Taylorsville City Journal | April 2024

Most Taylorsville drivers have likely heard the familiar statistic: the very busiest intersection in all of Utah is Redwood Road at 5400 South. But what is not as wellknown is, the 2700 S. 4700 West intersection is also near the top of that list. And that intersection is only expected to get busier now that the new The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple is opening in the area.

Long before the new temple was announced… and long before the pandemic darkened our doorsteps… we were already hearing talk of a plan the Utah Department of Transportation was considering to help ease congestion at that notorious intersection.

Here’s a portion of what appeared in these Taylorsville Journal pages in September 2017:

“This is my third UDOT project trying to deal with the traffic problems in that area,” Project Manager Oanh Le-Spradlin said. “Now UDOT is focused on constructing a new freeway frontage road to shift some of the traffic off 2700 West.”

The UDOT frontage road proposal never died; but it was certainly pushed to a back burner. We’ve seen several Bangerter Highway intersections upgraded in that time.

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

The following is based on real events. The names have been changed to protect identities.

It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. At 18 years old, Matt had a bright future ahead of him. Rather than attend college, Matt opted to begin a promising career as a skilled tradesman – more specifically a welder who helped construct trailers for semi-trucks.

Matt got along with his coworkers who laughed and joked their long, hot days away. Occasionally, someone would pull a prank on another coworker resulting in everyone laughing except perhaps the one who was pranked. Matt’s bosses knew about the pranks, but figured they were just boys being boys and it was good for them to let off a little steam, so long as it was harmless. One afternoon, one of Matt’s coworkers put a small piece of putty on the end of a compressed air hose and shot it off, much like a paintball gun. Pleased with his discovery, the coworker reloaded his air hose with more putty and took aim at Matt’s back while chuckling at the nasty surprise in store for him.

ing it to burst like a grape. Matt would never see out of that eye again.

Since the injury happened at work, Matt’s company filed a claim with their workers’ compensation insurance company. To Matt’s surprise, the insurance company instantly denied his claim, saying that the loss of his eye was not their responsibility because it was a result of horseplay.

Thousands of Utahns are injured on the job each year. For one reason or another, many choose not to report their injuries.

Utah workers’ compensation law is designed to give almost all employees coverage for injuries that happen on the job. However, there are a few exceptions, and horseplay is one of them.

they could lose their jobs or the respect of their coworkers, or perhaps their immigration status is not legal. While these reasons are understandable, they ultimately hurt the injured worker who now must find a way to pay for expensive medical care and may have to live without wages while they recover.

If you or a loved one has been injured on the job, contact Davis & Sanchez for a free consultation. With exclusive attention to workers’ compensation cases, they have the expertise and skill to help you understand your accepted workers’ compensation case or fight a denial from your insurance company.

Call it bad luck or call it fate, Matt turned around just as the putty projectile left the air hose. Rather than hit him in the chest, the small piece of putty struck Matt right in his eye, caus-

Matt contacted Davis & Sanchez for answers and help. They filed a complaint with the Utah Labor Commission, demanding workers’ compensation benefits and argued that the horseplay rule did not apply in Matt’s case since he was not a participant in the horseplay, but rather the victim of it. Additionally, Davis & Sanchez argued that the insurance company’s horseplay defense was untenable because his bosses knew the horseplay occurred, sometimes participated in it, and had never attempted to stop it. Ultimately, Matt decided to settle his case for money.

Thousands of Utahns are injured on the job each year. For one reason or another, many choose not to report their injuries. Some fear

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 both Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley in West Jordan, and Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley West 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

Care with a mother’s touch.

Christine McSweeney, CEO

Eisenhower

Junior High 50th anniversary celebration now just a couple of weeks away

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

Ayearlong organizing effort to honor and mark a half-century of service is coming to its climactic conclusion later this month, as people of all ages are expected to gather at a Taylorsville landmark that’s been around a generation longer than the city itself.

The Eisenhower Junior High School 50th Anniversary Open House will be held Tuesday, April 23, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the school (4351 S. Redwood Road). Visitors will have the opportunity to tour their old stomping ground, thumb through yearbooks and school newspapers, enjoy music and dance performances from current students and reminisce about times ranging from the Nixon administration to last year.

“We’ve tried to come up with things for everyone, whether they attended, or worked at, Eisenhower in the 1970s or in just the past few years,” school Morale Committee member Wendy Cochran said. “Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson will speak during our opening ceremony. Her mother was a beloved drama teacher here for many years. Also, the author of our school song – who won a contest as a student to earn that honor – will be here to lead us in singing it.”

That would be Denice Phillips – although marriage changed it to Denice Walker.

“I began playing piano at age 7 or 8, so when they announced the songwriting contest – and said the sheet music was available in the office – I decided to give it a try,” Walker said. “Our band teacher, Mr. (Larry) Bird, wrote the music. I plunked it out on the piano and thought about it for a few days. I just tried to include the essence of our school in my lyrics. It was exciting to win.”

School historians say no Eisenhower Junior High yearbook was produced the first year the school was open (1973-74). This is the very first EJHS yearbook, provided to students at the end of year two. (Courtesy Wendy Cochran)

“Exciting,” if not “profitable.”

“My grand prize for writing the school song (which has now endured a half century) was $15 and one free item from the school snack bar, everyday – ONE. So, I tried not to miss a day picking up my treat.”

Cochran says those attending the open house who may have forgotten some of the school song words are in luck, because they are prominently displayed on the EJHS auditorium wall.

Walker adds, of all her years in public school, her one and only year at Eisenhower was the best.

“For my ninth-grade class, it was students from three different schools – Kennedy, Valley and West Lake Junior Highs – all coming together for a single year at Eisenhower – before most of us went on to Cottonwood High,” she said. “It was the funnest year. They had an open house where we students got to vote on the school colors. The name Eisenhower had already been chosen; but we got to vote for the mascot, Generals. We were just so excited to have a brand-new school, right in our neighborhood.”

Denice’s last name has now been Walker for 45 years. Early in her marriage, she moved to West Valley City for just two years. Other than that, she’s been a lifelong Taylorsville resident. The Walker’s three children all attended EJHS.

“It’s just unbelievable it’s been 50 years since I attended Eisenhower,” she concluded. “I first learned about the 50th

anniversary open house on Facebook. It’s been so much fun remembering the good old days. My life has been a fun journey. I hope I see some people I know at the celebration.”

Another person anxious to revisit her old junior high is the daughter of Taylorsville City Councilman, Ernest Burgess. In fact, Emily Burgess was just one of nine siblings who put in their three years as Eisenhower Generals.

“I loved all my years attending Eisenhower,” she said. “I was student body president in ninth grade (1999-2000) – and then went on to graduate from Taylorsville High in 2003. The (anniversary celebration) organizers asked me to speak during the opening ceremony. I hope to share with past and current students how 9th grade Emily has been able to live her dreams – and how they can, too.”

One reason Burgess was asked to speak

With 1,060 students in grades 6, 7 and 8, Eisenhower Junior High now has the most students of any of the 15 Granite School District junior high schools. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

at the open house is that her career has carried her to bona fide Utah celebrity status. Only her family and childhood friends know she was Emily Burgess a generation ago. But anyone who’s watched ABC 4 news for the past several years knows her married name: Emily Florez. She was the lead KTVX evening news anchor for five years before choosing to retire from the station just a month ago (Feb. 29) to spend more time raising her three children, ages 9, 6 and 4.

“When I attended Eisenhower, one of my favorite teachers was Clayton Brough – who was also, at the time, a weekend television weatherman,” Florez explained. “He’s the one who taught all of his students to believe in ourselves. I saw what he was doing on TV and decided ‘I want to do that.’ So, after Taylorsville High, I graduated in broadcast journalism from BYU and went on to my career.”

Florez moved to Chicago for a job her husband landed, then ended up in television news there for seven years before returning to her home state.

As for Brough, he became an Eisenhower Junior High celebrity for more than just his television weather exploits. He also helped coordinate students at the school in setting several Guinness World Records. According to his Wikipedia biography, “Brough believed the record-breaking attempts taught the children creativity, teamwork and logistics.”

