WVC PLANNERS RECOMMEND REZONE, REDEVELOPMENT OF REDWOOD DRIVE-IN SITE
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
While the West Valley Performing Arts Center found a lifeline to stay in business this past month (see story in this issue), the fate of another theater is now in question.
The city’s Planning Commission voted 4-2 on June 26 to recommend approval of a rezone on property currently housing the historical Redwood Drive In. The 26.3-acre site on Redwood Road has been used extensively for swap meets for years, with minimal use as a drive-in theater during summer months. The recommendation will now go to the city council for its consideration at a later date.
The rezone has been sought by EDGEhomes, a developer in Draper, which wants to purchase the land and build 300 housing units on the site—244 townhomes, 40 condominiums and 16 single-family homes. The property is owned by De Anza Land and Leisure Corp of Los Angeles. That company once operated a number of drive-in theaters across the country but has been closing them and selling the land to developers.
Since word of the EDGEhomes request for rezoning was first unveiled, a groundswell of support to keep the theaters and swap meet site in place has continued to grow. An online petition on change.org has already received over 20,000 signatures, and opponents of the zone change filled the council chambers for the planning commission meeting. Almost all present were mainly interested in preserving the site for swap meets that are held each weekend. Commissioners have been studying the developer’s proposal and said some changes to its general plan would be necessary for the proposal to go forward.
The commission first heard about the plan in an earlier June meeting, but tabled the motion for two weeks. At that first hearing, which lasted more than three hours, many vendors spoke at length about the importance of the swap meet, citing their livelihoods depended on being able to market their products and services at the meet.
“This is my source of income—how I support my family,”
The historic Redwood Drive-In could be demolished and the site rezoned for development of 300 new homes. City Council will make a final decision on the zoning. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
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.
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47G developing cutting-edge air taxis for people and products
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
If Salt Lake City is officially awarded the 2034 Olympic Winter Games, spectators may have a new way to get around to venue sites—air taxis.
Utah-based aerospace and defense industry organization 47G has launched Project ALTA which was detailed during a press conference at Hexcel’s research and technology center in West Valley City late last month. ALTA, which stands for the Air Logistics Transportation Alliance, is working to establish an advanced air mobility (AAM) system for Utah. The project is a collaboration between 47G, the Utah governor’s office, Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Inland Port Authority.
Think of these taxis as enlarged dronetype aircraft for transporting people and products between various locations called “vertiports.” These AAM landing sites could run the entire length of the Wasatch Front and beyond.
“From the schools and universities to the manufacturing plants we have like here at Hexcel, the secret is out that the people here in Utah are driving the hottest economy of any state in the nation,” said Philippe Chevrier, president of Hexcel. “We appreciate our partnership with 47G, and for all you are doing to make Utah a magnet of talent and innovation.”
Aaron Starks, president and CEO of 47G, likened the innovation to that of the Wright Brothers who made the first sustained flight in an aircraft in 1903.
“As the Wright Brothers did at Kitty Hawk, we gather here at Hexcel every day where tremendous visionary men and women come to work to manufacture advanced materials used in the skins of many aircraft around the world,” Starks said. He said the efforts by 47G over the next 10 years are
important, especially the next three, where development and maybe initial test deployment may begin for these air taxis.
“When most people think of aircraft, they usually think of airplanes that travel at great speeds and cover long distances while flying routes between airports,” Starks said. “But that has changed. Utah is already a showcase of air mobility. Utah is one of seven states in partnership with Walmart to deliver groceries via drones. In Herriman and Lindon, you can now order your favorite drinks and snacks ahead of the big game. If you live in South Jordan or within 13 miles, Zipline, in partnership with GNC and Intermountain Health, can now deliver healthcare products and supplements right to your doorstep.”
Starks said the technology making these air taxis possible is “environmentally friendly and will help the state accelerate its efforts to reduce the carbon footprint throughout the valley.”
Gov. Spencer Cox spoke at the conference, saying state officials understand the importance of aerospace, defense and cyber companies are to Utah’s economy.
