. Two years later the enrollment is 850, the capacity

in their school design.

The Board is in the process of developing potential boundaries for the school and will have community meetings about them this spring.

“We’re hoping to decide on boundaries by the end of the school year, a whole year in advance, so families will know where they are well ahead of the school opening,” Miller said. “Another reason why we’re trying to get those boundaries set is so the families registering for DLI will know if this is their boundary school or not.”

Aspen Elementary will begin offering Spanish dual language immersion this fall.

If the Board proceeds on that timetable, Miller said there could be a late spring groundbreaking ceremony. It will follow with naming the new school and appointing a principal, likely in January 2025.

South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey is enthusiastic for the new school.

“I’m excited for the new elementary school in South Jordan to get underway soon,” she said. “We need it; Aspen Elementary is full. As our population continues to grow, we need another elementary school. I appreciate the district being on top of that and mindful of the needs of this fast-growing part of the city.” l

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A new Jordan School District elementary school located in Daybreak Village 9 is in the architectural design phase. (Google Earth screenshot)

Glenmoor Golf Course wins two awards from the PGA of America program

By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

It would be an understatement to say that golf runs deep in Darci Dehlin-Olsen’s DNA. She’s been playing the sport since the age of 4, growing up in a family of golfers that included three older siblings. She even drew a picture while in kindergarten of herself being a golf professional. Dreams come true.

The head pro at Glenmoor Golf Course in South Jordan has proven to be a game changer for years, and in January she was presented with the PGA Jr. League #GameChanger Award during the PGA Show. It’s an award created by the PGA of America’s Player Engagement team to celebrate the efforts of junior golf league coaches who promote the game for youth golfers and help them grow.

“We grew up and played at Glenmoor and I’ve always loved this course,” she said. “I’ve been the pro here since 2017, and before I got here, there was an effort to close the course and turn this land over for development. We couldn’t allow that to happen.”

Coupled with a lot of support from the community, the junior golf league program and many others, the city council was persuaded to look for another buyer to take ownership of Glenmoor. It worked, and the course is busier than ever today and “thriving,” Dehlin-Olsen said. “I got here at just the right time.”

Like a lot of girls growing up in Utah who loved the game, high school golf was not an option until the sport became sanctioned for girls by the Utah High School Activities Association in 2008. So, she played on the boys’ team at Copper Hills High. Her siblings all played at Bingham High (which was too full for her to attend during her prep years). Ironically, her daughter will play golf at Bingham High in the future.

One thing she knew she wanted to grow was junior golf, and today Glenmoor sports the state’s best junior golf program and one of the top in the nation. That’s one reason for the #GameChanger Award.

“I love the junior golf program,” she said. “It’s great to be part of a team and get them on the golf course to actually play. We kept it going during the COVID lockdown and we had a huge boom of activity. Golf is great for everyone’s mental and physical health—getting outside and being off of screens. I love watching my students improve and hit goals, and we have a great relationship. We joke and laugh and really enjoy our time together. What better way is there to spend time than helping and promoting our youth?”

This year, Dehlin-Olsen picked up two awards–for Top PGA Section (a regional award) as well as Top 25 National Program.

“We can’t understate the extraordinary achievements of these coaches and profes-

sionals, and we’re both appreciative and proud of their commitment to growing the game,” Senior Director of Player Engagement for the PGA of America Steve Tanner said.

Dehlin-Olsen is especially pleased with the growth of the girls’ program. About 35% of her junior league program is made up of female golfers. That growth will lead to creation of more women PGA professionals, who today make up less than 5% of pros in the country.

“The PGA is making a big push to get more young women interested in joining the association,” she said. “I think we have the same challenges that men do entering the sport—starting at the bottom and working your way up. But it’s like all professions. You put in the time and build up your skills and talents and resumes as much as you can.”

She also loves the family-friendly nature of golf.

“Everyone can play it, no matter how good they get to be. You can bond on the golf course and the challenges are the same for everyone playing the same hole. Participation by youth in golf and tennis is continuing to grow each year. It’s an exciting time to be part of this sport.”

