Taylorsville Journal | October 2022

FOURTEEN NEW SCULPTURES WILL CALL CENTENNIAL PLAZA HOME FOR THE NEXT YEAR

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

It may have taken Taylorsville a quarter-century to make improvements outside city hall. But after finally com pleting the multi-million-dollar makeover a year ago, city leaders wasted no time in working to establish the area dubbed “Centennial Plaza” (south of city hall, west of the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center) as “thee place to be” on hot, summer Saturday nights.

On the Saturday before Labor Day weekend, the city closed out its successful first season of what they called “Starry Nights @ the Plaza.” For more than a dozen Sat urday evenings – starting before Memorial Day – residents who braved our record-breaking temperatures were treated to live music, free movies and a variety of food trucks, in tended to please any palate.

The city’s annual “Night Out Against Crime” – orga nized by the volunteer Taylorsville Public Safety Commit tee – took advantage of the built-in crowds by joining in on the Aug. 6 Starry Nights agenda. A couple of weeks before that, a children’s entrepreneur market was there as well. Both of those programs are expected back next year.

Nearly every Saturday night also featured live music from the plaza’s amphitheater stage. Those acts are also ex pected to compete for stage space and community exposure again next year.

As she addressed the audience scattered across the Centennial Plaza lawn a few weeks ago, Mayor Kristie

Continued page 13 This sculpture “Sunseeker” is Taylorsville resident Dan Toone’s third piece to be displayed in Centennial Plaza. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Doug Adams of Malad, Idaho created this interactive sculpture, “Torri Gate.” Those who go to see it in Taylorsville’s Centennial Plaza can ring the gong for themselves. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

The Utah School for the Deaf and Blind has established its first-ever coed football team.

“For several years we have been want ing football,” Associate Superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Michelle Tanner, said. “Now USDB is going to provide eight-man football. We plan to challenge other schools throughout the state and maybe other deaf schools around the country.”

Derrick Coleman, a deaf football player at UCLA, was not drafted into the NFL. His sto ry includes being picked on as a kid and being told he would never make it. He said, “They didn’t call my name, told me it was over, but I’ve been deaf since I was three, I didn’t lis ten.”

Coleman spent parts of eight seasons in the NFL and was part of the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning team in 2013. He wanted to prove that it can be done, no matter what.

The Players at USDB may not have as pirations for the NFL, but playing football is important to them.

“We are not really focused on the wins and losses,” head coach Brian Tingley said. “We are giving them the opportunity to have the experience. They might not get this at a bigger school. In this game, a hearing player has no advantage over someone who is deaf.”

The Eagles played their first games on Sept. 2 and 14 at Judge Memorial High School. The Whitehorse Raiders and Altamont Long horns will forever be the team's first opponents.

This season is only the beginning of a tra dition the school wants.

“This will be an amazing season. This is a great opportunity for students who are deaf,” Tingley said.

The USDB teachers and staff encourage students to overcome challenges. Many sports are not available for children who are deaf.

“When I was a kid I played football, but I

First football team for deaf students

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

had no deaf peers,” senior Jordan Paredes said. “After I heard about this league, I was excited to be with deaf peers and learn more about the games. I was very excited that there was finally a team. I hope we win, we would love to have people show up and cheer us on.”

Paredes figures he has played 12 years of football. He currently attends Kenneth Burdett School for the Deaf in Ogden, Utah.

USDB currently has three campuses. KBSD in Ogden, Jean Massieu School for the Deaf and Blind in Salt Lake City, and Eliza beth DeLong School in Springville. With all three schools combined, they currently have 12 players on the roster.

“We want more players, both boys and girls. We are advertising to get more students to come out and play,” Tingley said.

The rules for eight-man football only vary slightly from traditional rules. The games are played on an 80 yard field and offensive for mations are slightly different, only five players need to be on the line of scrimmage.

In Utah high school football, seven schools play eight-man football. Rich, White horse, Altamont, Monticello, Water Canyon, Whitehorse, and Monument Valley are the others.

“This is the first year that this program has been developed. Our vision is to have a coed team and football is an opportunity for our kids to build connections and learn more about themselves and the community. We can change school culture,” Tingley said. “I think it is im portant this first year to build sportsmanship and see what happens going forward.”

“I have always wanted to play football,” sophomore John Deitz said. “It is my favorite sport and I watch it all of the time.”

When asked if they were ready to play, Dietz waved his hand slightly from side to side, which means “somewhat” or “maybe.” l

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The USDB lines up against Whitehorse in its first football game. (Photo courtesy of USDB)

The eleven players on the first ever team for the Utah School of the Deaf and Blind. (Photo courtesy of USDB)

Citizen advisory board begins reviewing TVPD use-of-force and vehicle pursuit cases

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

If you’ve lapped the sun 50 times or more, you likely remember these somewhat haunt ing – and completely “stalkery” – song lyrics:

Every breath you take…

Every move you make…

Every bond you break…

Every step you take…

I'll be watching you.

Billboard ranked “I’ll be Watching You” the number one song of 1983. And fittingly –for this story, anyway – the group that gave it to us was “The Police.”

The new 5-member Taylorsville Citi zen Advisory Board won’t be watching every breath, move or step taken by Taylorsville City Police Officers. But the 4-man, 1-woman CAB has now officially begun scrutinizing every officer’s move when it involves use-of-force, vehicle pursuits or allegations of misconduct.

In keeping with the city’s pledge to make transparency a top priority of the police de partment it formed 15 months ago, last spring Mayor Kristie Overson selected the five CAB members. Since then, Dan Armstrong, Randy Freestone, John Lefavor, Dean Paynter and Lynette Wendel have undergone months of thorough training to prepare them for the case details they have now begun to review each month.

“I am really excited for then to begin re viewing cases,” Overson said. “They are topnotch individuals – and I know they have been very well trained. I am pleased to see them get to work.”

The Citizen Advisory Board’s first two meetings – to actually review case specifics – were held Aug. 18 and Sept. 20. Named the group’s chairman, Dean Paynter conducted the sessions.

“I think the first meeting went very well –we had quite a caseload,” Paynter said. “I think we were efficient, but also very thorough. The meeting ran about four hours to review 19 in cidents. We had body camera footage for all of them. It became evident as I watched, it is very intense when police officers knock on a (house) door and it’s not answered. You just don’t know what’s going to happen when those inside finally open the door.”

During their monthly meetings, CAB members review case specifics for every TVPD incident in which a gun or taser is fired, a baton is used or pepper spray is deployed. Their charge is also to review cases involving high-speed vehicle pursuits or whenever a po lice dog makes contact with a suspect. Addi tionally, they will scrutinize allegations of of ficer misconduct.

“I think our first official meeting went very well,” Randy Freestone added. “The pre sentations were thorough. I think Sergeant Hill did a good job training us.”

As the TVPD sergeant over internal af fairs, Jake Hill is the official liaison between

his department and the CAB. His duty with the board now is to gather and present the ap propriate case files to the five members each month. But ahead of these monthly meetings, he was also the one coordinating their training.

“We trained board members on our useof-force policies and procedures,” Hill said. “I also took them to our driving range to teach them and demonstrate our vehicle pursuit policies. I have been very impressed with the group. They come from all walks of life. I think they appreciate the trust the mayor has put in them. It seems like they all want to do a good job. They didn’t rush through anything (during their first case review meeting). They have re spect and pride in wanting to do a good job.”

For the record, the CAB did not flag any of the 19 cases they reviewed as having involved questionable behavior on the part of the responding officer(s). In the future, if the board does observe police behavior they deem questionable, they are expected to make po tential disciplinary “recommendations.” Final decisions regarding possible reprimands, sus pensions or terminations remain in the hands of Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam.

“The cases we reviewed in August were all pretty benign; no shootings; the worst was the use of pepper spray,” CAB member (and former Taylorsville City Councilman) Dan Armstrong said. “Our officers are really good –real pros. They do so much extensive training. They know when to quit (vehicle) chases. They can call out a police helicopter very quickly if they need to. The first meeting was a very good learning experience for all of us. Our officers are very impressive. I’d hate to be a criminal.”

CAB member John Lefavor also left that first board meeting impressed with TVPD po lice officers.

“The thing that stuck with me – after re viewing all the use of force cases – is the re straint our officers use,” he said. “I am amazed

– with the individual circumstances and prob lems they are dealing with – they are able to avoid using excessive force so successfully. It is a credit to their training and their compas sion. I was really pleased.”

The lone female on the 5-member CAB – City Planning Commission member Lynette Wendel – also felt well prepared for the group’s first case review meeting.

“Sgt. Hill did such a fabulous job pre paring us – and preparing the cases for our review,” she said. “He made sure we had all the information we needed. It was very well organized. It was clear the police department is taking this (board and its duties) very seriously. The meeting went very well.”

All five CAB members also expressed an appreciation for all of the body camera footage available for review. Hill said that was no ac cident – and should be expected for all of the board’s future meetings.

“All of our patrol officers wear body cam eras; our department owns 45 of them,” Hill concluded. “Our police cars do not have dash board cameras (for budgetary reasons). But when officers are involved in pursuits, our pol icy requires them to activate their body cam eras. They don’t show through the car wind shield very well. But you can hear all the police radio traffic through them.”

Hill added, the officers’ tasers are also synchronized with their body cameras. When ever one officer pulls their taser from its hol ster, the action automatically turns on body cameras for all of the TVPD police officers responding to the incident.

Based on use of force and pursuit statis tics compiled by TVPD for its first 15 months of operation, the Citizen Advisory Board is ex pected to review 10 to 20 cases each month. At their Sept. 20 meeting they scrutinized 12 cases.

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The four men and one woman selected for the new Taylorsville Citizen Advisory Board were each appoint ed to 2-year terms, with eligibility to be renewed to their post by Mayor Kristie Overson. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

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KOPFC Doggy Paddle Day

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

Aria throws a ball for Jedi during the KOPFC Doggy Paddle Day. (Courtesy of Kelsee Tia)

More than 250 dogs attended the fifth annual Doggy Paddle Day at Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center. (Courtesy of KOPFC.)

The dog event is held the Saturday after Labor Day before the outdoor pools are closed for the season. (Courtesy of KOPFC.)

Four-month-old Luna (left) enjoys her first time at the KOPFC Doggy Paddle Day. (Courtesy of Kelsee Tia.)

Residents from Kearns and neighboring areas look forward to the Doggy Paddle Day each year. (Courtesy of KOPFC.)

Dogs participating in the event had the chance to win gift cards for their humans through a variety of contests. (Courtesy of KOPFC.)

Harper elected National Conference of State Legislatures vice president

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

Between the House (1997-2012) and Senate (2013-present), Wayne Harper has been representing the Salt Lake Valley’s westside on Utah’s Capitol Hill for a quarter-century.

For the past decade, he’s doubled up on his lawmaking duties as a Taylorsville City executive – his current title: economic and community development director.

And this summer, Harper put another duty on his already full public service plate –now serving as vice president of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“I have been active in the NCSL since 1998 and am very honored to be elected vice president,” Harper said. “This was the first time I ever submitted my name and resume for consideration. That’s rare to get in on your first try – so I am excited.”

A bipartisan organization representing nearly 7,400 state lawmakers and more than 30,000 legislative staff, NCSL is the largest and most prestigious nationwide association of state elected leaders in the country.

“We’re so pleased Wayne is taking this (VP) position because he is so well-respected and looked up to,” Taylorsville Mayor Kris tie Overson told city council members while announcing Harper’s new post at one of their recent meetings. “He works so hard for Tay lorsville and also looks out for our needs at the state legislature. He knows so many peo ple – and has such wonderful contacts – it is amazing. I’m very happy for him.”

Harper’s NCSL vice presidency actually sets him off on a 4-year executive leadership journey with the organization. Next sum mer he will become the association’s presi dent-elect, followed by president in 2024-25 and president emeritus the following year.