“We know that Utah will soon become a global leader in advanced air mobility,” Cox said. “This industry accounts for nearly 20% of the state’ economic activity on an annual basis. Our state has unique assets. We have growth, we have tourism, we have business, we have beautiful national parks. These novel air mobility solutions will allow Utahns to access everything Utah has to offer.”
He added that Utah “can’t continue to add lanes to our freeways, so over the next decade, we have an opportunity to reimagine what transportation can be in our state. We can’t keep widening, but we can start going vertical.” l
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Bryan Scott | bryan.s@thecityjournals.com
EDITOR
Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com
Mieka Sawatzki | mieka.s@thecityjournals.com
Jason Corbridge | jason.c@thecityjournals.com
Ryan Casper | ryan.c@thecityjournals.com
Greg Tanner | greg.t@valuepagesutah.com
Lydia Rice | lydia.r@thecityjournals.com
WEST VALLEY TEAM
Gov. Spencer Cox says Utah will lead the nation in advanced air mobility development. (Tom Haraldsen/ City Journals)
Aaron Starks, president and CEO of 47G, says his company’s Project ALTA will create air taxis to transport people and products across the Wasatch Front by 2034. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
Zipline is working in partnership with GNC and Intermountain Health to deliver products to homes in and around South Jordan. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
American Preparatory Academy honors late guidance counselor with tie-tying challenge
By Zachary Smith | z.smith@mycityjournals.com
In early 2020, the American Preparatory Academy Valley One campus lost a beloved individual. Laura Dye, a guidance counselor at the elementary school, passed away due to a rare cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma. In the wake of her passing, the school has led a campaign to honor her legacy and the impact she had on the school.
According to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to spread awareness of the disease and improve the lives of patients, cholangiocarcinoma is “a highly lethal and rare bile duct cancer of the liver” and “the second most common primary liver cancer in the world.” An estimated 10,000 cases are diagnosed annually.
Laura Dye worked at American Prep Academy as a guidance counselor for nearly four years. During her time at the school, she was a positive influence on countless students as well as American Prep as a whole, being remembered for her kindness and empowerment. She was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in 2019, and died seven months later on May 2, 2020.
A few days before she died, Laura Dye was in a state of unresponsiveness. During
this time, despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that were in place, several people from the neighborhood came to say goodbye and thank the Dye family for Laura Dye’s importance to them and influence on their lives from a safe distance. The community gathered to place green ribbons around the neighborhood to commemorate Laura Dye and spread awareness of her condition.
In 2024, on the fourth anniversary of Laura Dye’s passing, her husband Jeremy Dye hosted an event that he dubbed the “Laura Dye Tie Challenge.” A necktie is part of both the male and female American Prep official uniforms, and Laura Dye firmly believed that learning to tie a necktie is an important lifelong skill for children to learn early on. In her honor, Jeremy Dye challenged each student to learn the proper method of tying a tie and hosted tie-tying workshops to help them master the skill.
“It was rather rushed as we came up with it on short notice,” Jeremy Dye said. “So, given the short timeframe we had, I feel that it was a success.”
Around 75 students signed up for the challenge, and among them, around 25 com-
pleted it. On May 30, each of those 25 students was presented with a brand new tie as an award for completion. Jeremy Dye plans to work with the school to do this challenge every year, with the hope that participation will greatly increase over time.