Amont the records the school’s students once held: (1) The world’s largest loaf of baked bread (207 lbs., 1987); (2) The world’s longest paper clip chain (22.17 miles, 2004); and (3) The world’s longest chain of attached drinking straws (42,963 straws, 2005 – measuring more than 4.5 miles).

Speaking of public school teachers, the only member of the current Taylorsville City Council who actually attended Eisenhower Junior High will also speak during the 50th anniversary opening ceremony. Councilwoman Meredith Harker has been teaching elementary school for several years. But back in 1991-92, her ninth-grade year at EJHS, she was an Eisenhower Generals’ cheerleader.

“Cheerleaders were considered part of student government back then, so we got to be involved in planning activities and assemblies,” Harker said. “I and all my siblings attended Eisenhower. Years later, when my own kids became involved in Jr. Jazz basketball, many of their games were held at the school. It was so much fun to watch my kids play on the same court where I once played and cheered.”

As for second-year EJHS Principal Wes Cutler, he’s excited about all the people who’ll be visiting later this month.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the school’s history and accomplishments,” Cutler said. “This event is for everyone: former administra-

tors, teachers, other staff members and, of course, students.”

Cutler also pointed out, with 1,060 students attending now – in grades 6, 7 and 8 – Eisenhower has the largest student population of all 15 Granite School District junior highs.

Finally, Eisenhower Morale Committee member April Stevenson teaches world studies and other subjects at the school. She’s also the girls volleyball team head coach, recently guiding her team to their highest finish in decades.

“I very intentionally asked to serve on the committee to organize the open house because I have observed what an outstanding school we have,” Stevenson said. “My brother and sister also teach here. And we are not the only combination of relatives working at Eisenhower. We also have a brother, sister and mother who work here together, along with two sisters and one of their husbands. People working at Eisenhower quickly learn what a great place it is and don’t want to work anywhere else. I’m thrilled to be part of the committee

working to bring people back to revisit their memories.”

Again, the Eisenhower Junior High School 50th Anniversary Open House will be held Tuesday, April 23, from 5 to 8 p.m.

You may not see a 22-mile-long paper clip chain; but event organizers promise there will be plenty of other interesting things to enjoy. l

The busy Eisenhower Junior High Morale Committee has been advertising its 50th anniversary open house everywhere from social media to chain link fences. (Courtesy Wendy Cochran)

Among the memorabilia visitors will see at the EJHS 50th anniversary celebration are these school newspapers and official student historian scrapbooks from the mid-1970s. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Members of the EJHS Morale Committee organizing their school’s 50th anniversary celebration include: Bryan Stevenson, Jenny Jackson, April Stevenson, Emily Wilson, Laura Mauer, Kevin Winn and David Head (back row), along with Principal Wes Cutler, Wendy Cochran, Mike Roach, Debbie Kesner Steinberg, Aitanna Low, Amy Burton and Melodie Garcia (front row). (Courtesy Wendy Cochran)

Historic displays like this have been prominent throughout EJHS all year in anticipation of the school’s 50th anniversary celebration. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Continued from front page

The old saying, “third time is the charm” appears to apply.

“Drivers will begin to see work on the frontage road in April,” Cox said. “The first thing we have to do is extend an existing box culvert. Canal water currently passes under I-215 through that culvert; but now we have to add another 11 foot section to extend it where the frontage road will go.”

Canal customers take their water pretty seriously, which gives the canal company a lot of clout. UDOT has been told it has three weeks to extend the culvert –April 1 to 21. After that, water will start flowing through it. The rest of the frontage road project is expected to take a little more than a year.

“Once the box culvert is extended, our crews can work over it, and will be doing that all spring, summer and fall,” Cox said. “We’ll have to take next winter off. But, if all goes well, the new frontage road should be completed by June 2025.”

Simultaneous to the frontage road work, a second part of this project includes extending Bedford Road (4390 S.) east, to intersect the new frontage road. That, in fact, is the primary reason for the frontage road: to get commuters to 2700 W. in a place other than 4700 S.

Bedford Road currently dead ends in the area between the Utah Public Health Laboratory and the State office building and annex (think “American Express Building”).

Again, going back to the initial 2017 discussions about this project, as many as three different “cut through” routes were considered between the frontage road and 2700 West. At least in this initial phase of the project, Bedford Road will be the only one.

“Our total cost on the project is about $33 million,” Cox said. “That’s everything: all environmental and other studies, right-of-way acquisitions and construction. Taylorsville and West Valley City

have each contributed a small portion of that, primarily for drainage improvements and landscape work.”

Specifically, Cox reports the Taylorsville price tag to be $350,000 and West Valley City $150,000.

“I am excited this project is finally getting started,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. “I think it will add beauty to our belt route. It’s taken quite a while to get here; but sometimes you just have to be patient.”

“I certainly think this project will be a benefit to our Taylorsville drivers,” City Councilwoman Meredith Harker added. “This has been a long time coming. I’m glad UDOT is moving forward.”

“From the time I have been on this project it has gone smoothly and all of the different stakeholders seem to be satisfied,” Cox concluded. “We are confident this will really help traffic flow, giving drivers more options. UDOT is investing heavily on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley.”

Perhaps another old saying apropos to the project – in addition to “third time is the charm” – is “better late, than never.” l

Looking southbound from the 4100 S. bridge over I-215, it’s obvious a lot of work has already been completed to clear off the right shoulder, where a new frontage road will be constructed over the next year.

(Carl Fauver/City Journals)

The new frontage road west of I-215 will allow southbound drivers to exit the belt route and make use of a new connector road to avoid the busy 4700 S. 2700 West intersection. (Courtesy UDOT)

This connector road from the new belt route frontage road to 2700 W. is expected to ease traffic congestion significantly at 2700 W. 4700 South. (Courtesy UDOT)

The first construction work on the new frontage road drivers will see is this existing canal box culvert extended to the west the width of one more traffic lane. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Fifteen Utah cities offer subsidized rain barrels to help save water

By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@mycityjournals.com

Utah is the second driest state, and people use the second most amount of water per person in the United States.

According to 2020 data by the Utah Division of Water Resources, Utahns use 169 gallons of water each day. If commercial and industrial use is added in, that jumps to 256 gallons of water every day.

Fifteen of Utah’s city leaders are hoping to make water conservation a priority in Northern Utah including Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Murray, Sandy, Herriman and Taylorsville.

They announced the return of a rain harvesting program March 12 for their residents that will incentivize water conservation. This is the 10th year this program will be operating and continues to get more of Utah’s cities and residents involved.

The RainHarvest program gives residents the opportunity to catch rainwater from their gutters into a 50-gallon barrel.

“The RainHarvest program has become very popular with our residents, and we are excited to participate once again,” said Justun Edwards, Director of Public Works for Herriman City. “Rain barrels are an effective way to capture water that can be used in many ways, but they also act as a visual reminder of the importance of water conservation.”

The 15 cities partnered up with the Utah Rivers Council to distribute rain barrels to their residents that will catch rainwater from their house gutters. The barrels hold up to 50 gallons of water and can be reused outdoors.

In a press release, the Utah Rivers Council said these cities are stepping forward as the future of the Great Salt Lake has generated record interests.

According to a study done at Brigham Young University, the Great Salt Lake is in danger. With the disappearance of water flow to the lake, low water levels could cause damage to Utah’s health, environment and economy.

The study says excessive water use is destroying the Great Salt Lake. The lake has lost 73% of its water and the drop has accelerated since 2020.

According to an article by the Utah Division of Water Resources, as of late February, Utah’s snowpack is above normal for most regions and water levels are expected to rise.

Water levels as March progresses are encouraging. City leaders want to keep it that way and encourage their residents to step in and help before it goes away.

“We are living through a wet water cycle at this moment, which has improved our water storage and groundwater levels immensely,” said Aron Frisk, the water superintendent for the Murray City Water Department. “Continuing conservation efforts like the RainHarvest program should still be practiced because the next dry cycle is just around the corner.”

Utah has had six multiyear statewide

droughts since 1895, and state officials are always preparing for the next one.

Almost 11,000 barrels have been purchased over the last nine years, which means every time it rains enough to fill the barrel, 550,000 gallons of water can be saved during each storm. The Utah Rivers Council said between April and October, Salt Lake City could collect between 400 and 525 million gallons of water on residential buildings alone. Using the rain barrels on commercial properties could increase that even more.

