West Jordan Journal | July 2024

COPPER HILLS STATE JAVELIN CHAMPION BEATS INJURY, FOES TO WIN GOLD

By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

ForKeaton Peery, the boys state 6A javelin champion this year, the road to gold started because of a Twinkie. The Copper Hills track star just completed his junior year by besting all others at the state meet held at BYU in May. He won the javelin with a personal best and school record throw of 183’ 4”, beating his closest opponent by nearly five feet.

But that road began while he was in middle school, and largely due to older brother Ethan’s participation in the “Twinkie Relay.”

“You had to be a thrower to run and get a Twinkie at the end,” Keaton recalled. “So he started to become a javelin thrower about that time. My mom (Shannon) would drag me to every one of his meets and I’d have to sit and watch him throw, and I thought it looked cool. And since that first meet, because I’m highly competitive, I decided I wanted to learn the sport and beat him.”

Keaton had played baseball up through junior high, but changed his focus once at Copper Hills and concentrated on the javelin. “I had played baseball since I was three, so having the feeling of just throwing something as far as you can—that gets my adrenaline pumping and I thought, ‘I can do this.’”

One attraction to the javelin for Keaton was that it’s an individual sport—based solely on how you perform and not dependent on anyone else. He said he wanted a sport where “I could be competitive mostly with myself.” He was mentored by Ethan, some Copper Hills coaches and eventually began going to a few BYU

javelin camps. He also received some private coaching. That said, his junior year success and growth caught a lot of people by surprise. He wasn’t on any other school’s radar entering the season.

“I had been competing against Whit Slack (Skyridge) who was favored in most of the meets and winning a lot of them,” Keaton said. “So I was focused on trying to beat him.”

That first win over Slack came at the Davis High meet in late April, but not until after Keaton suffered a grueling and potentially serious injury. He was hit by another javelin during warmups.

“Javelins are thrown on a different field, away from the other track events,” he said. “I’d just thrown my second warm up, was going out to get his javelin, walking on the outside of the sector, and I’m on the right side of the sector, about 120 feet away. As I’m grabbing my javelin, I’m reaching forward, and no one yells anything. Something told me to turn my body and all I remember is seeing a javelin bouncing on the ground–I don’t remember feeling too much, but my friend asked me if I was alright. He told me I had just gotten hit, but I thought it just bounced off me cause it landed sideways. I started walking, my leg feels a little weird, so I slid my hand down my leg and my middle finger went into a hole about half an inch.”

The tip of the javelin punctured his leg, hitting just

Peery captured gold and beat his nearest competitor by almost 5 feet during the state championships. (Photos courtesy of Peery family)

West Jordan track finish

Copper Hills bubbling over with ideas for anti-vaping campaign

Copper Hills High School students ran around the school building through clouds of bubbles as part of the May 17 “Blow Bubbles, Not Smoke” bubble run sponsored by the school’s nicotine prevention plan committee in an effort to promote a vape/substance-free school.

“I’d much rather walk into a bathroom having people blow bubbles instead of smoke,” one participant said.

Many students report vaping as “a big problem” in school bathrooms.

Jordan District Student Support Services Consultant Sharon Jensen said while 7% of Utah students in a self-reporting survey said they vape, the problem affects all students.

“Where's that 7% going so they can't get caught? Into the bathroom,” Jensen said. “Well, 100% of kids have to use the bathroom, and so when the 7% of kids are in there trying to vape on their bathroom break, to all of the 93% of the kids who don't vape, it just seems like someone's in there vaping every single time they're trying to use the bathroom.”

Jensen’s department encouraged secondary school staffs to come up with preventative solutions to the growing vaping problem. In response, CHHS’s prevention committee applied for a grant to fund schoolwide activities, such as the bubble run, as part of an ongoing anti-vaping campaign.

“As a school, district, and nationwide, we've seen a drastic increase in youth using substances both in and outside of school,”

CHHS Psychologist Naomi Varuso said. “With the increase in substance use, and students having substance-related offenses at school, we saw a need to implement further prevention and intervention initiatives to meet this need in our community.”

The committee hopes to increase awareness of the dangers of vaping in the school,

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

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

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

district and community with posters and activities throughout the next school year.

CHHS psychologists are looking into forming student groups for struggling students to get support and to learn about alternatives to using alcohol and drugs.

CHHS Psychologist Dustin Fullmer said psychologist-run groups could help students get to the root of their substance abuse problems.

“It stems from a lot more than just wanting to use it,” Fullmer said. “There’s usually a lot of emotional/mental health kind of stuff behind it as well.”

CHHS’s prevention committee invited students to join the prevention efforts by creating anti-vaping, smoking and drinking videos as part of a video contest. Thirty videos were submitted which highlighted problems of substance abuse and suggested healthy alternatives.

One student said, “Mine was about the anxiety you get from friends, from yourself and parents. Hiding it is not good, it just makes you want to smoke more.”

Another said, “Mine was more about the social aspect of it and how we can lose friends from it.”

The winning videos were shown to the

student body and, according to one student, had an impact.

“One of my friends said it made him rethink his smoking,” he said.

Jensen was impressed with the quality of the videos and will be utilizing some of them as an educational resource for JSD students and families as part of the district’s prevention through education. Other measures include a Substance Abuse Family Education class offered at The Jordan Family Education Center, and a unit on substance abuse in eighth and tenth grade health classes.

Vaping detectors have been installed in some school bathrooms but it is an expensive solution which will take time to implement at all secondary schools, Jensen said.

One CHHS student, who has smoked and vaped, believes that education is a better way to address the problem than an invasive

solution such as checking students’ bags for e-cigarettes.

“More like awareness of what it can do,” he said.

Jensen said parents play an integral part in substance abuse prevention.

“Especially as our young students begin to enter high school, you want to have conversations,” Jensen said. “The research is clear that if we are having steady and regular conversations about our values, then the young people in our families are much, much more likely to follow them. We can't just assume they're going to read our mind. We have to just verbally put it out there again and again.”

She recommends parents explore ParentsEmpowered.org and BeVapeFree.org for help with talking to their kids about the dangers of vaping, nicotine, marajuana and alcohol. l

Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com

Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com

Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com

Greg Tanner | greg.t@valuepagesutah.com

WEST JORDAN TEAM

Bubble run participants were given bubbles and wristbands. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

Once or twice a month, Mayor Dirk Burton of West Jordan gains a new hat to add to his collection.

Burton’s hat collection has reached a total of 550 hats, ranging from silly animal hats that flap their wings, stylish fedoras,West Jordan City ball caps, hats with a bird nest, light bulb, stars and more.

You name it, he probably has a hat like that.

It all started with a fedora gifted to him by his wife, who Burton said is supportive

The hats of Mayor Dirk Burton

By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com

of the growing collection more than 35 years later.

Since then, neighbors, friends and family have gifted him homemade and store bought hats that make them think of him.

Burton’s hats are his way of connecting with people.

He wears the hats for all different occasions like cheering up kids at the hospital in a Mickey Mouse hat, reading to kids The Cat in the Hat in his red and white striped top hat or on a private parade with his 11

(almost 12) grandchildren on a Sunday afternoon.

“That's kind of what I like to do, is make people smile,” Burton said.

While working as an electrician before becoming the mayor, Burton said that he used hats so people would remember him.

“So I'd wear these different hats, when I [went to] do estimates and bids, and they would remember who I was,” he said.

More than once, people remarked how they couldn’t take him seriously in the hats

but he brushed it off by telling them the hats were him valuing life enough to prioritize enjoying it.

“This is how I enjoy life, because I think it's important,” he said. “My crazy hats should mean that I take life very seriously. I don't want to sit back and grumble, I want to enjoy life when people grumble to me.” l

Mayor Dirk Burton stands on the stairs wearing his favorite and first hat of his collection of 550 that lines the walls behind him. (Rebecca Olds/City Journals)

Some of Burton’s hats like this flamingo one are unique because of the way the wearer can use a string to flap its wings or wave pompoms in the air. (Rebecca Olds/City Journals)

Many of Burton’s hats include different animals but aren’t the only type of hat among the collection of 550. (Rebecca Olds/City Journals)

Burton’s hats come from all over the globe including from Chile, Italy, Hawaii and China. (Rebecca Olds/ City Journals)

Friends, family and neighbors gift the hats to Burton, who receives one or two more hats a month. (Rebecca Olds/City Journals)

Perhaps his favorite purpose of the hats is to share them with his grandchildren who love to try on the hats and use them to have fun, like this Basket Case hat game. (Rebecca Olds/City Journals)

Eighteen-year-old

Chelsah Thomas designed and painted colorful murals at six elementary schools with input and help from administrators and students.

“The reason I wanted to include kids in the process, and do larger projects for the school, is so it's more than just pretty art on the wall,” she said. “I want kids to have an appreciation for their school, because I feel like when they love where they're at and they appreciate where they're at, they want to do better. It makes the school a better place and makes them a better person. And, obviously, the things I'm putting up on the wall are good values, so I'm hoping at least the values will sink in.”

Her first mural was created for Copper Canyon Elementary, where her grandma Patty Bowen is the principal.

“She asked me if there was something that I wanted, and I said, ‘Well, we have started this year with a new theme about kindness, and I would really love something that focuses on kindness, something bright, something colorful,” Bowen said.

Together, they came up with a design of the word ‘kindness’ with various colors and patterns in the letters which student council members helped paint on the gym wall.

“I just hoped it would be a strong reinforcer every day that that is an attribute that we all need to be cultivating,” Bowen said.

Bowen spread the word to her colleagues and Thomas has since completed murals at three other schools in the West/South Jordan area—Oquirrh Elementary, Columbia Elementary and Monte Vista Elementary—and at two schools in Colorado.

