South Jordan Journal | November 2024 by The City Journals

LARRY H. & GAIL MILLER FAMILY ARTS CENTER COMING TO DAYBREAK

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Salt Lake County and the Miller Family Foundation announced a partnership to construct a regional arts center in South Jordan. While still in the design phase, the arts center is expected to include an 800-seat main stage theater, two performance and rehearsal event spaces, classrooms and a dedicated visual art gallery.

Located in the downtown Daybreak area, the arts center will be operated and managed by Salt Lake County Arts & Culture. The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation donated $25 million for naming rights to the theater, with the proposed name being the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Arts Center.

“We are incredibly fortunate to partner with the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation to bring this important regional arts center to life,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said. “Their unwavering commitment to the arts in our community is inspiring and this new venue will be a vital cultural hub for the rapidly growing southwest valley.”

The facility will join other arts centers in the Salt Lake Valley operated by Salt Lake County Arts & Culture including the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, Abravanel Hall, the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Capitol Theatre and the 430-seat Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in Taylorsville.

Construction on the new arts center is expected to begin in January 2026 with an expected opening date in early 2028.

“We believe that the arts have a profound ability to enrich lives, foster connection and strengthen communities,” Gail Miller said, chair of the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation and

Early Detection is Key: Breast Cancer Signs, Symptoms and Next Steps

By Cara Guilfoyle, MD

t likely isn’t a stretch to say that you know someone who has had to battle breast cancer within their lifetime, or maybe you have even been diagnosed with it yourself. With the new age of social media, stories of survival and those walking through their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment journey may be inundating your feeds. These stories of hope can certainly be inspiring but may also feel a bit unsettling.

So, what do you need to know about breast cancer and how can you be sure that you’re on top of your health? Let’s start with what breast cancer is and how it occurs - breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in one or both breasts. These cancer cells can spread to nearby tissues and form a mass called a tumor. The cells can spread within the breast, to nearby lymph nodes and other tissues, and to other parts of the body.*

“We are lucky that breast cancer is, for the most part, very treatable,” said Cara Guilfoyle, MD, FACS, Breast Surgeon and Medical Director for CommonSpirit Medical Group –Specialty Care in Utah.

Dr. Guilfoyle stresses the importance of getting yearly 3D mammograms beginning at 40 years old, “mammograms can ﬁnd breast cancer on an average about ﬁve years earlier than you can feel it.” You do not need your physician to write you a prescription or complete

an order form for you to have a screening mammogram - you can self-request to make an appointment for your annual mammogram.

“It is important to stay current with your breast cancer screening because ﬁnding breast cancer at an early stage allows more treatment options and a better opportunity for long-term survival,” said Dr. Guilfoyle. “Early detection allows for much less aggressive treatment (for example, omitting chemo and/or radiation).”

Women with a strong family history of breast cancer should talk to their doctor about genetic testing and risk assessments as some high-risk women can start breast imaging earlier.

While it is important to know your family history and risk… Dr. Guilfoyle shares that family history doesn’t tell us everything. “About 75-85% of women (three out of four) diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history or known risk factors.”

So, what should you look out for when doing self-assessments? Dr. Guilfoyle says that you should “never ignore a new lump!” Other possible indicators for cancers can include:

•New skin dimpling

•Skin changes

•Nipple retraction

•Nipple rash

•Nipple discharge

•Lump under the armpit

When things go

“At Holy Cross Hospital - Jordan Valley, we have state of the art equipment, including breast MRI, 3D mammogram, SAVI scout for localizations and a soon-to-come Trident for intraoperative specimen imaging,” said Dr. Guilfoyle. “Our multidisciplinary team presents each breast cancer patient to a tumor board and allows for a collaborative academic discussion to formulate the most appropriate personalized treatment plan.”

We strive to exemplify all ﬁve of CommonSpirit’s core values of compassion, inclusion, integrity, excellence and collaboration when treating each and every one of our patients.

If you are interested in seeing Dr. Guilfoyle at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley or Holy Cross Hospital – Mountain Point, you may call 385-345-3555 to make an appointment.

“I love being in a ﬁeld that allows me to make a huge impact on patients’ lives,” said Dr. Guilfoyle. “I try to exude optimism and empower women to tap into the strength they need to face their challenge, and to reinforce that they are not alone!”

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

At CommonSpirit Health, we make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Cara Guilfoyle, MD

CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital - Jordan Valley

Salt Lake County Library’s Daybreak branch earns a Net Zero Energy certification

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

With more than 500 solar panels on the roof’s shade canopy and geothermal energy under the parking lot, the Salt Lake County Library’s Daybreak branch produces 102% of its onsite energy needs.

Since the building opened in 2022, its energy production and consumption have been tracked and has now attained Net Zero Energy, the first public building in Utah to reach that goal. Net Zero Energy refers to a building that consumes no more energy than it needs to function and produces that energy from renewable sources.

County leaders, the building’s designers, library personnel and patrons attended an event on Oct. 18 to celebrate the certification.

“I’m delighted that the Daybreak branch fulfills our mission to provide a great place for everyone to visit while integrating this stellar level of energy efficiency,” Salt Lake County Library Director Joey McNamee said. “Our employees and the architects went above and beyond to meet the Net Zero Energy requirements and I could not be prouder. From materials to services to programs to solar arrays, there are plenty of opportunities to learn, create and connect with others at the County Library, a vibrant community space that has such a profound impact on the lives of Salt Lake County residents.”

Located in South Jordan at 11358 Grandville Ave., the library features a rooftop garden, outdoor amphitheater, meeting rooms and study areas, along with thousands of books and resources. The County Library system receives more than 2 million visitors each year, checking out 12.5 million items.

“When you look at this broad valley, the change in the growth and the demands and needs around here, it’s not just what can our library system do, but what can we inspire our public to do on their own,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said. “The sustainability efforts are so appreciated, and I know this has made a big impact, not just on the families that are here today, but on our environment. It’s due to your efforts and the great planning and the values that we hold here at Salt Lake County.”

Designed by Architectural Nexus, the Daybreak library was created as a transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly location, maximizing space while incorporating native landscaping and energy efficiency.

Architectural Nexus Principal Architect Holli Adams said the firm was proud of the certification and the dedication of county leaders to make it happen. She said they will take the lessons learned with this building to apply to other projects.

“This library has a unique system that the county has used on several buildings, but we really took big advantage of it on this building,” Adams said. “It has a ground source heating and cooling system, it has abundant natural daylight, really well-insulated walls and high-performance glazing. This building is 78% more energy efficient than a typical library.”

Daybreak branch manager Leslie Schow said she enjoys taking visitors on a tour of the building and seeing the awe on their faces when they realize how the library is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Schow took it as a challenge to reach Net Zero En-

ergy by dimming lights, turning off computer monitors and printers every evening and adjusting sensors so lights would shut off when rooms were not in use.

“The unique features of the Daybreak branch have given us a great way to share STEM and STEAM learning with the community,” Schow said. “You’ll notice that the branch is full of natural daylight thanks to the 23 solar tubes that help us light the building during the day without electricity.”

Wilson said as the county continues to grow, it is vital to do so thoughtfully, responsibly and sustainably.

“The efficiencies built into this County Library branch, and the individual energy-saving actions regularly taken by employees, are saving taxpayer dollars,” she said. “Additionally, by using innovations in design and building technology, we’re improving the quality of life for ourselves and the generations to come.” l

The South Jordan Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout South Jordan.

For information about distribution please email hello@thecityjournals.com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner. © 2019 Loyal Perch Media, Inc.

Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com

EDITOR

Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com

Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com

Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com

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Rice | lydia.r@thecityjournals.com

SOUTH JORDAN TEAM

Salt Lake County Library’s Daybreak branch in South Jordan becomes the first public building to earn a Net Zero Energy certification. (Peri Kinder/City Journals)

Bingham girls soccer advances to the 6A second round for the first time in three years

Having played 100 minutes on a windy day at Ron Thorne Stadium Thursday Oct. 10, Bingham seniors Savvy Olson, Alexi Ames and Kaitlin Carroll stepped up to the center circle one last time.