Capturing rainwater can improve water quality by preventing urban runoff from flowing over streets and gutters, washing pollutants into streams, and eventually into the Great Salt Lake.

The Utah Rivers Council says collecting rainwater is a valuable water quality benefit because runoff is the No. 1 pollutant in waterways nationally.

The 1972 Clean Water Act means the greatest threat to Utah’s water bodies does not come from industrial sources, but small things that add up over time. Driving a car down the highway leaves behind tiny pieces of rubber, and those get swept into lakes and rivers when it rains.

“So this is just another small step that we can take knowing that those small steps can have some big effects,” said Sean Wilkinson, the Weber County director of community development.

Rain harvesting has been legal in Utah since 2010. Utah residents are able to collect up to 2,500 gallons of rainwater on their property as long as the collectors register with the Utah Division of Water Rights. The cities involved encourage their residents to collect the rainwater and use it for outdoor activities instead of city water.

Nikki Wyman, the Sandy City water education and public outreach coordinator, said the RainHarvest program gives people the right mindset to continue conserving water. She said the program makes it easy for people to learn behaviors of contract, probation and sustainability.

Frisk said their total annual water production has been trending down since 2000 and has dramatically decreased since 2020. He said it’s because the population is being educated and they’re more conscious of water use and water conservation due to being involved in the RainHarvest program.

The cities are offering rain barrels at a discounted price to encourage their residents to take part in the program and collect rainwater to help stretch Utah’s water supply in case of another drought.

Some cities are offering their residents a price of $55 per barrel, while other cities offer theirs at a price of $83. The barrels will all be distributed to those who want one during the first week of May in each participating county.

The Utah Rivers Council is hoping to distribute about 3,000 barrels to residents throughout Northern Utah and said households are not limited to just one barrel.

Several cities are taking water conservation to the next level and implementing other water conservation programs throughout their counties. That includes things like water effi-

cient landscapes, new city ordinances, water efficient appliances and fixtures, education programs for kids and much more.

The RainHarvest barrels are available to buy online at the Utah Rivers Council website at utahrivers.org. l

IvyRain barrels lined up to be distributed to residents to catch rain water. (Photo credit Utah Rivers Council)

IvyRain barrels can catch up to 50 gallons of rainwater from home gutters. (Photo credit Utah Rivers Council)

New Taylorsville temple to host public open house April 13 through May 18

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

Justthink of all the words and phrases we had yet to learn in fall 2019: coronavirus, social distancing, pandemic, N 95 masks come to mind. Or how about all the new places we’ve learned about since then? Well, mostly, Wuhan, China.

It was exactly one global pandemic ago when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced its plan to construct a fifth temple in the Salt Lake Valley – and their 23rd in Utah – right next to the westside I-215 belt route in Taylorsville. That position near the freeway would make the faith’s newest temple one of its most high-profile, worldwide.

Church President Russell M. Nelson unveiled the Taylorsville Utah Temple construction plan during the faith’s 189th Semiannual General Conference, on Oct. 5, 2019. Now, some four-and-a-half years later – with most of us back to shaking hands and hugging, with no idea where we put those masks for “safe keeping” – the Church has announced its newest temple’s public open house schedule.

Members and nonmembers alike are invited to walk through the new 70,460 square foot temple from April 13 through May 18. Soon after that open house window, Church Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Elder Gerrit W. Gong will dedicate the site on June 2. That will occur in two sessions, at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Elder Gong and his wife Susan, a Taylorsville native, oversaw the temple’s October 2020 groundbreaking.

Following the June dedication, only Latter-day Saints in good standing will be allowed entry to Taylorsville’s newest building.

“We’re very excited to see the new temple open because it’s another important, iconic landmark in Taylorsville,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. “Just like the opening of our new (Mid-Valley) Performing Arts Center, this is another important structure for our community. I think there is the potential for Taylorsville restaurants and other businesses to enjoy a (financial) windfall from the temple being in our community. But mostly, I think it’s another important thing that helps our community stand out in the (Salt Lake) Valley.”

A few weeks after the Church announced its newest Salt Lake Valley temple would be

constructed in Taylorsville, the specific location was revealed. On Dec. 11, 2019, the Church announced the temple would be constructed on a 7.5-acre site it already owned, at 2603 W. 4700 South. A Church meetinghouse and recreational field had occupied the location. It is situated at the southwest corner of the I-215 interchange at 4700 South.

The following spring – just weeks into the United States lockdown protocols, thanks to the pandemic – the Taylorsville City Council took action to open the way for temple construction. On April 1, 2020, the council approved three ordinances and one resolution to amend city codes to allow the 3-story structure to be built. The city also undertook several infrastructure projects to accommodate construction.

It’s been 15 years since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened new temples in the Salt Lake Valley. Back in 2009, a pair of temples doubled the number of such structures in the Valley. The Draper and Oquirrh Mountain Temples were completed nearly 40 years after the Jordan River Temple (1981) and well over a century after the 1893 opening of the original Salt Lake Temple.

By the way, the massive renovation and seismic upgrade continues now at the sixspired Salt Lake City Temple, which required some 40 years to construct. Church officials estimate that project will be completed in about two years. Massive crowds of non-Latter-day Saints are expected to seek a glimpse inside the historic structure when it opens to the general public for tours at that time.

As for the Taylorsville Temple open house, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website (churchofjesuschrist.org) was reporting in late March, all of its available free walkthrough tickets had already been “sold out.”

“The city’s relationship with the Church throughout the temple construction has been positive,” Overson concluded. “We’re pleased to see it open and will watch with interest, before and after it is dedicated. I’m sure some nearby residents are concerned about potential traffic growth. But I believe those fears will be calmed.” l

Taylorsville City constructed a traffic roundabout in front of the new temple’s main, west entrance, to help move traffic through the area. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

The new Taylorsville Temple is just over 70,000 square feet in size, sitting on a 7½ acre site. (Carl Fauver/ City Journals)

The stately new Taylorsville Temple is viewed by tens-of-thousands of people every day as they drive by it on the westside belt route. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

LEGO lovers have a new store to explore in Taylorsville

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

With three children under kindergarten age to keep track of, you might think Kristen Brereton’s plate is already full. But she and her husband, Josh, have decided what they need is one more thing to keep them busy – like opening a unique, new business in Taylorsville.

“I feel like we are nuts; but I trust my husband,” Brereton said. “We are excited to open our store. We’ve had a few delays. At one point, a car actually ran into our store building. That slowed us down. So, we are glad to finally open our doors and invite people in.”

At press time, Kristen and Josh were parents to two girls, ages 5 and two. Their first son was due after our deadline, in late March.

Now the family (well, mostly just the parents) are the proud operators of Bricks & Minifigs (5644 S. Redwood Road), an officially-recognized (by LEGO), aftermarket retailer of LEGO sets as well as loose bricks and figurines (“minifigs”).

The new 2,600 square foot store held its grand opening on Saturday, March 9. It’s open every day but Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Bricks & Minifigs is not just a store, it’s a celebration of all things LEGO,” Josh

Brereton said. “It’s a concept that bridges the gap between new and old and connects generations of builders. Our store is more than just a place to buy sets. It’s a place where imaginations come to life, where friendships are built and where creativity knows no bounds. We (love providing) this escape for fellow creators.”

Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson was among the dignitaries who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, officially welcoming Bricks & Minifigs to the community.

“They had to educate me about what a minifig was – and by the time I left I had bought one,” Overson said. “I found a figurine wearing a sharp-looking pink business suit. I decided that was a good mayor figure. I have it here on my desk. I gave her a shield and sword. I figure the sword represents our work to cut taxes, and the shield represents how we try to protect our residents. Bricks & Minifigs is just such a cute shop. Anyone who’s missing a particular piece to a LEGO set needs to stop in there to see if they have the replacement. They probably do.”

Although you may never have heard of Bricks & Minifigs, the franchise is rapidly growing. The new Taylorsville store is the fifth in Utah – and the 105th across more than 30 states. The most far-flung franchise – and the only one outside the United States – is in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Although the very first Brick & Minifigs stores were in the Pacific Northwest, the franchise’s international headquarters is now in Provo.