The significance of this award is borne out in the metrics—there are more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals in the United States. Glenmoor has one of the top 25 PGA Junior League programs in the nation, led by Darci Dehlin-Olsen. l

Glenmoor Golf Course professional Darci Dehlin-Olsen brought home two awards from the PGA Show this year. (Photo courtesy of the PGA of America)

Granite Credit Union invests in students

Granite Credit Union awarded four scholarships to students in Salt Lake County during its annual member meeting in February. The winners were selected by the GCU board of directors after reviewing dozens of applications.

High school seniors Eleanore Croft (Highland High School), Jaelyn Forsyth (Murray High School), Ethan Luker (Cottonwood High School) and Thomas Marchant (Anthem Preparatory School) each received $3,500 to help cover costs as they move on to college.

Students were selected for the scholarship based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community service. GCU has been awarding scholarships for several years as a way to invest in education in the county. l

Morethan 100 schools will be represented at the Greater Northern Utah Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 23 at 9 a.m. at Wasatch Jr. High in Millcreek (3750 S. 3100 East). Sponsored by the City Journals community newspapers, the winner of the event will travel to Washington, D.C. to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.

Each school can send up to two spelling representatives to compete at the Utah bee. Students will complete a written test before the competition and everyone will have the chance to spell one word on the stage. After the first round, the top spellers will be announced and they will compete for the state championship.

Top spellers to compete at the Greater Northern Utah Spelling Bee

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

“The spelling bee is a foundation of the building blocks of education,” said Elizabeth Sweat, people leader at the City Journals. “It teaches children the importance of hard work, language skills and aiming for the best. It helps them become strong thinkers, ready to create a better tomorrow.”

The City Journals has hosted the regional spelling bee since 2014 and pays for the trip to Washington, D.C. for the winner and one parent. This year, Planet

Tooth Pediatric Dentistry in West Valley will provide funds to ensure a second speller can also attend the national bee.

Last year’s winner, Surya Kapu, competed at the national event, finishing tied for third place. It was the third time the South Jordan resident had competed at that level. Surya won the regional bee four times but didn’t attend the Scripps event one year because of COVID. This year, he is too old to compete, so there will be a new champion crowned.

City Journals publisher Bryan Scott is adamant about hosting the event each year and giving students the opportunity to shine.

“To me, children are synonymous with our future and our community,” Scott said. “Any time we get to celebrate a child is awesome. For some of these spellers, this may be the only time in their life where they are on a stage. Those few moments make all the difference.”

To support the regional spelling bee and competitors, donate with the QR code. Help send the champion to Washington, D.C. to complete at the national level. l

Eleanore Croft

Ethan Luker

Jaelyn Forsyth

Thomas Marchant

The City Journals sent South Jordan resident Surya Kapu to Washington, D.C. last year to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This year’s regional bee will be held on Saturday, March 23. (Photo courtesy of Udaya Kapu)

JDCHS wrestler wins state in girls 120-pound division

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

Juan Diego Catholic High School Skyley Hanna won the girls 3A state wrestling title at 120 pounds at the Sevier Valley Center Feb. 17. The senior defeated Grantsville Bailey Rainer in the championship match. Avie Hernandez, competing in the 235-pound division, took third after defeating Manti’s Danelynn Castro in the third-place match. Tiffany Nguyen, at 125 pounds, also came in sixth with all three state placers helping the Soaring Eagle girls program to an eighthplace finish as a team. The boys finished in 16th place at the state event.

Hanna completed her dominating run at the state tournament with a bye in the first round and wins over Union’s Taylonna Garcia in the quarterfinals and Canyon View’s Marley Castaneda in the semis to reach the final. Hernandez also had a bye in the first round before earning wins over Union’s Jayci Wood in the quarters and Carbon’s Grace Lamb in the consolation semifinals. Nguyen’s wins at state were against Canyon View’s Kenzie McIntosh in the first round, Richfield’s Bailey Mooney in the second round of the consolation bracket and Ogden’s Cailyn Knighton in the third round of consolation.

Other state qualifiers on the girls side were Lana Chan, at 105 pounds, Savanna Findley (110 pounds), Natalia Cardenas (110

pounds), Erin Chan (120 pounds) and Ricky Brown (130 pounds).