Both teams played to a 0-0 draw through two regulation halves and two overtimes apiece—and now No. 16 seed Bingham and No. 17 Fremont were taking each other on in the penalty kick shootout.

After four kicks each, the game stayed knotted at 2-2. On its fifth attempt, Bingham left no mistake about it, splashing the back of the net with the game ball. Moments later, Fremont kicked its fifth attempt wide of the left post, handing the Miners a 3-2 win on penalties.

Bingham’s players and coaches responded seconds later by storming the field. As winners of the 6A first round matchup, this would mark the first time in three years that the Miners advanced to the 6A second round. The Cinderella story would end there, unfortunately, as Bingham lost 8-0 at Lone Peak on Tuesday Oct. 15.

For the five seniors that included Izabel Weller and Audrey Phillips in addition to the three captains Olson, Ames and Carroll, their final seasons at Bingham marked something else—that first round state playoff win erased a tough season in Region 2 play that ended with a 1-11 record and let the five go out on their home

Continued from front page

co-founder of the Larry H. Miller Company. “This donation is an investment in the future of our community, providing a space where creativity can thrive and where people of all backgrounds can experience the transformative power of the arts.”

Additionally, Larry H. Miller Real Estate has donated three acres in downtown Daybreak to ensure accessibility to the center. The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Arts Center will join nearby Daybreak Field at America First Square as part of a mixed-use entertainment district that includes a Larry H. Miller Megaplex facility featuring movie screens, bowling lanes and arcade games.

Construction is already underway for the 6,500-seat Daybreak Field, scheduled to open for the Salt Lake Bees Triple-A season in 2025.

The arts center is expected to provide performance, rehearsal and exhibition space to meet the needs of the Southwest Valley. Based on the county’s 2008 and 2020 cultural master plans, an identified need called for publicly owned regional art centers to serve arts organizations in the county.

“We are honored to work with Salt Lake County to support the creation of this new arts center and look forward to seeing the impact it will have for generations to come,” Miller said. l

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

field as victors in a game they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

Ames not only led the line for Bingham as one of its senior captains—she led the team in scoring with five goals this season. Both she [three] and Phillips [two] were tops on the Miners in assists while Olson and Weller each paced Bingham with nine corner kicks.

Not only that, Bingham [5-14] had its three

senior captains play in every game and Weller, all but one for the Miners. In addition to that, four underclassmen played in as many games as those four seniors, giving you an idea of the kind of balance and depth Bingham could have going into next year.

In terms of shots taken, the Miners had two sophomores finish with eight and seven, respectively. When it came down to shots on

goal, sophomore Molly Cunningham finished second on the team with 15 while freshman Brooklyn Vance had seven.

And, of those penalty kicks taken in the shootout win over Fremont, a junior and a sophomore scored for Bingham, joining Ames on that list.

The Miners also had two goalkeepers play throughout the season. Vance had the most appearances, starting in 14 games and allowing only 20 goals. The freshman’s goals against average, or GAA as it’s commonly known, was 2.16.

Sophomore Norah Obed was the other keeper for the Miners; she appeared in 11 games and finished with a 2.66 GAA. Both Vance and Obed were instrumental to Bingham’s success and best finish since the 2020-21 season as they combined for 132 saves.

In front of Obed and Vance was a stout defense that rarely made mistakes, even though it often played several starters who were relative newcomers to the positions they were playing. In fact, the Miners as a team only received a total of three yellow cards and no red cards.

Bingham also served notice to the rest of Class 6A that the Miners might be a handful to tackle next season if the team were to remain intact. l

Bingham girls soccer won a shootout in the first round of the state playoffs. (Stock photo)

On senior night, Bingham girls volleyball thumps rival Riverton, 3-0

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

With strains of Bone Thugs ‘n Harmony’s

“Get up/get up/get up/it’s the 1st of the month” blaring from the loudspeakers at The Pit that filled with spectators in long sleeves as the first chills of fall settled in, you sensed this was a playoff atmosphere on Senior Night, Tuesday Oct. 15.

With crosstown rivals Riverton in South Jordan for its yearly visit, the Bingham girl’s volleyball team had been on a tear; the Miners were winners of three straight and five of its last seven.

Simply put, they’ve been on a roll.

On an evening in which the Miners honored eight seniors, along with two from Riverton’s team who were given customary leis by Bingham’s players, the Miners under second-year coach Reed Carlson scored the first five points of game one before its crosstown rival could answer with a point of its own.

Bingham would let its rival back in the game once momentarily before the Miners reeled off seven straight points for a 14-6

lead, forcing Riverton to burn one of its timeouts.

Out of the timeout, Bingham immediately ripped an ace. There would be a few bumps in the road along the way, but the Miners would take game one by the score of 25-12.

In game two, Bingham would again force Riverton’s hand by reeling off six straight points. From the timeout that Riverton called, the Miners continued to chip away at their rivals until an equipment sensor malfunction at the net stopped play with Bingham holding a 9-3 lead.

Though the stoppage neither helped nor hurt Bingham, the Miners scored 11 of the next 16 points to take a 20-9 lead into the next timeout. After that, Bingham just chipped away at Riverton, rolling to a 25-10 game two victory.

Game three turned out to be a tad different for the Miners, who let Riverton race to a 4-1 advantage. But back came the Miners

that not only retook the lead—they scored 10 of the next 11 to go ahead 11-5 and wrapped up the night with a 25-12, 25-10, 25-15 triumph.

For a Bingham [18-9] team that swept its rival and moved into second place in Region 2 with a 7-2 record, junior Lexie Carlson led the way with nine kills, followed by senior Paige Ballif who had nine as well. In terms of kill percentage, senior Iman Finau was successful 57% of the time on Senior Night, while Ballif hit home on 56% of hers.

What makes this Bingham team so dangerous, however, is the fact that it’s deep. Thirteen different players scored three or more service points on Senior Night against Riverton. Senior Jessica Truong herself served six aces while the senior Ballif had three along with sophomore Jada Jensen.

In assists, senior Madison Evans may have had the most eye-dropping stat of the night, leading the way with 18. McKenna Lambson, also a senior, added five.

A pair of sophomores in Leilani Pouha and Lauren Evans were big at the net for Bingham, recording two blocks each. Seniors Paileulu Falivae and Eliza Pierce contributed one on the night.

Defense seems to be the calling card for this Miners team, as Truong led the way with 11 digs, followed by Jensen with five and Ballif, four. In receptions, Ballif was instrumental in keeping the Miners in points; she had 15, Truong had six and the junior Carlson four.

By the time you read this, the Miners will have completed the Region 2 slate of games and will focus their attention on the 6A state tournament.

Bingham is currently sixth in the RPI rankings, but that seed is likely to be higher after this week’s performances that included the three-set win over Riverton, a 3-0 victory at Herriman and a 3-1 triumph at a Mountain Ridge team that was No. 3 at the time the Miners pulled off that upset. l

Sounds of the Season concert: A family tradition lives on

TheNielson and Shaw families have a deep and meaningful connection to the Seasons Orchestra and Choir, where music has been shared across generations. For Kendra Nielson, participating in “Sounds of the Season” holds memories close to her heart. “To be able to perform with the same group, on the same stage, that my grandparents, my siblings, and my mom did for so many years before me is like a dream come true,” she says.

Kendra is joined by her brother Kyle in the orchestra, with their grandparents, Roy and Dianne Shaw, lending their voic-

es to the choir. Mindie Nielson, who is part of the family’s musical journey, sings alongside Roy and Dianne, strengthening their shared tradition.

We celebrate the Nielson and Shaw families for their dedication to carrying forward this legacy and for bringing generations together through the joy of music.

Sounds of the Season concert will be Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 and 7 p.m. at Bingham High School.

Suggested donation: $7-10 per person or $30 per family. The concerts will benefit Make-aWish and local family shelters.

Stephanie and her children, Kyle and Emily, perform in the concert. (Contributed)

The white bow on a chair was done for the concert just after she passed to honor her. (Contributed)

BYU football, ex-Bingham standout Isaiah Glasker named national defensive player of the week

With strains of Bone Thugs ‘n Harmony’s “Get up/get up/get up/it’s the 1st of the month” blaring from the loudspeakers at The Pit that filled with spectators in long sleeves as the first chills of fall settled in, you sensed this was a playoff atmosphere on Senior Night, Tuesday Oct. 15.