Mac Branning works out of the Utah County headquarters, with the unusual title of “unit onboarding specialist.” He assists new franchisees like the Breretons from the time they sign on until their grand opening.

“Our 100th Bricks & Minifigs store opened in January and at least half of those have opened in just the past two or three years,” Branning said. “Our motto is ‘re-

Josh and Kristen Brereton have three children not yet in kindergarten, and are also the proud owners of new Taylorsville store Bricks & Minifigs. (Kayla McFarland/Backyard PR)

Taylorsville LEGO block connoisseurs now have a new place to shop. (Kayla McFarland/Backyard PR)

build, reuse and reimagine.’ In our stores you will find retired LEGO sets and bulk LEGO pieces. If people are missing a piece or two on a set, we probably have it – or can track it down through our network of franchisees.”

A 2006 graduate of Brighton High School, Kristen Brereton says she never had LEGO toys around her house as a child. But she’s seen firsthand how they can tie generations together.

“I never even held a LEGO block until after I married Josh,” she confessed. “But I have watched him bond with our older daughter while building with them. It is such a neat experience to watch their creative imagination.”

For Josh, that bonding has been a full circle moment.

“Some of my fondest memories from

my childhood are dumping the LEGO bin out on the living room floor and building cars and planes with my dad,” he said. “During the pandemic, I rediscovered my love for LEGO through the lens of a parent and realized there is a vibrant community here in Utah, waiting to be inspired in the same way.”

Josh plans to maintain his full-time marketing job while getting the Bricks & Minifigs store off the ground. Taylorsville resident Jackson Wehrli will be their manager, supervising four parttime employees.

“I’ll mostly help with bookkeeping and other things from home, as I keep an eye on our kids,” Kristen Brereton concluded. “After watching how my husband and daughter connected through LEGO blocks, I’m confident the store will be a success.” l

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Mayor Kristie Overson (red coat), city council members and others joined Josh and Kristen Brereton as they opened their doors last month on a unique, new Taylorsville store, Bricks & Minifigs. (Kayla McFarland/Backyard PR) LEGO blocks new and old are now on sale, all inside a new Taylorsville store, Bricks & Minifigs. (Kayla McFarland/Backyard PR)

Taylorsville girls golf setting sights on region title

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

Many members of the Taylorsville girls golf team are new to the sport, but that doesn’t mean the Warriors don’t have high expectations.

Taylorsville competes in Class 5A’s Region 4 with Hunter, Kearns, West Jordan, Cyprus and Granger. While there will be opportunities for success, head coach Eric Timpson also knows winning won’t come easy.

“My expectation for this team is for them to compete for the region championship,” Timpson said. “It will be difficult with some other strong teams in our region. We are young and might have a better chance next year, but we shall see. I think we will have some individual players that will qualify for the state tournament in May.”

If the Warriors are to reach that lofty goal this season, Timpson said a few things need to fall in order. One key is for more players to progress and continue to improve their game.

“I know being in the running for the region championship will be difficult,” he said. “I would like to at least see a couple of our girls qualify for the state tournament. For our team success, I would like to see progress from our younger players that could move from competing at the JV level to the varsity level. I always consider the season a success when the players have fun

and are improving all the time. That is what I have seen from this team so far.”

Taylorsville teed off the season March 21 at a tournament, followed by another tournament March 25. Timpson is happy with what he has seen so far.

“I am excited for this team as they are young and growing,” he said. “The girls get better every year, and it is fun to watch.”

What the girls may lack in formal training and time on the golf course in competition, they make up for with their attitudes and desires to improve individually and collectively.

“The team’s strengths are the youth and enthusiasm of this team,” Timpson said. “They have a good work ethic and want to get better.”

Timpson said the team, unfortunately, lost a couple of its older, more experienced players who were unable to play this season. Their inclusion likely would have helped the Warriors be in an even better position to compete for a region championship. But the current players are moving forward with resolve to do their best regardless.

With so many players joining the team with little or no previous experience, Timpson and his Warriors can be at a disadvantage—not just when it comes to scores and to wins and losses but to basic things such as

having the right equipment.

“I would say that the biggest challenge for my team is that most of the players start as beginners,” Timpson said. “We don’t have many golfers at Taylorsville High that have been playing since they were really young and been taking lessons. Most don’t even have their own clubs and must borrow or get loaner clubs that have been donated to the team. These clubs are old and difficult to hit. We will try to get more funding for our team, which I think would help provide for the basic needs of our players. Access to high-end in-

struction is always something that is hard for my team. Most don’t have the time or funds to get lessons or have a personal swing coach.”

Yet, the team moves forward with hard work, determination and a positive attitude.

The Warriors have two seniors on the team, led by captain Cailin Nielsen. It’s her second full season on the team. The next two top golfers for the Warriors are sophomores Brinley Shields and Destiny Harrison.

“I am grateful for [Nielsen’s] leadership and work ethic,” Timpson said. “I hope she can reach her goals and have a chance to get to state. In one year [Shields and Harrison] have shown extraordinary growth and improvement in their golf game. They went from beginning golfers to competing on our team at the varsity level. I am expecting great things from them.”

Along with simply getting more experience and getting used to being at the varsity level, Timpson wants his players to improve their putting and short games.

“I think this will help tremendously to get lower scores consistently that will put them in the top scorers in our region,” he said.

The 5A state golf tournament will take place May 20 and 21 at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway. Whether the Warriors capture a region title or get golfers to state, Timpson will still be proud of his girls’ efforts. He enjoys coaching this group and loves not only seeing them learn how to golf better but how to become better people.

“It is a great opportunity to work with these girls,” he said. “I really enjoy coaching and instructing my players on the intricacies of the game of golf and the basics of the swing and different kinds of shots that are required in the game of golf. I am not a professional, but I know that when the girls will listen and work hard, they can really improve and develop a love of the game. It truly is a wonderful lifetime sport, and my girls can learn great life lessons. These are fun to point out to the girls. All my players are great people and students. They listen and have a desire to get better. That makes it very enjoyable for me and my other coaches.” l

The Taylorsville girls golf team had two early tournaments this season in preparation for more region matches. The Warriors have several young golfers who continue to improve. (Photo courtesy Eric Timpson)

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Like you, we as a city want to do our part when it comes to water conservation. We know that residents across Taylorsville are eager to help reduce municipal water demand. And, especially with ongoing drought considerations, we recognize that we can all help conserve water.

It is one of the reasons we decided to partner again with the Utah Rivers Council’s RainHarvest program. This is the third year Taylorsville has participated in this program, and like this year, the two previous years were wildly successful. In our rst year participating, we thought we could subsidize 40 barrels for our residents, to start. But before even announcing it, 100 residents had already signed up. Ultimately, the city ended up subsidizing 175 rain barrels that year and another 100 the next, and we assisted at about that level again this year.

While the subsidized barrels sold out almost immediately once again this year, you can still purchase a rain barrel online while supplies last at a discounted price of $83 ($67 o the retail price) at rainbarrelprogram. org. You can then pick up your barrel from the Salt Lake County Public Works facility in Murray, 4646 S. 500 West, on Saturday, May 4, between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In addition to participating in this program, we’ve taken several other steps aimed at water conservation. For example, the city “ ipped its own strip” this past spring at City Hall. We replaced the lawn out front with about 150 waterwise plants, covering about 6,000 square feet, in all. We also have incorporated waterwise and native plants at several of the parks in our city.

Additionally, we’ve sponsored multiple Localscapes classes by the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District and Taylorsville BennionImprovement District. These workshops teach residents how we can save money and water by landscaping our yards in waterwise ways. They are always well-attended, so be sure to check out our next class on April 11 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District also is o ering several new water conservation incentives for residential and commercial properties. See details online at utahwatersavers.com.

E orts like these are important to our residents. For example, our recent annual city survey found that a majority are interested in water conservation and are looking for ways to save water in the future (See more on the survey on Page 3 of this section).

Thank you to everyone for helping to conserve water — in large ways and small. Together, I know these e orts are making a di erence.

—Mayor Kristie S. Overson

WHAT’S INSIDE – APRIL 2024

Page 3

Heritage

Farmer’s Market Coming to Centennial Plaza This Summer

Taylorsville residents will soon be able to purchase locally sourced produce and a variety of other artisan products on Tuesdays at Centennial Plaza.