Those helping the JDCHS boys take 16th were Mario Perez (126 pounds), Athan Gula (138 pounds), Corbin Buckley (165 pounds), Toby Hardin (175 pounds), Sebastian Ramirez (190 pounds), Manik Gill-Martin (215 pounds) and Loklan Cruz (285 pounds).

At the 3A Divisional A tournament at Uintah High School Jan. 31, Hanna and Hernandez both won their weight classifications and were named Outstanding Wrestlers for the lightweight and heavyweight divisions in helping the Juan Diego girls take fourth place.

Nguyen (third, 125 pounds), Erin Chan (fourth, 120 pounds), Lana Chan (fourth, 105 pounds), Findley (fifth, 110 pounds), Brown (fifth, 130 pounds) and Cardenas (sixth, 110 pounds) were also placers for the girls at Divisionals.

The boys finished seventh at the 3A Divisionals at Union High School Feb. 3, led by Perez—who took fourth at 126 pounds— along with Hardin (sixth, 175 pounds), Ramirez (sixth, 190 pounds), Gula (seventh, 138 pounds), Cruz (seventh, 285 pounds), Buckley (eighth, 165 pounds) and Gill-Martin (eighth, 215 pounds). l

Juan Diego Catholic High School’s Skyley Hanna won the 3A state title at the girls state championship Feb. 17 at the Sevier Valley Center. (Photos courtesy Zac Petereit)

The Juan Diego Catholic High School girls and boys wrestling programs finished eighth and 16th, respectively, at the 3A state championships Feb. 16-17 at the Sevier Valley Center. (Photo courtesy Zac Petereit)

Nostalgia takes center stage

Bingham High choir students, alumni, directors sing 70-year-old school hymn

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Growing up, Lowell Hicks first learned to play the xylophone and appreciated music, a discipline and passion he devoted his life to, teaching students in Jordan and Granite school districts. The 104-year-old musician died in 2018, but his legacy still lives on when students and alumni gather in Bingham High’s auditorium to sing the school hymn.

Hicks added the music to Bingham English teacher Robert Knotts’ lyrics, “Dreams of Bingham High,” which was adopted in 1954, during Hicks’ tenure at the legacy high school.

Current and past choir members and directors spent an evening remembering 70 years of the hymn, filled with music and memories.

“We’ll always remember the blue and the white, and faces so tender and dear.”

That night, Bingham students, wearing choir T-shirts in school colors, met alumni in the school auditorium. Many there picked up where they left off, maybe from the previous year or perhaps from years back. Many choir members had sung together all three years of their high school careers, others, like sophomore Abigail Dixon’s mother, Tiffany, were excited for their child’s first concert and the memories that will unfold in the upcoming years.

“We’ll always remember the stars in the night that shine on our campus so clear.”

A glowing memory amongst many in attendance is the annual candlelight concert. Music softly surrounds the auditorium as Bingham choir members walk the aisles to the stage, holding flickering candles. It symbolizes the start of the holiday season and patrons await the decades-long tradition of music leaders lighting grand candelabras.

To many, the candlelight concert epitomizes the importance of upholding traditions. Hicks himself was awarded the Candlelight Service Award in 1991 for his outstanding service to Bingham High.

Ryan North directed the school choir for nine years, beginning in 2015.

“I love the candlelight concert; I always thought it was incredible to be part of this larger tradition,” he said. “I thought, this is the 87th year we’ve done it and it goes way back before any of us were here. It’ll continue long after we are gone. It’s one of the coolest things about being at the school that has been around since 1908. It’s amazing to be part of that legacy; it’s quite a blessing.”

Logan Bingham, who became director this year and organized the reunion concert, continued the tradition. He directed this school year’s concert on Dec. 18, 2023.

“We’ll always remember the laughs and the smiles and the struggles and sorrows and tears.”

During this choir reunion, many friendships were rekindled and memories shared.

Kerrin Gates directed 250 students in six choirs during each year at Bingham from 2008 to 2014, yet when Jacob Sherman and Maureen Hatch, both of the class of 2015, approached her, she immediately recognized them.