“Anything that will make our school look like a more inviting, fun place sounds like a great idea to me,” Columbia Elementary Principal Keith Klein said. “We had sterile white walls, and now we’ve got a neat red, white and blue message.”

The mural at Columbia Elementary School is a colorful reminder of the year’s theme “Make a Difference” and encourages students to “be grateful” and to “keep Columbia clean.”

“I had a group of sixth graders help me paint it, and I tried to talk with them a little bit about what that meant,” Thomas said.

Oquirrh Elementary Principal Jennifer Ludlow had Thomas paint the mural in the gym where all students would see it.

“We liked the idea of having a mural that was personal for the school, that goes with our Mountain Man theme, but also emphasizes one of the core values that we are teaching our students,” Ludlow said. “We want kindness to be an integral part of our school culture. When she presented the idea of Kindness Moves Mountains, we knew that was perfect for our school.”

Ludlow said many parents use it as a backdrop when taking pictures of their students at school.

Murals with morals are full of ‘value’

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Each project took a lot of time and effort, especially since Thomas normally works in sculpture.

“She came in multiple weekends to make it the way that she wanted it to be,” Klein said. “She put in a ton of time. I just want to express a big thank you to her. It's just a neat thing that she did and I’m very appreciative.”

Thomas began painting murals in local schools to beef up her portfolio when she was named Herriman High School’s 2023 Visual Arts Sterling Scholar. She continued to paint murals for the next year and a half.

“I'm waiting to go to college until after my [church] mission and I don't like the idea of a gap year, that made me really sad to think about,” she said. “So I wanted to fill it with stuff that was meaningful and that would help me, not just with portfolios or clout, but just, like, as a person. I just wanted to fill my year with service.”

The mural at Monte Vista Elementary will be her last for a while; Thomas leaves on her mission later this month. l

The mural Chelsah Thomas created at Copper Canyon Elementary School. (Photo courtesy Chelsah Thomas)

Students helped Chelsah Thomas create a mural at Columbia Elementary School based on the year’s theme. (Photo courtesy Chelsah Thomas)

Students help fill in a mural created by Chelsah Thomas for Oquirrh Elementary School. (Photo courtesy Chelsah Thomas)

A mural Chelsah Thomas created for an elementary school. (Photo courtesy of Chelsah Thomas)

A mural Chelsah Thomas created for an elementary school. (Photo courtesy of Chelsah Thomas)

West Jordan First Friday concert to feature local musician Kendrick Zane Aug. 2

By Linda Steele | l.steele@mycityjournals.com

Kendrick Zane is a local pianist, composer and singer from Oakley, Utah. He has been playing music since he was 5 years old. He has been playing professionally for 20 years. The name of his band is the Kendrick Zane Band. Kendrick has always enjoyed music. His motivation for playing music is because, “it helps me connect with myself, helps me understand my emotions better, helps me understand people better. It helps me center myself in this reality I have.”

Whether or not he is performing, he can spend hours playing music by himself because it is very therapeutic for him. “Music is a cool place to explore, there’s a lot of ideas there to explore. Music is an expression of life,” Zane said.

Zane has played all over the country. He and his guitarist friend went to the UK where they did some recording and a live demo at Abbey Road Studios, in the same exact room where the Beatles recorded all of their music in studio 2. Zane played with a guitarist in Scotland.

The biggest highlight of his career is playing to an audience that is there to listen. The audience can be a small group with a dozen people or a large room with 500 or more people. “When everybody is listening and engaged, that is where the magic happens because a performance is kind of a two-way street. It’s an energy exchange between me and the audience. What they give me I can give them back, magnified.” Zane said.

Zane’s playing will vary. He will play shows by himself, or he has a trio where he plays with a drummer and a bass player. There are times when he plays with the whole band that will include the guitarist

and a saxophone player.

“Performance puts me in the moment, and everything else disappears,” Zane said.

The style of music he plays is varied. It is a cross between Billy Joel, Steely Dan and Bruce Hornsby. He plays some jazz music and he likes old country songs, too. He loves almost all kinds of music and gets inspiration from all of it.

Zane started playing on the piano when he was 5, and he had an inkling he wanted to perform. At 7years old he started taking lessons. He would listen to his dad’s records, Liberace being one that had a big influence on him. He thought it would be amazing if he could play the piano like Liberace. He heard a live performance of Roy Clark and he could hear Clark talking to the audience. When he listened to the live recording of Clark he felt like he was there. He thought how great that would be to play for an audience like that.

Then he attended Snow College for a couple of years. In 2006 he decided to play at piano bars. He played at the piano bars then got married and had two children. He feels like family is very important and he always wanted a family.

Zane will be playing at the Viridian Center for the First Friday Concert on Aug. 2. He will play some of his favorite songs in the pop rock genre and some of his original songs. During his performances he will take requests from the audience for songs they want him to play. Be ready to request a song you would like him to play. It is a unique and fun experience to hear him perform. You can go to YouTube and hear his music at Kendrick Zane or Kendrick Zane Band.

Go to slcolibrary.org to find out more about the First Friday Concerts. l

Kendrick Zane playing the piano looks like he is in the moment (Photo courtesy Lex Anderson)

Kendrick Zane playing the piano, you see him singing (Photo courtesy Lex Anderson)

Kendrick Zane playing the piano (Photo courtesy Lex Anderson)

below the femur. Had he not turned, it would have shattered his femur. The athlete who threw the javelin never apologized to him. Keaton was treated at the site with “bandaids and some Neosporin” and finished the meet with a deep wound. He won gold and threw a new personal best of 177-7.

He took the next 10 days off without practice, cautious not to tear the wound open. At state he was seeded second behind Slack, and it was on his third throw where he hit 183-4. That throw stood up through six rounds of competition, and Keaton took home the gold.

Now he’s already training for next year, focusing on core work such as lifting weights and doing yoga. His goal is to develop a “higher release–get more elevation on the javelin which will increase my distances.” His desire is to compete in college, preferably BYU where his two older brothers have gone to school.

That training is just part of what keeps him busy. He’s the student body vice president this coming year at Copper Hills, editor of the student yearbook, serves as chair of the West Jordan City Youth Council and is president of the DECA club at the school.

“Once you win a state championship, particularly when you’re a junior, everyone is coming after me,” he said. “That pushes me harder to win state again. I’ve got to be ready.” l

inches to win the state 6A boys javelin title at BYU in May. (Photos courtesy of Peery family)

7 outdoor concert venues perfect for summer nights

By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com

Justimagine a warm summer evening, the sun starting to set and sitting on a grassy lawn listening to live music—this is the epitome of summer and community for some. It’s a time to unwind, listen to good music and enjoy the beauty of summer.

Here’s a list of seven outdoor venues in or near the Salt Lake Valley with live music to enjoy this summer, some even offering free shows for the public.

First Credit Union hosts live events all throughout the warmer months. Their 2024 lineup includes artists Niall Horan, A Day To Remember, Neil Young, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Sam Hunt.

5. DEER VALLEY SNOW PARK OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER (PARK CITY)

Cost of tickets: $21+

✓

✓

1.

SANDY AMPHITHEATER

(SANDY)

Cost of tickets: $39+

Summer’s playlist at the Sandy Amphitheater will include the voices of Norah Jones, Air Supply, Koe Wetzel, the Old Crow Medicine Show, the Brothers Osborne and more.

Several free events are offered throughout the summer, including the “Jazz in the Park'' that falls on May 18 this year and the venue’s celebration of its 25th anniversary in August, with more details to be released later this summer.

2. RED BUTTE GARDEN AMPHITHEATER (SALT LAKE CITY)

Cost of tickets: $40+

Featuring artists Kaleo, Mat Kearney, Stray Cats, Slash, The Revivalists and more, there’s plenty of concerts to enjoy at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheater. The whole lineup can be found online.

3. GALLIVAN CENTER (SALT LAKE CITY)

Cost of tickets: $50+

With events such as the Twilight Concert Series and 2024 Utah Blues Festival hosted at the Gallivan Center, there’s plenty going on this summer. The summer lineup includes local artists like Alli Brown and international musicians like Laufey.

4. UTAH FIRST CREDIT UNION AMPHITHEATRE (WEST VALLEY CITY)

Cost of tickets: $46+

Formerly known as USANA, the Utah

From groovy ’70s music to sophisticated classical by Tchaikovsky, and anything in between, Deer Valley offers a little bit for everyone all summer long at a good price. The “Disney in Concert: Once Upon a Time” event is sure to be a family-wide function.

6. MIDVALE OUTDOOR STAGE IN THE PARK (MIDVALE)

Cost of tickets: free

A free concert series created by the Midvale Arts Council will be playing every Friday night at 7 p.m., running from June 16 until Aug. 4 and sponsored by Midvale City, Salt Lake County, and Utah Department of Arts and Museums.

“MAC is grateful for [our sponsors’] generous support of our programs which allow us to bring the concert series back year after year at no cost to the community,” MAC treasurer Stephanie Johnson said.

“We encourage people to bring a picnic dinner, blankets, and/or camp chairs and enjoy a great evening of music and community.”

The concert will always be family friendly and cycle through different genres of music and different artists, with food trucks nearby.

7. THE KENLEY AMPHITHEATER (LAYTON)

Cost of tickets: free

Every Sunday starting on June 2 at 7 p.m., the Kenley Amphitheater will host a weekly outdoor concert free to the public. The lineup includes local musicians such as the Riverton Jazz Band, Clayton Smalley and The Reel Folk.

Keaton Peery threw for a new school record of 183 feet 4

Concertgoers listen to a live concert at Kenley Amphitheater. (Courtesy Davis Arts Council)

Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley honored for commitment to patient safety

By Christine McSweeney

Each and every day, our incredible physicians and nurses work relentlessly to uphold our values of excellence, innovation and compassion. Central to this effort is our unyielding commitment to the safety of our patients.