“NCSL has done an exceptional job pro moting legislative institutions and support ing legislators and staff,” Harper said. “As vice president, one of my principal goals is to continue enhancing the policy and pro cesses NCSL has established to help elected officials, regardless of their party affiliation, work together and collaborate on the most challenging problems of our time.”

Harper follows three previous Utah law makers who ascended to the NCSL presiden cy: Curt Bramble (2015-16), Marty Stephens (2003-04) and Miles “Cap” Ferry (1983-84).

“Utah has always been one of the more active states in NCSL,” Harper added. “We generally have 15 to 20 staff members, and 20 to 30 members of our House and Senate, attending the association’s annual summer conference.”

The National Conference of State Leg islatures actually holds two annual gath erings. Harper says the primary session is always in August, normally drawing 7,000 to 9,000 attendees. That “summit” moves

to different cities each year. Salt Lake City hosted it in 2004. A second gathering – nor mally between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year – draws 1,500 to 2,000 people.

Harper hopes to spend his time as NCSL president helping to unite our political ly-fractured country.

“We have a lot of contention in the coun try right now; but we are all Americans,” he said. “If you look at the voting records in all states, at least 80% of all votes are harmoni ous. We all agree we need to fund health and welfare, education, public safety, job devel opment. My goal is to get people around the table and work on the 80% we agree on. I don’t want to see tribes and partisan riffs in our country.”

Additionally, Harper hopes to address what he considers to be “executive order overreach” in Washington, D.C.

“The Federal Government is expanding beyond its authority through executive or ders,” he added. “This is a big concern the NCSL has already begun to look at – and I plan to continue that.”

Just a couple of weeks before Harper was elected NCSL vice president, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was elected vice chair of the National Governors Association, another bipartisan group that collaborates to address many pressing priorities.

“There are seven large, national groups in our country that represent state legislators and governors,” Harper concluded. “I am now VP of one, while Gov. Cox is vice chair of another. I think that’s a pretty big kudo for our state.” l

Utah lawmaker and Taylorsville City employee Wayne Harper was recently elected vice president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. (facebook.com)

Every kid's dream, an NBA contract

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

You have played basketball for longer than you can remember and the NBA has still not called your name on its summer draft night. It will be ok, come try out for the Stars. If you think you still got it.

No joke, and it is not April Fool’s Day.

“The Salt Lake City Stars will host their annual local player tryout, presented by Uni versity of Utah Health for prospective players on Saturday, Oct. 1,” the Stars said in a press release earlier this month.

If successful the tryout participant could relish in the life of a professional basketball player, daily intense workouts, excessive trav el to multiple games a week and, currently, the possibility of being traded.

The current average G League player salary is $37,000 per year. If a player signs a 10-day contract with an NBA team they could earn a prorated salary double that in just those 10 days.

“I know I still got it,” said one hopeful on a chat board.

The tryout gives hopefuls a chance to showcase their talents. These players will all be anticipating an invitation to the Stars training camp.

Last season the Stars signed Brendan Bai ley, a Marquette University graduate from the local player tryout. He played in 17 games and averaged 7.2 points while with the Stars. He is the son of former Jazz star Thurl Bailey. He also spent time last season with the Wisconsin Herd.

A simple look at any G League team ros ter and you will find players at different stages of their careers. There are recognizable names from high-profile colleges, undrafted players, and NBA players looking for a little more sea soning. Over 50% of NBA draftees have spent time in the G League.

At one point the Indiana Pacers did not

have their own G League team. Larry Bird said that put them at a ‘direct competitive disadvan tage.’ The only two teams without G League affiliations today are the Portland Trailblazers and Phoenix Suns.

This is the Stars’ seventh season in Salt Lake City. They are owned and operated by the Utah Jazz. The team was relocated from Boise when the Jazz purchased the team in March of 2015. The NBA G League is the NBA’s offi cial minor league. They help prepare players, coaches, officials, training staff, and front of fice personnel for advancement into the NBA.

The G League also operates as the NBA research and development laboratory. They test rule changes, gathering data to report back to the NBA. The coach's challenge was first used in the G League. They have also experimented with wearable technology and four-person ref eree packages.

Nathan Peavy is in his second season as the Stars head coach. He has been with the team since 2017 as an assistant coach. He is from Dayton, Ohio, and played collegiately for the Miami Redhawks.

Former defensive player of the year and Jazzman Rudy Gobert began playing in the G League before getting a spot with the Jazz.

During the tryout players will participate in team and individual drills. All participants must meet G League requirements which include a minimum age of 18 years old. To participate you must preregister on the Stars website and pay a non-refundable $200 partic ipation fee. Tryout spots are limited to the first 100 applicants.

The tryout will be held at the Lifetime Activities Center on the Salt Lake Commu nity College campus in Taylorsville. All par ticipants will receive a practice jersey, pair of NBA socks, and a gift bag. l

Over 100 potential players showed up for the opportunity to tryout for the Salt Lake City Stars three years ago. (Photo courtesy of Alex Lowry/Utah Jazz)

Centenarian recounts small town life, simpler times

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

As a girl, she was an early riser. She had to be.

Every morning before 4 a.m., she’d be walking into town to gather customers’ laundry to bring home to her mother. Afterward, she’d walk back into town to grocery shop for the day. Then, she’d cross the railroad tracks one more time to attend school — sometimes bare ly making it on time to the two-story building that housed all 12 grades.

“Sometimes the train would stop, and I had to cross the tracks to go to school,” she said. “Then, I would crawl under the boxcars to get to the other side so I wouldn't be late for school. My mother told me not to, but she didn’t know every time I did it.”

After school was let out at 4 p.m., she’d race home to get the laundry her mother had cleaned on a washboard and ringer to deliver back into town — before she began some of her chores.

Her father repaired railroad tracks so he often would bring home the old ties for her brothers to saw into chunks.

“It was my job to pick them up in the wheelbarrow and I’d wheel them across the yard and throw them through the open window into the basement so we could use them to burn in the big old furnace to keep the house warm,” she said.

Another chore was tending to the 250 baby chicks, which included sleeping in the hen house so the chicks wouldn’t overcrowd the brooder and suffocate.

Birdene Mae Mohr Shank Neuteboom, who will celebrate her 100 birthday in Septem ber, grew up as one of 12 children to Russian immigrant parents in Chester, Nebraska, a pic turesque farming community of a couple hun dred people near the Kansas state line.

Neuteboom was named Birdene after an other woman in Chester: “My mother said she was a sweet loving woman. So, she named me Birdene because she wanted me to be a sweet loving person. I don't know whether I turned out to be or not.”

When she wasn’t doing chores or in school, Neuteboom counted cars of the several freight and five passenger trains traveling daily on the Burlington & Missouri Railroad Line that ran right through town. At night, she’d lay on the hillside and count stars.

Named for President Chester A. Arthur, the town of Chester when Neuteboom was growing up had Dry Brothers General Store, some doctors’ offices, hotels, a lumber yard and other businesses.

“I remember the Great Depression and we were poor, that’s why my mother took in laundry, but I really loved chocolate stars and

if there was a penny or two, sometimes she would let me buy some at the store where my brother George worked. I’d get maybe five or six, and sometimes, he would sneak in an extra one,” she said. “The school had the first eight grades down on the main floor and other four grades were upstairs. We studied algebra, English, biology, home economics, penman ship and shorthand – I never could make those figures out right for the teacher. When I left eighth grade and went to the ninth grade, I thought, ‘Man, I’m something going upstairs to high school.’”

After graduation, Neuteboom worked at the Truckers’ Café to help support her family shortly after the U.S. entered World War II.

“I worked 12-hour shifts. There were two of us girls and one week, I’d work the day shift, and then, we’d switch, and I’d work a week of nights. I was paid $10 for one week and every check went to my mother,” she said.

It was at the diner where she met her War ren “Curly” Anthony Shank, who as a truck er, drove gasoline from Lincoln, Nebraska to McPherson, Kansas.

“He would put coins in the nickelodeon (old-time jukebox) and played ‘You Are My Sunshine’ over and over and over for me. It drove my boss crazy and she told me that she’d take the nickelodeon out of there as she was so

Nicknamed the “beautiful girl,” a photo taken when she was 21, this is one of Birdene Neute boom’s favorite photos of herself. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Clegg)

sick of hearing that song, but because it made her money, she kept it,” Neuteboom said.

The two skipped over the border to Bel leville, Kansas to marry in November 1943, stopping on the way back to pick up her clothes.

“I wore an old dress, and I didn’t have but cardboard boxes for my clothes. So, we put the boxes on the fender of his old Ford Model T

truck, the one with a crank, and we went to his folks’ house in Lincoln,” she said. “He carried my clothes in a bedroom and then he left to drive to McPherson. He didn’t even stay the night when we got married, so I’m thinking, ‘What did I get myself into?’ But his mother had a heart of gold.”

Neuteboom’s granddaughter, Barbara Clegg, remembers her grandfather. “Grandpa was a good man. He did everything and any thing Grandma asked.”

Shortly after getting married, Neuteboom worked selling perfumes and powders at the cosmetic counter at Woolworth’s 5 & 10 be fore the first two of her five children were born.

Unable to serve in the war, Shank moved the family to Denver for his job. In the 1950s, about the time Elvis became an international sensation, they moved again to their home in Kearns, where she still resides.

“We were so poor, we had to borrow $100 from the neighbors for the down payment of the house, but I love it here,” Neuteboom said, adding that she enjoyed Elvis’ hymns more than his rock ‘n roll, and usually listened to Marty Robbins and Charley Pride on the radio.

Once settled, they purchased a television. She enjoyed watching one of John Wayne’s “pictures.”

In 1978, Shank died. When it came time to sell his car — as she never learned to drive a “handsome” gentleman came to check it out.

“He came over to look at the car, but he

looked at her and that was that; he was a nice man,” her granddaughter Barbara Clegg said.

Neuteboom smiled, then told a different version of the story.

“I babysat in my home, so I had met him before when he brought over a child for me to babysit. But when he was sitting behind the steering wheel, I don’t know what came over me, I kissed him on the cheek and we went from there,” she said.

She and Earl “Neut” Neuteboom married at the nearby Methodist church and spent the next 15 years together before he died.

She inherited good genes — her mother lived to age 95, brother Eddie to 100, and the last of her living siblings, sister Arlene, died six months ago at age 93. She has found that one of the “rewards” of long life is that she has out lived some of those closest to her — spouses, friends and even a child.

So, Neuteboom treasures the time she has — even though she relies on others at times.

“I used to work in the yard 24-7, but my son doesn’t want me out there doing it any more,” she said. “I did go out there last week though and weeded. He didn’t know until af terward. I had friends, who called me Birdie, and they’d pick me up so I could sing with the church choir or at the senior citizens center and we’d go to the theater or to restaurants with the Red Hats (Society), but they’ve moved or are deceased.”

Neuteboom said being active is the key to a long life.

“Just don’t sit in a chair 24-7. Keep your mind occupied. Do your own housework or yardwork if you can. Keep yourself busy,” she said. “I don’t get out and exercise or walk to the church as much as I’d like, first with COVID and now the heat, but I at least walk around my home.”

When Neuteboom does relax in a reclin er, she enjoys playing Solitaire on an iPad, “I think it’s a lot of baloney schools don’t have textbooks and just use computers now;” reads Nora Roberts’ and Mary Higgins Clark’s books, “I don’t need the large print;” cares for her canary Dino, “for Dean Martin;” does nee dlework, “most every kid, grandkid and great has something I’ve made;” colors inside the lines in adult coloring books, “she has a steady hand;” and puts together 500-piece “picture puzzles,” sometimes joined by some of her eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchil dren.

Other times they’ll enjoy the cottage cheese dumplings that her mother used to make back in Nebraska or her new love, eating Popeyes’ chicken.