The Taylorsville Farmers’ Market, run by Good4Life Markets, will open this summer at the plaza, where you’ll be able to shop every Tuesday, from 5 to 9 p.m., July 9 to Sept. 24.

In addition to fresh produce and depending on the night, wares may include baked goods, jams and jellies, herbs, essential oils, goat-milk soaps and more. In all, Good4Life Markets has 450 vendors to draw from, and they are currently seeking local vendors for Taylorsville’s market. (Applications can be found online at good4lifemarkets.com)

“We are thrilled to have a Farmer’s Market coming to Taylorsville and that we can add another activity to Centennial Plaza” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “With our Starry Nights concert series on Fridays, Centennial Plaza is quickly becoming an inviting ‘third space,’ where we can gather as a community to now shop, attend a free concert, grab a bite at the food trucks or simply enjoy the beautiful surroundings.”

The opening of the Taylorsville Farmer’s Market follows input from recent citywide surveys, in which residents listed it as one event they would like to see added in the city (See more on this year’s survey results on Page 3 of this section).

On Tuesdays, a few food trucks will be operating at the market, in addition to Taylorsville’s regular Food Truck League night on Fridays for Starry Nights. The Farmer’s Market will also accept SNAP payment.

EVENTS APRIL 2024

April 3 – 6:30 p.m.

City Council Meeting @ City Hall and online. Watch a livestream of the meeting on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov

April 9 & April 23 – 6:30 p.m.

Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.

April 11 – 7 p.m.

Free Localscapes Class @ City Hall Council Chambers. Sponsored by the Green Committee. See ad on Page 8 of this section.

April 18 – All day

The 2024 statewide Utah ShakeOut earthquake drill reminds to “Drop, Cover and Hold On.” See details at shakeout.org

April 22 – All day

Earth Day. (Taylorsville’s Annual Cleanup Day, previously held on Earth Day, is set for May 18 this year. See www.taylorsvilleut.gov for details.)

April 27 – 10 a.m.

Ride, Roll & Stroll on the Jordan River Parkway with the Parks and Rec Committee. Meet at the Millrace Park pickleball courts. See accompanying ad on this page.

Find our calendar of events every month on the city’s website, where you can also submit your own events for possible publication. Go to www.taylorsvilleut.gov

COUNCIL CORNER

By Council Member Curt Cochran

Utah Legislature Took Up Several Interesting Bills This Year

dered inoperable by a locking device and sets civil penalties for violations.

While it may be a little soon to say that “spring has sprung,” our Utah Legislature sprang into action quickly and spent 45 days reviewing more than 500 bills during the 2024 legislative season. As I looked through the list of bills, a few of them caught my interest.

This list below does not constitute an endorsement of any bill and some of them were not passed into law; I only found some of the particular subject matter that legislators took up interesting and thought you might, too. I also want to thank all of the people who tirelessly devote their time to our legislative process and who give up time from their jobs, families and other obligations to serve our citizens.

HB14 School Threat Penalty Amendments — Requires a student to be suspended or expelled from a public school if the student makes a false emergency report targeted at a school, enhances the penalties for making a threat against a school and makes it a second-degree felony to make a false emergency report in certain circumstances.

HB30 Road Rage Amendments — De nes terms and addresses the seizure and possession of a vehicle for a road rage event, allows for impound fee, creates the Road Rage Awareness and Prevention Restricted Account to pay for an education and media campaign and allows for the suspension or revocation of an individual's driver license.

HB98 Firearm Access Amendments — De nes terms and requires that a rearm is securely stored or ren-

HB154 Bicycle Amendments — Amends requirements for bicycle and moped operators to maintain control and removes the requirement for a person operating a bicycle or moped to keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

HB180 Short-Term Rental Amendments — Requires municipalities and counties that allow short-term rentals to adopt ordinances or regulations to promote the health, safety and welfare of short-term rental occupants … authorizes municipalities and counties to enact ordinances to ensure compliance with applicable requirements and imposes requirements and limitations on an owner of a short-term rental.

HB183 Income Tax Reduction — Amends the corporate franchise and income tax rates and amends the individual income tax rate. Both rates are reduced from 4.65% to 4.55% e ective May 1, 2024.

HB326 Firearm Safety Incentives — Establishes an income tax credit for the purchase of a rearm safety device.

HB498 Firearm Safety in Schools — Creates a pilot program to provide a rearm safety course in public schools.

HB428 Fireworks Amendments — Removes firecrackers from the list of Class C dangerous explosives, prohibits selling recrackers to a person under the age of 18 and prohibits a person under the age of 18 from purchasing, handling or possessing.

CITYWIDE SURVEY:

Taylorsville Headed in the Right Direction

Taylorsville’s residents are happy with their elected o cials and the way the city is being run, and generally feel things are headed in the right direction, according to a new survey conducted by Y2 Analytics in January.

It is the fth time in as many years that a comprehensive, citywide poll has been conducted for Taylorsville in an e ort to garner a benchmark and gauge of the health and wellness of the city and its services going forward. The survey results also help city o cials in planning and budget appropriations.

On average, residents gave a score of 74 out of 100 for the city’s quality of life, with consistently high ratings across all council districts. A remarkable 84% also said they approve of the Mayor and City Council — a rating that Y2’s Director of Research Tatiana Gilchrist described as “fantastic.”

“People in Taylorsville are pretty happy with where they’re at,” she said. The city’s central location in the Salt Lake Valley, in particular, is a top draw, said Gilchrist, who is a Taylorsville resident. “I can get just about anywhere in 15 minutes.”

In fact, 82% percent of those surveyed would recommend Taylorsville as a good place to live.

She noted that when it comes to city services, residents are most satis ed with re and emergency services, recycling, animal control, police services and the city’s parks and open spaces. They are most concerned about potential crime and safety, as well as tra c, housing and growth. See the full survey results online at www.taylorsvilleut.gov.

The survey was conducted by Y2 Analytics from Jan. 3-28. In all, 458 residents completed the survey, representing a balanced geographic distribution of responses across the city and a 4.5 percent margin of error. The data were weighted to re ect the demographics of registered voters in Taylorsville, speci cally in regard to age, gender, home ownership and City Council district.

HB531 Laser Pointer Amendments — De nes terms, amends the criminal o ense of unlawful use of a laser pointer to include conduct concerning an aircraft or the aircraft's occupants, provides criminal penalties and makes technical and conforming changes.

SB62 Dog-Related Liability Amendments — This bill clari es language related to liability for an injury caused by a dog, addresses the period within which a person may bring an action related to an injury caused by a dog and makes technical changes.

You can see a description of all the bills before the Legislature this year at le.utah.gov. The 2024 Bill Tracker is simply fascinating and contains so much information that is fun to peruse and discover.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Bob Knudsen, (District 5), Curt Cochran, Chair (District 2), Anna Barbieri, (District 3), Meredith Harker, Vice Chair (District 4) and Ernest Burgess (District 1)

Beware of Fundraising Scams, Only Donate to Reputable Organizations

Check this space each month for news about the Taylorsville Police Department (TVPD) and their valuable service to our community.

SCAM ALERT! Please only donate money to well-vetted, charitable organizations. TVPD detectives recently contacted several individuals seeking to collect funds for a supposedly young child with cancer. Their investigation determined the individuals soliciting funds were doing nothing but trying to trick people to donate by using the pictured soliciting signs.

Where does this money go? Straight to these criminal organizations’ pockets. In some cases, individuals are used to solicit the funds to pay o smuggling debts. One of the people involved was wanted out of New York for grand larceny and was not in the country legally. The individual was detained by immigration agents. See more on how to avoid scams and protect yourself, from the Federal Trade Commission online at consumer.ftc.gov

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Congratulations to O cer Houghtalen, who is our latest TVPD Employee of the Month. Prior to joining Taylorsville Police Department in June 2021, O cer Houghtalen was an o cer with Clear eld Police Department, where he was assigned to the Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force.

Officer Houghtalen is currently assigned to TVPD’s patrol division and is one of our drone pilots. He was nominated as Employee of the Month by one of his coworkers, Officer Mecham. Officer Mecham stated that O cer Houghtalen has an “outstanding work ethic, compassion, command presence and is always a great example of how to appropriately handle the situations we as o cers are called to assist with.”