With crosstown rivals Riverton in South Jordan for its yearly visit, the Bingham girl’s volleyball team had been on a tear; the Miners were winners of three straight and five of its last seven.

Simply put, they’ve been on a roll.

Bingham would let its rival back in the game once momentarily before the Miners reeled off seven straight points for a 14-6 lead, forcing Riverton to burn one of its timeouts.

Out of the timeout, Bingham immediately ripped an ace. There would be a few bumps in the road along the way, but the Miners would take game one by the score of 25-12.

In game two, Bingham would again force Riverton’s hand by reeling off six

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

straight points. From the timeout that Riverton called, the Miners continued to chip away at their rivals until an equipment sensor malfunction at the net stopped play with Bingham holding a 9-3 lead.

Game three turned out to be a tad different for the Miners, who let Riverton race to a 4-1 advantage. But back came the Miners that not only retook the lead—they scored 10 of the next 11 to go ahead 11-5 and wrapped up the night with a 25-12, 2510, 25-15 triumph.

more Jada Jensen.

In assists, senior Madison Evans may have had the most eye-dropping stat of the night, leading the way with 18. McKenna Lambson, also a senior, added five.

A pair of sophomores in Leilani Pouha and Lauren Evans were big at the net for Bingham, recording two blocks each. Seniors Paileulu Falivae and Eliza Pierce contributed one on the night.

By the time you read this, the Miners will have completed the Region 2 slate of games and will focus their attention on the 6A state tournament.

Isaiah Glasker receives the Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week Award. (Photo courtesy Maxwell Football Club)

Miners earned the No. 8 seed for the 6A state playoffs

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

For most of this game, the Bingham Miners simply could not find the end zone against their rivals.

That said, when they did late in the fourth quarter, there was probably no hesitation to go for two and the win at Mountain Ridge.

“Down 7 with less than 2 minutes to go, [this] capped off a 70-yard drive to win it!” posted junior quarterback Ayden Dunn after the Miners earned an 8-7 comeback win Friday Oct. 18. “Amazing team effort!”

It really was, and Dunn had one of his best passing performances of the season [132 yards], but the Miners tend to have a little extra for their crosstown rival that sits nestled in the Herriman hills.

This bitterness dates back to last year when Mountain Ridge’s players impersonated Mater Dei High School fans at Ron Thorne Stadium when the Los Angeles-based school had few, if any in the Salt Lake Valley.

That was a slight Bingham did not forget last year when it met Mountain Ridge in the season finale—when the Miners might have poured it on a tad after the game had been decided in that 37-27 win.

“Well, the least they could’ve done was

root for us!” exclaimed then-head coach Eric Jones, who added a laughing emoji and could neither confirm nor deny such a thing happened.

On the flip side, it probably didn’t help Bingham’s cause when several talented students who are good at basketball left Mountain Ridge that May and showed up at BHS on the first day of school in August, so it is what it is.

And what it is, is a rivalry between two schools that couldn’t be more diametrically opposite. That was obvious from the gaggle of penalty flags the refs tossed Friday night at Mountain Ridge as they conversed to determine who did or said what, first. This year’s game was such an ugly one that the score still stood at 0-0 after three quarters of action—a defensive masterpiece if ever there was one.

But that’s the side of the ball where Bingham [5-5] hangs its hard hat—defense. It has 10 different players who totaled 20 or more tackles this season, and five kids have two or more quarterback sacks. What’s more is that they have four kids with at least two interceptions and two with defensive touchdowns, including a pick-six by Washington State University commit Charger Doty.

By the way, there’s defensive tackle Villami Moala, who has offers on the table from more than a dozen schools and appears to be favoring Oregon as we go to print, or other seniors who are bound to generate interest. That’s along with an offensive line that is gaining momentum by the truckload—the University of Utah offered senior Nick Hallock on Oct. 19 at the TCU game. [He added the small, historical touch of U. great Luther Elliss on his post in case Ute fans were curious.]

One other thing has epitomized this Miners team since they lost 38-10 to Skyridge in early September: From a narrow 9-7 loss at Syracuse that might have been a bit skewed by excessive referee whistles to this past Friday night at chilly Mountain Ridge, the Miners have proven they can play against anyone on their schedule and keep most games close despite squirrely refs. To quote Vince Lombardi, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

That’s not saying Bingham has always been on the winning end of the equation— they’re .500 in that regard. But in three of Bingham’s five victories, the Miners needed late scores to win, and they did just that. The

last two games—a 21-16 win over Riverton, Bingham’s other rival Oct. 4, and this game Oct. 18—went down to the final two minutes before the outcomes were decided.

Games may not look pretty; they may have netiher a 100-yard rusher nor a 40-yard receiver, but it will harken one back to the good ol’ days when Bingham football was five yards and a cloud of tire pellets kicked up in a wild fracas at the line of scrimmage.

At this time of year when defense tends to win games for you more than lose them, the Miners are peaking at just the right time and were likely rewarded with a No. 8 seed and first-round bye for the upcoming 6A state playoffs.

By the time you read this, Bingham will have played Weber on Nov. 1 in the second round of the playoffs and a win at home in that game could lead to a quarterfinal rematch against … No. 1-seed Corner Canyon.

If you’re the Chargers who already had a dogfight with the Miners in Bingham’s 3721 loss Oct. 11, the absolute last team you want to play is this Miners team that made you fight, scratch and claw to a 27-21 lead at the end of the third quarter before you put the game away on your home field. l

Classical musical, ‘Hello, Dolly!’ to be performed at Paradigm

By Julie Slama|j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Each day leading up to the announcement of Paradigm High School’s fall musical, theatre director Alyse Shattuck would eliminate one of those that were posted outside of her classroom, until there was one. Now the music from the show is played during class passing times.

“Hello, Dolly!” will be performed at 7 p.m., Nov. 21-23 and again on Nov. 25. There also will be a 2 p.m., Nov. 23 performance. Shows will be performed at the school, 11577 S. 3600 West.

Tickets are $12 at the door, or they can be ordered ahead by calling the school at 801-676-1018. Senior and student tickets are $10 and a family ticket for immediate family members is $35. There also will be a 1 p.m. tea party where patrons can meet and take photos with the cast, do an activity and have priority seating at the matinee show. That package cost is $16.

“‘Hello, Dolly!’ has really awesome chorus parts and I have a big group of kids who want to participate this year,” Shattuck said. “They’re getting to sing and dance and be on stage a lot and I knew I had lots of talented voices for my leads.”

In fact, she knew that’s one of the hardest decisions as a director she has to make, and she knew she would have some students face disappointment when they weren’t cast as a lead.

“The kids here have a great attitude; we support each other. We don’t bully, we don’t talk bad about people. Once they get past that initial finding out that their name wasn’t in the spot they wanted it, they’re supportive,” Shattuck said. “This cast is having fun. They’re cracking me up, and they’re working hard.”

Thirty-two of the 400 students enrolled at the school make up the cast and a dozen more work on the tech crew under the direction of Melanie Kamauu. Stephanie Cole is the choreographer, Sara Rasmussen is the set designer and senior Bethany

more than just typical courses.

“Musical theatre, along with choir and band, are unique classes because they’re some of the only classes where we see kids year to year. They get chances to work together and build those friendships. They also learn how to schedule and prioritize their time because they have to keep their classwork up on top of their rehearsals,” she said.

It also provides students with musical talents, a community within the school and an outlet to perform.

Rasmussen is the student director.

“‘Hello, Dolly!’ is a different style of show than we’ve done,” Shattuck said. “It’s an old-style musical with big choruses and showstopper numbers. It’s set in New York at the turn of the century, which makes it a lot of fun with staging options. We use the entire auditorium, all the way to the back, not just the stage. When people come for the first time to our musicals, they’re pleasantly surprised at the talent and the production we put on. Then, they often return year after year.”