“I love her hugs; I love to cuddle with her and doing puzzles with her,” said great-grand daughter Megan Clegg, who is attending Sun set Middle and hopes “Nana” can come see her in the school musical this fall.

A centennial birthday party is planned, with family coming from as far as Minnesota for the occasion. Barbara Clegg is planning to have a white cake, as her grandmother wishes,

At nearly 100 years old, Birdene Neuteboom has made numerous crocheted tablecloths and afghans, hand-stitched quilts and created other needlework for all the generations in her family, as well as for friends. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

and will put on 10, not 100 candles.

“She’ll have one candle per decade; I’m not sending the cake on fire,” Clegg said.

Neuteboom said she’s content.

“I don’t need anything. I don’t feel like I’m almost 100 years old. I don’t think I would have done anything differently in my life. I know what hard work is and I taught myself a lot. I really have had a good life, a blessed one,” she said. “If I had to have one wish, I’d want all my family to celebrate with me.” l

Tree Time

Nature’s Virus Killer

Copper can stop a virus before it starts

By Priscilla Schnarr www.copperzap.com

Scientists have discovered a natural way to kill germs fast.

Now thousands of people are using it against viruses and bacteria that cause illness.

Colds and many other illnesses start when viruses get in your nose and multiply. If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery.

Hundreds of studies confirm copper kills viruses and bacteria almost instantly just by touch.

That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

“The antimicrobial activity of copper is well established.”

National Institutes of Health.

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Overson marked not only an ending… but also a beginning. At the same time she bid adieu to “Starry Nights @ the Plaza” for 2022, the mayor also unveiled a whole new collection of sculptures now on display throughout the grounds.

“Last year when we introduced our Pla za +ART program we had six statues on dis play,” Overson told the audience. “But this year we have more than double that number – 14 statues. We’ve created eight new pedes tals and display spaces for this second Plaza +ART season.”

All six of the artists who provided sculp tures for display in Centennial Plaza last year are back again with new pieces. They include: Taylorsville resident Dan Toone, his son Josh Toone (Hyrum), Deveren Farley of Lindon, Gary Lee Price out of Arizona, Provo’s Ben Hammond and Doug Adams of Malad, Idaho.

Meantime, the eight artists making their sculpting debuts in the Centennial Plaza col lection this year include four from here in the Salt Lake Valley – Nate Brimhall, Dana Kuglin, Rick Prazen and Jeannine Young –along with four more who hail from further away: Myles Howell (Logan), Nate Johan sen (Provo), Jason Millward (Logan) and Jim Moore (Wenatchee, Washington).

“This is actually my third different sculpture in Centennial Plaza because my first one last year got broken and I had to

replace it with a second piece,” said local sculptor Dan Toone. “This is such a beau tiful place to display art. I have been happy to talk this (Plaza +ART program) up with other artists. The city is talking about creat ing even more places to display art next year – maybe growing it to 20 sculptures. That would be wonderful.”

Prior to their pieces being unveiled that evening, the artists were treated to a “thank you” dinner inside the Mid-Valley Perform ing Arts Center.

“Having all the artists together to talk about their pieces was just wonderful,” Overson said. “The food was great – and the artists were so appreciative. Really, the whole evening was just an amazing experi ence. One woman told me she thought the at mosphere was ‘peaceful.’ I thought that was a perfect description.”

Dan Toone also thought the artists’ din ner was a nice touch.

“At least ten of the artists were there, along with spouses and program sponsors –probably 40 to 50 people,” he said. “They gave us a nice swag bag with a mug, a pin, a visor, a blue tooth speaker and a star orna ment representing Starry Nights @ the Pla za. It was nice.”

One of the new plaza artists this year, Myles Howell of Logan, uses stone as his primary sculpting medium. The father of three buys stones from literally everywhere.

His finished pieces are also now all across the globe.

“I source (stones to be sculpted) from all over the world,” Howell said. “My piece on display in Centennial Plaza, called ‘Slender Void,’ is made from Portuguese Pink (mar ble). A friend of mine actually purchased the stone in Italy and had it in storage for about 25 years before I bought it from him. I now have sculptures in Germany, Taiwan, Japan. I had a piece this year go to Rome.”

Howell says sculpting alone can’t yet support his family of five. But he hopes he’s moving in that direction.

“I’ve worked for a Logan tech company for seven years,” he said. “That’s a fulltime job – but I feel like sculpting is also. So, I have two fulltime jobs, because I enjoy it so much.”

With fine arts bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Utah State University, Howell says he can also see himself possibly getting onto a tenured career path track as a sculpt ing professor at some point.

Dan Toone encouraged Howell to sub mit a sculpture for consideration by the Tay lorsville Plaza +ART selection committee. And he’s glad he did.

“Taylorsville did a great job creating the plaza,” Howell concluded. “It was so nice to be around the other artists that night. I know many of them very well. (Centennial Plaza) is such a strong draw for people. I am

already thinking about which of my pieces I will put up (for selection committee consid eration) next year.”

Dan Toone says he’s proud of the role city officials have asked him to assume in getting the Taylorsville sculpture display up and running.

“The mayor asked me to help recruit artists to the Taylorsville program and I am happy to do it because the setting is so nice,” he said. “Once artists see the nice pedestals and the surroundings, (Centennial Plaza) re ally sells itself.”

Each summer for several years, Toone has taken a selection of his sculptures to Loveland, Colorado for a show and art sale called “Arts in the Park Loveland.” The event is billed as “Colorado’s Longest Running Artisan Festival, with more than 175 artisans showing a diverse collection of artworks.” When he was there this year, he handed out letters to all the sculptors from Utah with information about the Taylorsville program.

With “Starry Nights @ the Plaza” now on hiatus for the next several months, the 14 new Centennial Plaza sculptures will re main in place, subject to the rain and snow of winter. Each of the pieces are for sale. If you spot one you just have to have in your own yard, you can find details about making a purchase on the city’s website, taylorsvil leut.gov/our-city/plaza-art. l

• Supports well funded Police for safe neighborhoods

• Received the prestigious "Taxpayer Advocate" award from the Utah Taxpayers Association in recognition of efforts to avoid tax increases and improve efficiency

• Believes in bipartisanship in working with Democrat and Republican colleagues

• Widely recognized as a trustworthy, dedicated and hard working public servant

• Baseball coach and Boy Scout leader

• Graduate of The University of Utah...go Utes!

• Married to JoLynn Turner and are parents of 4 children with 9 grandchildren

• Business executive. Founder and President of Snelgrove Travel Centers Inc. Celebrating 30 years in business

Paid for by Friends of Snelgrove

RICHARD SNELGROVE

Acancer diagnosis brings up so much un certainty. Along with the emotional and physical fears of possible surgery and treat ment, cancer takes a financial toll on patients as well. Many patients miss work and people in rural areas might have to travel to get the chemotherapy or radiation procedures they need.

That’s where Needs Beyond Medicine steps in. The organization was founded by Philip Brown in 2006, and expanded to a 501(c)(3) in 2009. It offers living expense grants to cancer patients who need help pay ing for food, bills and transportation. The goal is to alleviate some of the stress that accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

“I don’t think people realize the toll [cancer] takes, along with everything else you’re dealing with in your life,” Brown said. “We help current cancer patients with non-medical costs. That includes transporta tion, groceries, rent or anything considered non-medical. We also do education out reach.”

A longtime advocate for cancer educa tion, early detection and care, Brown has his own connection to the disease. His mother passed away in 1996 after an 18-month-long battle with ovarian cancer. His mission is to raise awareness about cancer screenings in

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

the hope more lives can be saved.

The concept for Needs Beyond Med icine started when Brown was going to school to earn his bachelor’s degree. He got an internship working with doctors, nurses and social workers who created a task force to help cancer patients. Brown eventually took it over and has helped nearly 2,000 peo ple with the nonprofit’s relief program.

Because the group is not aligned with any specific hospital or provider, people across the state are eligible for its services. Patients are usually referred to Needs Be yond Medicine by a social worker who knows what the individual is going through.

“We’re Utah-based and cover the whole state. I think people don’t realize we help a lot of people in the rural towns who have to travel a few hours a day to get treatment,” Brown said. “We can work with all the can cer programs in the state, which is unique, so we’re able to help all the patients.”

On Friday, Nov. 4, Needs Beyond Med icine will hold its annual canSURVIVE gala at the Cottonwood Country Club (1780 Lakewood Drive) in Holladay, from 5-9:30 p.m. The fundraising event lets cancer survi vors tell their stories and helps raise money for the organization with a raffle and silent auction. All proceeds go to help Utah cancer

patients with living expenses.

Needs Beyond Medicine helps an av erage of 15 people each month as they go through their cancer journey. For informa tion about sponsoring the canSURVIVE gala or to donate items for the raffle and silent auction, email Brown at info@needsbeyond medicine.org. To learn more about the relief

program, visit needsbeyondmedicine.org.

“It’s shocking that each year we’ve done this, we’ve made a profit. Even the first one, which is kind of mind-boggling. I’ve been told if you’re making money, you should keep doing what you’re doing,” Brown said. “It’s a public event and we just accept dona tions at the door.” l

My Priorities:

•Listen to and represent the voters

•Ask the hard questions

After 12 years on the Murray City School District Board of Education and the Utah High School Activities Association Board of Trustees, I would like to take my experience and the knowledge that I have gained to the Utah House of Representatives and represent the citizens of our communities.

•Look for common sense answers

•Promote strong policy

•Support fiscally responsible decisions

Belinda is a “Fresh” Voice for the Families of Murray, Taylorsville, and Millcreek

Heidi Jo Taylor (left) and Annette Page are cancer survivors who volunteer with Needs Beyond Medicine, a nonprofit that helps cancer patients with living expenses and provides education about early cancer screening. (Courtesy of Chad Hurst)

USA Wheelchair Football League to highlight amazing athletes

Move United is the largest grassroots adaptive sports pro gram in the world. Based in Maryland, the nonprofit part nered with the National Football League and the Bob Woodruff Foundation to create the USA Wheelchair Football League, the first-of-its-kind league for adults with disabilities.

Working with Salt Lake County, the league will host a wheelchair football tournament Oct. 22-23 at the Salt Palace Convention Center (100 S. West Temple St.) with nine teams, 20 games and dozens of athletes. Games will be held on three fields from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Admission is free.

“We use adaptive sports to push what’s possible for peo ple with disabilities and show all the ways that people with dis abilities can integrate into society, just like everyone else,” said Karalyn Stott, Move United senior program manager. “We’re excited to be coming to Salt Lake to spotlight all of our athletes and highlight the amazing things they’re able to do on the foot ball field.”

Salt Lake County adaptive recreation manager Taylor Smith has been an official with the league since they announced the program in May 2020. As the only female official, she’s worked at tournaments in Tampa and Chicago, and is excited to help bring the USA Wheelchair Football League to Utah.

“The NFL and the Bob Woodruff Foundation donated funds to make this program start happening for those veterans who wanted to stay competitive and continue doing things they love, even after they were injured,” Smith said. “[Being an of ficial] is stressful but it’s really fun and amazing. These guys try so hard and they really want to be there. You can’t ask for anything more of people who just want to play.”

Many athletes participating in the tournament are military

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

veterans, excited to participate in a team sport. This event high lights the athleticism of the sport which is competitive and fastpaced.

“So many of them lost that team feeling when they were injured overseas so they’re excited to feel that brotherhood and family again,” Stott said. “Others played the sport as a kid and got injured and now get to get back to a sport that they didn’t think they’d be able to play again.”

The wheelchair football tournament is one of the ways Salt Lake County is bringing adaptive sport programs to the state. Other adaptive recreation opportunities offered through the county attract people from all over Utah, and even Idaho and Wyoming, to take part in the athletic events.

With the popularity of pickleball, the county just an nounced an adaptive pickleball program that will run from Oct. 29-Nov. 19 at the Copperview Recreation Center (8446 Harri son St.) in Midvale.