Recently, O cer Houghtalen was called to investigate an active aggravated assault. Through his “quick decisionmaking and command presence, he was able to gain immediate compliance of the suspect,” stop the assault, separate the victim and safely take the suspect into custody. O cer Houghtalen has also led the patrol division in terms of statistics and brings a lot of natural talent to TVPD.

When not patrolling the streets of Taylorsville, O cer Houghtalen enjoys spending time with his family. His hobbies include camping, o -roading, rearms, playing video games and exercising. Thank you, O cer Houghtalen, for your service and dedication to law enforcement and for choosing to be a part of Team Taylorsville!

Deputy Serving Taylorsville Remembered on 30-Year Anniversary

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the tragic police call that led to the death of Salt Lake County Sheri 's Deputy Michael Welcker. Deputy Welcker was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 24, 1994, while protecting the Taylorsville area.

Leaders and colleagues from the City of Taylorsville, Taylorsville Police Department and the Salt Lake County Sheri 's O ce, as well as the broader law enforcement community, remembered Deputy Welcker as strong and large in stature but also kind, caring and "genuinely one of the nicest people you would ever meet."

View a beautiful video tribute by the Salt Lake County Sheri 's O ce on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov under the News section.

Deputy Welcker was killed in a shootout while attempting to arrest an armed aggravated assault suspect. The suspect red through the apartment door, striking him in the chest and a second deputy in the wrist. Although Deputy Welcker was wearing body armor, the bullet struck him under his arm, between the Kevlar panels and missing the armor.

Deputy Welcker was 38 years old and had been with the Sheri 's O ce for four years.

"Time has erased considerable elements relative to that despicable day but never forgotten are the heroes," said Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam, "and Deputy Welcker is a hero that time will not erase."

You can read more about Deputy Welcker and his service online from the National Law Enforcement O cers Memorial Fund (lawmemorial.org) and the O cer Down Memorial Page (odmp.org), where you can leave your own remembrance of him. At the lawmemorial.org site, you can also take a virtual tour of the National Law Enforcement O cers Memorial, located on E Street, between 4th and 5th Streets, in Washington, D.C. The remembrance of Deputy Welcker there can be found on Memorial Panel 36-E: 19.

TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2024 7PM

VENUE: MID-VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

ADDRESS: 2525 W TAYLORSVILLE BLVD, TAYLORSVILLE, UT 84129

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The City of Taylorsville is excited to present our next Plaza + ART: An Evening of Art with Chad Poppleton and Maren Arnell

Chad is a western and wildlife oil painter who was inducted into the Cowboy Artists of America in 2018. Maren is a pastry chef who has worked in a 5-Star restaurant in Las Vegas (Yes Chef!) as well as a pastry chef at the Grand America Hotel.

Join us as we hear from the artists about their art journeys, learn about the Plaza +ART program, mingle with fellow community members, and enjoy refreshments. If you haven’t been to one of these events yet, you’re missing out!

Please email Jandrus@taylorsvilleut.gov to RSVP for the event.

Plaza

ART

Church Hosts Public Tours of New Temple in Taylorsville

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has built a new temple in Taylorsville and will hold public tours from Saturday, April 13, through Saturday, May 18, excluding Sundays.

You can make a reservation to tour the temple at www.churcho esuschrist. org. Comfortable shoes and modest dress are recommended for the free walking tour that lasts approximately one hour.

Parking is at 2780 W. 4700 South, and attendees will ride a shuttle to the temple. Please plan to arrive at the shuttle lot about 30 minutes prior to the reservation time. Shuttles will run every 15 minutes.

Construction of the Taylorsville Utah Temple began in fall 2020, replacing an existing church meetinghouse and recreational eld at 2603 W. 4700 South. The temple is a three-story, 70,460-square-foot building with a central spire. Two-level parking at the site also provides both surface and underground parking spaces.

In announcing the Taylorsville location in December 2019, church leaders said the 7.5-acre site, situated at the southwest corner of the I-215 interchange, o ers convenience for patrons and a beautiful landmark to beltway motorists.

Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES

Taylorsville Resident Helped Shape County and State Fairs

This month’s article highlights Hazel Roene McRae and Everett Dellno Wood, as described in an excerpt from their family history written in November 1998 and updated in December 1999:

Roene McRae met Everett Wood when they were third-grade students at Plymouth School, then located at the corner of 4800 South and Redwood Road. Leah Eldredge was their teacher. The year was 1924.

Hazel Roene McRae was born to Hazel Murphy and Orson David McRae on April 23, 1916, an Easter Sunday. Her birth took place in her grandpa Daniel McRae’s home in Granger, Utah, where her parents occupied two rooms of the house. Orson’s parents, Anne Christina Jensen and Daniel McRae, owned several acres of property near 3300 South and 1600 West. During this time, Orson was building a home for his family on a corner of the McRaes’ farm there.

Roene was 2 years old when the family moved into the purple brick house. Although she didn’t remember much about the move, she did recall her father driving a big pig with a stick to the new home. He put her on the pig’s back, and as she truthfully said, she had an actual “piggy-back ride.”

Everett’s story began on June 15, 1915, with his birth to Cora Maude Rich and J. Stern Wood in Murray, Utah. He was their rst or four children and was named after his mother’s brother, Everett, and his father’s brother, Dellno.

The pair knew each other almost all of their lives and were married for more than 75 years until their deaths.

One notable contribution by Roene was her service on the Salt Lake County Fair Board, where she served as president for 20 years. She also worked another 22 years as its secretary, treasurer and o ce manager. In addition, she worked more than 47 years for the Utah State Fair, from 1940 to 1987.

You can learn more about the Woods and the histories of many other Taylorsville residents at the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center, 1488 W. 4800 South. Drop on by!

Don’t Miss These Library Events

The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of April. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events:

INTERACTIVE FAIRY TALES — Through Saturday, April 6. Celebrate Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday with a fairy tale interactive adventure. Complete the activities and earn a prize.

DROP-IN FUN: Vortex Cannons and Wind Tunnel — Thursday, April 4, 10:30 a.m. Try out vortex cannons and wind tunnels during this drop-in activity.

VIRTUAL LECTURE: A Night with the First Mexican-American Prima Ballerina — Monday, April 15, 7 p.m. Register at thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries. Evelyn CisnerosLegate will talk about how she incorporated her background and understanding of culture into her professional business career.

DISCOVERY FRIDAY: Outer Space Friday, April 26, 4 p.m. Get ready to blast o ! Explore outer space with activities, games and crafts to keep kids busy after school. This activity is especially geared for school-age kids.

VIRTUAL LECTURE: Contains Multitudes, Walt Whitman, America's Poet — Tuesday, April 30, 7 p.m. Register at thecountylibrary. org/LectureSeries. How did the son of a farmer, grammar school dropout and penny daily hack writer become the iconic American poet? Karen Karbiener will discuss Walt Whitman’s upbringing and his revolutionary work, “Leaves of Grass.”

TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER

4743 S. Plymouth View Drive

April Class Highlights

The Taylorsville Senior Center has planned a variety of classes this month. Among them are: Computer 101: Become more tech savvy with one-on-one assistance with Michael from Humana. He will be available Monday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. for any computer-related questions. Spots must be reserved a day in advance for 30-minute sessions. See the front desk if you are interested.

Salt Lake County Recorder “Property Watch:” Join Salt Lake County’s Recorder o ce and sign up for their free “Property Watch” service. This service will enable you to keep track of recorded changes to your property to protect ownership. Event is on Wednesday, April 10, from 9 to 11 a.m. in the cafeteria.

Clark Planetarium Earth Day Presentation: Celebrate Earth Day! Clark Planetarium will present some amazing facts about our beautiful planet, on Wednesday, April 17, from 9 to 10 a.m. in classroom B.

Drums Alive: Work out to the beat and rhythm of the drums with this Drums Alive class, every Wednesday from 2 to 3 p.m. in the aerobics room.

Visit the center’s website at www.slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center for other activities and lunch menu information. The Taylorsville Senior Center is located at 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive and can be contacted by phone at 1-385-468-3370.

ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY

APRIL UPDATES

Subscription Green Waste Program

The Weekly Green Waste Collection

Program resumed Monday, March 11. Taylorsville currently has 1,525 out of the 11,243 districtwide subscribers.

Residents can sign up and help divert green waste from the landfill to be processed into mulch that can then be purchased for use from the Salt Lake Valley Landfill. There is a one-time start-up fee of $70 to pay for the can, and at $126 per year, a green waste can is less expensive than an additional black garbage can at $234 per year. For more information on this program, head to the “Services & Requests” tab on the WFWRD website (www.wasatchfrontwaste.org) and select “Additional Subscription Services” to nd the “Green Waste Sign Up” link.

Household Hazardous Waste

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is de ned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as any product that contains corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients. Products such as batteries, cleaners, oils, gasoline and pesticides are all examples of HHW. Do not place these products in your residential waste, recycling, or green waste cans as it can lead to re or explosion. For information on where and how to properly dispose of HHW, visit the Hazardous Waste page on the district’s website: www.wasatchfrontwaste. org. Please properly dispose of your hazardous waste materials.

Bulk and Green Waste Trailer Rental

Spring is here, which means we think about spring cleaning. Bulk trailers are available to rent for $190, and green waste trailers are available to rent for $55, to help with your household clean-up tasks. These trailers are reserved on a rst-come, rst-served basis. For more details, visit the district’s website. You can also reserve your trailer online or call their o ces to make your reservation. Sign up early to ensure you get the trailer on the date you need

Wait to Water for a Healthy Lawn and Savings

Patience is key, especially when it comes to springtime landscape care. Waiting to water your lawn until after Mother's Day can yield signi cant bene ts.

By holding o on watering, you give your lawn's roots the opportunity to grow deeper, resulting in a healthier, more resilient turf. This strategic delay in watering pays o during the hotter months, as deeper roots can access moisture stored in the soil, even when the surface appears dry.

Ultimately, this practice promotes the long-term health and vitality of your lawn. If you have any questions about this advice or any other water conservation matters, don't hesitate to reach out to Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District.

If you have any questions, please contact Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District by calling 801-968-9081 or visiting www.tbid.org. Follow TBID on Facebook and Twitter.

Thursday, April 11th

7 to 8 PM

Corner Canyon High junior Leimana “Mana” Fager and freshman Tanner Telford brought home national titles from the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals March 15-17 at Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Fager won the 18U 190-pound division while Telford was tops in the 16U 106-pound category.

“This was our first ever national champions,” said CCHS assistant wrestling coach John Fager.

“It felt unreal,” said Mana Fager. “It was great seeing all my hard work pay off. It was definitely one of the best feelings I have ever had.”

“Seeing Mana win the title gave me a lot more confidence,” Telford said.

In his first nationals appearance, Telford defeated MWC (Nebraska) Wrestling Academy’s Cole Caniglia in the finals after a semifinal win over Greysen Packer, of Team Idaho Wrestling Club, and beating Alabama’s David Hill in the quarters.

“Watching Tanner, a fellow teammate, win nationals as a freshman got me excited to watch him grow and progress as a whole,” Mana Fager said. “He did something that I couldn’t do my freshman year and that’s amazing. Tons of respect for that guy.”

Taylorsville wrestler wins nationals

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

Mana Fager was introduced to wrestling 15 years ago because of his dad’s lifelong involvement in the sport. “It’s kind of some sort of religion in our house, and I actually hated it all the way until my sophomore year,” Mana Fager, who also plays football for Corner Canyon, said. “It was then that I realized that I was raised and made to be a wrestler.”

Mana placed fourth twice in a national event previously. “It felt amazing to win, but it’s on to the next thing,” he said. “I have a lot of things to improve on.”

Parents, coaches and teammates have helped Mana Fager’s growth in wrestling and with the mental toughness required in the sport. “They have helped me to get where I am today and I couldn’t have done this without them,” he said.

Telford has been wrestling since he was 5 years old when he “just decided to try it out” and his love of the sport has only grown from there.

The son of Paul Telford and Amber Telford, who lives in Taylorsville, said that wrestling has helped him learn about hard work, determination, discipline, commitment and gratitude. His continued goals on the mat include more national championships and being able to wrestle collegiately.

“I’m very grateful for my coaches and teammates and how much they have helped

me to get better and make everything possible for me,” he said. l

The Corner Canyon High wrestlers won two national championships and earned four All-American honors at the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals at Cedar Falls, Iowa March 15-17. (Photo courtesy John Fager)

JOB FAIR

Looking for a Better Job or New Career?

Attend our Community Job Fair: $0

April 30, 2-6 PM

Hunter High School

4200 S 5600 W

West Valley City, UT 84120

The event will provide adults and youth with a unique opportunity to connect with 85+ top employers in various industries and explore job openings in your desired field. You can expect to meet with hiring managers and apply on the spot for some positions.

There is NO COST to participate. You are encouraged to bring multiple copies of your resume, dress professionally, and come prepared to network and learn about potential job opportunities. For more information, visit www.ChamberWest.com

Connect to Your Future!

Taylorsville trivia: the city is now home to its first-ever traffic roundabout

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

“B

ehind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout… the pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray…”

It was a long time ago – and perhaps you no longer recall – but most of us “Yanks” had no idea what a “roundabout” was when Paul and George introduced us to the word in their Beatles hit “Penny Lane.” It was February 1967. The Brits in Liverpool were familiar with them. But it would be more than a generation before we got one here.

Our friends at Wikipedia explain, “In the United States, modern roundabouts emerged in the 1990s after years of planning and educational campaigning. The very first (U.S. roundabout) was constructed in Summerlin, Nevada in the summer of 1990.”

It was nearly another full decade, into the fall of 1999, before Utah got its first modern roundabout down in St. George.

Now, another quarter-century later, you can officially add Taylorsville to the list of Utah communities that rotate traffic counterclockwise through an intersection. Come to think of it, that means the Penny Lane roundabout rotates its traffic past the pretty nurse, clockwise (that whole driving on the left side, remember).

“As we looked at ways to most efficiently move traffic around and past the new (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Temple entrance, we decided in early 2023 to build the roundabout,”

City Engineer Ben White explained. “Work started on the roundabout last spring and it was completed last summer. It hasn’t seen a lot of traffic yet, because the temple’s not been open. But that will change.”

The complete diameter of the roundabout, including the single-wide traffic lane, is 104 feet. Construction cost about $200,000, which included modest payments to a pair of homeowners because small corners of their properties had to be cut into slightly to complete the circle.

The roundabout is at the intersection of Chentelle Drive (2600 West) and Sable Circle (4740 South). By the way, Sable Circle is now misnamed, because of another reconstruction project in the area.

“Sable Circle used to run through from 2700 West to Chentelle (2600 West) but was cut off years ago,” White added. “As we prepared for the increase in traffic, we decided to restore it as a through street. This took only three weeks and cost about $20,000. Our crews just had to do a little curb and gutter work. One resident’s driveway was repoured. That part of the project was completed in October.”

Presumably Sable “Circle” will now need to be renamed. “Penny Lane,” anyone?

Certainly, the roundabout is unique to Taylorsville. And the reopened street is, at least, unusual. But truth be told, those projects will have almost no impact on 99% of drivers who are in that area on a

This new traffic roundabout directly west of the Taylorsville Temple was funded by the city. But several other curb and gutter repairs in the area were paid for by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

basis. Unless you live in that particular neighborhood – or are visiting the temple – you’ll never see the changes.

The huge changes, impacting thousands of drivers every day, are a stone’s throw to the north, on 4700 South.

“To improve safety and traffic movement on 4700 South, we removed the traffic light at 2600 West and also installed an 825 foot median between the traffic lanes,” White explained. “Once westbound drivers are west of (the belt route), they must now drive all the way to the (2700 West) intersection before they can turn south. People using I-215 to reach the Taylorsville Temple will go west (on 4700 South) to the light, turn south and drive a half block, then turn left (east) to reach the temple entrance from Sable (through the roundabout).”

About the same time the new median was being installed on 4700 South, a 1,000 foot section of the road was also resurfaced. White reports the overall cost of the project was about $350,000.

For her part, Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson is glad to get these construction projects behind the city.