This classical Broadway musical, which is based on Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker” and was the first film released on home video in 1977, features Dolly, a bold, widowed socialite turned matchmaker. As she helps her clients, she tries to cover up her own secret romantic designs. At the core of the musical is the message: “It is never too late for happiness.”

“This is our first old-time musical, so the kids are learning and having a ball with those great showstopper numbers,” she said, adding that recent musicals have been more modern and familiar to students.

Shattuck said performing arts classes provide students

“They get a unique kind of joy, not just in the applause from the audience. They rehearse a lot, and they practice at home, and they get to see how good it feels to work hard on something, and then get to perform it and feel good about what you did,” she said. “They also learn about the importance of supporting one another, and how it doesn’t matter whether you are the lead or third tree from the left, you’re out there and you’re giving your best and you’re supporting your castmates and they understand that.”

Shattuck said the more she directs, the more she realizes the importance of what she does.

“My entire goal doesn’t matter where they’re performing, it doesn’t matter how big the group is, or what kind of material I have, or what kind of stage I have. The No. 1 goal for me is that my cast works hard, and I try to teach them things along the way, not just about their musical, but we learn about theatre,” she said. “I want them to walk away from this experience feeling that ‘this was one of the hardest things I ever did, but I am so proud of myself for what I was just part of, and I’m really glad I did it.’”

In the spring, the junior high students will be performing a yet-to-be-announced full-scale musical. l

At Paradigm School, students will perform “Hello, Dolly!” this November. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Drone operator training is revolutionizing road safety

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

As part of their investigations, Utah Highway Patrol troopers and other law enforcement officers may use drones as one of their tools to have measurable data to determine what exactly happened in an accident. They maintain it’s a cost-effective and safer way to resume the traffic flow

“When we’re doing a scene, these drones are more accurate,” UHP trooper Devan Biggs said. “They’re able to communicate marks to the satellites to measure skid marks, for example, and we know it is within however many centimeters. That’s more accurate than me taking my yard stick or tape measure.”

The drones are not only more accurate, but they’re also more cost-effective to get traffic resumed sooner, said Douglas Spotted Eagle, director of client experiences with the Las Vegas-based The LiDAR Pros, a team that instructs trainers on drones and is part of the Sundance Media Group, a training and education organization for 30 years.

“It’s been determined that every time there’s a road closure in the heart of Las Vegas, it costs about $150,000 per minute per mile,” he said. “When there’s a crash on the freeway, people can’t get to work. People can’t make deliveries. Tours can’t make their destinations. A typical fatal crash in Salt Lake can take three to four hours to investigate, sometimes more. Drones can save us hours with crash sites. Sometimes, it almost takes longer to change the drone battery than it does to set up the specific mission. I can fly it in five minutes from the time I get it out of the box to being able to help traffic get moving again.”

Drone use isn’t new to the world, but the technology is being used more commonly. They’re used for hospital deliveries; surveying; inspecting bridge, dam and cell towers; mapping; construction; aerial photography; preventing possible mudslides and more. Drone education is being taught in public schools and professionals have a FAA Part 107 pilot license.

“Utah is probably one of the top states in the country pushing drone programs,” Spotted Eagle said.

His colleague, Ben Goddard, agrees: “If you can imagine a way to use a drone, we can find a way to make it work. We’ve done about everything. Drones are a flexible and versatile tool in anybody’s tool bag.”

Recently, both drone pilots were part of a three-person team that was instructing Utah Department of Transportation trainers how to teach fellow troopers to operate drone programs during a five-day intensive course.

“It takes a lot of dedication to go through this course; there is both a practical and a written test that has to be passed to qualify and certify as a trainer,” Goddard said. “Everything we do is done under ISO standards. Everything is done safely, and if we see anything that stands out to any of our instructor examiners, we will stop the operation, as will the instructors.”

As part of their evaluation, the instructors taught volunteers ranging from high school students to retirees.

“We train new trainers so the state agencies, such as UDOT and the Utah Highway Patrol, and some of the municipalities, can be self-sufficient, so that they don’t have to hire outside pilots to come in. We are teaching them how to run and develop their training programs for drones,” he said, adding the trainings are offered quarterly.

In addition to course work, the seven trainers used Autel EVO II drones, a foldable pocket drone, to teach the volunteer students. Only one of their students had any experience with drones, years ago.

That volunteer student was retiree John Leonard, who started the drone program with UDOT’s incident management team. Now, there are about 28 certified pilots within the team and 55 overall with UDOT.

That’s where Goddard, who has his professional pilot’s license, started teaching in 2000.

“We’ve been able to use drones so much more with the new age of them about 10 or 12 years ago,” he said. “Right now, there’s a great need for pilots, so we are seeing an uptick in the number of training classes. That uptick comes with development of new roadways and the growth Utah is seeing. The more we see the growth in Utah, the more need there is for qualified pilots to be able to help assist and save taxpayers money by flying drones to collect data ahead of events or during events.”

Utah Highway Patrol trooper Steve Crowe was under review to become a certified trainer and was giving feedback to a volunteer student.

“You listen well, and you move the controls smoothly; it’s just a matter of repetition to

remember what the sticks do,” he told her. She had just flown the drone for the first time, from making sure the space outside of UDOT’s traffic operations center was clear to take off to maneuvering it forward, backward, side to side, higher and lower, and landing.

Crowe is part of the major crash investigation team. He will help oversee training for the other 40 drone operators within his department. There also are drones within the dive and SWAT teams.

“I got into the drones with crash investigation; it was something I’ve always been interested in,” he said. “I practice flying drones twice a month, just to keep up on things. I enjoy the teaching aspect of it. Teaching drones is a natural progression.”

Biggs also enjoys flying drones. As a pilot of five years, he appreciates the bigger picture it provides when they stitch together photos they have taken of a crash scene.

“I really like the end product, it helps to wrap your mind around the scene,” he said. “When we fly drones, we take pictures, and then a program interlays them all together into one big picture with a top-down view. It’s easier for me to process the scene and get the perspective from one big view than individual pictures.”

Biggs said the program can 3D print a crash scene to help troopers better illustrate a scene.

“It just gives us a lot more data and resources; it’s another process we can use to determine what happened,” he said.

Leonard said when drones are used, it’s on a defined mission.

“The operators plot their missions, and then the drone automatically flies it so that it gets the correct overlaps and everything. They

will pull up the satellite and outline the area on the highway that the drone will fly,” he said.

Goddard, who estimated the drones being used cost $1,800 to $2,100, said the drone can connect with 10 to 30 satellites at a time, which helps increase its accuracy.

Leonard said accuracy is important with Utah traffic as there are more vehicles on fewer interstates than other states.

“Literally taking an hour off of a crash investigation could be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to the economy, or even millions if we’re doing a full freeway shutdown,” he said. “For example, if I-80 was closed in Parleys Canyon, trucks and the main traffic would be diverted either to Provo Canyon or to Ogden Canyon, so you’re talking an hour out of direction for 50-60 miles. When that’s multiplied by tens of thousands of vehicles, it can be very substantive.”

Leonard said that was the mission behind starting the program, which several years ago, saw 18,000 reportable incidents that impacted traffic.

“The goal of the incident management team is to reduce the impacts of incidents that happen on Utah’s highways by assisting and supplementing the investigating agency. With the foresight of the drone program, we realized we could expedite the clearance of the incident and restore traffic much earlier, which is a significant benefit to the traveling public and to Utah’s economy,” he said.

With colleague Boyd Frank, Leonard introduced the incident management team in Utah in 1994, laying the groundwork several years earlier. Originally funded with a Wasatch Front Regional Council grant under the Clean Air Act, it was a way to clear traffic effectively and reduce idling and emissions.

“We proved that reducing the duration of an incident improved air quality because there’s less idling, people can go through the incident area quicker and more efficiently. When IMT determined it was worthwhile to keep, it became funded through UDOT,” he said.

As a licensed professional traffic operations engineer, Leonard oversaw the incident management team twice before recently retiring. He was awarded the American Traffic Safety Services Association’s National Safety Award after helping write a section of the national manual on traffic control and management.