The six-week program includes 90 minutes of instruc tional-based practice along with scrimmages and matches. For more information, visit slco.org/adaptive.

“This will be a new sport that we’re bringing in,” Smith said. “We haven’t done adaptive or wheelchair pickleball in the past. It will be our first one and we’re really excited about it because most of the population have really gotten involved in pickleball and we want to bring it that to the adaptive world.”

Salt Lake County has offered its para programs for 20 years and Smith said no one else in county recreation is offer ing adaptive programs, although several private companies do wheelchair sports.

The county has two groups, one for intellectual disabili

ties and one for physical disabilities because sports are played differently based on the population. Adaptive sports are open to all ages, but most wheelchair programs are geared to ages 5-15.

“It’s available for anyone who is open to playing, we’ll bring them in with open arms,” Smith said. “I think sports is valuable to anyone in the world. You learn communication skills, learn how to calm yourself down, you’re learning how to work hard and persevere through challenges in your life, so I think sports are vital in how you’re dealing with everyday sit uations.” l

Members of the USA Wheelchair Football League will compete at the Salt Palace Convention Center Oct. 22-23. (Photos courtesy of Move United)

Paid for by Andrew Nieto for House 31

Wasatch Wanderers rescues abandoned exotic pets, ducks and geese

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

When people think of animal rescue, they usually think about the thousands of abandoned dogs or cats waiting to be placed in forever homes. But Wasatch Wanderers rescue a different type of animal.

Although Adison Smith and co-found er Kade Tyler have been rescuing animals for more than 10 years, it wasn’t until last September that they created the nonprofit Wasatch Wanderers to help domestic water fowl, farm animals and exotic pets.

“I’ve always been very passionate about helping animals because they don’t have a voice for themselves,” Smith said. “We just recognized there was a big need for farm and exotic animal rescue.”

Last fall, Smith was contacted by Weber State University to rescue more than 60 ducks and geese stranded on the school’s campus. Water for the animals was drying up and the waterfowl were being attacked by dogs.

Geese had been at WSU for several years, but as the birds reproduced, and as peo ple dropped off their pet geese and ducks on campus, the number of birds had increased, creating a problem at the school.

“For years, these geese had been seen as the Weber State unintentional mascot. They’d put the geese on shirts and hats and COVID masks,” Smith said. “I organized a rescue team and found homes for the geese.”

That’s when she decided to create Wasatch Wanderers, and during the last year, the organization has rescued more than 500 domestic waterfowl.

Smith said people don’t realize pet ducks and geese have been genetically altered with wings too small for their bodies. They get too fat to fly to safety. Because they can’t sustain flight, they don’t migrate and get stuck in ponds when the water freezes.

“They rely on humans to keep them alive. You’ll see a lot of dead waterfowl be cause they can't leave and they’ve become an easy target for predators,” Smith said. “Peo ple just don’t know they can’t fly or forage on their own.”

The goal of Wasatch Wanderers is to re move domestic waterfowls from places that aren’t safe and put them in forever homes. But it’s not just geese and ducks rescued by the group, they also take in pigs, chickens, cows, hamsters, turtles and fish.

Smith is often contacted by shelters across the state who have a rooster, pig or duck that’s going to be euthanized. She takes those animals and gives them to one of the 50 foster homes willing to take in farm animals.

They recently saved a pig from a shel ter near Vernal and rescued an additional four pigs from California. Wasatch Wanderers paid for a volunteer to transport the pigs to a foster home and got the animals medical care, including one pig that had eight babies after it was rescued.

“We travel basically everywhere in Utah

where there’s a need,” she said. “Wasatch Wanderers focuses on abandoned, neglected and unwanted animals. Our goal is to educate the public and get them to treat and see ani mals differently.”

It can get overwhelming when so many animals need a home. There are currently 85 roosters in the group’s care, more than 150 waterfowl, lots of guinea pigs and hamsters, and they’ve stopped accepting rabbits be cause they can’t afford the medical care for all the rabbits they receive.

Wasatch Wanderers also rescues aban doned turtles and goldfish. In the last year, the group has saved nearly 70 turtles that have been abandoned in waterways. Smith said people don’t know that goldfish and tur tles are an invasive species and damaging to wildlife.

“These are living beings and they have needs and if you can’t meet those, don’t buy them,” Smith said. “Not only is it harmful and cruel to that animal to do that, it’s also ille gal. It’s actually a crime in the state of Utah to abandon any domestic animal, even some thing as small as a goldfish.”

Currently, the organization is 100% fos ter-based, but Smith and Tyler hope to pur chase property to create an animal sanctuary when land becomes more affordable. All the money for medical care, food and transpor tation comes out-of-pocket or through dona tions.

To contribute to Wasatch Wanderers, to become a foster or for more information, visit WasatchWanderers.org.

“There is a resource available to pet owners who are in over their head. Don’t abandon, reach out to a rescue,” Smith said. “The biggest change we want to make is edu cating the public and preventing the problem at the source. Prevent those impulsive buys because that’s what so many do when they abandon their animal. Make more responsible decisions. That’s what adults are supposed to do.”l

Kade Tyler and Adison Smith, founders of Wasatch Wanderers, rescue ducks, geese, farm animals and exotic pets throughout the state. (Photos courtesy of Holly Cluff)

We travel basically ev erywhere in Utah where there’s a need. Wasatch Wanderers focuses on abandoned, neglected and unwanted animals. Our goal is to educate the public and get them to treat and see animals differently.

Adison Smith

With only 3% of eligible Utahns donating blood, the American Red Cross needs more donors

Across the United States, there’s a need for blood every two seconds. Whether it’s used for traumatic injuries, cancer treatments, illness or surgery, products used from blood donations are lifesaving. But in Utah, only about 3% of the eligible population donates blood on a regular basis.

The American Red Cross in Utah pro vides blood to more than 50 hospitals in the state, including Primary Children’s Hospital, but since June, blood donations have been down by 20%.

“This summer, we got to the point where doctors had to put off elective surgeries be cause of a lack of blood,” said Sheri Van Bib ber, an ARC district representative director. “We have to donate for each other. We can’t just go buy it.”

When COVID restrictions eased, blood donations increased as people could get a free antibody test with each donation. But now, blood supplies are steadily dropping. Van Bib ber said one factor for the drop is that many blood drives that used to be held in businesses haven’t been scheduled because employees are working from home.

Another factor is that high schools and college campuses have been closed for the summer, so donations from the education sec tor have also gone down, although fall blood drives are ramping up again.

“I think everyone was so tired of lock down. People really did come out during the pandemic to donate. But now we’re working to maximize resources because our hospital needs didn’t drop.”

Utah is one of only 37 states that allows 16-year-olds to donate blood and many teens have become donors. Additionally, some regu lations have changed, allowing more people to give blood. For instance, anyone who received a tattoo can donate three months after the pro cedure, instead of six.

The ARC believes the eligibility to donate blood should not be based upon sexual orien tation and is working to achieve this goal, but the ARC’s current guidelines state blood dona tions from gay men must be deferred for three months from the most recent sexual contact with a man. The ARC recognizes this policy has caused hurt and alienation in the LGBTQ+ community and is having conversations with its partners to get the deferment eliminated.

Another recent change allows people who spent time in England from 1980 to 1997 to donate blood. In the past, the fear of transmit ting the human form of bovine spongiform en cephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, banned all donations. But two months ago, the ban was lifted.

“Even if anybody was over in Europe during the ’80s, they can now donate,” Van Bibber said.

For the 100,000 Americans diagnosed

with sickle cell disease, most of them African American, blood transfusions are a critical treatment. With no cure for sickle cell, blood donations from a close blood match are vital, but donations from this population remain low.

“We need more African Americans to donate because they hold the antibody to help each other,” she said. “That’s a huge piece that we’re working on.”

First-time donors are asked to show ID and then get a mini-physical and discuss their health history. The actual donation procedure only takes 5-10 minutes followed by 15 min utes of rest while enjoying a snack. Donors can give blood every two months.

The ARC app allows donors to see where their blood gets used and shows their blood type. Identifying blood type is usually a $150 test that must be prescribed by your doctor but it’s free for those who donate.

One donation can impact three patients as a pint of blood includes whole blood, plasma and platelets. Platelets are used for people who don’t have enough white cells, which means their blood doesn’t clot. Plasma is used with burn patients.

“We take care of all the needs here in Utah and if there’s an emergency like tornadoes or hurricanes or floods or fire, in those areas, the

blood drives get shut down,” she said. “So we pull together extra resources and we send re sources to where it’s needed.”

For more information about blood dona tion or to find a drive near you, visit Redcross blood.org.

Time to get tough A

My Platform:

1. End plea deals for repeat violent offenders.

2. Reforge our relationship with law enforcement.

3. Prioritize victims' voices.

DEMAND JUSTICE!

Daniellle Ahn believes in delivering justice and giving a voice back to victims by ending plea deals with repeat violent offenders. Daniele Ahn will deliver justice and get tough AHN crime!

Reasons why I am running?

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

I will not tolerate domestic violence and will ensure victim's rights are protected.

HOMICIDES These have recently increased 46% in Salt Lake County (see link, slide 7). This must be turned around!

SEXUAL ASSAULTS

As DA I will prioitize the prompt screening of sexual assault cases and will coordinate survivor peer networks to guide victims and survivors through the criminal justice system.

DE-PROSECUTION POLICIES

I reject the adoption of de-prosecution policies as they are stronly correlated with increased homicide rates.

“It’s good for your body to kick out that pint. It gets the old red cells out and gets new red cells replenishing, so it ups your energy level,” Van Bibber said. “We’ll take care of you for a minute while you’re taking care of others.”l

o CTober 2022 | Page T17 aylorsville J ournal . C om By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

With blood donations down, the American Red Cross of Utah is hoping to get new donors to give blood. (Adobe stock photo)

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The City of Taylorsville has a long tradition of recognizing and supporting our veterans. Truly, they are our heroes, and we want to do all that we can to honor their invaluable service and sacri ce.

It is why the nine life-size bronze statutes depicting veterans greet all who come to City Hall. The statues that make up the Veterans Memorial at Taylorsville City Hall have been a part of what is now Centennial Plaza since 2011. Not only do these statues make our city identi able and unique, but they add such a reverence to the entrance of our city o ces.

It is also why we y the ags of each of the branches of our military along Centennial Boulevard and why pictures of our veterans make up an honor wall at our Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center. It is why we honor our veterans with events each year in our community and at our schools. So, when we learned about a program that honors veterans at Christmastime at cemeteries across the country — even Arlington Cemetery — of course, we wanted to be a part.

In doing so, the city and Taylorsville Youth Council are collaborating this year with Wreaths Across America and Honor365 in a service project to place holiday wreaths at every veteran’s grave in the Taylorsville Cemetery.

The goal is to secure sponsorship by the community of 255 wreaths, ensuring that one is laid at each of their graves. Residents can sponsor a wreath for $15 at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/UT0058P or on our city website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov under Our City and then Wreaths Across America. You can also nd paper sponsorship forms at City Hall or access the QR code on the ad on Page 6 of this section. The service project is part of a nationwide initiative in which Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies nationwide in December.

In Taylorsville, there will be two parts to that ceremony. The rst part will start promptly at 10 a.m. on Dec. 17 at Taylorsville City Hall. The importance of starting on time is because it coincides with the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The second part takes place at Taylorsville Cemetery, where the wreaths will be laid on all 255 graves of the veterans.

We are so honored to be a part of this project and hope residents, too, will support this worthwhile cause by sponsoring a wreath. It is our great privilege to recognize the legacy of duty, service and sacri ce of our veterans.

–Mayor Kristie S. Overson

See

an Art Walk Through Centennial

Thirteen new statues have been added to Centennial Plaza, creating a stunning art walk where all can see the imagination, wonder and beauty created by local and area artists.