In addition to the challenge, Jeremy Dye and his family also encourage everyone, students and teachers alike to “love
Upcoming activities in West Valley City
July 4 Independence Day/City offices closed
July 4
Farmer’s Market, 5-9 p.m., Centennial Park, 5415 W. 3100 South
like Laura.” The family came up with the phrase in the few days in which Laura Dye was hospitalized and unresponsive. “Everyone she met was treated with kindness, love and respect,” Jeremy Dye said, “and it shows how everyone remembers her to this day.” l
July 9 Noah Kahan: We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour, 8 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
July 11
Farmer’s Market, 5-9 p.m., Centennial Park, 5415 W. 3100 South
July 13 Cop and Cleats football camp, 8:30-11:30 a.m., Hunter High, 4200 S. 5600 West
July 15 Chili with the Chief, 6 p.m., Falcon Crest, 4055 S. 7600 West
July 15 Lindsey Stirling in concert, 7 p.m., Maverik Center, 3200 Decker Lake Drive
July 18 Farmers Market, 5-9 p.m., Centennial Park, 5415 W. 3100 South
July 18 “Barbie the Movie” in concert, 8 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
July 20 Niall Horan: “The Show” Live on Tour, 7:30 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
July 21 A Day to Remember: The Least Anticipated Album Tour, 6:30 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
July 24 Pioneer Day Holiday/City offices closed
July 25 Farmers Market, 5-9 p.m., Centennial Park, 5415 W. 3100 South
July 29 Chili with the Chief, 6 p.m., Hillside Park, 3205 S. 3200 West
July 29 Neil Young, 7:30 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
July 30 Thirty Seconds to Mars–Seasons World Tour, 6:30 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
July 31 Bush, 6 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
Aug. 1 Farmers Market, 5-9 p.m., Centennial Park, 5415 W. 3100 South
Aug. 1 Alanis Morissette–The Triple Moon Tour, 7 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
Aug. 3 MyHometown West Granger Day of Service, 8 a.m. to noon, locations vary
Aug. 3 National Night Out Block Party, times and locations vary
Aug. 3 Sam Hunt, 7 p.m., Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater, 5150 Upper Ridge Road
Jeremy Dye with students who completed the Laura Dye Tie Challenge after receiving their certificates. (Credit Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation)
Parade, carnival and fireworks highlight Westfest 2024
been a tradition for 44 years, and the latest Westfest in West Valley June 13-16 kept the memories coming. As always, it was a combination of midway carnival rides and foods, vendor booths showcasing a variety of local businesses and artisans, the annual parade and fun run, free bands and entertainment, and displays by local police and fire department personnel.
And did I mention the pie eating contest? The food and fun were plentiful indeed.
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
It began on June 13 with a Cultural Dance competition, followed by a Movie in the Park that night. Entertainment was staged both Friday and Saturday as well, featuring local bands and various acts. On Saturday morning, a parade rolled through the city to Centennial Park, where more than 90 vendor booths featured local businesses. The parade was preceded by a family fun run at 9 a.m.
In the park, there were 18 food trucks and vendors, and a walk-through butterfly tent.
There was a butterfly release Friday night and twice on Saturday. The city’s police K9 team and fire department teams offered demos on Saturday, and Scales and Tails reptile handling shows were offered. Westside Skates had a throwdown competition at the adjacent skate park. And during the event, there were pickleball, cornhole and spikeball tournaments.
As always both Friday and Saturday nights concluded with 20-minute fireworks shows. Attendance was high and the carnival
drew the largest crowds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The only reported police-related incident was on Wednesday about 11 p.m., when two people were allegedly hit by a vehicle while walking in the parking lot, a car which allegedly later caused a three-car crash away from the festival. One 18-year-old woman was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of the incident. Police said neither victim suffered serious injury. l
Local bands and entertainers took to the stage on Friday and Saturday. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
The carnival was highly popular at Westfest. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals) More than 90 vendor booths showcased local artisans and businesses. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
Always lots of food to eat at the festival. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
Zions Bank employees help transform West Valley City home
By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
Itmight be just a coat of paint, but its impacts go a lot deeper.
About two dozen people gathered on a warm June day to paint the outside of Randy and Virginia Nielsen’s West Valley City home.
It was part of Zions Bank’s 32nd-annual Paint-a-Thon, where local employees of the bank donate their time and efforts to spruce up selected area homes with a new layer of paint.
The Nielsens were referred to Zions Bank by Salt Lake County and Adult Services, due to their status as older adults and Randy being an Air Force veteran. The couple submitted an application to the agency and a couple of weeks later were notified they were selected for the beautification effort and a crew of Zions Bank employees took it from there.
“It is really exciting,” the Nielsens said in unison as they watched volunteers with rollers and brushes put blue paint on the siding of the house and white paint around the windows and trim, replacing the old red and yellow. “I think it’s very special that these people are really dedicated enough to do this for the seniors and veterans. They’re doing a good job,” Virginia, 71, said as she and her husband, who is 73, watched the transformation of their house from a seat in their backyard.