“Drones are one of the tools in the toolbox that the incident management team can use to reduce the duration of incidents that are happening,” Leonard said. “Because of that, it’s making Utah roads safer. By reducing the duration of the incident, there’s less exposure to the people responding to the crash or incidents, as well as the public that has to go through an incident zone – and hopefully, prevent a secondary crash, which oftentimes can be worse than the first crash.” l

Utah Highway Patrol troopers, overseen by The LiDAR Pros, teach volunteers how to fly a drone as part of their course to become flight instructors. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Jordan Ridge students champion their special needs friends at Kauri Sue Hamilton School

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Jordan Ridge fourth-grader Chloe Sintz accidently bumped into her classmates as she and her best friend were trying to run through the halls of her school.

“It was squishy with everyone running and walking, but I liked it because they made a rule that we can’t run in the halls, but now we’re doing it,” she said. “We get to break the rule and they’re OK with it.”

She and others were racing around the hallways with the nod of approval as inclement weather prevented the jogathon to be held outdoors.

But running indoors wasn’t the only twist to the PTA fun run.

This year, Chloe and others weren’t just raising money for their school. They hoped to bring in donations for Kauri Sue Hamilton school, which serves students with significant cognitive delays, speech delays, physical impairments and severe multiple disabilities.

“My brother goes there; he’s 18 and can go there until he’s 22,” she said. “A lot of special needs kids go there, and they have good teachers. They ride a school bus that has seatbelts and a ramp, then go to school where they have a bunch of classrooms and a swimming pool. He has learned a bunch of stuff,

special needs class or Down Syndrome, which is what he has. They aren’t used to kids with braces or wheelchairs.”

Jordan Ridge PTA member Laura Anderson coordinated the fun run.

“We appreciate the Jordan Ridge community that is really supportive as far as fundraising goes, but we also hope to bring some awareness to Kauri Sue Hamilton students,” she said. “We’re wanting people who are willing to support those students. I would imagine their resources, financially, emotionally, physically, mentally, are stretched very thin so our students were running for both schools. We partnered up so we could be their legs, so to speak, for the fundraiser.”

Community members can donate to Kauri Sue Hamilton School’s fundraiser through the Jordan Education Foundation, Anderson said, adding that Jordan Ridge funds were collected separately.

The idea came about after last year’s kindness assembly at Jordan Ridge.

like he learned to spell his name. Sometimes he can be hard to take care of, but I’m glad we got to do this for his school. Last year, at

an assembly, we learned that people need to be kind. Don’t just stare, go up and say ‘hi.’ A lot of people in my class don’t know about

“Last year, the Kauri Sue students shared a little bit about their cool wheelchairs and gave our students an opportunity to see people with severe physical disabilities. Our students learned to show kindness to some-

Jordan Ridge Elementary students run in the hallways for their jogathon, which they hoped would raise enough funds for their school as well as the Kauri Sue Hamilton School. (Melissa Beck/Jordan Ridge Elementary)

one who might have difficulty. Since then, we’ve wanted to do more because I understand they have a lot of needs, and they don’t have a lot of resources. So, we decided this was a way we could help,” she said.

Jordan Ridge Principal Melissa Beck said a priority with the kindness assembly was to familiarize students with those of differing abilities.

“It’s a way to teach and expose them to students with differences so they can be accepting, show kindness and we can be unified together,” she said. “My main thing is to prioritize creating unity with people with differences, whether that’s cultural differences, religious differences or any difference. As our community becomes more diverse, we want to teach students that we all have culture, and it can unite us. When we take opportunities to teach our students about those differences, then they’re more likely to create positive experiences around those differences and create a sense of belonging.”

During the initial visit, Kauri Sue and Jordan Ridge students were able to pair up and ask questions, Kauri Sue Hamilton School Principal Courtney Titus said.

“I had my students’ devices programmed and let them each answer their questions in the way that they communicate,” she said. “My staff and I took a little bit of time between different questions and explained the different ways our students communicate

without their voices, how they get around school if they don’t walk, how they eat if they don’t use their mouth. We also showed the typical students that our students like to do many of the same things that they do.”

She also told Jordan Ridge students, “Everyone has feelings and wants to be included. We hope that instead of being afraid of people and looking at them differently you can now have the courage to be kind. Be a friend.”

That friendship was extended during the recent fun run when Kauri Sue Hamilton students came with posters to cheer on their 640 Jordan Ridge friends.

“Our kids were excited to see them and before running, they were able to give them high fives,” Anderson said.

Beck said there’s now “a bond, a friendship and a desire to support one another. We can support them in things like fundraising, and then they support us by helping share their experiences so that our students can have those learning opportunities. We think of them as our sister school now.”

Titus appreciated Jordan Ridge Elementary students’ generosity “to do something for someone who couldn’t do it on their own. The students were learning powerful lessons about giving and serving others.”

She said the run and assembly helped create community spirit and an increased awareness.

“These events are helping foster a sense

of inclusion and community between the students of both schools,” she said. “Through the dedication and compassion shown by the elementary students running on their behalf, our students feel a deep sense of inclusion and support. This event not only raises essential funds, but also highlights the importance of community and empathy.”

Jordan Ridge parent Melanie Pendrey volunteered at the run and supports the partnership.

“Any interaction you can get with kids who are different is good for the kids; it’s good for everybody,” she said. “It helps kids see perspective and they learn we likely have the same likes and dislikes. I

like the kids are running for a purpose. They know they’re making money for the school and for others.”

While there were incentives to bring in money, Chloe said she and her classmates knew there was something greater at stake.

“We wanted to show them we cared and that we can help,” she said.

Titus thanked the Jordan Ridge students and those involved on behalf of her school.

“Your efforts have brought joy, opportunity and a sense of belonging to our school community,” she said. “Thank you for being their champions and making a difference in their lives.” l

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Shields Lane study considering several concepts for future of corridor

By Laura Spendlove Crapo | l.crapo@mycityjournals.com

Attendance for the second open house of the Shields Lane Solutions Development Study did not disappoint in late September. Residents living along Shields Lane participated with questions and suggestions. The Project Team kept important features in mind while creating four concepts for consideration. These determined concepts were displayed at the open house.

“The stakeholder meetings have been happening once every couple months,” said Will Woodreid with Consultant Permetrix. “We’ve been meeting with a small group of community members more consistently where we test out ideas.”

Because two elementary schools and one middle school are found within the study area the key factors being considered started with safe routes to school along with recreation, exercise and health. These factors make this project important because east-west road availability is scant in the city of South Jordan. Residents are requesting this Shields Lane project make this road passage more walkable.

“The Wasatch Front Regional Council is overseeing this and it’s funded through a grant,” said Woodreid. “The narrower lanes, lights, bike lanes, trees and visual friction help slow things down.” This reduced speed will discourage through traffic and help with two more of the factors being considered: social life and well-being.

Affordable transportation was also included for the project team’s consideration

so people can access basic goods and activities without financial strain.

“By enhancing accommodations for cyclists and pedestrians on Shields Lane, we are creating safer, more accessible transportation alternatives that allow residents to commute, recreate and navigate the City affordably and sustainably,” said Jeremy Nielsen, deputy city engineer.

The canal trail mentioned in one of the concepts will be similar to the Jordan River Parkway. It will be accessible for walking, biking and rolling traffic. This will give the local community another way to travel.

“I don’t know how long completing this trail will take, because it’s all about funding and getting permission from the property owners,” said Councilmember Jason McGuire.

All residents are encouraged to visit shieldslane.com to become educated on each of the four concepts being proposed. It also includes a survey which allows website visitors to have a voice in this study.

“We don’t have a preferred option. Shields Lane has lots of potential for eastwest travel. At this point we’re trying to hone in on a preferred option,” Nielson said. “We want to get feedback on what direction the public wants to go.”

The date of the next meeting is yet to be determined. Based on the feedback received, the project team will explain which direction they are leaning towards. l

A second open house was held in late September for Shields Lane. (Photo courtesy Darrin Crapo)

Bingham High theatre season line-up includes family-friendly favorites

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

More than 150 cast members will be part of Bingham High’s fall musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

“We need shows that offer a large ensemble because of the number of kids who want to be part of our shows,” theatre teacher Chris Hults said. “Bingham has a long theatre tradition, and we have, I think, the largest auditorium in the district.”