The new statues were installed on Aug. 27 through the city’s Plaza +ART program, which also honored the artists at a reception and dinner at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. In all 14 statues will make up the Centennial Plaza art walk with one more installed in the coming weeks. Stroll through Centennial Plaza anytime — day or night — to view the sculptures, and see pictures of each of them on Page 5 of this section.

“It was just a joy to hear from the artists themselves,” Mayor Kristie Overson said of Plaza +ART’s second-season kickoff, “and we thank the generous donors and supporters who made this possible.”

Sponsors of the Plaza +ART program include Nelson Labs, Great Harvest, The Overson Family, Kenny Pratt, Bryan Hurd, Chick- l-A, Dan Toone, Josh Toone, Doug Adams and Leatherby’s.

Plaza +ART was created as a way to bring public art to the plaza, which opened last fall and connects City Hall and the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center into one community-centric space with its lighted walking paths, outdoor stage, beautiful landscaping and natural amphitheater.

The intent is for some of the sculptures to be displayed permanently, while others will rotate through the plaza as additional sculptures are featured. Read more about the program and artists at www.taylorsvilleut.gov/our-city/plaza-art.

Mayor Kristie S. Overson

Emergency

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Public Works (Salt Lake County) 385-468-6101

Dominion Energy 800-323-5517

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EVENTS

OCTOBER 2022

Oct. 5 & 19 – 6:30 p.m.

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

Oct. 8 – 8 to 11 a.m.

Pancake Breakfast @ Taylorsville Fire Station 118, 5317 S. 2700 West. Hosted by the Uni ed Fire Authority.

Oct. 10 – All day

Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day. City Hall is closed in observance.

Oct. 11 – 7 p.m. & Oct. 25 – 6 p.m.

Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.

Oct. 20, 21 & 22 – 7:30 p.m.

Forever Plaid @ the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, Studio 5400. Tickets are $10. Presented by the Taylorsville Arts Council. (See ad on Page 8).

Oct. 22 – 5 to 7 p.m.

Trick-or-Treating on the Plaza. Children can trick-or-treat at Centennial Plaza, 2600 W. Taylorsville Blvd., where there will be stations o ering candy and treats.

Oct. 27 – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Utah Philharmonic Orchestra and Taylorsville-SLCC Orchestra will perform a Halloween Spooktacular concert at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. Purchase tickets at saltlakecountyarts.org.

Oct. 31 – All Day

Halloween. Have a safe and happy day. Watch out for trick-or-treaters.

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 Anna Barbieri

Teaching about the Constitution is Key to Continued Freedom, Success

Sept. 17, 1787: The Constitution of the United States of America was signed on this day in Philadelphia by 39 men who essentially codi ed a government that secured the rights, freedoms and sovereignty of ‘We the People’ while limiting the size and scope of federal powers.

This past month on Sept. 17, recognized as Constitution Day, I was honored to attend and participate in the reading of the Constitution at American Preparatory Academy’s school in West Valley City. More than 40 students from third to 12th grades each took turns, along with invited guests, to read aloud sections of this sacred document.

I was humbled by their careful instructions and reverence shown for the Constitution and their commitment to teach each student the pillar of what guar-

antees our freedom from tyranny and oppression — a landmark document that makes the United States unique among all other nations.

For more than 200 years, other countries have referenced the U.S. Constitution in creating their own governments with checks and balances, free elections, and fair and just civil and criminal courts. But none of this matters unless we teach our children — our future leaders — the history and content of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

We are at a pivotal time in our nation when a frightening number of citizens believe that the Constitution is just an outdated piece of paper with no relevance to modern times. While the 21st century has certainly brought new challenges and ways of thinking, our inalienable rights as free citizens have not changed. They belong to us — given to us by God, our creator, not an elite think tank with a gavel in a grand building.

“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records; they are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by

mortal power” said Thomas Je erson.

But unless these truths are protected by teaching our children and our children’s children, they will be obscured by the darkness of tyranny and ignorance. So, to American Preparatory Academy: My deepest gratitude is extended to your school and the students and teachers bound by an obligation to maintain the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

See what’s new at Carriage Square! We’ll be highlighting Carriage Square businesses over the next several months in advance of coming renovations to the shopping center. Be sure to stop by this fun section of Taylorsville.

If you’re looking for excellent Vietnamese food, Café Thảo Mi is the place to go. A mainstay of Carriage Square, Café Thảo Mi is known for their Vietnamese co ee, café sandwiches and street food.

Originally located in West Valley City, the business started in 2001 as a small kiosk before moving to Carriage Square in 2007.

“When I rst came here, it was only me,” said owner Thão Ly. “I made co ee that all the Vietnamese people liked, so they came out. They sit at the tables and they talk — just like how it is back home.”

The attraction of her restaurant is not only the delicious food but the environment where all feel welcome and part of a community. “A lot of the time, you don’t want to sit down for a long time and eat; you just want to meet a friend and talk,” she said. “Here, they can sit wherever they want, have a co ee, and talk for an hour.”

And Ly wouldn’t have it any other way. “I think to be able to work and manage something like this, you have to love to do it,” she said, “and I love to do this. I come in every day and I'm happy doing it.”

If you want to try the tasty co ee and sandwiches for yourself, visit the café at 1773 W. Carriage Square in Taylorsville.

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

Take Preventative Measures to Stop Property Crimes

Property crimes are always signi cantly impactful. We encourage everyone to be vigilant in helping to prevent property crimes. Property crimes include any type of burglary, fraud, forgery, theft or vandalism.

While taking preventative measures is no guarantee, they both lessen your chances of becoming a victim and increase the chances of the suspect being caught. We encourage all to research preventative measures. Here are some trustworthy online links:

• identitytheft.gov (report identity theft)

• ic3.gov (report an internet crime)

• consumer.ftc.gov (report a fraud and learn about current scams)

• ncpc.org/resources/home-neighborhood-safety (learn about basic safety tips)

• uspis.gov/tips-prevention/mail-theft (learn about mail and package thefts)

TVPD EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Please join us in congratulating O cer Stone as our latest TVPD employee of the month. O cer Stone has been with TVPD for almost a year, with ve years total experience in law enforcement. Prior to joining TVPD, he worked as an o cer for Cottonwood Heights and Sandy police departments.

O cer Stone is currently working as part of TVPD’s patrol division. His primary role is responding to calls for service. Often, due to the number of such calls, odd shift hours or odd working days, patrol officers are only able to conduct a preliminary investigation that is then forwarded to a detective. However, Taylorsville patrol o cers often go above and beyond what would be considered their primary responsibilities. TVPD patrol o cers often investigate and close cases in their entirety. O cer Stone stated that one of the aspects that drew him to TVPD is our desire to encourage proactive policing.

In July, Officer Stone provided a great example of this when as he was conducting a proactive patrol and discovered an unoccupied stolen vehicle. Instead of simply recovering the vehicle, he decided to investigate further. With the assistance of other patrol o cers, he was able to identify and locate a suspect. When the suspect and associates were found to be involved in numerous fraud-related crimes, he continued to investigate those leads as well. Fraudrelated crimes can be very dynamic. They often involve multiple victims (14 in this case), multiple suspects (three in this case), multiple financial institutions, multiple private businesses and multiple police jurisdictions. O cer Stone did not shy away from this investigative challenge.

With the assistance of other patrol o cers, he went to work. Officer Stone also enlisted the assistance of o cers from Adult Probation and Parole. Due to his extensive investigative e orts, crucial evidence was gathered, enabling Det. Winslow to make quick work of the case with multiple charges against three primary offenders. Det. Winslow stated her appreciation and recognized O cer Stone as playing a vital lead role in this investigation. Sgt. Marriot described O cer Stone as a “great example of a patrol o cer” who is “diligent in pursuing the success and mission of the Taylorsville Police Department.”

In his free time, O cer Stone enjoys spending time with his family while they hunt, camp, hike, watch football and simply spend time together. He enjoys exercising and riding motorcycles. Thank you, O cer Stone, for being a part of TVPD and Team Taylorsville!

TVPD Joins in Bennion Neighborhood Safety Fair

TVPD along with several other community organizations recently participated in the Bennion Neighborhood Safety Fair.

Taylorsville’s Public Safety Committee and Unied Fire Authority also were among the safety fair’s guests. Community members were encouraged to “get to know your neighbor” in attending the event. They learned about how to start a Neighborhood Watch program and implement crime prevention tips, and were able to see some of the equipment rst responders use.

Chief Brady Cottam said TVPD de nitely bene ts from the Neighborhood Watch program. “The more eyes and ears there are watching for criminal activity, the better,” he told the Taylorsville Journal earlier this year. “Of course, we don’t want citizens approaching or engaging suspects. But if they notify us of suspicious activity, that is a big help.”

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

Eternity Jason Millward

Winter Hibiscus Leaf Nate Johansen

Torri Gate Doug Adams

Sunseeker Dan Toone

Generations Ben Hammond

Vail Jim Moore

Infinite’s OM Nate Brimhall

Snowboard Deveren Farley

Slender Void Myles Howell Synergy Gary Lee Price Sentry Jeannine Young

Secret Ceremonials Josh Toone Generations III Dana Kuglin

Enjoy Arts, Parks and the Utah Skies

Salt Lake County Arts and Culture, Clark Planetarium and Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation have brought to the valley an exciting new public art installation called Arts, Parks & the Utah Skies. The installation includes three outdoor art pieces in county parks that explore themes of astronomy and science.

“The goal of these installations is to connect Salt Lake County park visitors with the wonders of space through art,” said Kate Ithurralde, Salt Lake County’s Public Art Manager. “We hope these art pieces will spark visitors’ imaginations and encourage them to explore the environment, especially the beautiful Utah skies.”

Three local artists were chosen through a competitive process, to design, fabricate and install their pieces in three county parks: Pleasant Green Park in Magna, Taylorsville Recreation Center, and the Yellow Fork Trailhead in Herriman.

Karl Hale, Night Life

Location: Pleasant Green Park 3252 S. 8400 West, Magna

Lenka Konopasek, Sun and Moon

Location: Taylorsville Recreation Center 4948 S. 2700 West, Taylorsville

Tooza Design, Transcendent Utah Sky

Location: Yellow Fork Trailhead Herriman

Sun and Moon

Transcendent Utah Sky

Night Life

Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES

Election Day is Nov. 8, Ballots Coming This Month

Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 8 for several elected offices at the county, state and federal levels of government, as well as school boards.

Keep your eyes peeled for your ballot, which will be mailed to you the week of Oct. 17. Not sure if you’re registered? You can nd out at slco.org/clerk/elections/voter-registration

Concerned about election security? Learn about what the Salt Lake County Clerk’s o ce does to ensure your ballot is safe and processed securely at slco.org/clerk/elections/election-security/

Don’t Miss These Library Events

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

WALKING BOOK CLUB

Thursdays at 10 a.m.

Take a 30-minute walk along the paths behind the library and then participate in a 30-minute book discussion. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. Strollers are welcome.

Community museums are constantly seeking artifacts and memorabilia that describe and document the past history of community development and the people who made it all happen.

As time progresses, museums are dependent upon those living to share treasures saved from days long since passed. Without benefactors who are willing to share, the artifacts and memorabilia that de ne our history would be lost forever.

Recently, the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center received a donation of an early 1950s show saddle (notice all the silver on this one, pictured). This saddle will be displayed along with a working saddle and a 1950s pleasure saddle, which recall the time when horses were the primary mode of transportation in Taylorsville and Utah.

This gift was given by Dante “Tony” Pistone, who is a retired director of a local equine therapy center that rescued wild and domestic horses to aid in therapy programs. Such programs assisted people su ering from issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI). We thank Tony and all those who share our love of history.

Visit the heritage museum to learn more and see this newly donated show saddle in person. We’re located at 1488 W. 4800 South.