Between brush strokes, Jamie Issowits, who works in Zions Bank human resources, noted this was her 15th Paint-a-Thon. “We’re really fortunate to work for an or-
ganization that supports the community. It’s actually one of our guiding principles to give back to the communities that we serve.”
“Most of us look forward to it every year to come out and meet new people in the community that have a need to beautify their home, and we’re able to fulfill that need,” she added.
In the sun-bathed front of the house, fellow Zions Bank volunteer Marc Nadauld stood atop a ladder applying paint to wood
structures above the home’s entrance. “We get to work with our friends and colleagues and have a little bonding, and the best thing is we’re doing a good deed for somebody.”
He has participated in the Paint-a-Thon almost since it began more than three decades ago.
Since Paint-a-Thon was launched in 1991, more than 1,300 homes in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming have been painted by Zions Bank employees outside of regular work
hours. The bank has donated more than $1.4 million in materials toward beautifying homes in the three states, not counting the value of hours put in by volunteers. Besides painting, bank team members also clean up yards, trim trees, mow, plant and do minor repairs for homeowners.
“Hopefully, lots of other people in the community see that and everybody will go pitch in and help somebody out,” Nadauld said. l
Randy and Virginia Nielsen’s home received a new paint job from volunteers from Zions Bank. (Darrell Kirby/ City Journals)
Marc Nadauld, who works for Zions Bank, applies a coat of paint to the home of Randy and Virginia Nielsen in West Valley City. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
Zions Bank employees volunteer to paint the West Valley City home of Randy and Virginia Nielsen as part of the bank’s annual Paint-a-Thon. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
West Valley Performing Arts Center is alive—for now
This is the tale of two theaters in West Valley City—both historic in nature, of great importance to their social communities, and facing possible closures. For right now, that tale is going in two different directions. (See accompanying story about the fate of the Redwood Drive In).
On May 6, the city announced it would be closing the West Valley Performing Arts Center in September. West Valley City has been subsidizing the theater for many years, and as city manager Ifo Pili began working on the budget for the new fiscal year, he reported to Mayor Karen Lang and the city council that in fiscal year 2021, the city provided $600,000 in subsidies. In fiscal year 2022, that grew to $1.2 million, and is projected to reach nearly $1.6 million in the current fiscal year. In addition, he said the cost for repairs to the building itself are estimated to be about $7.3 million.
The next day, on May 7, 10 people from the theater community spoke during public comments at the council meeting, pleading with the city to work with them to save the center. The group organized a Facebook page that immediately grew to over 2,500 members. They also asked to partner with the city to find a financial path forward. Similar public comment periods for the next three meetings were filled with messages from supporters.
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
On June 4, the council approved a resolution to support the WVPAC and helping it transition to a community-based organization.
“We’ve had conversations and meetings prior to this coming to the council,” Fili said. “What this resolution does is it permits us to work together with them, and coming up with that agreement means allowing them to transition to a community-based theater which would separate them from the city. It also allows the city to enter into an agreement that would provide subsidy for at least up to December 2025.”
Needless to say, its passage was met with vigorous applause from the dozens of attendees at the meeting.
“We wanted to bring it forth so we can all be working in good faith, so that they could find ways to make this sustainable,” Fili continued.
“This resolution will mark the commitment for the city and the performing arts community to work together. At a later date, we will bring all the details of the subsidy back to the council. That will probably take a couple of months to get that together.”
“Changing West Valley Arts to a community-based organization and commitment to provide subsidy until the end of 2025 doesn’t stop the city from providing a subsidy beyond that time, but makes a commitment to work
with this organization and help support them,”
Mayor Lang said.
The building’s transfer means the independent nonprofit group will oversee operations and financial oversight for the center. That includes maintenance and upgrades to the building. Organizers of the effort to keep the theater open will now formulate plans once
the city’s proposal for subsidizing is finalized, something we’ll follow each month in the West Valley Journal.