Co-director Dave Martin will direct “Jospeh,” which Hults said “is a tradition itself, being in the top 10 Utah musicals. There’s a legacy and a heritage with that show.”

He also said Martin “has a real connection to the show. Dave was in the children’s choir (when Donny Osmond performed as Joseph in the late 1990s).” The family-friendly musical, written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, is based on the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis.

The show will run at 7 p.m., Nov. 2123 and again on Nov. 25 on Bingham High’s stage, 2160 W. South Jordan Parkway. For ticket information, look at bingham_theatre_ company on Instagram. Music is under the direction of choir teacher Logan Bingham.

The show comes after 35 thespians returned from competing in the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival in Cedar City where they performed a “juxtaposition of scenes from ‘Titus Andronicus’ and ‘Macbeth,’” Hults said.

“The theme is, ‘give sorrow words,’” he said. “In each scene, we see a beautiful family homecoming and then a horrific, unbearable trauma. The idea is you get through grief by naming the grief and screaming the words and processing it,” he said.

The quote from “Macbeth,” “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o’er-fraught heart and bids it break” is commonly interpreted into putting sorrow into words because if it is kept inside, it will break one’s heart.

“We started this last spring with auditions, including our middle school students, and had cast meetings before school got out before summer started,” he said. “One of the reasons that we start so early is we want the kids to get to have a say in what we do. We talked through all the options — the different plays, the different themes, what kind of story — so that when we get to our performance, they’ve built it. I would publish a new script every rehearsal. And we got to version F, after starting with A, B, C and, and now, it’s not recognizable as we kept changing it to tell the story. They really connected with this idea,” Hults said.

While he said the students chose the relatable theme it also was “partially because it matches the theme of our winter play, which

is ‘A Monster Calls,’ and its theme to speak your truth.”

In the play, the main character, teenager Conor, is a victim of school bullying and he distances himself from others, and his mother, likely ill with cancer, worsens as the story goes along. He remains close to the monster and as his mother’s condition worsens, his encounters with the monster have escalating consequences. The storyline is based on the novel by the same title by Patrick Ness.

“A Monster Calls,” directed by Hults, will be performed Feb. 27-March 1, 2025 and again on March 3.

He said many students already are familiar with the story as it’s been required reading for South Jordan Middle School students, but Bingham is the first school in the district to perform it.

“We’re going to be really creative with that show,” Hults said.

In March, the thespians will perform a yet-to-be-announced one-act play for region competition. State is in April.

The final show will be “Tuck Everlasting” May 1-3.

The music based upon the children’s novel by the same name by Natalie Babbitt premiered on Broadway in 2016.

The story’s main character, 10-year-old Winnie, meets Jesse Tuck and learns the magic behind his unending youth and she must face the choice of returning to her strait-laced family and their rules or continue with her friend and his family on their infinite journey.

“Tuck Everlasting” was selected for several reasons, including Martin, who will direct the show, has history performing with it.

Hults also said the musical has “powerful messages and moments in the show,” and is a good fit for this year’s musical theatre class. l

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Bingham High thespians performed “Henry V” at the 48th annual Utah Shakespeare High School Festival in Cedar City. (Photo courtesy Bingham High theatre department)

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Olympus Gymnastics’ largest senior class approaches collegiate signing day

By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com

Both Riverton residents, Ava Jackson and Sage Curtis have trained at Olympus Gymnastics in South Jordan since they were around 5 years old, making Nov. 13 a momentous day 13 years in the making.

It’s signing day where they’ll officially commit to their chosen university for the upcoming year.

Jackson and Curtis’ graduating class from Olympus Gymnastics is the largest under owner and head coach Ryan Kirkham who coaches bars and coach Jessica Duke McDonough who coaches beam and floor.

Seven seniors from across the valley including the cities of Riverton, South Jordan, Cottonwood Heights and Draper and one from Park City will sign to attend universities with nationally acclaimed gymnastics programs. Six of them have earned full-ride scholarships as 5-, 4- and 3-star recruits to their respective schools.

“It's very rare to have as much talent as we do on our team, all at the same time, they're all really, really, really talented, driven and accomplished athletes,” Kirkham said. “We have a lot of fun, but we also are very driven by producing high-level athletes and trying to help them reach their full potential as athletes.”

This year's recruits include Jackson who will be attending Ohio State University and Curtis who will be attending University of Utah, as well as Sophie Stuart, Sophie Schriever, Hayli Westerlind, Zoe Hale and Finley Weldon who will be attending the University of California Berkeley, University of Washington, the

University of Missouri, Brigham Young University and Iowa State University, which are some of the top in the country for gymnastics per the National Collegiate Scouting Association.

Olympus Gymnastics has been recognized nationally. In 2021, it was officially announced as the top club in the country and scored as one of the best clubs in the country since then. In 2023, the top recruit of the country came from Olympus.

Kirkham said the cohesive coaching style from the lower levels to higher levels

at Olympus makes it so athletes can feel comfortable progressing and reach new heights.

“It's an environment where kids can thrive and make mistakes, and it's OK,” he said.

What made all the difference for Jackson was the team and camaraderie she felt during her time at Olympus.

“I've never met a group of girls or seen another team that truly wants and roots for each other's successes as much as their own,” Jackson said. “We as a team come together to push each other and ourselves.”

“The team and the environment that our coaches, Jess and Ryan, have created for us has changed my life for the better,” she said. “I'm just really excited to be part

of a program that's building a legacy.”

As signing day approaches, the excitement rises.

Curtis is one of two of the graduating class members to stay in the state, along with Zoe Hale who will attend BYU in the fall. Curtis will be one of the newest Red Rocks at the University of Utah, which has been her dream since before she started at Olympus.

“That was my No. 1 starting and, I mean, even after all the visits, it was still my No. 1,” Curtis said. “This is where I was meant to be—this is the coaching staff and the team that I want to be a part of, and this is where I fit in over the other schools.” l

Ava Jackson (left) and Sage Curtis (right) practice at Olympus Gymnastics. (Courtesy of Rebecca Waldock)

Gymnast Ava Jackson conditions on bars while at Olympus, she’ll be officially committing to Ohio State University in November. (Courtesy of Rebecca Waldock)

The next graduating class (left) of Olympus Gymnastics competing at a national competition. (Courtesy of Sage Curtis)

Sage Curtis performs a beam routine. (Courtesy of Sage Curtis)

NeuroHealth offers treatment for men’s mental health issues

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Whilemental health issues for men have often been underestimated or overlooked in the past, growing awareness is creating space for men to set aside generational stigmas and reach out for help. Initiatives like Movember hope to break down barriers that leave men feeling isolated or reluctant to express their emotions.

Starting in 2003, the Movember campaign encouraged men to grow a mustache or beard during November to challenge them to speak up about men’s physical and mental health issues.

High rates of depression, substance abuse, suicide and suicidal ideation in men underscore the need for a societal shift to support men’s mental health with empathy and understanding. As more athletes and celebrities open up about their own mental health challenges, the conversation potentially allows men to reach out for help.

“The more we talk about it, the less taboo the topic becomes and the easier it becomes to get help,” said NeuroHealth Manager Jason Corbridge. “We need to be present, we need to be available and we need to make men feel valued and respected.”

NeuroHealth is situated to help men navigate their mental health, offering transcranial magnetic stimulation and ketamine therapy. Corbridge said these methods have had pro-

found effects on his clientele, offering a potential lifeline for those struggling with treatment-resistant depressive disorders.

Men with underlying mental health conditions often have symptoms that include the lack of desire to engage with friends and family, low energy, lack of enjoyment, violent behavior, feeling closed off, sleep issues, anger, substance misuse, trouble concentrating, risky behavior and a loss of sex drive.

“We see many patients who have suffered from PTSD in the past, or who are going through a difficult time, and we have had awesome success in alleviating those heavy and dark moods,” Corbridge said. “More than 80% of patients who go through our treatments say their depression has decreased and they feel better and 63% of those who go through our treatments say their depression is just gone. The results speak for themselves, with virtually no side effects like you would typically get from medications.”