“Invisible Child” reading schedule: Oct. 6, chapter 35–end

“Cloud Cuckoo Land” reading schedule: Oct. 13: Prologue – page 214 | Oct. 20: Pages 215 - 419 | Oct. 27: Pages 420 - end

*Note: The Oct. 13 book club will discuss rst and then walk.

TEEN MINI WEAPONS

Friday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.

Prepare yourself for an alien invasion! Build a miniaturized arsenal of mass destruction, including small catapults, shooters, slingshots and more.

SENIOR BOOK CLUB AT THE TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER

Monday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m.

Location: Taylorsville Senior Center, 4743 S. Plymouth View Dr. Join in a lively discussion of a variety of ction and non ction books. Newcomers are welcome! The book club will be led by a librarian from the Taylorsville Library. This month, the group is discussing “The Gown” by Jennifer Robson.

VIRTUAL ADULT LECTURE | Silk and Venom: The Biodiversity of Spiders

Monday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m.

Registration required: thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries

Dr. Greta Binford will discuss the biodiversity of arachnids and why they are inspiring, her travels searching for spiders and her research on spider venom.

INSURANCE CHANGES FOR SENIORS

Monday, Oct. 17, 10:30 a.m.

Learn about changes for the coming year on your current senior insurance plans. Question-and-answer session will follow presentation. Presented by Deanna Boss, an industry professional with more than 19 years of experience, specializing in insurance for seniors.

VIRTUAL ADULT LECTURE | The King of Horror: Stephen King's Novels, Adaptations, and Thematic Concerns

Tuesday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.

Registration required: thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries

Bryce Bullins will highlight Stephen King’s extensive bibliography including King’s place within the pantheon of American authors and the ways his distinct brand of horror is uniquely American.

READ FOR THE RECORD

Thursday, Oct. 27, all day

Participate in the world's largest annual shared reading experience. Story walks, coloring sheets and stickers will make this interactive activity tons of fun for everyone.

Show saddle donated by Dante “Tony” Pistone

ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY

OCTOBER UPDATES

Fall Leaf Pickup

As the temperatures cool down and we begin fall, WFWRD will begin its seasonal fall leaf pickup service. Starting Oct. 15, residents can pick up leaf bags at the Taylorsville Library (4870 S. 2700 West) for no additional charge. The district requests that residents take only one roll of leaf bags per household due to limited supplies.

You can take your full leaf bags to the Valley Ball Complex (5100 S. 2700 West) or Vista Park (5000 S. 2055 West) and place them in the designated trailers.

Please do not dump garbage or other items at these or other locations and keep leaves and other yard waste out of recycle cans.

Sustainable Halloween Guide

With spooky season here, Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District wants to give you the tools to succeed when it comes to Halloween waste and recycling. Decorations such as spider web décor, string lights, plastic pumpkins and yard signs are not recyclable in your blue recycling cans. Instead, save decorations for next year or take them to your local thrift store for re-use.

Candy wrappers and candy containers are also not recyclable so throw them in your trash can. Try repurposing an item for trick-ortreating containers, like an old pillowcase or re-useable grocery bag, instead of buying plastic.

Pumpkins, food and other organic matter are not recyclable, however, pumpkins and old fruits and veggies can be thrown in your green curbside can if you have one. If you don’t have one and would like one, subscribe to the district’s green waste collection program at wasatchfrontwaste.org

WFWRD Social Media

Follow Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! WFWRD has recently started a video campaign as a new form of educational outreach. Follow along to learn more about things like recycling contamination, the recycling process and end products, recycling labels and more!

Drop Box, Computer or Phone: Paying Your Bill is Easy

It’s never been simpler to pay your water and sewer bill to Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District. Here are some ways: Online — Utilize TBID’s online bill payment option that saves you time and money. If you have an internet connection and an email address, you can pay your bill online. To make a payment or sign up, go to their website www.tbid.org select Pay Bill Online and Sign Up.

Drop Box — Place your non-cash payment in the conveniently located parking lot drop box. Drop off payments at 1800 W. 4700 South; just follow the sign.

By Mail — Mail check or money order to TaylorsvilleBennion Improvement District, P.O. Box 18579, 1800 W. 4700 South, Taylorsville, UT 84118-8579. A return envelope is provided with your bill. Just add the stamp, include your payment and drop it in the mail.

By Phone — Call 801-968-9081 with your credit or debit card or bank information to speak with a customer service representative.

Visit TBID at 1800 W. 4700 South from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday to make your

If you have any questions, please contact Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District by

League of Women Voters dedicated to educating, registering voters

M any voters have paged through a booklet of candidates and chances are, it came from the League of Women Voters. Perhaps a great number of voters also signed up to vote with the help of one of the League’s volunteers.

“The League of Women Voters has been around for more than 100 years; we came into being around women's suf frage when the founders of the League of Women Voters fought hard to get women the right to vote,” said Shauna Bona, Salt Lake County’s chapter president. “We take the rights and the need of all people to vote very seriously. Our biggest issue is access to the vote. We want to educate voters, register voters and motivate voters. Our mission is really about empowering voters and defending democracy.”

While those early suffragists paved the way for women today to vote, Bona said that their mission isn’t over.

“We look at issues and study them, and it can be a local study or a state study or a national study. Then we lay the informa tion out for our members, and we discuss it in small groups until we reach consensus on the issues, if this is a good issue for us to support. We do have positions around having a clean, healthy environment to live in and to raise children and definitely we think women should be in the Consti tution with the Equal Rights Amendment. When we do take a stance, we really work hard to help educate the public and our lawmakers in hopes of really doing things that are right by the people,” Bona said.

She also pointed out that while their main message is to empower voters to make a better democracy, the League isn’t restricted to women members.

“We’ve had men in the League for decades. In fact, we were going to change our name to not be the League of Wom en Voters, but the problem was that if we would have let go of the name of League of Women Voters, that we would have lost our history,” Bona said. “We have mem bers of every sexual orientation, of every background. What’s important is that we have this history to our nonpartisan com mitment of voting rights.”

Among the issues the local chapter has reviewed are voting by mail, health care, census and immigration.

“Our members hold an annual meet ing, and they say, for example, ‘Hey, we think that we should study abortion.’ So, we did a study recently about abortion laws and it wasn't taking a stand particu larly, but it was a study just to understand the abortion laws in Utah. Sometimes those studies are to educate our members and then, they come up with their own per sonal opinions on it. Sometimes the study is a consensus study, when we're really

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

trying to come up with a position. We're cautious and we're careful. We really want to make sure that we're not making rash positions, but have our positions based on study,” she said.

While more than 300 local members gather annually, smaller groups study the issues monthly. “We also have our com mittees, such as the voting committee, and those committees might meet weekly be cause we have so much work we do. We work to register voters; they go out to ed ucate voters. In the past, we have taught high schoolers about the importance of voters and register them; we have gone to naturalization ceremonies and helped them register as new citizens,” Bona said.

Currently, they’re updating Vote411 (vote411.org), a personalized voting web site, which after entering a residential ad dress, voters can explore their candidates’ information, learn about upcoming elec tions and how to register and find out poll ing locations. The site covers local, state and national election information.

For example, currently the website states that voters need to be registered by Oct. 28 for the next general election on Nov. 8.

“We have groups of people, men and women, all over the country, including here in Salt Lake, formulating questions for our candidates for every race and ev ery election,” she said. “It’s one of the only places that candidates can answer these questions. We do not edit what they write. It’s completely nonpartisan. There's no ‘gotcha’ questions. Every candidate has the opportunity in their own words to an swer questions. You can pick a question and put the candidates’ views side by side to compare their answers. They can put in YouTube videos so it’s educating voters and it’s completely fair to the candidates. It’s really just to inform the voters.”

The League of Women Voters also sponsors debates or candidate forums “so that voters can hear from the candidates,” Bona added.

As part of League, some members called Observer Corps attend local city meetings.

“Our goal is that we have a League of Women Voters observer at every city council meeting, at the racial equity and policing commission meeting and at the planning meetings just to hear what's go ing on and to take notes and report back to our members what is happening because local government is incredibly important,” she said. “Oftentimes, people are busy in their lives and things get overlooked so our Observer Corps is doing that work for us. We’ve done a lot of great things like finding out ranked choice voting and about the gravel pit in the canyon and letting

people know when the council was going to be discussing issues and encouraging people to contact their council members. Our Observer Corps believes in transpar ency and accessible government, so we go and find out what they’re doing and report back so our members can follow their own conscience and reach out to their leaders and let them know what they think.”

Many issues are shared on their web site and in their weekly email briefings.

Education is an issue “what our mem bers are passionate about,” Bona said. “We cover every single school board race and make sure that we’ve researched it

and have good questions to ask the candi date. We cover the school board races and make sure all citizens are educated about the issues, particularly in K-12 education in Utah. There are serious issues related to inclusion, issues related to all kinds of things in education. We’re focusing on ed ucating to make sure people know who the different candidates are on the local school boards, what’s motivating them, why they’re running and what their intentions are. That is incredibly important right now. We’re not saying, vote for this candidate or that candidate. We believe in empow ering voters. We ask questions. We have

Salt Lake League of Women Voter Services Director Helen Moser registers a new citizen at a naturaliza tion ceremony Aug. 25 at Bryce Canyon National Park. (Photo courtesy of Peter Densmore/National Park Service)

Norma Wills, the natural resources director for the League of Women Voters of Utah, volunteered at the recent Salt Lake festival at 9th and 9th to register voters. (Shauna Bona/League of Women Voters)

Margie McCloy, a Salt Lake League of Women Vot ers member and volunteer, talks to the community about the League and the importance of voting. (Shauna Bona/League of Women Voters)

Election officials address claims of mail-in voter fraud

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Following widespread allegations of voter fraud after the 2020 presidential election, Salt Lake County election offi cials want residents to know the mail-inballot system is safe and secure.

During a voting rights discussion, hosted by the League of Women Voters, panelists addressed voting concerns and invited the public to be involved with the process.

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Sw ensen has been administering county elec tions for 32 years. She said her office is dedicated to ensuring elections are run efficiently and smoothly, and that every eligible vote is counted.

“I’m so glad we have a vote-by-mail system in Salt Lake and the State of Utah,” she said. “It has been a wonderful system. It’s served the voters so well.”

Since 2016, all elections in Utah have been conducted by mail, with ballot dropoff boxes and Election Day voting booths available as alternate options. During the 2020 presidential election, Salt Lake County had a 90.1% voter turnout, with 498,000 residents voting by mail, 100,000 more active registered voters than the 2016 election.

Residents were encouraged to vote by mail in 2020 because of COVID, but mis information spread that the voting system had been compromised. Swensen said al legations of voter fraud in the county are absolutely not true.

“We heard people could print ballots in their living room, foreign countries could print ballots and insert them into our system, but they would never make it through our system,” she said. “Every sin gle ballot that is sent to a voter is correlat ed to a record of an active registered voter with a unique nine-digit number.”

During the last legislative session,

candidates answer those questions, and the voters read those and how they decide who is the best to represent them and their options. It doesn’t matter to us how they vote. It’s not our business. We just want them to be educated and to vote.”

She said voting is critical.

“Our entire system is predicated on an educated populace exercising the right to vote. We pick our leaders, our leaders don’t pick the voters, and the better edu cated and inspired and energized our vot ing and voting populace is, the better a country our democratic republic will be,” she said.

Lori Jones, a former longtime educa tor, said educated voting is critical to elec tions, including the local school board.

“Voters need to review candidates’

Rep. Phil Lyman (R-Blanding) tried to pass a bill that would dismantle the state’s mail-in voting process, claiming the sys tem was vulnerable to fraud. The bill failed but election officials are worried a similar proposal will come up again.

“It is a secure system, we have total confidence in it,” Swensen said. “It is dis heartening to me to hear all this rhetoric about the vote-by-mail system not being safe and secure. I really believe that it’s an attempt to suppress voter turnout.”

She invites voters to attend tours of ballot centers to witness the transparent and secure process, and to address misin formation and false claims.