That is why we are honored at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley to receive recognition from The Leapfrog Group with an “A” grade for Hospital Safety in Spring 2024. Leapfrog is a national nonprofit watchdog that assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.

Our recognition of an “A” grade at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley belongs to our exceptional physicians and care teams who constantly strive to improve our care and protect patients from preventable harm. We are grateful for the dedication of all our caregivers to the safety of our patients and ensuring they are protected at every stage of their care journey.

“Everyone who works at these Mountain Region hospitals should be proud of this ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It takes complete dedication of everyone at every level, and an ironclad commitment to putting patients first. It is our patients who illuminate not just our common spirit, but our shared mission to improve health, advance social justice, and make known the healing presence of God. We are proud to serve all in our communities, and nothing is more important than the safety of every person who comes through our doors. Together, we will achieve our vision of a healthier future for all.

When things go wrong,

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

By Christine McSweeney CEO, Holy Cross Hospital Jordan Valley

Copper Hills’ Steele impresses with third place showing at state in hurdles

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

From May 14–16, many of the state’s top high school track and field athletes converged on Brigham Young University, displaying their talent and grit. In the challenging hurdling events, Copper Hills athlete Caleb Steele was among the best performers at the meet.

Steele, a senior, capped a stellar season and career by taking third in the 110-meter hurdles with a finals time of 14.84 seconds. This was an improvement from his 14.95 seconds showing in the preliminary round. Steele was 1.04 seconds behind the winner, Josh Hamblin of Weber.

Steele also took part in the 300 hurdles where he finished 14th in the preliminaries, completing the event in 43.34 seconds.

For Steele, taking third in the 110 was a satisfying way to end his time at Copper Hills. He’ll always be grateful for the chance he had to be on the Grizzlies’ team and bond with other athletes. He loves track and field, especially how competitive it is and how he and his teammates challenged one another at every practice and meet.

“I really enjoy the team aspect and the competitiveness of meets,” he said. “I love to be with teammates and spend time with friends, especially when competing at a big race. I love the competition and racing people every week, trying to do better every single time. The community of friendship is one of the best things. Everyone can come to track and find a friend and have a good experience, and I love that about track.”

Steele ran track at Copper Hills all three years he was at the school. He started the year before as a freshman, largely because his sister ran track. He had always played baseball, and his coach encouraged him to try track because of how fast he was.

As a track athlete, Steele believes he brought many assets to the team. Not only did his speed and skill benefit the Grizzlies, but he was also a good leader and example. Steele was the type of teammate who would lift others and never get too down or discouraged, even when things may not have gone someone’s way. He also makes sure to keep a good perspective and enjoy running track, not just treat it like a task.

“I bring a hardworking attitude and leadership to the team as some of my strengths,” he said. “I am really motivated to work hard and want others to work hard, too. I try to lead out and be a good leader among teammates with encouragement and pointers. I try to help everyone be motivated and have fun.”

Steele’s senior season was one of his best. Heading into the season, Steele wanted to improve his times and set some per-

sonal records. In the weeks leading up to the state meet, he said, “I know that I have a lot more to give and want to decrease my times more before state happens,” he said.

He also had lofty goals for himself and for his team.

“My goals for the season had always been to set big [personal records] but more importantly make it to state and go for the win,” he said. “I want to win state as an individual in one of my events. For a team, I want us to win region and send as many athletes to state championships as possible. This has been my goals the whole season and I have worked for it the whole time.”

Copper Hills had stiff competition at state, as many fellow Class 6A teams were deep and talented. The Grizzlies finished the state meet in 13th place out of 18 teams. On the girls’ side, Copper Hills placed 11th out of 17 teams. Combined, the Grizzlies were a respectable 12th out of 18 squads with 44 points. Steele and the boys garnered 23 points, one less than Pleasant Grove. The boys were only five points away from cracking the top 10. Steele was pleased with how he did at state and appreciated the efforts of his teammates at the state meet, especially considering the caliber of athletes they were up against.

Like all high school athletes whose prep careers eventually come to an end, Steele is now looking to the future. He has lofty goals and aspirations on and off the track. Next up, he will serve a volunteer two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will be heading to the Guatemala Quetzaltenago Mission. Once he returns from his mission, Steele wants to resume track and field. He hopes to attend Brigham Young University and run track for the Cougars.

As Steele reflects on his time at Copper Hills as a student and track star, he is grateful for the support others have given him. Steele thanks his coaches and family for his success and for being there for him during the good times and the challenging ones. He said he couldn’t have achieved his goals without their influence and help throughout his career as a Grizzly.

“My mentors have been Coach Edelman and both of my parents,” he said. “My coach has been with me through it all and has done so much for me to teach me to be the best I can. My parents have supported me when I’ve succeeded and failed and have always motivated me and helped me. I owe my success to my coach and my parents.” l

Copper Hills hurdler Caleb Steele (left in blue) placed third in the Class 6A state meet this past May. (Photo courtesy Caleb Steele)

Gas Can Exchange aims to make a difference in Utah’s air quality

By Linda Steele | l.steele@mycityjournals.com

Rio Tinto Kennecott, Chevron and Salt Lake County Health Department have partnered with Utah Clean Air to provide a gas can exchange. Residents are encouraged to exchange their old, leaky gas cans for new ones to help improve air quality.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with UCAIR and the gas can exchange in supporting Utah households with opportunities to reduce their emissions.”

Jenny Esker said, Rio Tinto Kennecott air quality principal advisor and UCAIR board member.

UCAIR has been around since 2012. They started the gas can exchange in 2015. Since that time they have exchanged about 13,000 old leaky gas cans for new, EPA-approved cans. On June 8 UCAIR held the annual gas can exchange. In the fall they will do a leaf blower exchange where you can turn in your leaf blower for an electric one. Running a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour releases the same emissions as driving from Ogden to Disneyland. An electric powered leaf blower is better for our air quality.

“We can help keep Utah's air clean by reducing our emissions and be part of our collective work that we need to continue here to improve our air quality. Roughly 70% of the emissions that cause our inversions and our summer ozone are our cars and homes. We as individuals play an important role in reducing emissions and creating a healthier environment,” Lindsie Smith said, executive director of UCAIR.

Old gas cans leak up to 1,400 tons of volatile organic compounds every year This is a huge cause for the air quality problems in Utah. By participating in the gas can exchange residents can help the air quality in Utah.

Breathing clean air is essential for our health. Poor air quality can cause coughing and lung congestion. Air pollution has been known to cause strokes and heart attacks. Breathing clean air can lessen occurrences of heart disease, strokes, lung cancer and acute lung diseases such as asthma.

In addition to participating in programs such as the gas can exchange and leaf blower exchange, there are things we can all do to help improve the air quality. Limiting idling of our cars, carpooling, working from home, using public transit and adjusting our thermostats can make a difference. Many employers are more keen now on letting their employees work from home on bad air quality days. The mountains in the Salt Lake Valley create a bowl and cool air gets trapped, causing an air inversion, which traps pollution as well. The pollution doubles during an inversion. The air will clear up with a storm or heavy winds. Working from home will help with clean air. If you can't telework there are other ways to help, like riding your bike, skipping that extra trip, planning ahead, trip chaining or having an alternate work schedule.

The Department of Environmental Quality is improving Utah’s land, air and water by balancing and regulating data;

they also use data they get from UCAIR. DAQ is responsible for providing air quality data for Utah.

UCAIR was founded by Gov. Gary Herbert and Ted Wilson. It was a great bi-partisan idea to bring people together so that we can all come together and make a change.

To find out more about helping with clean air visit UCAIR.org. “In addition to our exchange programs, we have other educational opportunities, such as a grants program to support small projects in the community that are innovative and have people reduce their emissions,” Smith said. l

The annual UCAIR Gas Can Exchange was held on June 8. Residents are encouraged to trade in old, leaky gas cans for a new, EPA-approved can at no cost. (Photo courtesy Jenny Snyder)

Since its inception in 2015, UCAIR’s Gas Can Exchange program has exchanged about 13,000 leaky gas cans for new ones. (Photo courtesy Jenny Snyder)

Rio Tinto Kennecott, Chevron and Salt Lake County Health Department have partnered with Utah Clean Air to provide free, EPA-approved gas cans in exchange for leaky cans. (Linda Steele/City Journals)

Rio Tinto Kennecott, Chevron and Salt Lake County Health Department have partnered with Utah Clean Air to provide free, EPA-approved gas cans in exchange for leaky cans. (Linda Steele/City Journals)

Serving Families Since 1885

LARKIN MORTUARY HONORS FAMILY PIONEER HERITAGE

Larkin Mortuary is one of the most respected funeral homes in the Salt Lake Valley. Its pioneer founder, George William Larkin, arrived in Utah in 1863, having emigrated from Cambridge, England. He started the Larkin tradition of arranging funerals in 1885. Today, with seven generations of history serving Utah families, four mortuaries, cremation facilities and two cemeteries, Larkin Mortuary remains locally family owned and managed.

Larkin’s vertically integrated services also provide a premier floral shop, monument, urn and vault manufacturing facilities, along with beautiful memorial meeting and luncheon facilities. Multilingual staff honor and facilitate important traditions of many cultures.

LOCAL FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

West Jordan works to replace lead and copper pipes with help from resident survey

By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com

Wasyour home built in or before 1979? While lead and copper water lines were outlawed in West Jordan in 1979 due to health concerns of lead in the water supply, it’s possible that homes built before then contain lead or copper lines with the potential to harm residents.