Sherman, who performs in local musical productions, remembered Gates believed in him.

“When I was a sophomore, she had an audition choir (vocal jazz) and I was the only tenor,” he said. “I did not think that I was capable of doing that, but she put me in a place that gave me the confidence to do that and more.”

Hatch has continued her love of music to become the assistant conductor for the Salt Lake Choral Artists.

Gates gives credit to her predecessors in establishing a strong program with some wonderful traditions, but also gives tribute to the students.

“My biggest favorite memory here is all the kids — getting to know young people and how to work with them and to inspire them to reach their potential,” she said. “There are many different aspects to it to being a teacher and a teacher in the performing arts discipline, but I was lucky. I always had the best students; they were so genuine in their giving, giving their energy in helping and supporting each other.”

One thing she reminisced about was starting the Singing Valentines.

“The kids really enjoyed those,” Gates said. “It was a fun tradition that we started as a fundraiser. It wasn’t incredibly lucrative, but it did get a lot of exposure for the choirs, and we had some students join choir because of that.”

Katie Troff and Cody Harman, who both graduated in 2013, fondly remember those.

“People can buy a valentine for someone else, and we would go sing to those people,”

Harman said. “It was a full day of Singing Valentines.”

Troff said it was fun to surprise people.

“They wouldn’t know that you were coming,” she said. “We’d put them in a chair in front of everyone and sing. My friend and I bought one for our U.S. History teacher (Brett Boberg) because we knew it would make him super embarrassed when we all sang to him.”

They had fond memories of socials, playing Spoons and hanging out together, but a not-so-fond recount of the state competition their senior year.

“In the middle of our performance, we

had all gotten off and progressively, we got worse. We had to stop and start over,” Harman said.

It was not typical for the performers.

“We practiced so hard, and we had gotten a perfect score in the festival leading up to it,” Troff said. “We just got psyched out right before we went on and we got so off pitch, it was horrible. It was embarrassing. Our score was awful. We knew that song, but we just totally failed.”

It wasn’t the only time for Bingham choirs.

Gates remembers at an acapella choir

Bingham High’s choirs, under the direction of Logan Bingham, performed at the recent choir reunion concert. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Former choir members Jolene Dalton Gailey, in black, and LeAnna Willmore, in purple, sing the school hymn “Dreams of Bingham High” with Bingham High’s choirs, choir alumni and families during a recent reunion concert. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

festival, her group had a staggered entrance — only the first singers didn’t come in, then the next missed their entrance as well.

“We stopped and backed up. I was racking my brain in that moment trying to come up with a good place to start and figured I’d back up to the solo. My brain didn’t remember that there had been a huge key change, but I gave the student a pitch for the solo. He did it and the choir followed. We finished and it went well because they fixed it together as a group,” she said.

LeAnna Willmore directed the choirs from 1991 to 1999 and remembered a misstep.

“We were singing ‘Feller from Fortune’ and it’s a meter song, one that has a constant switch of meters,” she said.

At one place, they made a mistake.

“We just went on. We all knew we missed it. But we got a I (top score) at the festival. The judge said, ‘It’s OK if you miss one beat,’” Willmore said.

She had taught Jolene Dalton Gailey as a music student, but her pupil succeeded her directing Bingham choirs for seven years.

Gailey started musical productions at the school serving as both the drama and the choir director.

“I did all the music, the staging, the building effects, the orchestra. I did everything for the first couple musicals on top of teaching,” she said about those early pro-

ductions of “The Music Man,” “Oklahoma,” “Damn Yankees,” “Anything Goes” and “Guys and Dolls.” “Musicals are great for kids. It brings all different cross sections for the production — students to build a two-story, 60-foot wide ship on that stage for their friends to sing and dance in costumes other students created. It really brings the school together.”

She also directed large choral works.

“Instead of seven or eight different pieces for a concert, we did large choral works, usually with accompaniment other than just the piano,” she said. “I wanted my students to achieve greatness at a level where they could be considered peers of adult choirs. My kids had the attitude where they would jump right in. Those are the greatest memories, being able to achieve something that was so fine and so musically pleasing and fulfilling.”