“We love to conduct tours and we have done so many tours, I can’t even count them all. Everyone walks away feel ing very confident. They are impressed af ter they come to see it in person,” Swensen said. “It’s best when processing ballots so you can actually see what’s happening when it’s being done.”

Deputy Director of Elections for the State of Utah Shelly Jackson said elec tion officials are constantly culling lists to make sure voter information is accurate and up-to-date. Several security elements are in place to stop voter fraud, including signature verification and unique voter IDs on every ballot.

Ballots are not mailed to every person in the state, only voters who are actively registered receive a mail-in ballot. For in formation about the election process, visit slco.org/clerk/elections.

“I love that people are now paying at tention to elections,” Jackson said. “I love that people are wanting to come see our logic and accuracy tests. When I worked at the county we would beg people to come, we would beg city recorders to come, we’d beg friends and family to come. I don’t

platforms, then they can make educat ed decisions about who wants to support schools and make them better,” she said.

While her longtime passion has been education, Jones, who recently joined the League of Women Voters, said she has concerns about redistricting and environ mental issues, both of which Bona said are hot topics right now.

“I joined the League because I read that they filed a lawsuit against the legisla ture about gerrymandering of the congres sional districts, which I was furious about, and I’m also really interested in trying to do things to make sure that the Great Salt Lake doesn’t die because that would be a huge disaster for our children. I'm an advocate for children and a lot of people blow off the Great Salt Lake because they

think I ever had anyone come.”

Nathaniel Brown, 24th Navajo Nation council person, and Nikila Venugopal, di rector of campaigns for the ACLU of Utah, expressed concerns that bills like Lyman’s proposal would disenfranchise thousands of voters.

In 1962, Utah was the last state in the country to give Native Americans voting rights. Brown said members of the Navajo Nation still face obstacles to voting, in cluding remoteness and language barriers. Doing away with the mail-in ballot system would further restrict voting access to this population.

“I think we need to remove the clas sism mentality and think about who we are at the soul level,” Brown said.

Venugopal said sometimes the voteby-mail system isn’t feasible, like for vot

don’t realize everything that it does. I just thought, ‘OK, I don't have a right to com plain unless I volunteer’ so I’m taking a look to learn more about these issues,” she said.

After attending a couple meetings, Jones plans to get more involved.

“I like how the League gets people involved in nonpartisan politics and how they also take an active role in what’s go ing on in the state. The great thing about it is you don’t have to run for office to have to see if you can have an impact on something and you can get involved in as little or as much as you want. They’ve got a climate group that’s looking at problems with water in Utah. They have a legislative group that goes to the legislative sessions to find out what they’re doing, and they

ers with disabilities who need to sign a ballot when their signature could change over time. She said the ACLU is working to create greater access for voters with disabilities and works with the disability law center to make continued changes to the process. She’s also keeping an eye out for legislation that could suppress the vote throughout the state, like Lyman’s bill in February 2022.

“Claims of voter fraud are rooted in trying to stoke fear, and our elections are in fact secure. But maybe there are areas of improvement,” Venugopal said. “This bill essentially would have gutted our voteby-mail system and really caused a disen franchisement crisis in our state if it had passed.” l

have an observer group who are trained to be an observer at city meetings and report back what's going on,” she said.

Bona’s involvement with the League started after the 2016 election.

“I wanted to get involved with educat ing voters and helping voters understand the importance of going to the ballot in an informed way,” she said. “I saw what the League was doing and that they were em powering voters and registering people to vote, not asking them how they were going to vote, but just making sure that they were informed citizens who did vote. To me, that felt like a way of making the world a better place.” l

Utah’s mail-in voting system has been in place since 2016, and Salt Lake County’s election officials say the process is secure and accessible. (Stock photo)

Double, double toil and trouble for witches of yesteryear

By Annabelle Larsen | a.larsen@mycityjournals.com

What’s a witch? Throughout human history, the defini tion has changed. Witches have been defined as peo ple casting spells or calling upon spirits for help, or to bring about change. Many witches were seen as pagans doing the devil’s work. Others were known as simple natural healers and called wise women. Mostly, this choice of profession or life was simply misunderstood and societal fear took over.

The prosecution of witches took hold in Europe during the mid-1400s when many people confessed, often under torture, to a variety of witch-like behaviors. Within the next century witch hunts were common, and most of the accused were executed by burning at the stake or hanging. Women, who were single, widowed, and those who lived on the margins of society, were the usual targets. Between the years 1500-1660 there were about 80,000 suspected witches that were put to death in Europe; 80% of them were women. Germany had the highest witchcraft execution rate while Ireland had the lowest.

What started this witch hunt and the witch hysteria that followed was in part caused by the publication of a book “Malleus Maleficarum,” which was written by a German Catholic clergyman in 1486. The book usually translates as “The Hammer of Witches,” and was essentially a guide on how to identify, hunt and interrogate witches. The book labeled witchcraft as heresy, and became the authority for Protestants and Catholics at the time trying to flush out witches living among them.

Although the witch hunt was far larger in Europe than it was in the Americas, most Americans are familiar with the Salem Witch Trials more so than what happened in Eu

rope. The New World, at the time, had fallen under many hardships and trials including a war between the French and British, a smallpox epidemic, and the ongoing fear of attacks from Native American tribes. The tense atmosphere was ripe for finding scapegoats, and these tensions are one of the reasons historians suspect led to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93 in Massachusetts.

The witch trials initially began when 9-year-old Eliza beth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams began suffer ing from fits, body contortions, uncontrollable screaming, and odd behavior. As more young women began to exhibit symptoms, hysteria ensued. Three women were accused of witchcraft as an explanation to this problem. The three women were Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba In dian, an enslaved woman owned by Parris's father. Tituba eventually confessed to being a witch, but she then began accusing others of using black magic on June 10, 1692. Bridget Bishop became the first accused witch to be put to death during the Salem Witch Trials. Between 1626 and 1730 there were around 150 people who were accused of witchcraft and 18 were put to death. While women were the main victims, there were six men who were also convicted and executed during this time.

Massachusetts wasn't the only state in the Thirteen Colonies to be obsessed with witches and witch hunting; it also spread throughout the rest of the colonies, but it was most prevalent here. Historians speculate that much of the hysteria and the reasons for the fits, body contortions, and uncontrollable screaming first displayed by the two girls could possibly be from a poisonous fungus, found in the

An artist’s rendition of the trial of a suspected witch. (Courtesy of History.com)

eastern U.S., that causes spasms and delusions.

So as people go about this year’s Halloween season and make-believe (or real) witches are safely out and about, it’s interesting to remember a time when this wasn’t so. l

Utah earned a second place ranking in a teacher-friendliness WalletHub report.

The ranking was determined by two indicators, Opportunity and Competition, and Academic and Work Environment. (Stock photo)

Utah listed as second best for teacher-friendly states

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

As educators struggle across the county, WalletHub released a report about the level of teacher-friendliness in each state and Washington, D.C., based on 24 key indicators. The information is intended to help educators find the best opportunities and places to work.

Utah finished in second place, just under New York and followed by Virginia, Florida and Washington. The ranking was determined by two key indicators, Opportunity and Com petition, and Academic and Work Environ ment.

Education jobs are some of the low est-paying occupations that require a bache lor’s degree, so competitive salaries and job security was assigned a heavier weight in the scoring.

“Teacher compensation must become competitive with the industry to retain and re cruit these highly qualified individuals, many of whom hold advanced graduate degrees and several specialized certifications,” said Rene S. Parmar, dean at the School of Education, Leh man College, City University of New York.

The 24 metrics included average starting salary, income growth potential, public school enrollment, pupil-to-teacher ratio, quality of the school system and commute time. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the best conditions. Utah earned a score of 57.38, just under New York’s 59.33.

When it came to the existence of a dig ital learning plan, Utah scored first place and earned second place for the 10-year change in teacher salaries. It scored ninth for average starting salary and 13th for the quality of the school system.

“Nothing in the public education system has a greater effect on a student’s learning than the teacher in the classroom,” said Kirsten Stewart, Canyons School District spokesper son. “Understanding this, and with the goal of elevating the role of teachers in our district’s success, the Canyons Board of Education, with support from our community, have consistently invested in teachers.”

Stewart said Canyons School District has invested a great deal to bring teacher pay in-line with other professionals in Utah. The

school board approved a teacher compensation increase every year since 2009, when the dis trict was formed, with one of the highest start ing salaries for teachers at $55,000.

Canyons District offers free training to all teachers and offers coaches to mentor and support teachers at any time. This year, the dis trict implemented an early-out Friday across all schools to give teachers time to work as teams. Attracting the best teachers continues to be a priority for the district.

“About 38% of our teachers come to us from outside Utah, and we provide a stipend to those relocating. We also have arranged to cut their first paychecks and get health benefits activated soon after their arrival,” Stewart said. “Where else can you live footsteps from the greatest snow on earth and a day’s drive from five national parks, much less a major metro politan area with all its urban perks?”

Besides teacher compensation, Parmar lists two factors that affect a teacher’s job sat isfaction. First, a feeling of respect for their professional status, and second, additional re sources to address students’ needs.

“Politicized forces are constantly attack ing their authority in the classroom by attempt ing to dictate curriculum and instructional activities,” Parmar said. “The trickle-down of these attacks is that parents and children are led to disrespect teachers in their communities rather than support them.”

While Utah scored in the top five for teach er-friendliness, it placed last in pupil-teacher ratio and 50th in public school spending per student. States with the lowest overall scores were New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, D.C., New Hampshire and Hawaii. Review the entire report at wallethub.com/edu.

“Leaders in the community and schools must work to create an environment of respect for teachers and support for their work,” Par mar said. “All stakeholders must participate in the work of attracting and retaining great teach ers. If local officials disrespect them, parents and boards challenge their professionalism, the environment around schools is unsafe and poorly maintained, and the local media pro motes negativity, teachers will leave.” l

LESS POLITICS, MORE RESULTS DAVID MUIR FOR SALT LAKE COUNTY AUDITOR

“A man about numbers and not politics. One of the few people in the State of Utah with the necessary data experience. He will focus on doing the right job, not a political job.”

EXPERIENCE

• 26 years local government experience

• MBA, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Government Finance Manager

• Awarded “Excellence in Financial Reporting” by the GFOA 2012-2022

INDEPENDENCE

• Conclusions supported by evidence, not partisan-ideology

• Seeking the truth with courage, confidence and integrity

ENDORSED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS

• Scott Howell, former Utah State Senator

• Mike Weichers, Cottonwood Heights Mayor

• Kelvyn Cullimore, former Cottonwood Heights Mayor

• David Sanderson, consultant finance director

• Lisa Dudley, former Riverton Finance Director, former CFO Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake

• Dan Snarr, former Murray City Mayor

Just last week, the Taylorsville Recreation Center (4948 S. 2700 West) celebrated its 20 anniversary. A stroll through its spacious interior shows the facility – sandwiched be tween the Taylorsville County Library and the Gary C. Swensen Valley Regional Park – still looks about as shiny and new as it did when it opened, Sept. 27, 2002.

Unfortunately, the rec center also spends a lot of time – its Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation Department operators say, TOO MUCH time – looking empty.

“We’ve had to cancel a number of aer obics and yoga classes in recent months because we just don’t have enough people coming in for them,” Taylorsville Recreation Center Facility Director Tracey Gines said. “I’m trying now to find out what our com munity wants for health and fitness. I know this facility can serve their needs. And we can certainly handle many more people com ing in. But, right now, we are still suffering from the slowdown that hit during COVID.”

Gines knows all about operating busy rec centers. Back when the Taylorsville fa cility first opened, the 29-year County Parks & Recreation employee was the facility di rector at the Holladay Lions Recreation Cen ter in Millcreek.

“Holladay Lions was non-stop busy all

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

the time,” she said. “I want to see this Tay lorsville center just as busy.”