“We're lucky. We're a newer city. And so this isn't something that most people have to worry about, but if you own an older home, you'll want to be careful,” Greg Davenport said, West Jordan public utility director.

But “just because you were built before 1979,” he added, it “doesn't mean that you automatically have lead or a copper problem.”

For the last month, West Jordan’s Utilities Department has been giving public notice with door signs inviting residents to take a survey and look at their water lines before October.

“We're trying to make it as easy as possible so that we can get the best information possible from our residents and back to our residents,” Davenport said, adding that the city can provide testing kits and walk residents through the process, and even direct residents in the direction of receiving grants if necessary.

As of mid-June, no lead pipes have been found in the mainlines from the city, Davenport said, but the city is working to ensure that no private household lines do.

Marie Magers, West Jordan’s public information officer, said the city’s efforts were spurred in response to a larger push from the federal government to continue with a plan launched in 2021.

Three years ago, the Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Plan created a partnership on the local, state and federal levels “to deliver clean drinking water, replace lead pipes and remediate lead paint” before 2031.

Questions on the survey ask for the waterline material, install date, the resident’s source of information and a photo of the line, and provides more information on how to determine that information.

Residents answering the questions on the survey will help West Jordan create a map of lead pipes mandated by the federal government and help the city plan for the replacement of any lead or copper water lines that could contaminate the water and hurt residents’ health.

Davenport and his team are working to map 26,000 service laterals throughout the city before the October deadline, which is not a small task.

“There are plenty of resources available for people who are concerned about this, so they should call us if they're concerned, or

Notices like this one are placed on doorsteps to inform and connect residents to a survey which determines whether they have lead water lines that need to be replaced for cleaner water. (Courtesy West Jordan City)

We’re trying to make it as easy as possible so that we can get the best information possible from our residents and back to our residents.

Greg Davenport

check our website, or check the website for the EPA,” Davenport said. “No one needs to be worried because they don't have information.”

And if lead water lines are found, Davenport said not to worry about cost.

“The federal government's taking it very seriously, and there will be grants available for people if they have a problem that they can apply for after this survey is done,” he said. l

West Jordan seniors finish baseball careers with tough playoff losses

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

High careers came to an end this past May for numerous outgoing senior athletes. For the West Jordan baseball team, six seniors helped the 2024 squad to eight wins in Region 4 and a fourth-place finish.

The Jaguars were 8-10 in Region 4 and went 10-17 overall on the year. West Jordan’s season came to an end with a pair of one-run losses to Alta in the super regionals of the Class 5A state tournament, May 11 and 13.

Though the Jaguars didn’t advance in the tournament, seniors Jameson Jensen, Ty Gines, Mason Johnson, Talan Baldwin, Austin Burr and Zach Jones were proud of the way everyone competed and gave it their all. In turn, head coach Travis Johnson was happy with his senior leaders for providing the play on the field and the examples on and off it for the younger players to follow.

Reflecting on their careers at West Jordan, the graduated seniors will fondly remember their time in the program. Mason Johnson, a centerfielder who led the team in home runs this past season, experienced a wide range of emotions during his time on the team.

“The best part about being at West Jordan is being able to experience what it’s like to feel on top of the world and be at the bottom of the barrel,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the players that we can work together with even if it’s not very many, and it’s amazing to create a new culture of winning culture at West Jordan.”

First baseman Gines, who had better than a 90% fielding percentage as a senior, echoed Mason Johnson’s comments about establishing a winning mindset in the Jaguars’ program.

“The best part about playing for West Jordan is the culture we are building,” he said. “It hasn’t been easy, but it has been fun turning our program around.”

This group of departed seniors had some rough patches and challenges during the past four seasons. Still, players such as Baldwin, a catcher, wouldn’t have wanted to be on a team with any other group of teammates.

“I loved the fact that I wouldn’t choose any other high school team to be a part of between ups and downs and wins and losses,” Baldwin said.

The West Jordan seniors were hoping to make it further into the postseason. The super regionals losses to Alta were heartbreakers for the Jaguars. Game one was a 3-2 loss on the road, with Alta getting the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Burr had three strikeouts in a losing cause. Two days later, with a chance to stay alive, West Jordan suffered another tough loss, this time a 4-3 defeat. The Jaguars scored three runs in the second inning and had a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh. But Alta brought in two runs to clinch the win and end West Jordan’s season. Jensen pitched a fine game, retiring seven batters. Jones had three RBI and a double for his team.

As a left-handed pitcher, Jensen was an asset to the team. He said he worked hard all year to improve his pitching as well as his hitting. Meanwhile, his teammate Gines worked hard to maintain a positive attitude and motivate the other Jaguars, even if things weren’t going well.

“My strengths as a player are I play solid defense at first base, and I hit the ball hard,” Gines said. “As a senior, I also tried to keep everyone positive and in the game.”

Baldwin is another player who continued to try his best regardless of what the scoreboard said or what his team’s record was. His mindset rubbed off on others on the team.

“Some strengths that I brought to the team was giving my all and best effort in catching, blocking, throwing and hitting no matter the score or even though it may not be perfect,” he said. “I feel I brought the team that extra effort when needed the most.”

With the season and school year over, the graduated seniors have important decisions to make. Some of them reflected on how much their baseball careers helped prepare them for the next phase in life. Baldwin will serve a volunteer mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Afterward, he wants to pursue a degree in business and own a landscaping company. Jensen plans to become an electrician. Gines is hoping to play baseball in college and eventually go to trade school to work in the HVAC field. Mason Johnson, too, wants to play at the next level. While in college, he intends to study business. One day, he wants to teach his own kids the game.

All the members of West Jordan’s group of recently graduated seniors are thankful for the support they received from coaches and family.

“My mentors have been my dad, grandpa, old super league coaches, pony league coaches and my high school coaches,” Jensen said.

“My biggest mentors have been my parents, as well as my oldest brother by being there always and teaching me how to become my best version of myself,” Baldwin said.

For Mason Johnson, his examples include his grandfather, who was a vocal supporter, as well as others within the West Jordan program.

“My mentors through high school have been my family, my brothers, my teammates and coach Johnson,” he said. “I also really appreciate everything my mom has been able to do for me. I would also like to appreciate my grandparents, who are able to come and support me. And I’d like to give credit to my Grandpa Demke, who would always come and support and yell in case I ever needed him to at the umpires. I’d like to give credit to all of my teachers, coaches and teammate who were able to help me along the way to make myself the best athlete I can be.” l

Students explore historical impact of past Olympic/Paralympic Games

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

For the first time in Olympic history, an equal number of male and female athletes will be participating in the Olympic games this year.

Dani Smuin and Kora Weldon, recently graduated sixth graders from Jordan Hills Elementary, said this milestone is one of many that have occurred since female athletes were first allowed to participate in the 1900 Olympic Games held in Paris, France. That first year, only 22 women competed, and in only five events.

“It was cool that as the years went on in the Olympics, that the number kept increasing,” Kora said. “And this year for the Olympics, the number of women and men athletes are the exact same—they're equal—so that's cool.”

Dani and Kora explored the effect the 1900 games had on the growth of women’s sports for their “Turning Points in History” themed National History Day project. Dani, who plays volleyball and basketball, and Kora, who plays competitive soccer, felt angry when their research revealed people used to think women were too fragile to play sports.

“If the 1900 Olympics didn't happen, it wouldn't have encouraged more women to play in sports outside of the Olympics, and then we probably wouldn't be able to do sports, and we'd probably just be embroidering and playing instruments all day,” Dani said.

The National History Day contest encourages students to research a historical topic from the perspective of the annual theme, and present it as an essay, exhibit, performance, documentary film or website.

Dani and Kora’s project won top prizes at school, region and state levels of competition and, in June, they competed with 3,000 other 6-12 grade students at the national competition at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Fifty-nine Utah students attended the national competition, including two other Jordan Hills Elementary students—Avyukt Agasthiya and Rakkshith Suresh—who won an Arts & Culture Award at state and qualified for nationals with their project “Walt Disney’s Impact on Animation.”

Another Jordan Hills team—Rhodes Collins and Simon Engh—won an Arts and Culture Award for their performance piece, “The History of the Electric Guitar” but did not advance to state.

Only a few other local area schools competed at the state level of competition.

Mountain Heights Academy senior AnaSofia Bravo won an state Honorable Mention for her website, and one of the school’s teachers, Abbie Butler, was selected as Utah’s 2024 Mike Johnson Teacher of the

Year for the senior division.

Several Copper Canyon Elementary students won awards at the state National History Day competition, but were too young to qualify for the national competition. Ember Fardella, Farore Mattson, Geneve Neth and Lillee Pendleton won the Women's History Award for their exhibit; Chloe Brands, Evan Nickel, Hayden Yorgason and Jaxon Gardiner won the Utah History Award for their exhibit; Greyson Ashton, Josh Page, Michael Birdsall and Zach Farnsworth won the STEM Award for their website; Laiyah Lopez, Nimilote Teu and Santiago Bolivar won the American West Award for their website; and Lizzie Hernandez won the Civil and Social Rights Award for her documentary.

“National History Day challenges students in a multifaceted way that is both educational and exciting, fostering a love for learning and history that can last a lifetime,” Copper Canyon Elementary teacher and NHD coach Holli Mattingly said. “This is what NHD has done for our students. They overcome their fears and obstacles in learning as they dive deeply, work collaboratively and defend their projects to judges at each of the levels. They learn that they can absolutely do hard things! It is one of the biggest intrinsic motivators I have seen in my classroom. Students are so proud of their work and are excited to share it.”

She is impressed with how well fourth, fifth and sixth graders did on their projects for the National History Day competitions, which are designed for older students.