“But though we may travel o’er many strange miles”

Every director recounted choir tour unforgettable memories. Gailey’s was when the band, orchestra and choir traveled to Vancouver, B.C.

“Back then, Jordan School District would not let us sleep outside of the United States. So, we slept in Blaine, Washington, and every day drove back into Vancouver. That meant we’d pack up and drive to Vancouver, do our thing, and return to Blaine for the night, but it was a great trip,” she said.

Gates remembers Disneyland tours.

“They got to be backstage, singing along with the animation,” she said. “It was a great experience. But honestly, all of it was fun. I think when we weren’t doing the organized activities was the most memorable.”

North said taking 135 teenagers on a New York City subway is something he’ll always remember.

“Every tour is memorable. Maybe the most memorable one was the one that never happened in 2020,” he said. “Everything was planned; all the money had been paid. We’re a week away from leaving (when it was cancelled because of COVID-19 pandemic protocols). One of the best things about tour for a teacher is the end of the tour when you can say, ‘OK, it’s done.’ That year was the worst because I did all the planning for it and it never happened. Instead, I spent the next six months dealing with the fallout of getting refunds.”

Bingham, the current director, wants to continue building the program with the alumni’s support.

“The choir program is thriving,” he said. “I’d like to get the choirs out singing at a lot of places and hopefully, sing at some national conferences for choir directors.”

“We’ll always remember in May and September, Bingham High as our happiest years.”

Through the years, the school hymn has

been sung at assemblies and concerts.

Gailey said the “Dreams of Bingham High” was a big tradition during her tenure.

“The whole audience stood up when I was there, and the entire student body crossed arms and held hands while singing, being led by the Madrigals,” she said.

Harman, who attended the school a few years later, remembered being on stage and “everyone used their hands to do the ‘pick and shovel’ while we were singing.”

Willmore is credited for the modern arrangement.

“I love Bingham High, the traditions that are honored and the importance of them,” she said.

North, and even Bingham, have revised the hymn.

North, who looked at the original manuscript, said he “restored” some things, but also on the last phrase, “Bingham High as our happiest years” he changed the major chord on the school name to a minor chord.

“I thought, how appropriate to have Bingham in a ‘Miner’ chord,” he said with a chuckle. “There are a lot of good memories and traditions here. I love the fact we have a school hymn here and the community support for the choir.”

Bingham then led the choir, retired directors, alumni and guests in singing the sweet melody of “Dreams of Bingham High.” l

“I had taken 11 different medications without any

“As a little kid I’d go down face first on my sled all the time. Sometimes, I’d go backwards. Sometimes, I’d build little jumps, just to make each run unique and more exciting. I grew up skiing, but when I hit middle school, my friend got me into snowboarding because it was cooler,” she said. “I’ve always been a warm weather gal, an ocean person. I get cold easily, so I never saw myself as an avid winter sports athlete.”

It was December 2022, she had returned to her parents’ home in South Jordan for the holidays, when she had her first run at the Olympic Park as part of a Discover Skeleton day.

“I wasn’t nervous. I was excited and thought, ‘This is so cool to try out.’ I convinced CeCe (her older sister) to do it because it was literally just me in a room of teenage boys that day,” she said. “We started at curve 11. The coaches said we’d likely hit the wall going down the track, but to just continue and it would be fine.”

Otto had “a completely clean run” while her older sister, “the poor thing, she hit the walls a lot. She did it, but she was ‘a one-anddone girl.’ She’s always erring on the side of caution. I’m definitely more of a wild child.”

The coaches liked what they saw in the adventurous Otto.

“They said that my run was amazing and to think about joining for the upcoming

season. I went home and talked to my family about it. I was applying to grad school, but they said I can always go back to school, and I could only be an athlete for a limited time in my life,” she said, adding others echoed their support. “I decided that I’d take a year as a trial run. If I hated it, then I’d go to school. But, I loved it from that moment forward. I never thought that this would blossom into something bigger that I pursue.”

The 2021 University of Hawaii marine biology graduate had moved to California where she had been a divemaster and taught scuba diving and marine education for kids on Catalina Island. She packed up her belongings and put her application to University of California Santa Barbara’s doctorate program in predator research on hold.