Gines is still getting her feet wet at the Taylorsville Recreation Center, where she just became director last spring.

“We have seven fulltime employees here, counting myself,” she added. “But when we get busy – particularly with the outdoor swimming pool in the summer – we sometimes have more than 100 parttime, seasonal employees.”

The outdoor swimming pool just north of the rec center is the largest such pool Salt Lake County operates. It’s normally open from mid-May to mid-August. It closes a bit earlier than some might expect because Tay lorsville kids also typically return to school well before Labor Day weekend.

Another County employee keeping careful tabs on Taylorsville Recreation Cen ter usership is Parks & Recreation Associate Director of Community Engagement Liz Sollis. She’s convinced area residents just need to look inside the local facility to be sold on it.

“People don’t know all the resources we have,” Sollis said. “This Taylorsville space is amazing. We want to make sure the public is aware of what all we have.”

County Parks & Recreation personnel

work diligently to try to understand and stay on top of what residents want for their fitness and recreation needs.

“Last year we completed our third as sessment since 2012, surveying residents about their recreation priorities,” Sollis add ed. “The assessment was conducted online –in English and Spanish – and was promoted through newsletters, social media and ‘City Journals.’ We learned residents top three pri orities now are: walking and bicycling trails, programs accessible for people with disabil

ities and children’s playgrounds.”

Missing from that top three are specific suggestions for offerings at the Taylorsville Recreation Center, such as aerobics classes or pickleball courts.

As for what it currently features, the rec center includes a 45-foot rock climbing wall, two full size basketball courts, a large weight and cardio workout room, a multi-use room (for things like birthday parties), a group fit ness room and something called a multipur pose court.

“The multipurpose court is used for indoor soccer and hockey,” Sollis added. “There are also large nets for baseball and softball batting practice. And we are think ing about trying a family roller skating night. The floor is perfect for that, too.”

In addition to looking at roller skating as something new at the Taylorsville Recre ation Center, operators are also investigating whether the public would like to see pickle ball courts operated on the gymnasium floor.

Back in 2018 – long before we’d heard of coronavirus – the Taylorsville Recreation Center averaged 264 patrons each day. Two years later, COVID-19 cut that total by more than half, to just 125 daily visitors. Of course, for a good part of that time in 2020, the facility was closed entirely. So far this year, rec center usage is back up to about 245 people per day.

At the moment, Sollis and Gines are in vestigating ways to survey Taylorsville resi dents specifically about what they would like to see offered at the Taylorsville Recreation Center. They may reach out to Taylorsville City to inquire about having a few rec center questions included in future surveys the city already conducts among its residents.

Until those survey details are ironed out, Tracey Gines would be happy to receive sug gestions direct to her email (TGines@slco. org).

Those wanting to “test drive” the Tay lorsville Recreation Center can purchase a

single day pass for just $6 ($3 for kids under 18). Annual center passes are now $114 for kids, $220 for adults or $340 for the first two members of a family. Additional members on a family pass are just $30 per year. There are also significant discounts available for seniors.

Birthday party packages are available that can include use of the climbing wall, batting cages or (in the summer) the outdoor swimming pool. Details are at 385-468-1732 or slco.org/taylorsville-rec.

Sollis also points out, “Regardless of whether one of our survey respondents has a family member with a disability, they are passionate about programs for people with disabilities. This has been true every year we’ve conducted assessments. Adaptive rec reation is offered countywide. More infor mation is available at slco.org/adaptive.”

“This is such a wonderful facility and it is just underused,” Gines concluded. “Tay lorsville Recreation Center was built (20 years ago) to serve people living around here. So now I am determined to figure out what residents want – and how we can meet their needs more effectively.” l

Taylorsville Recreation Center staff run the pop ular outdoor swimming pool next door, which is the largest pool Salt Lake County operates. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Photo:

This group fitness center inside the Taylorsville Recreation Center hasn’t been getting as much use as it could in recent years. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

The Kearns football team has had a rough start to the season, but as they enter region play they expect to bounce back into form.

In their first region contest, they hosted Taylorsville for a crosstown battle. For the first six minutes of the game, the Cougars held the Warriors at bay with a punt and forced inter ception by Ryan Talo. The interception set the Cougars in good field position at the Warrior's 12-yard line and junior Azias Ezra finished the scoring drive by powering through the middle of the offensive line for a 1-yard touchdown. The Cougars led 7-0 and never looked back.

“The running backs ran hard behind a great o-line effort. It is great to get back to winning,” Cougar head coach Matt Rickards said after the game.

They never trailed and won the contest 45-7.

The Cougars lost their second region contest to Roy 35-17. The Royals scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away for the victory.

Sophomore Bryce Benson leads the team in passing yards at quarterback. Ezra is the team’s leading rusher. Defensively, Talo leads the team in tackles and has one sack.

Kearns is scheduled to host West on Oct. 7 and will close out the regular season at Cy prus on the 13. l

Cougars look to closeout season strong

By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com

The Cougars Filimone Fangupo shows his satis faction after a defensive stop. (Photo courtesy of Kearns Historian)

Kymani Fauatea bulldozed for a 60-yard score against Taylorsville. (Photo courtesy of Kearns Historian)

Kearns junior Ryan Talo parades the turnover hammer up the sidelines after an interception. (Photo courtesy of Kearns Historian)

Quarterback Bryce Benson scampers for a first down against Taylorsville. (Photo courtesy of Kearns Historian)

Tombstone Tales shares Taylorsville history in a unique way

By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com

For the first time in seven years, the Taylorsville Arts Council joined forces with the city’s Historic Preservation Committee to present Tombstone Tales over three late-August nights at the city cemetery (4575 S. Redwood Road). Hundreds of people attended the free event, where they walked from tombstone to tombstone to hear eight short historical presentations from ten

different actors. Susan Yadeskie depicted Eliza Spencer Harker. Active in the Historic Preservation Committee, Yadeskie wrote half the scripts this year along with Arts Council Co-Chair Susan Holman. Yadeskie is the only performer who has depicted historical Taylorsville figures in all five Tombstone Tales presentations, in 1998, 2003, 2009, 2015 and now 2022. l

Taylorsville Historic Preservation Committee mem ber Susan Yadeskie is the only performer who has appeared in all five Tombstone Tales, going back to 1998. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Sexton Jess Hansen is the first person audience members heard from as they arrived at Tombstone Tales. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

George Dye depicted Taylorsville City namesake John Taylor during the Tombstone Tales perfor mances. (Carl Fauver/City Journals) David Oldroyd and Macie Muller depicted father and daughter Marcus and Mildred Bennion in Tomb stone Tales. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Brandon Taney depicted his father, Jim Taney, in Tombstone Tales. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Tombstone Tales presentations drew standing-room-only crowds to Taylorsville Cemetery over three nights. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)

Aaron Christensen depicted military hero Raymond Bennion Spencer in Tombstone Tales. (Carl Fau ver/City Journals)

In Salt Lake County our top priority is to keep you and your family safe. That's why over 70 percent of our general fund budget is allocated to criminal justice as we oper ate the jail, handle prosecution and indigent defense, run behavioral health programs and fund the sheriff's public safety bureau. One of our challenges has been a shortage of offi cers to work in the jail, and I know many of our cities are struggling to hire enough po lice officers for their communities. The past few years have been tough for our men and women in blue, and morale has taken a hit. That's why public safety has been a huge fo cus for me as I serve on the council.

Last fall the Sheriff’s office was faced with a very small pool of new recruits and public safety agencies across the valley were competing for officers. In order to support effective recruiting, we must fund competi tive wages and benefits which is why I voted to support the Sheriff's compensation re quest providing a structural pay adjustment for all Sworn Correction and Public Safety Officers.

The county jail houses around 2,000 inmates and operates its own healthcare sys tem. Inmate medical needs range from basic general care to specialized treatment includ ing dental and mental health, which the jail is constitutionally mandated to provide. In addition to seeing a shortage of sworn po

lice officers, we are also seeing a shortage of healthcare workers. This spring the County Council voted to increase the pay rate for medical staff at the jail. In addition, I led ef forts to add a $5,000 hiring bonus for med ical staff who remain working at the jail for two years.

Staffing shortages contribute to in creased wait times when officers are booking an individual into jail. As law enforcement agencies across the valley face their own recruitment and retention efforts it is my priority to focus on reducing this wait time so officers are back out on the street quickly, keeping your neighborhoods and their fel low officers safer.

As we look at ways to better improve public safety, I believe investment in Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOT) is critical. MCOT teams work alongside our police when mental health crises arise. The team

is made up of highly trained licensed men tal health clinicians and certified peer sup port specialists. Right now, we only have about half the number of teams necessary to help our officers and the public. I am on the State’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response Commission, and we are pushing for addi tional state funding to fully operate these MCOT teams.

Addressing staff shortages requires bold and steady leadership. I maintain my commitment to you that every vote I cast as a county council member comes after thought ful consideration of how it will impact the county overall, as well the constituents whom I represent in this role. I am commit ted to safe neighborhoods by focusing my at tention on the county’s public safety efforts.

T here are lots of people in this world who scare me, like toddlers, Christian nationalists and the barista who always compliments my shirt, even when I’m wearing a blood-stained hoodie.

But dentists! Dentists are a higher level of fear. I'm sure they get tired of being compared to the sadistic den tist in “Little Shop of Horrors” but if the tooth fits…

My dentophobia is rooted in an experience when I was 5 where many of the details are still slumbering in my subconscious, waiting to burst when I’m least expecting it. The only thing I remember was the dentist was not my friend.

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

I start ed dreading my annual checkup.

Mom would write our dentist’s name on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick, so she’d remember to schedule the appointment. But every time she wrote it, I’d take a wet washcloth and wipe it off. I’m sure she never noticed the smeared lipstick or the dripping-wet mirror.

Now that I’m older, I should be braver, right? I should be grateful I don’t have a medieval dentist who also works as the village butcher, barber and blacksmith. I’m lucky I’m not Tom Hanks in “Castaway” when he uses an ice skate to knock out his abscessed molar. Modern dentistry

It’s like pulling teeth

is a privilege.

My rational mind knows all those things, but I’ve never left a dentist’s office thinking, “Hmmm. That wasn’t too bad.”

I recently had my first root canal, which didn’t ease my fears. At all. I was upfront with the endodontist and told him I didn’t like him very much.

“I understand,” he said.

“No, really. I loathe you,” I said.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

We went from there. He offered me nitrous oxide be cause if I’m going to be root-canaled, I’d rather be float ing somewhere near Venus. After I was nice and drifty, he told me I’d feel a little pinch as he numbed my mouth. Then he proceeded to nail my face to the chair while the nurse handed him a Black & Decker drill. He laughed ma niacally, donned a hockey mask ala Jason Voorhees and started excavating my back teeth.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

After the root canal, I had to make an appointment with my dentist to put a crown on my tooth. I called the receptionist who said I could schedule time on Sept. 12 at 2:30 a.m. or wait until June 2023. Typical.

I don’t know why I’m still terrified of all things den tal. The smell of a dentist’s office makes my stomach roll. The sound of a drill makes my jaw clench, which makes it really hard to work on my teeth. When it was time for my crown appointment, I sat in my car for a good 15 minutes, giving myself a pep talk.

“You’ve got this,” I said. “You’re a big girl.”

“Nope. I’m going to Starbucks,” I responded. “No, you’re not. You’re going to act like an adult

and walk in that office.”

I stuck my tongue out at myself and went to get my crown. Not a cool crown like a Dutch sapphire tiara but a porcelain crown that I’m afraid to chew with. I’m pretty sure my dentist has a hook for a hand and he proceeded to stab my gums repeatedly, probably just for the fun of it. And then it was over. For now.

I’d rather face a zillion zombies, a multitude of mum mies, a van full of vampires or a ton of toddlers before seeing the dentist again. He’s the scariest monster I know.