“When they come into fourth grade, they can't even use the Google workspace or Google Drive—they don't even know how, so we have to teach them all of that before they can even start their project,” she said.

Students learn advanced research and writing skills and improve their critical thinking and presentation skills.

“They go from being able to barely write sentences and paragraphs to they can write an entire essay, create a website, or create a documentary by the end of the year because of History Day,” Mattingly said.

Ten-year-old Lizzie Hernandez’s state winning documentary about the first Paralympics was her first attempt at film-making. She edited clips of interviews and footage with voice-overs explaining the impact the event has had on differently-abled athletes.

“The Paralympics were a turning point because it helped people that had disabilities get included more, and helped change the way of sports and society,” Lizzie said. “I hope that people who saw my documentary got inspired by what I taught about the Paralympics and that they treat others with kindness.” l

Hometown exchange inspires personal change

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

SaltLake resident Bre Albertine spent a week in New York City this summer with a group of peers from all over the country as part of the American Exchange Project.

“It was very immersive with all the other students that were there, but also with other cultures, and different parts of New York—I really felt like I got to know the city,” Albertine said.

AEP founder David McCullough III created the domestic exchange program in 2019 as a research project to heal a divided country.

“I think the emotional/social benefits of the program are enormous,” he said. “And then also as a way of breeding a more civil society, I think the program could be a real antidote to polarization.”

After their exchange experiences, students report feeling more optimistic about the future of America and increased faith in their fellow Americans.

“We see them becoming less biased toward people who are different from them or disagree with them,” McCullough said. “We see them more excited about hanging out with people who are different from them.”

This summer, 500 students are participating in one of the 62 all-expense paid AEP exchanges hosted in 54 different towns across the country.

Albertine participated as a recent graduate of Mountain Height Academy, which sent 14 recent graduates on exchange and hosted 12 students for a week in June.

MHA graduate AnaSofia Bravo, who lives in Brigham City, was assigned an exchange to New Mexico. Initially, she was worried because she’d heard it has the highest crime rate in the U.S. but she was excited to experience a cave full of bats and to learn about

Native American culture.

Similarly, some exchange participants had concerns about coming to West Jordan, Utah.

Zofia Kosakowski, from the small town of Fairlee, Vermont, said her mom was concerned about the cults and religions she’d heard were in Utah.

“I was like, that's the whole point of AEP, to go there and see and break all these stereotypes,” she said.

Nathanael Hahn, from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, said Utahn’s weren’t like what he had expected.

“Most of them seem pretty normal, even the Mormon ones,” Hahn said. “Everyone has been very nice.”

As a political science major, Hahn was interested in getting to know people with different politics, cultures and religions. “It's important to have an understanding of what matters to people and what they think needs to change in this country,” he said.

Those from small cities were surprised by how condensed the cities were and how many highways connected them, and those from big cities were surprised by the close proximity to nature.

Amaris Hammiel Carter, who lives in downtown Los Angeles, California, loved staying in the foothills of her host family’s Herriman neighborhood.

“I'm a city girl through and through, but being sent to Utah, it was definitely a really cool experience to see just all the nature, specifically the Jensen’s home was right near the mountains—like they were next door neighbors,” she said.

Carter initially thought the exchange would be a fun way to spend a week of sum-

mer but it ended up changing her perspective.

“Seeing how people are in a state that I'm very unfamiliar with, it kind of shifted my thinking about traveling the country that I live in, and maybe to not be as afraid of what I expect I might come across, and more so, just being open to experiencing different things, and just trying to be more of an open-minded person,” she said.

Teresa Akagi, who has been the AEP program coordinator for MHA for two years, said the participants form strong friendships through spending time together and through prompted activities which encourage participants to share personal experiences and beliefs to connect at a deeper level.

She said by the end of the exchange, they don’t want to leave each other.

With input from MHA students, and donations from local businesses, Akagi put together a full itinerary to give exchange students

a true Utah experience and met the program’s four category requirements of professional development, service, cultural immersion and community events.

During their one week visit, the exchange students, along with local students, went hiking, rafting and watched the sunset on the Salt Flats. They toured HAFB’s museum, Union train station, the state capitol, Mrs. Cavanaugh’s Chocolate Factory and a radio station. They went to Lagoon, a REAL soccer game, Olympic Park, saw a show at Hale Centre Theatre, met with Utah politicians, got drinks at Swig, made blankets for an animal shelter and were gifted blankets on a tour of Minky Couture.

MHA and American Fork High School are currently the only Utah schools participating in AEP, but McCullough is working to expand the program in Utah. l

The twelve exchange students formed close friendships with each other and with local young people while sightseeing all over the Wasatch Front. (Photo courtesy of Teresa Akagi.)

Rafting down the Provo River was a highlight of exchange week. (Photo courtesy of Teresa Akagi.)

Exchange students pose for a photo shoot on the Salt Flats. (Photo courtesy of Teresa Akagi.)

Because of local business donations and discounts, Mountain Heights Academy was able to take exchange students on pricey activities such as a professional soccer game. (Photo courtesy of Teresa Akagi.)

The man behind the class—emergency manager Jeff Mulcahy prepares residents ‘to help themselves’ in a disaster

West Jordan Emergency Manager, Jeff Mulcahy, graduated with a degree in emergency and disaster management.

That came after nearly 32 years in the Air Force, where he served as public affairs manager, an airborne linguist speaking Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Spanish, and Command Post Chief.

He’s volunteered with disaster relief agencies like the Red Cross and Team Rubicon.

Now he teaches West Jordan residents how to take care of themselves in disasters and emergencies of every kind, using an “all hazards” approach.

“I think people don’t know that we offer it and I also think people don’t know that West Jordan has an emergency manager,” said Marie Magers, West Jordan Public Information Officer.

Mulcahy was hired just more than two years ago after working with emergency planning for Sandy City and Unified Fire Authority.

At the beginning of his time at West Jordan, he taught a program for volunteers in the community called the “Community Emergency Response Team,” or CERT. Currently there are no active CERT teams in the city.

Instead, he teaches a free class on the last

By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com

Thursday of every month to prepare residents to “take care of themselves until the cavalry arrives” when disasters or emergencies hit.

“It's going to be hard for all of our people—who are also victims of the disaster—to respond immediately because they're busy trying to take care of their families and their houses just like everybody else,” Mulcahy said.

The city is not equipped to give every resident water, food and supplies, Mulcahy said, leaving the responsibility to each resident to take care of themselves for a time.

“I want to provide them with the tools that they can use to prepare themselves,” Mulcahy said. “The more people that are prepared, that's the less people that I have to worry about as an emergency manager.”

With each month featuring a new topic and new speakers that Mulcahy vets from residents, he aims to “keep it fresh,” reduce repetition, and get residents a more comprehensive emergency preparedness education.

Previous classes have focused on the city’s earthquake potential, being hygienic in a disaster, how police will react in a disaster, how to stop bleeding, debris management and more.

In the coming months, big things are

Karen Thomas presents at a 2022 West Jordan monthly emergency management course at Fire Station 53 on “Rebound in 72,” teaching residents what to do in the first 72 seconds, the first 72 minutes and the first 72 hours of a disaster. (Courtesy Jeff Mulcahy)

coming for the class including a course on GIS mapping on August 22 and a mock emergency roleplay exercise on September 26 that residents won’t want to miss.

No registration is required, residents only need to show up. Classes are held in the city

hall community room the last Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., excluding July and December. If residents are unable to attend in person, the class will be available on Zoom and recorded. l

West Jordan softball finishes season with eye-opening showing in state tournament

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

At this past season’s Class 5A state softball tournament, the West Jordan Jaguars more than held their own.

West Jordan made it just two games from the state finals and completed a successful season with a record of 15-10. West Jordan tied Cyprus for second place in Region 4 with a 7-3 mark. For their efforts, the Jaguars were seeded eighth in the state tournament and got a bye in the opening round regionals, a best-of-three series.

In the super regionals, to start their playoff run, the Jaguars matched up against a familiar opponent.

The Jaguars drew region foe Cyprus, which they beat once and lost to once in two regular-season meetings. The playoff meeting went West Jordan’s way, as the Jaguars won a pair of games to advance. First, West Jordan prevailed at home on May 16 by the score of 4-2. West Jordan got eight hits and allowed only two in the win. All four Jaguar runs came in the first inning. Rita Tavita had a great game on the mound, getting the win and striking out seven batters. Meanwhile, she hit a double and had an RBI from the plate. Lafiana Fifita also had a double and an RBI, while Abigail Bunker doubled. Kimberlin Christenson hit a triple and drove in a run.

The following day, West Jordan advanced to bracket play.

The Jaguars had an easier time in game two, winning 9-3 on the strength of a five-run fifth inning. West Jordan had 11 hits and got another excellent outing from Tavita. The junior did just about everything, hitting two home runs, getting two RBI and striking out eight batters. The Jaguars were hitting with power and precision, evidenced by their five home runs. Andrea Tagovailoa, Isabella Knight and Fifita also had home runs. Tagovailoa brought in three runs with her efforts.

Top seed Spanish Fork was next on May 21, but the Jaguars weren’t about to back down from the powerful Dons.

West Jordan played admirably against a team that would eventually go on to win the 5A title. The Jags got up 2-0 early with a pair of first-inning runs. That was all they could muster, however, though they held Spanish Fork to six hits. Tagovailoa had two RBI, and Arianna Fjeldsted hit a double.

To stave off elimination, West Jordan needed a win later in the day. The Jaguars got one—and it was a sweet victory.

The Jaguars defeated Region 4 champion Taylorsville 10-3, giving the Warriors their first loss against a region foe all season. West

Jordan had fallen to Taylorsville three times on the season but played its best at the right time. The Jaguars got three runs in a big sixth inning to go up 10-3, where the lead stayed for good. Tavita had seven strikeouts and got the victory on the mound. She also hit a home run and had three RBI. But the day belonged to Tagovailoa, who slammed two home runs and drove in five runs. Knight also hit a home run to go along with her two RBI.