Corbridge said TMS is an FDA-approved treatment that is easy and effective and usually covered by health insurance. It’s a non-invasive procedure using magnetic pulses to improve nerve cells in the brain. A TMS study performed in 2022 showed individuals who received TMS treatment had significantly lower levels of suicidal ideation compared to the control group.

NeuroHealth is located at 10437 S. Temple Drive in South Jordan and Corbridge said the clinic is dedicated to creating higher levels of mental health for men. Along with TMS treatment, NeuroHealth also administers ketamine therapy in a controlled setting. Considered an emerging treatment for depression, ketamine is a potential lifesaver for those facing

treatment-resistant depression.

For more information, visit NeuroHealthUtah.com.

“When it comes to men’s mental health, we need to talk about it,” Corbridge said. “Speak up when you are struggling and don’t try to handle this alone.”l

NeuroHealth brings attention to the stigmas and possibilities for men’s mental health issues and treatment during November. (Stock photo)

Breast cancer survivor retreats offer support, resilience and hope

Breast cancer survivors often struggle with challenges beyond the physical aspect of the condition and treatment. Anxiety, depression, body-image issues and cognitive changes can cause emotional and psychological challenges.

Image Reborn offers breast cancer survivors the opportunity to gather with other women going through similar issues by holding free renewal retreats. The program is a chance for survivors to talk about their experiences and offer support to other women.

“We’re actually in our 26th year,” said Bobbi Lord, Image Reborn executive director. “We have weekend retreats that are a place for women to focus on their feelings. The best part is to see that connection as these women come together. They instantly know what the other one’s going through without having to vocalize it, which I think is very powerful.”

Retreats are held in private homes with a small number of attendees (usually less than 10 women) who are pampered and nurtured during a two-night stay. A chef provides healthy meals while women can take part in yoga, massage therapy, group counseling sessions and a grief circle. A medical provider attends part of the retreat to talk with women and answer questions.

Several health aspects are included in each retreat including mindfulness, physical activity and tools for handling emotional distress. Because medical bills quickly add up during a cancer diagnosis and treatment, women can attend the renewal retreat at no cost.

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

“The only requirement to attend is that they have breast cancer,” Lord said. “The retreats themselves are completely free. We do ask for a small $100 deposit to save their space, and then it’s returned after the retreat.”

Cinthya was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. She attended a retreat earlier this year after her radiologist gave her a pamphlet about the program.

“It was a way for us to have a break from everything and celebrate the end of treatment,” she said. “It was a great experience. I met a lot of ladies, and I learned a lot about their experiences. After that, I started volunteering for them because I felt I wanted to give back to the organization.”

Each retreat is facilitated by professionals experienced in addressing the concerns of women with breast cancer. Renewal retreats are held several times a year and have expanded to include events in Florida, Texas and Colorado. Women are invited to attend at any time during their cancer experience but most sign up two or three years post-diagnosis.

Image Reborn also holds events for women with specific needs including young survivors, women with stage 4 cancer and Spanish-speaking women.

The organization provides ongoing wellness activities for survivors including virtual grief-tending, restorative yoga, virtual hypnotherapy and a sex conference. Additionally, adventure retreats during the year focus on mental and emotional health but include a challenging component.

“Last year we partnered with the Na-

tional Ability Center, and we did canoeing at Flaming Gorge,” Lord said. “We also did one down in Southern Utah that was canyoneering.”

Volunteers are always needed at Image Reborn. They might help at an event, pick up women from the airport or donate their home as a retreat location. Financial support can be provided through monetary donations, fundraising or by linking the Image Reborn Foundation to a Smith’s Rewards card.

Image Reborn held its annual gala at the beginning of November and was expecting to bring in more than $300,000 in donations. The money is used to provide free retreats, offer travel scholarships for those coming from out-of-town and fund ongoing wellness programs. For more information, visit ImageRebornFoundation. org.

“We are trying to grow across the nation,” Lord said. “We have wait lists and our goal is to make this available for everyone.” l

At Image Reborn renewal retreats, breast cancer survivors can access mental and emotional support while creating new friendships. (Photos courtesy of Image Reborn)

Unveiling reality: The challenges and joys of raising special needs athletes

Murray High parent Kim Domiguez used to watch other mothers taxi their kids from one practice to another.

Then, while her oldest, Braedon, was in high school, Special Olympics introduced unified sports and Murray High was one of the first Utah schools to jump on board.

Coed soccer and basketball were the first sports, now track and field, swimming and e-sports are options at the high school. The athletes with differing abilities are joined with partners, often peer tutors, to play alongside each other on the same team.

“It used to be that we came up with stuff to do on our own, but now with unified sports, we’re busy,” she said. “I can tell you from a special needs parent’s standpoint, I now understand what soccer moms go through. Unified sports definitely keeps kids involved.”

While Braedon has graduated, he is a constant face on the sidelines of four unified sports, cheering on his brother, Reilly, or more commonly called, Turbo. The high school junior nicknamed himself after the Dreamworks movie, “Turbo,” when he first saw the movie at age 6.

“The only person who he allows to call him Reilly is his brother,” his mother said.

While Domiguez may have an idea of what typical parents do to shuffle their kids and prepare them for competition, not many understand preparing a unified athlete to play.

At Murray, unified soccer and basketball athletes practice 90 minutes once per week.

“As parents, we get their bags ready and then, some of us help the teachers get their gear on, make sure their shoes are tied and are ready for practice. Most of the kids complain about it, asking ‘why do we have to do it?’ It’s outside of their comfort zone. But once they get there, they love it,” she said.

Domiguez said few unified athletes grew up playing the sport, so they’ve had to learn the skills. Her family also had her sons watch the Utah Royals on TV and YouTube to understand fundamentals.

“It’s been a work in progress. When we first started the program, most of our kids would just stand out on the field. They’ve learned how to kick the ball and where to kick it. Now they play defense. Lots of our kids love to be the goalkeeper because they realize they don’t have to run up and down the field, but then they had to learn how to stop the ball, how to pick it up and throw it. We had to start all over with basketball. At first, they’d stand on the court, put their hands up and somebody would dribble around them. It’s been with the help of the peers, with other teams, the coaches and all these reps, that our kids come to play,” she said.

Turbo doesn’t have hours of homework,

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

but he does have a life skills class so his mother has him practice the skills at home.

“Sometimes he does well, sometimes I will need to redo it. He loves the vacuum, and he loves to shred. I know if I need something shredded or something vacuumed, it will get done very well. If I need a table wiped off, and I’ve explained it to him 1,000 times, I know I’m still going to have to redo

Each kid is different, but most special needs kids love their schedules, and they like it being always the same. I don’t tell him we have a soccer match the night before so he won’t get upset that he will be missing class and will have to make it up. From a special needs standpoint, getting ready and to the event can almost be as difficult as being in the event,” she said.

Turbo gets up at 5:30 a.m. before being at school two hours later “because he’s not in a hurry to do anything in his life. He could shower and then lay down a little, take his time at breakfast.”

On a game day morning, he used to be “on edge.”

“Turbo is a creature of habit. He likes things to be the same, but now he knows what to expect so it’s easier. He knows there’s going to be people there he knows. He’s going to have a chance to ride on the bus. It’s going to be a fun adventure,” his mother said.

Domiguez’ husband, Dean, offered his help to coach the team alongside special education teacher Jessie Agiriga and other educators who have guided the program from its inception.

“Turbo listens to Dean. He didn’t want to come today and we had to put in effort to get him here,” she said about an early fall tournament at Highland High. “Now, he’s all in.”

Still, when the regional tournament rolled around, and Turbo got frustrated, his dad explained, “Turbo’s ideal soccer game is not to play it, but to watch it on TV.”

The frustration came about from Turbo playing on a higher skill level team than he previously competed on as an underclassman. At the beginning of the season, every school tests students’ abilities and from there, it’s determined what unified division level of teams the school will have and where athletes will be placed.

that,” she said.

The night before a game or a meet, it’s not early to bed for Turbo.

“He’s not a go-to-bed early kid. He’s a ‘I’ll go to bed when I am darn-well-ready kid.’ We say nine o’clock, take your melatonin and pajamas and he’s still up at midnight walking around. We try to keep the boys’ schedule the same without disruption.