On Jan. 7, 2023, Otto began training under coaches Nick Vienneau and Matt Griff. She progressed from that initial time on the ice, where she hit 40 miles per hour, working her way to the top of the hill. The Park City 1,335-meter competitive course has an 8% average gradient over its 15 curves.

“The whole season, I just wanted to go down from the top of the track. I was super eager, and my coach kept saying ‘you have to be patient and take time,’” she said.

Otto did her homework as well.

“As athletes, we help each other be aware of how each pressure and each curve on the track will affect us and our sleds. We talk about navigating the track and navigating

Funeral arrangements are a deeply personal choice. Preplanning provides you with the time needed to make practical, detailed decisions that reflect your standards, lifestyle, taste and budget. And we assure you and your family that the choices you make will be carried out as planned.

pressure. With coaches, we put crampons on over shoes and walk the track so we look at each curve and see what the ideal line would be. My mind never stops thinking about how to improve,” she said.

Otto remembers her first full run.

“I approached it as a situation where I could relax. I knew the track and had done a lot of studying on it. I knew to get a feel of how I was on the sled, and I could go from there,” she said. “When I got to the end of the track, I was ready to go again. It was freakin’ fantastic. It was so invigorating. Skeleton definitely fuels my fire.”

The next day, Otto competed in her first race, the Western Regionals held at Park City.

“It literally was my second run down from the top of the track,” she said.

Otto placed fourth in the women’s division, clocking her first run at 55.43, and reaching a top speed of 75.7 miles per hour. Run two, she improved to 54.95, racing at 76 mph.

She continued her workouts throughout the summer and fall on the simulation metal push track, “which is one of the fundamental parts of the sport. Now I’m back on the ice.”

In December 2023, she was “pumped” to slide down the track as a forerunner for the North American Cup race held at Park City.

Otto continues to train at the Olympic Park five days a week in two-hour sessions. Her speed has increased to about 78 miles per hour, approaching typical Olympic speeds of about 80 mph, she said. Her fastest run is 52.40; “I definitely have a lot of room for improvement.”

Skeleton is challenging in many aspects.

“You only have a certain amount of time on the ice in a training session. On a good day, you’ll take three runs down. On average, two, so it’s literally less than two minutes on the ice. The season is fairly short and can be weather dependent on ice conditions and snow. It’s also a mental game with so many different facets to it. You need to know the track that you’re on because each track is unique. They all have different curves, different pressures. You really have to do your homework. You have to be aware of where you are at all times and know how to drive your sled,” she said.

Otto, who grew up tumbling, graduated as Hillcrest High’s 2017 top athlete. She was a state competitor in swimming and cross country and set the state pole vault record in track. Since then, she has participated in U.S. Masters Swimming and competed in triathlons “as a hobby.” Otto takes her competitive spirit and her flexibility from her athletic background and combines it with her calm mindset from scuba as she approaches her new sport.

“After that physical sprint at the beginning, it’s all about learning the track, knowing the pressures and making a game time decision on each curve. Besides training on the ice, I’m working on my speed and doing weightlifting,” she said.

Three early mornings per week, Otto

is doing interval training, circuit work and foot speed with her former high school swim coach, Ryan Thierbach. She’s also working on her own, focusing on her pushing dynamics.

“I have a deconstructed roller skate (from when her sister performed in Hillcrest’s production of “Starlight Express”) and I set a weight on top of it. I push that so I can work on sprinting in that hunched-over position and know my hand placement. Everybody at the gym looks at me like I’m crazy,” she said.

This spring, Otto will train with skeleton Olympic silver medalist and Utah Sports Hall of Famer Noelle Pikus-Pace at the Olympic Oval.

“My former pole vault coach (Kody Pierce) is friends with her and connected me. I’m really excited about training with her because she knows the sport and the intricacies of it. I’ve been able to watch Olympian Katie Uhlaender at the Olympic Park as she’s making a play for the 2026 Olympics. Seeing how she navigates the track and how she pushes has been so cool,” she said.