That’s as far as the Jaguars got.

West Jordan then faced Box Elder for the right to play in the semifinals against Spanish Fork. But the Jaguars came up short against the Region 5 Bees, losing 9-4. It was 3-2 West Jordan as the bottom of the fourth inning started. That’s when the Bees went on a tear, outscoring West Jordan 7-1 the rest of the way. In defeat, Tavita turned away eight batters. Tagovailoa hit a home run and had three RBI. Knight also hit a home run, and she added a triple as well. Fjeldsted hit a double.

First-year head coach McHailee Danner had a lot to be proud of this past season. Now, the coach can look ahead to 2025 where, on paper, the team could be even stronger. The Jaguars bring back a quartet of incoming seniors— Tavita, Tagovailoa, Fjeldsted and Fififta—who should be big factors in the coming season. l

Medallus Medical Membership is a simple membership program to all of our 8 clinics. Members can receive discounted medical services at $10/visit at fee in exchange for a monthly membership fee:

• $50 / month (1 member)

• $75 / month (party of 2)

• $100 / month (family of 3)

• $120 / month (family of 4 to 6)

*$25 additional per person (family of 7 to 12) $20 registration fee – 12-month contract

Smith, Masuisui complete strong season for Copper Hills boys tennis

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

The Class 6A boys tennis field, as usual, was deep and talented this past season. Any given match is a grueling, challenging task. Copper Hills’ tennis players experienced this very thing this past season. Not only was Region 2 competitive, but the foes at the state tournament posted formidable tests.

The Grizzlies may not have contended for the state title, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have standout performances this past season.

Copper Hills placed 16th out of 18 teams at the state tournament, held May 15 and 17 at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. Still, the Grizzlies represented at the tournament in four of the five positions, including at second doubles where the tandem of Spencer Smith and Myles Masuisui were solid all year.

Smith was happy with the season and how he played. He and Masuisui took first in region in second doubles. Head coach Eddie Moura counted on the duo all season for strong play and leadership. He had good things to say about their postseason efforts.

“They had a great season,” Moura said. “They performed well at state after winning the region tournament.”

Smith said he enjoyed his teammates

GRIEF HAS NO TIMELINE

and appreciated the coaching he got this season.

“This season was a lot of fun,” he said. “My performance was so much better than when I first started playing. I was able to work with my team and coach to improve my skills as a player and as a person. Some of my biggest accomplishments was placing first in our region, playing as first varsity and second varsity and making it to the second round of state.”

In the second round of the 6A state tournament, the duo faced a tough test against a seventh-seeded pair from Weber. Coming in as the 10th seed, Smith and Masuisui won game one against the foes from Weber, 7-6 but then fell in sets two and three 6-1, 7-5, ending their season.

Despite the loss, Smith didn’t hang his head. He maintains a positive mindset. He especially enjoyed playing alongside Masuisui. The duo pushed each other all season to be at their best. Even when times were tough, the pair gave it their all and stayed optimistic.

“I loved playing with Myles,” Smith said. “Me and him both love to win. We were very encouraging to each other and knew our strengths and weaknesses well. Myles taught me the importance of hard work and to con-

tinue to push even though it might be an uphill battle.”

A senior, Smith served as one of the team’s four captains along with Masuisui, Jaron Hiller and Brigham Burton. One of the reasons Moura chose him as a captain was because of his leadership. Smith was also a hard worker and an encouraging teammate.

“One of my strengths as a player and a teammate is to continually work hard,” Smith said. “Putting in effort to improve each day and encouraging my teammates and getting encouraged by them made all the difference during the season.”

Now that he has graduated, Smith is moving onto the next phase in life. He will soon head to Cote D’Ivoire to serve a volunteer mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Smith also appreciates the people who have made a difference in his life, both in his tennis career and as a student.

“My mentors also impacted me during the season and through my life,” he said. “My dad has taught me the importance of hard work and effort. My coach has taught me how to be a better player, teammate and person. [Masuisui] is a good example to me of always trying your best.” l

Eye Center of West Jordan Celebrates its Opening with Ribbon-Cutting

We are excited to have the chance to serve West Jordan residents and others with our new facility, with services for routine eye exams, contact lenses, medical visits, an optical shop and even same-day single vision glasses. From infants to seniors, we are happy to help with your eye care needs, whether it be an eye emergency, diabetic eye exam, pink eye, specialty contacts, or simply a check to say your eyes look well inside and out. We care about your eye care.

See our website at eyecenterofwestjordan.com for pricing questions. Available for after-hours emergencies. Come see the difference!

(801) 561-2020

7759 S 4800 W Ste I West Jordan, UT 84084

Copper Hills’ Spencer Smith wrapped up his tennis career with a strong senior season. He teamed with Myles Masuisui at second doubles for the Grizzlies. (Photos courtesy Eddie Moura)

Itineris

Early College High School’s class of 2024 earned $7,434,500 in scholarship offers (not including some needs-based scholarships) which was more than $3 million more than any other graduating class in the school’s 20-year history. Of the 105 graduates, 75 received at least one scholarship offer, 49 received at least three, and 23 who received five or more.

IECHS instructor Rabecca Cisneros said the reason colleges and universities are offering IECHS students financial incentives to attend their school is because they are well-prepared, well-rounded students.

“We teach them how to write, they have high ACT scores, and they do a lot in the community as far as service and extracurricular activities,” Cisneros said.

College-bound ninth through twelfth-graders fill their school schedules with concurrent enrollment college courses. Many earn an associates degree or college certificate of completion by the time they graduate high school.

And they don’t stop during the summer. One hundred students are taking concurrent enrollment college courses at IECHS summer school, which is for students who want to get ahead, not for those who are behind.

Students can take college level English, communications and Psychology classes A pilot summer accelerated math program, funded by a grant from the Utah State Board of Education's ULEAD program, is available to incoming freshmen who want to move through math courses more quickly.

“This course not only prevents summer slide, but will allow students to start Secondary Math III as sophomores, thus allowing them to access concurrent enrollment math in the sum-

Summer school students get ahead

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

mer between their tenth and eleventh grade year and progress through calculus, should they choose,” IECHS Director of Students Jeff Bossard said.

Incoming sophomore Serentha Murray said the math class moves quickly to fit a semester of work into just 10 weeks.

“We have homework every night, we have quizzes every day in class, and we only have four unit tests,” she said.

Murray plans to become a pediatrician, and is taking summer courses to get a headstart on the 11 years of college that career requires.

“I'm saving about two to three years and quite a lot of money,” she said.

To prepare for a heavy load of college courses, IECHS students are first required to take an Introduction to Higher Education college course.

“Offering this course to ninth and tenth graders provides the students with an understanding of what higher ed is, how to think and learn like a college student, as well as how to read, write, and present like a higher level learner,” Bossard said. “Providing the class over the summer means that these students will be able to access core CE classes in their fall schedules, with the tools and skills necessary for successful college level work.”

Cisneros said the class sets students up for a successful academic career.

“Even if they applied half of what we discuss, they will be much more successful than a typical high school student,” she said.

Pedro Santos said because he is taking the Intro class this summer, he feels more prepared for his college courses this fall.

“This class shows me how professors want to see your work—like, an essay, what

should it look like,” he said.

Santos said he has also learned time management skills as he juggles his summer classes and a job. Cisneros said other benefits

of summer school are developing social skills and staying productive during the summer months. l

Itineris Early College High School’s class of 2024 received nearly $8 million in scholarship offers. (Photo courtesy of Rabecca Cisneros.)

Summer school at.Itineris Early College High School is for students who want to get ahead, not for those who are behind. (Photo courtesy of Rabecca Cisneros.)

Portrait of a Graduate: The type of students Jordan School District wants to send

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

When seventh-grader Rykien Evans’ wheelchair got stuck in the grassy terrain during Copper Mountain Middle School’s traditional Running of the Colts, his friend Nate Wegwitz picked him up and carried him. Other students moved the empty wheelchair to the paved path and the friends finished the 1-mile race together.

“At times I walked with him, at times I picked him up—we wanted to finish the race,” Nate said.

Spectators were impressed with the empathy, resilience, responsibility, creativity and collaborative problem solving exhibited by the boys. Nate said sportsmanship, teamwork and having fun are emphasized in PE classes. Rykien said Copper Mountain Middle also incentivizes students to perform and report acts of kindness during an annual Kindness Week.

“The school heavily encourages us to be kind and to include everybody, and they obviously do a good job, because it's working,” Rykien said, who has many friends.

The exemplary character and abilities these students exhibited are the characteristics Jordan District wants their graduates to have when they venture out into the world. Creative problem solvers, engaged citizens, empathetic communicators, resilient learners, responsible teammates and curious thinkers are the characteristics identified in Jordan School District’s new Portrait of a Graduate and 5-year strategic plan for preparing students for post-high school success.

These characteristics were selected based on feedback from students, parents, educators, community members and business and religious leaders.

Education Elements, hired by Jordan District to collect public comments, conducted various focus groups and analyzed data from 20,763 survey responses. Many of the comments were about equitable access to learning opportunities, student and staff wellness, effective communication and the need for collaboration skills.

“Education Elements said we got a lot of really good feedback, and it is overwhelmingly positive,” JSD Administrator of Teaching & Learning Carolyn Gough said. “They said they’ve never seen a district receive this much positive feedback.”

Committees of board members, educators, parents and students used the feedback to develop the Portrait of a Graduate and strategic plan.