“We have studied 4700 South (traffic issues and potential solutions) to death,” she said. “We wanted to improve access (to the new temple). The solutions still aren’t ideal; but it’s the best we could come up with. The changes also help us prepare for the BRT service that’s coming.”

Finally, despite all the changes in the area, Overson is not aware of any lingering animosity residents in that part of her city may have about the opening of the new temple.

“Neighbors were concerned during construction, with all the work trucks being parked on their streets,” Overson said. “We had to create specific temple construction worker parking permits. But now that the work is completed, I haven’t heard any more neighbor concerns. Of course, we will continue to track it as people begin visiting the temple for the public open house – and then afterward, as Church members begin to come more regularly.”

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Perspective can be deceiving. No, the sign is not actually the same size as the new temple. (Carl Fauver/ City Journals)

Led by ‘stacked’ distance group, Taylorsville track and field excited to compete

Though snow has still been falling and cold temperatures linger, high school athletes have hit the track for track and field season. At Taylorsville, the Warriors have assembled some strong groups to make a run at a region title.

Taylorsville competes in Region 4 of Class 5A. The Warriors have a good blend of experienced upperclassmen and younger athletes, all of whom are working hard to improve. Head coach Chad Farnes has an overarching goal to “ignite success by dreaming big, having fun and working hard every day.”

Taylorsville opened the season in midMarch at the Snow Canyon Invitational in St. George. A total of 60 teams participated, and many Warriors athletes stood out. Sariah Johnson was first overall in the long jump, while Aisha Salami took third in the shot put. On the boys’ side, the 4x200 relay team placed eighth at the meet. Also, junior Cole Jameson, a standout distance runner, was third in the 1,600-meter race and sixth in the 800. His performance in the 1,600 broke the school record. Interestingly, that record stood for 29 years, with its previous holder being Jameson’s father.

“The team is doing fantastic,” Farnes said. “We had an incredible time going to Snow Canyon State Park and stayed at a fantastic Airbnb. At the meet, the athletes did amazing. Overall, the team had its best showing ever at Snow Canyon, success that we are hoping to continue through the rest of the season.”

For that success to continue and for the team to be at its best, Farnes laid out a few objectives that he expects the athletes to follow. He also emphasized that where athletes and the team place at meets won’t define whether a season is successful.

“I think focusing on that goal is the big thing,” he said. “We’re really focused on having fun, dreaming big and working hard. If athletes can build confidence in themselves, work every day and have fun throughout the season, I’ll consider it a success.”

The Warriors have multiple distance runners who stand out. In fact, Farnes said that group is “stacked” with talented and accomplished runners. The Warriors’ distance team placed fourth at state out of 24 teams a year ago. Jameson is one of the top performers, but there are others to keep an eye on. Farnes pointed out the efforts and abilities of Edward Stout (sophomore), Kai Makowski (junior), Jonah Andrews (junior), Preston Gledhill (senior), Liamm Passey (senior) and Elliott Stout (sophomore). On the girls side, Johnson, a junior, and Salami, a senior, are the team leaders.

“All these athletes have put in a ton of time in the offseason to be where they are,” Farnes said.

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

Depth does work against Taylorsville sometimes. The Warriors don’t have as large of a team as others across the 5A ranks. Farnes would love to see more athletes join the team. He also acknowledges that money is also an issue with the program.

“I think something that we struggle with is finances,” he said. “Last year, we started a track club for sprinters to continue practicing over the summer. One athlete won her division at the regional Junior Olympics and qualified for nationals. She wasn’t able to go because of financial barriers. We have an incredible team, but one of the biggest barriers to our continued growth and success are the financial strains that our athletes experience.”

Farnes is also grateful for his coaching staff, which consists of eight coaches. The coaches provide daily support to the athletes to ensure their development. He loves coaching this group of track and field athletes.

“What I enjoy most is the kids,” he said. “We’ve got an incredible group of kids that are enthusiastic and excited about track. They are fun to be around and are making the season really great.”

He also expects a lot out of the athletes.

As mandated by school and by the Utah High School Activities Association, all athletes must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0. Team expectations and rules include attending practice every day, Monday through Friday, and not missing or skipping meets. Of course, Farnes makes allowances for certain issues; he just expects the athletes to communicate their needs ahead of time. Student-athletes who don’t follow these rules may miss upcoming meets or be removed from the team.

Farnes holds himself and his fellow coaches accountable, too.

“We will consistently be at practice in order to help out athletes,” he said. “We will create a positive, inclusive atmosphere. We will help athletes to develop to their full potential athletically. We will also help athletes foster friendships with other students. We will support athletes to succeed academically.”

Farnes engages athletes’ parents, too, and asks for their support for their children and for the team. For the Warriors, communication is vital, and Farnes uses text reminders and other media to keep in touch with parents and inform them of any team developments and events.

Taylorsville will compete in tournaments and meets in April and into May in preparation for the 5A state championships. The championship meet will take place at Brigham Young University, May 16–18. The Warriors will try to qualify as many athletes as possible for state. The more team

members that get to the championships, the better chance Taylorsville will have at climbing up the final standings. Taylors-

ville was a member of Class 6A a year ago but moved down a division this season. l

Taylorsville’s Cole Jameson (in blue, far left) is one of the Warriors top distance runners. He placed sixth in the track and field’s first tournament of the season, the Snow Canyon Invitational in St. George. Jameson headlines a strong group of distance runners on the boys team. (Photo courtesy of Whitney Lynn Photography.)

I’m not sure what Utah legislators think happens in women’s restrooms, based on the ridiculous bathroom bill that was recently passed. Do they imagine we walk into a restroom, disrobe, dance around drinking martinis and chat like teenagers in a TV sitcom?

Otherwise, I can’t imagine why our “leaders” thought banning trans women from public bathrooms would protect my privacy. If there was a creepy man dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, accosting women in the restroom, yes, that would be terrible. And it’s already illegal.

But I’m letting the legislators in on a little secret. Here’s what happens in a public restroom. I walk to the bathroom and wait in line (because there’s always a line). I make no eye contact with the women around me. When a stall is available, I scurry into it, do my business as quietly as possible and rush to wash my hands. I glance in the mirror to make sure there’s no popcorn stuck to my face, and I leave.

I wouldn’t know if there was a trans woman in the bathroom with me because (and hear me out) trans women are women. Legislators, you continue to create fear and disconnection. Stop it.

This unenforceable law could mean

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

Circling the drain

we must carry a small copy of our birth certificate, next to the mini-Bible and a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution we’re already toting around. But…scanning my scriptures…I see one that reads, “Love thy neighbor.” Interesting. I don’t see an asterisk that explains *Unless your neighbor has a lifestyle of which you don’t approve.

Speaking of protecting privacy, as the legislative session wrapped up last month, our “leaders” passed a law that blocks access to the daily calendar of elected officials. (I think they confuse “privacy” with “secrecy.”)

Imagine you hire an employee and tell them you’ll be tracking their work, checking their calendars and watching their emails. You want to see how they spend their time, who they hang with and if they’re misbehaving.

Then imagine that employee said

you had no right to do any of that. That it’s none of your damn business. Well, you’d fire that employee in a heartbeat. Elected officials work for the people and we deserve to know what they do.

The Freedom of Information Act grants access to government records so the media and the public can see how the sausage is made. But Utah legislators continue to pass bills making government less transparent. It’s like painting over a window, one thin coat at a time.

In 2011, Utah’s governor and legislators were presented with the Black Hole Award by the national chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists because of a bill they passed (HB477) limiting access to government records. Five years later, Attorney General Sean Reyes received the same award from the Utah chapter.

Sensing a theme?

Overall, the legislators passed nearly 600 bills this year, including one that eliminates Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs at universities and some government entities. That’s nice. As if Utah wasn’t white, wealthy, male and straight enough already.

And through a law signed by Gov. Spencer Cox, teachers are now encour-

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aged to bring guns to school because how do we address a gun control problem in this country? More guns!

For a state that declares it’s against big government control, a lot of bills passed this year seem glaringly hypocritical.

As the year goes along, I’m sure we’ll hear more from our “leaders” about book bans, school vouchers, revised history curriculum, church-protected abusers and the benefits of coal. Legislators seem just as clueless about those things as they are about women’s bathrooms.

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