“It’s not always sunshine and roses and he will let us know that. When he’s reaches the end of what he can handle, he needs some downtime,” his mother said. “What’s different about playing unified is everybody is so wonderful and gracious; they want everybody to score and do well. It’s fun to see the competitive nature of a lot of these kids come out, but then also their humanity side comes out even more. If there’s a kid who has shot at a basket six times in a row, you’ll find everybody rooting for the seventh, eighth and ninth attempts until he finally scores. Then we all cheer.”

Domiguez said that’s different than a typical sporting event.

“But don’t get me wrong; our kids still like to win. They know when they come in first or second. They understand our team didn’t win, we might not advance,” she said.

As an increasing number of Utah high

At the unified soccer state championship game, Alta and Westlake high schools’ teams go after the ball.

(Julie Slama/City Journals)

Brighton High’s unified team member races head of Riverton’s to get to the ball at the regional tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

schools now have unified programs, competition has stepped up. At the metro regional tournament, there were 55 area teams. Several schools, like Murray, have added additional teams.

Every year Murray’s unified athletes and their partners have qualified for state, even winning the championships multiple times. This year, both teams fell short of being in the championship games while three other area teams — West Jordan High, Alta High and Hunter High — all qualified and finished second in their divisions.

“There’s disappointment. They must face it just the same as any other kid. Sometimes they do well with that, other times they do not. When they don’t, we just talk through it. It’s a lot of the same dynamics and feelings as a typical kid losing, only our kids’ emotions might be a little bit more on the surface,” she said, then added, “Luckily for us, basketball rolls in right after and we’ve already started swimming.”

Her husband, a former Murray High swimmer and water polo player, also coaches unified swim. He’s able to spend time with the team as he has macular degeneration, so he retired from his desk job, and now, with Braedon and Braedon’s grandfather, does construction work for the family business.

Domiguez said both her sons, who were born premature, were diagnosed with autism before age 2 after doctors were monitoring their progress. They attended a preschool for students with autism before entering Viewmont Elementary. Braedon integrated into a kindergarten class while it wasn’t until second grade that Turbo fully integrated.

“His peers didn’t know he spoke until second grade. He was very quiet, and he was a runner. The kids were so helpful, if Turbo got up and ran out, a nice girl would go after him,” she said. “Every year, I’d go to their classes and talk to the kids about what autism is, or answer their questions, ‘why is Turbo acting the way he does? Or should I be afraid of him?’ We thought the best way to combat bullying was let the kids get to know us.”

Now some of those classmates are the ones who fill the bleachers at games or are the cheerleaders rallying for Turbo and the rest of the unified team.

“What’s been fun for the team is when we people are there to cheer for them; they love the support,” she said.

That gift of acceptance and being part of the school is not lost as the Domiguez family returns their support, often going to soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball games to cheer on those players who have helped the unified teams. They even support their classmates in the school musicals and attended University of Utah women’s basketball games, after those players practiced with Murray’s unified team.

Domiguez, as the sole driver for the family, says it isn’t easy, as she herself often attends unified games in a wheelchair as she has “really bad arthritis. We’re a lot better

than we look on paper, but we do live in a very different world than I think a lot of people. I used to be a type A personality. Now it’s ‘Let’s just see where the day takes us.’”

She knows she can’t leave her younger son without a “Turbo-sitter” as he has a track record of dumping out all the kitchen spices or emptying the fire extinguisher, but she is pleased he likes his classes such as video editing, ceramics, cooking and zoology. He also participates in Best Buddies program and has attended school dances.

“Turbo got himself a rainbow sequined suit for a Halloween dance. He asked one of his peer helpers to go with him, and she had the same suit. They wore matching rainbow suits and had a lot of fun with it,” Domiguez said.

And those special moments, such as when Braedon scored a last-second shot to win a basketball game, are often relived.

“Everybody went nuts, running onto the

court, screaming and dancing. And an hour or two later, we’re driving home, and the kids were still excited. Braedon still brings it up and they talk about how great it was,” Domiguez said. “Those are some of the moments that make us smile and make it so worthwhile.”

This year, Turbo had a memorable goal.

During the season, Murray High ate dinner with the Utah Royals’ unified team and the Spartans met their mascot and the Utah Royals players. Then the two unified teams scrimmaged on the America First field.

“We got our butt handed to us, but Turbo scored a goal, and that’s all that mattered,” his mother said. “When they score, that’s when they’re the happiest and the whole team jumped around, they high-fived each other, and even the Royals unified girls gave them high-fives. We got one goal. Oh, by golly, we celebrated the heck out of that goal.” l

The Copper Hills unified soccer keeper defends the goal at the regional tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Corner Canyon High’s unified team dribbles the ball up the field against Copper Hills’ unified team in the regional soccer tournament. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

COMPASSIONATE FUNERAL PLANNERS

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner never gets easier. I always start with lofty culinary goals based on recipes from “The Pioneer Woman” that include truffles and capers but end up scraping scorched gravy into a dish and hoping the turkey won’t give anyone food poisoning.

Because of my poor cooking skills, I’m always looking for Thanksgiving hacks to make meal preparation more sunshine and less hurricane. I thought I’d share some tips I found to survive the food frenzy that is Thanksgiving.

Ask for help. Stop being a martyr. Don’t complain about having to do everything and then refuse any help. Give out assignments and not like “Can you bring one can of olives?” or “I need someone to pick up some napkins.” No. Ask someone to bring mashed potatoes or all the desserts or even the turkey. You don’t get a blue ribbon for Thanksgiving suffering.

Don’t make foods no one eats. Stop wasting time preparing “traditional” foods, even if it’s a recipe handed down from your quadruple-great grandmother. Especially if it’s handed down from your quadruple-great grandmother because there weren’t a lot of food options in the 1800s besides lima beans and fried hominy.

Use a mandoline to slice vegetables.

Hacking Thanksgiving

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

Not to be confused with a stringed instrument from the 19th century, the mandoline slices onions, celery and carrots quickly and easily. The guest who finds the tip of my index finger in the stuffing wins a prize!

Make only one batch of dinner rolls. Homemade rolls are always a hit but now you can use them as leverage. Your grandson wants a second, hot-buttered roll? He’d better start washing dishes. Bonus hack: Purchase pre-made bakery rolls. You won’t get docked Thanksgiving points. I promise.

Thaw the turkey in water. Not only will this leave you with a bucket full of disgusting waste water but then you can spill it all over the kitchen floor on Thanksgiving morning. Maybe don’t even cook a turkey. There are no Thanksgiving laws. Have chicken wings or spaghetti bolognese.

Spatchcock the turkey. If you insist

on roasted turkey, watch a three-hour video explaining how to spatchcock the bird, which involves removing the turkey’s backbone so it lies flat and cooks quickly. (Sidenote: Who spatchcocked Utah’s governor and legislators?)

One tip said, “Use tongs to stem kale” and none of those words make sense together.

Use a Thermos to keep gravy warm. Gravy is notoriously dreadful when served cold. Trust me, I know. Grab your sisterin-law’s gallon-sized Stanley cup to ensure there’s hot gravy for the mashed potatoes.

Use pre-made pie shells. People think pies need to be made from scratch to get that flakey, buttery crust. Baloney. Unless you’re a professional pie baker, do yourself a favor and buy frozen pie crusts. Right now. Even better, get delicious pies from the grocery store.

Celebrate Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. There’s nothing worse than working three days and trying to fit in Thanksgiving preparation. On Friday, it can be a celebratory meal after everyone’s done shopping online.

Create a fun playlist. Before Uncle Jim can cue up the Jan. 6 prisoners’ chorus singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” have a variety of tunes ready to go. Include ev-

erything from Bach to ZZ Top, to equally irritate every family member.

Give yourself a break. I’ve overcooked turkey, burned gravy, made inedible broccoli-cornbread stuffing, forgot the cranberry sauce, dropped a pumpkin pie and used Tupperware lids when I ran out of dinner plates. No one cares. If you’re being judged for the way Thanksgiving dinner turns out, it’s time to find a new family.

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