“It was really a privilege to be able to take time to think about every single comment that came in and to place it on real people,” JSD Board Member Niki George said. “We got into small groups and talked about different topics, and every group

that I was in, I heard personal stories from each of them, and it really helped me to remember the ‘why’ of what we do and the effort that we make.”

Gough said the board’s decision to create a Portrait of a Graduate document reflects their understanding of the need to align education with current technology and workforce environments.

“Portrait of a Graduate really hearkens to the fact that we're in the 21st century,” Gough said. “We've moved beyond just giving factual information to students and we're moving more towards the skillbased attributes that students are going to need when they enter into the business world, colleges or a trade.”

Committee member and PTA Region 6 Administrator Jessica Navarro said the document addresses all types of students and options.

“There isn't one cookie-cutter model of a ‘quality education’ and a four-year university isn't the best fit for every student,” she said. “There are resources available to every student to leave JSD feeling prepared for a successful future where they can contribute to our society. I want students to know that their school is a safe place to explore options and feel like they have access to people that know how to guide them through that process.”

The 5-year strategic plan was based on the five pillars of high quality instruction, culture of belonging, opportunities for all learners, effective communication and student and staff wellness. It will be the lens the board and school administrators will use to evaluate and make logistical and fiscal decisions, Gough said.

“It provides a great vision, an overarching goal and expectations based on very specific community feedback,” she said. “It helps narrow some of the competing voices, ideologies and curricula—all the things that are out there trying to take principals’ and teachers’ time.”

Administrators and teachers will receive training over the summer to learn to implement systems that help students develop the skills identified in the new documents.

Navarro said seeing the way the community and educators worked together to create the document and plan makes her hopeful for the future of Jordan School District.

“I see this document impacting my children’s future by establishing a great foundation where all of the people involved in their education can be aligned on the goals and priorities that we felt were the most important,” she said. l

Nate Wegwitz gives his friend Rykien Evans a lift during Copper Mountain Middle School’s traditional Running of the Colts. (Photo courtesy Jordan School District)

Thompson finishes WJHS boys tennis career with fond memories

When the 2023–24 school year concluded at the end of May, seniors completed one phase of life and prepared for the next. For many student-athletes, such as West Jordan High School’s Matt Thompson, finishing school also meant ending their playing career.

Thompson’s competitive tennis days may be over, but he’ll never forget the experiences he had and the lessons he learned. Thompson’s four-year career as a Jaguar included some highs and lows, some ups and some downs, but he’s grateful to have played with great teammates, met new friends and contributed to the Jaguars’ program.

Reflecting on his time at West Jordan and his senior season in particular, Thompson is thankful for the hard work everyone put in. He said win or lose, everyone enjoyed themselves and got along well.

“The best part about being on this West Jordan team is that everyone was just naturally talented,” he said. “Nobody has really taken lessons, and everyone was just there to compete and have a good time. Everyone wants to win, and when they do it is so special because the kids we played had all been taking lessons since they were 5. When we win, it’s through passion and pure skill. I loved being part of West Jordan tennis.”

The Jaguars struggled in the state tournament where they faced stiff competition against deep, talented teams. However, they won the Region 4 championship in their first year back in Class 5A after being in Class 6A since its creation. Thompson said this accomplishment helped to make the season successful for him and the team.

“This season was a huge success for not only me but the entire team,” he said. “We were able to win the region championship, gain confidence in ourselves and come closer as a team. For me, I finally started to play to my potential.”

Thompson was happy with his performance in his senior season. It was a good way to wrap up his high school career. He said he made some progress and was able to take what he learned in practice and apply it to matches.

“I was most pleased with the fact that I could translate my practice play to my game play,” he said. “For the last couple of years, I have been able to practice super well, hit great shots, win great points and be a great practice player. What I lacked was the ability to translate that to actual matches. Over the course of the rollercoaster of a season, I was able to unlock that ability and start playing how I know I can.”

As a player, Thompson acknowledges that he sometimes struggled and was never perfect. Yet he developed some important skills that helped him to be a capable player on the court. Hard work, persistence and a positive attitude were critical to his devel-

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

opment. He enjoyed playing alongside his teammates and did his best to lift them.

“My strengths as a player were hit and miss a lot, but when I’m on, my strengths are my forehand, serve and backhand,” he said. “Mentally, tennis has been a big struggle for me, and there were a few matches this year where I only lost because I wasn’t mentally locked in. But when I am mentally locked in, it is very hard to beat me. What I brought to the team was someone who is coachable, a competitor who cares about succeeding and my teammates succeeding. But I’m also down to earth. I related to my teammates and was a good friend to all of them, and they were all really good friends to me.”

For Thompson, his senior season was one he’ll never forget.

Not only did West Jordan win the Region 4 title, but Thompson won third place in first singles in the region. He also got to play for his dad, Abel Thompson, as coach in his senior season.

“I will remember most winning the championship trophy, but more specifically playing Spencer Bentley for third place in the region at first singles,” he said. “This was the match where I finally felt like all of my skills came together and I was able to play to my best ability. It was such a fun match and

a competitive one. I will also remember my dad coaching me throughout the last year.”

Now it’s on to bigger and better things for the graduated West Jordan tennis player and student.

After graduating from high school, Thompson started a window washing business with his brother Trevor. A big event in his life will take place Aug. 19 when he heads to Arequipa, Peru, on a volunteer twoyear mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After he finishes, he intends to study business finance at the University of Utah or Utah State University.

Thompson credits his success as a student and tennis player, as well as his growth as a person, to his family and coaches.

“My dad, coach Long and my mom have all been amazing influences and mentors for me and my tennis career,” he said. “They always supported me and showed faith in my abilities. They knew how good I could be and never gave up on me or put pressure on me. They are all people who I look up to and want to be like, not only when I play tennis but also just as a person.” l

Matt Thompson was a key member of the Region 4-winning Jaguars boys tennis team. (Photo courtesy Matt Thompson)

City

Julie Slama awarded esteemed Josephine Zimmerman award for inclusivity journalism

By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com

During the 2024 Utah Chapter of the Society Professional Journalists awards ceremony on Thursday at the University of Utah, journalists from across the state were honored for exceptional journalism.

Among the finalists were six City Journals’ writers, one of which received the esteemed Josephine Zimmerman Pioneer in Journalism Award.

Education writer Julie Slama received the Josephine Zimmerman Pioneer Award for her inclusivity coverage of community members with special needs over the course of several years.

The Josephine Zimmerman Award is presented by the SPJ to journalists who have broken ground in journalism for a particular group or in a particular area. It’s named after longtime government reporter Josephine Zimmerman, who received the award in 2006 and retired from the Provo Daily Herald at age 80, per her obituary in the Deseret News.

Like Zimmerman, Slama’s advocacy for those in the community has been impactful and her writing has inspired mainstream media coverage.

“Thank you to SPJ for this award and for considering community news as a recipi-

ent for this award, because often community news is overlooked,” Slama said at the event when she received the award.

Slama called community reporting “the heart of journalism.”

“It's more than just ink on paper,” she said. “It's a labor of love crafted by dedi-

cated journalists who are passionate about telling our community stories. It's a platform for bringing people together to share opinions, discuss local issues and build a sense of community through resident stories and their accomplishments.”

Slama has written for the City Journals for nearly 20 years. But for the past five years, she’s written at least 125 articles on the topic of inclusivity for those with special needs, 30 of which were written in 2023 and submitted for the Josephine Zimmerman Pioneer in Journalism Award.

Editor of the City Journals Travis Barton said Slama is “working from the frontlines breaking ground on those who have fought to advance science, improve understanding and provide opportunities for those with special needs.”

his nomination of Slama.

In addition to her coverage of unified sports in Utah high schools, she’s written riveting stories on a prom organized to further inclusion of those with special needs, a sophomore with Asperger's syndrome asking legislators to sign a pro-inclusion pledge, and a junior with spina bifida creating art to spark inclusion.

In one particular article Slama wrote about Copper Hills’ celebration of a national banner honoring inclusion in basketball, she quoted Utah First Lady Abby Cox.

“You are making sure that everybody has a place of love and belonging,” Cox told students at the event. “You are starting an inclusion revolution. Everyone needs a friend and you’re making sure that we’re creating those friendships.”

Slama’s writing has made her a part of that “inclusion revolution” and led to her recognition at the SPJ awards ceremony.

At the ceremony, she gave the credit for her success to all those that were the true “heroes” behind the award.

“I'm deeply grateful to those unified students and their families, they've opened their hearts and they trusted me to tell their stories,” Slama said. “I've watched many of them excel, and they're truly the heroes behind this award.”

She was also recognized for six other awards that night, alongside six fellow writers of the City Journals including Peri Kinder who won first and second in the humor and lifestyle column category, Ella Joy Olsen who won first place in the environmental category, Genevieve Vahl who won an honorable mention for solutions journalism and third for arts and entertainment, Jet Burnham who won third in the Division B series, and Collette Hayes who placed second in the military category.

A total of 15 awards were won by journalists of the City Journals. l

“Whether it’s covering the growth of unified sports in high schools or young adults trying to raise awareness and comprehension for those with special needs, Ms. Slama covered the special needs community from every angle she could,” Barton wrote in

City Journals’ writers (from left to right) Ella Joy Olsen, Collette Hayes and Julie Slama were honored at the 2024 Society of Professional Journalists Utah Chapter Award Ceremony on June 27. (Courtesy Elizabeth Sweat)

Elation and frustration: West Jordan track experiences range of emotions at state

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

The West Jordan boys track team nearly brought home a state championship, coming in third at the competitive event May 14–16 at Brigham Young University.

The Jaguars were just 8.5 points out of first place, which went to Maple Mountain. West Jordan accumulated 64.5 points, while Woods Cross was second with 67 points. The Jaguars might have had even more points and moved up the standings had it not been for an unfortunate setback to one of its top athletes.