To support her training, Otto works three part-time, flexible jobs — assistant coaching the Alta High swim team, tutoring students in STEM subjects and helping with an adventure afterschool program.

“I’m using an Olympic Park sled which I’m grateful for because those cost $5,000 to $10,000,” she said.

Otto is customizing the 29.8-kilogram sled designed and produced by Bromley Technologies, founded by Great Britain’s former skeleton racer Kristan Bromley and his brother, Richard. Otto, who weighs in at 130 pounds, plans to add more weight to the sled, saying the maximum combined sled and athlete weight allowed is 102 kg. or about 225 pounds.

“Ideally, I will have more speed, but it will change the balance points, how I feel on the ice and the pressures of the curve. The G-forces on your head and neck are quite a bit so we’re wearing Q-collars around our necks to stabilize our heads,” she said.

Each run, Otto is learning something new and making improvements.

“It’s never going to be boring even though I’m taking run after run after run on the same track. There’s always something to figure out, work on or adjust,” she said.

While Otto has yet to name her sled, she may become known as America’s glitter gal.

“I love glitter so my motto is ‘sparkles for speed.’ I always have either glitter on my face, or a little glitter star sticker on my sled,” said the local who doesn’t just want to watch races of the World Cup or Olympics online. “I’m one of the youngest people in my training group. A lot of the people who are competing at World Cup and European Cup are 27, up to 35 years old. I’m happy I switched up; it’s been really fun. Skeleton has won my heart.” l

As I’ve gotten older (but never wiser), I expected the hot flashes, mood swings and irritability. What I didn’t expect was that my age would turn my hair into a mortal enemy. Each morning, I stare in the mirror and prepare for what feels like a battle to the death.

If the indignity of having my face turn a heat-blasting shade of scarlet at any given moment wasn’t enough, I suddenly developed cowlicks along my hairline, giving my head the appearance of constant swirling, like Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” My hair suddenly changed directions and refused to be bullied into lying flat.

In fairness, my hair and I have been through some stuff. We endured the spongy, pink curlers mom twisted onto my head every Saturday night. We survived my feathery Farrah Fawcett era, the spiral perms, the lemon bleaching in the summer, the sky-high bangs of the ’80s and a decade of nothing but ponytails when my daughters were little.

Maybe my hair never forgave me because now there is no amount of styling products or heated irons that make my hair manageable. It usually looks like newlywed hawks nested on my head to raise their young.

After another morning struggling to arrange my hair in some semblance of

Letting my hair down

control, I threw my hair straightener down the hall and burst into tears. My husband walked out of his office and asked what was wrong. I pointed at my head and kept bawling.

“I don’t care if your hair looks like a tornado emoji,” he said. “You’re always beautiful to me.”

“I don’t want to be beautiful to you,” I sobbed. “I want to be beautiful to complete strangers.”

He doesn’t get it. Men can be bald or gray or have a comb-over or just a Van Dyke beard and they’ll still be considered handsome, even distinguished. But if a woman can’t style her hair using a tube sock, a bottle of mousse and a barrette, the TikTok police jump out of nowhere and create harsh videos for public shaming.

But it’s not just the random cowlicks that give my scalp the appearance of a tropical storm weather map, it’s the breakage and the sensitive scalp and the way my

hair just refuses to comply. My hair breaks so often, it looks like my stylist started to give me a bowl cut and then got bored after trimming the first layer.

I’ve invested in expensive shampoos and luxury leave-in conditioners with no effect. My hair just twirls insolently from my head. I purchased soft brushes and vitamin supplements and I paid someone good money to rub my scalp for 45 minutes. The pampering hasn’t paid off.

There’s no such thing as “styling” my hair. I have to distract it, wrestle it into place, staple it down and spray it with a light coat of cement. It doesn’t matter.

Within minutes it’s spinning around my face like it drank too many mimosas for breakfast.

Maybe the lack of compliance is the reason many older women end up cutting their hair into cute pixie styles, easy crops or elegant bobs. But my face is too round for a short haircut. I end up looking like a basketball wearing a toupee.

I hope at some point my hair and I can become friends again. Between my mood swings and hot flashes, I don’t have the patience to be irritated at one more thing.