“We are very proud of our boys team,” head coach Taylor Hatch said. “We really wanted to win, but some things were out of our control. Dominic Overby, sadly, suffered a hamstring injury in the [200-meter run]. He holds the state record in that event and was the favorite to win. So, when he went down, that was really hard for our team.”

Other athletes stepped up, helping West Jordan remain one of the top teams at the meet.

“However, the same time that was happening was during the javelin finals,” Hatch said. “Jackson Roybal did not let the tragic news affect him, and on his fifth of six throws, he threw his state-winning throw and won. Pole vault did not score for 5A this year, which was very frustrating considering we had three boys score in that. The boys wanted that state title so bad. We all did. That really drove them to place high at state. Our theme this year was ‘We will.’ The captains came up with it, and there were five pillars to it: we will be dedicated, we will be motivated, we will be united, we will prove ourselves, we will win.”

The West Jordan boys team have built a strong program. Many seniors on this squad were around in 2021 when the Jaguars placed fourth in state. Those athletes worked hard to get West Jordan back near the top. The Jaguars had a chance to take first, even with Overby’s injury.

Several team members had memorable, standout performances at state.

Before his injury, Overby ran the 100-meter race, finishing first. He also won the state title in the long jump. Overby ran the 400 as well, placing second while running the third-fastest time in state history. He finished in 46.81 seconds, becoming just the third athlete in the state to break the 47-second mark. Roybal’s state-winning javelin throw was 178-4, a personal best.

Other stellar showings included Dimitri Lovio’s third-place long jump of 219.5 and Max Freeman’s second-place pole vault of 14-3. He was also seventh in the high jump and eighth in the long jump. Elijah Young tied for fifth in the high jump, while Daniel Oliver was sixth in the pole vault. Cedar Thomas was eighth in the pole

vault and Jackson Worthington was fifth in the shot put and seventh in the discus. The 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams each scored.

Other accolades capped a successful season for the Jaguar boys.

“Some memorable moments would have to be [Overby] winning state in the 100 and long jump,” Hatch said. “Jackson Roybal winning state in javelin was memorable. He tore his ACL for the second time this football season and really had to stay positive and work hard to come back. He did this only six months after ACL surgery, which is incredible.”

Hatch was awarded the 5A boys coach of the year, while assistant coach Jags Carpenter, who coaches the high jump and pole vault, was voted 5A assistant coach of the year.

As Hatch looks back on this season, he’ll always be grateful for the effort the boys made and for their commitment at each practice and meet.

“This group of boys were special,” he said. “They all dedicated themselves to being the best team we have ever had at West Jordan. I will always remember how they fought until the very end and never gave up. That was so inspiring and powerful to me. We had so many age group, school record and state records broken this season, which is very unheard of in one single season.”

The West Jordan boys graduated several key athletes from the team, and replacing them won’t be easy. Hatch acknowledges that the 2025 campaign will be challenging, as he looks to develop other team members and bring new ones into the fray. Still, he has high expectations and wants the program to continue what it has established.

“It is definitely going to be a rebuilding year, but I still believe we can place high at state next year,” he said. “That is always my goal every year. We have great athletes coming back in every event. They now have gotten a taste of what it is like to be one of the top teams in the state, and I think that will drive them to continue the legacy the seniors have left behind.”

For those athletes who are slated to return to the squad next season, Hatch needs them to stay in shape and improve their speed and strength. He is confident that if they do these things, the 2025 season is more likely to be successful, and the team can follow-up on this past year’s strong finish.

“The athletes need to work hard in the offseason, whether that be doing cross country, working on their speed during the football season, indoor track and field or any other sport to stay in shape.” l

EMPOWERING OUR HEROES

Are you a Veteran? Do you suffer from Depression, Anxiety, or OCD? If anyone deserves to get your life back, it’s you. LET US HELP.

NeuroHealthUtah.Com 10437 So Temple Dr., Suite 200 South Jordan, UT 84095 385-412-9215

Jackson Roybal won the 5A state title in the javelin, helping the West Jordan track team place third at the Class 5A state meet. (Photo courtesy Taylor Hatch)

How to talk with people from celebrity interviewer

From graduations and weddings to vacations and family reunions, summer is filled with opportunities and obligations for conversations. Regardless of being an introvert or an extrovert many of us can struggle with the similar thought of “I don’t know what to say.” Well, I had the opportunity to sit down with nationally recognized movie critic and Emmy winner for Outstanding Achievement in interviewing programming, Tony Toscano. He shared three tips on how to talk with people.

1) Do your homework. When possible, learn about the people you’ll be talking to so that you have questions you can ask them or even something to discuss that you have in common.

2) Read the room. People give both verbal and nonverbal cues as to if they are wanting to engage in conversation. Where are their toes pointed? That’s the direction of their attention. Are they providing short or long answers? The length will provide some insight as to their buyin to the conversation and/or its timeframe.

3) Keep the conversation spontaneous. Don’t worry about what you are going to say next, but genuinely listen to what the person is saying and let the conversation develop. This allows the conversation to naturally flow as a result.

Toscano challenges to “see conversations

By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com

as a game…you have 10 minutes to find out everything you need to know about the person before moving on to the next stop” (or another person with whom you’ll converse). Still not convinced you’ll know what to say? Toscano shared two tools to use.

1) Build trust. This is a skill of Toscano’s where he puts people at ease in conversations by letting the person he’s talking to know that they can trust him. This trust provides a comfort level that paves a way for the person to feel safe to share more in-depth as well as answer questions being asked.

2) Read. From carpentry to horticulture, sea monsters and UFOs, Toscano shares that “reading helps you find common ground.”

Whether it’s talking to family, friends, business colleagues or clients, or simply making small talk at a party or with a stranger in line at the grocery store—Toscano emphasizes, “common ground is the most important thing you’ve got to establish.”

Some basic questions to routinely use in finding that common ground may include asking their favorite restaurant, what they enjoy doing, or even where did they buy their shoes. However, Toscano cautions not to interrupt people nor come up with quick answers or responses. “Everybody wants to get their point across,” Toscano said, “but it's better if you lis-

ten and then establish your point.”

As for tips or tricks for being memorable?

“Be the person that makes somebody laugh,” Toscano advises, “but overall ensure to have a good rapport.”

Want to learn more about how to talk to people? Or simply interested to learn who To-

scano’s favorite and least favorite celebrities are to interview? Check out Holly’s Highlights podcast Season 3 Episode 12 wherever you listen to podcasts including Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, I Heart Radio and at www.HollyCurby. com. l

Movie critic and Emmy winner Tony Toscano. (Photo courtesy Tony Toscano)

With exit doors blowing off, landing gear falling on neighborhoods, wings ripping apart and engine covers shooting into the skies, you’d think airlines would be handing out free puppies and hundred-dollar bills, trying to convince people to support air travel. You’d be wrong.

Instead of lowering ticket prices (in your dreams), dropping baggage fees (you’re bonkers) or making flights more comfortable (ROFL), airlines double down on lazy, expensive service.

Even when Southwest Airlines (whose motto is “Sit Down and Shut Up”) was fined $140 million for leaving thousands of holiday passengers stranded, the industry knows we will travel. And we’ll pay any price.

If airlines have open seats, and the flight takes off in a week, instead of offering reduced prices, ticket costs rise. Once, after we purchased airline tickets, we got an alert that prices had jumped $1,000 per ticket. That’s bananas!

Recently, my husband and I flew Hawaiian Airlines for the first time. With its slogan, “Well, you could just drive to Honolulu,” we didn’t expect great service, and we weren’t disappointed.

We settled into our six-hour flight with its panic-inducing, claustrophobic seating, only to find movie screens weren’t provided. However, we could download the airline’s

Peri Kinder

Life and Laughter

Fight or Flight

app to watch movies on our phones, as long as it was downloaded an hour before boarding. So, as soon as time travel is invented, I can go back, download the app and have access to movies for our flight.

We left early in the morning and breakfast sandwiches were offered to passengers with normal digestive systems. If your body treats gluten like poison, you get to starve or purchase a box of gluten-free crackers and hummus. I’ve learned to pack snacks because, like the United Airlines motto states, “Suck it up. We’re not your mom.”

As we flew through the skies, we played games like, “Is it turbulence or did we just lose the landing gear?” and “Annoy Fellow Passengers.” I think I won that when I reclined my seat from 90 degrees to 95 degrees. The woman behind me sighed like a passive-aggressive parent who was not mad, just extremely disappointed.

On the way home from the Big Island of Hawaii, we ended up running through the

Honolulu airport because our connecting flight was late. We dashed to our terminal, which is not the best way to end a vacation, especially after eating your weight in kalua pork and fish tacos.

Net profits for the airline industry are set to hit more than $30 billion this year. Even Boeing (“Safety is Our 15th Priority”) knows it can install faulty parts, disregard safety inspections and hunt down whistleblowers because people will always want to fly.

Boeing stock is dropping faster than its Max 737s but the company doesn’t seem concerned. Even when people bounce off the ceilings due to cockpit issues or have to make an emergency landing in Denver because a passenger is stuck in the bathroom,

Boeing knows people will fork over handfuls of cash to travel.

Passengers expect delays, cancellations and lackadaisical assistance. Any other industry would hire a fancy PR team to encourage people to use its services but the airline industry doesn’t give a flying fig about its image.

Even with its rock-bottom reputation, the airline industry has us over a barrel. With wheels ricocheting off the runway, engines catching fire and toilet waste flooding the cabin, passengers continue to pay increasing costs for the “luxury” of travel. And, like the Delta slogan states, “We Really Don’t Care.”