The theater’s latest production of “The Lightning Thief” closed June 29. There are two more shows planned for the current season: “Legally Blonde” running Aug. 9-31, and “Jekyll & Hyde” running Oct. 11-Nov. 2. l
The West Valley Performing Arts Center will continue in operation until at least December 2025 as a community-based organization following approval of a resolution of support by the city council. (Tom Haraldsen/ City Journals)
said one vendor who spoke just outside the chamber following the June 26 hearing. “We don’t need more housing—we need more opportunities for people to make a living and pay rents for the houses we now have. Building more houses isn’t going to help anyone who is struggling and can’t afford these fancy new homes they are proposing.”
That countered a comment made in the meeting by commission member Cindy Wood, who said that the property owner has the right to sell to EDGEhomes and added that Utah is being impacted by a housing crunch. “Unfortunately, people need a place to live,” she said before making the motion for approval of the rezone recommendation.
This isn’t the first time the drive-in property has been on the wish list for development. Three years ago, a different developer asked for rezoning the property but opponents helped stop that from moving forward. This time seems different.
Steve Pastorik, the city’s community development director, gave a review of the EDGEhomes plan before the commission meeting began. He said all proposals for rezones are taken on a case-by-case basis, and that the city council carefully reviews all recommendations and proposals before rendering a decision. There is no timeline on when that will appear before council, or when the drive-in theater would be closed and eventually demolished. Stay tuned. l
AInvestigation continues into West Valley City strip mall fire
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
three-alarm fire on the evening of June
6 left five businesses in ruins or heavily damaged and caused traffic backups along 4000 West for several hours. A total of 10 businesses in the strip mall at 4615 S. 4000 West were evacuated, but firefighters were able to limit the blaze to five locations. Gas and electricity were turned off to all of the stores while the blaze was being extinguished.
The fire is believed to have started in the El Pollo Royo restaurant, though investigators are still looking into the origin. Fire crews were called about 6 p.m. and arrived minutes later, with crews rotating due to the heat from the blaze. A restoration area was set up to help cool off firefighters as they changed shifts. One firefighter suffered a minor injury and was taken to a local hospital and later released, but there were no other injuries, and the fire was mostly extinguished by nightfall.
The five businesses currently closed are El Pollo Royo, Lucky Mart, Boost Mobile, Vicky’s Peruvian Fusion Restaurant, and V. Hugh Salon. Other neighboring businesses, including Harbor Freight south of El Pollo Royo, remain open. Fire officials say at least two of the businesses were a total loss due to water damage. The
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fire department estimates the loss at between $1.5-$2 million, but could go higher due to the contents of the stores.
As of June 21, the area around the stores remains fenced off and investigations are continuing. West Valley City Fire
Chief John Evans said the roof had collapsed on at least two of the businesses in the mall. Evans said it took several hours and about 60 firefighters from across the valley to fight the fire. l
A chain link fence surrounds businesses destroyed in a three-alarm fire on June 6 at a West Valley strip mall.
(Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
SLCC celebrates Juneteenth with students, community
By Tom Haraldsen | t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
For the third straight year, the Juneteenth holiday was celebrated at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. Members of the school’s Black Student Union joined with faculty and public supporters on June 20 to commemorate the day when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and finally recognized, two years later, by the state of Texas. It ended slavery in the United States.
There were several guest speakers, a performance by The Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir, other music that included Jazz and R&B artists, vendor booths from local black-owned businesses, and a free BBQ dinner from Big Bones Barbeque with all the fixings. Attendees sat on blankets or brought
chairs to face the stage and enjoy the program, which was emceed again this year by KUTV 2 news anchor Jamie McGriff.
“One common misunderstanding is that Juneteenth marks when the slaves were freed, but that is not true,” SLCC Professor Jerri A. Harwell said. “Juneteenth celebrates what is believed to be when the last group of enslaved African Americans learned they had been freed years earlier.
“Celebrations initially began in 1866, but in 2021, after decades of advocating for it to be a national holiday, the United States made Juneteenth an official federal holiday; Utah’s 2022 legislative session made it a state holiday. This year’s celebration marks SLCC’s third annual celebration.”
The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth,
also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is celebrated on June 19. Its name comes from a combination of the month of June and the date 19, which was the date that the slaves on Galveston Island, Texas learned that they had been freed. We know from US history that Lincoln issued two
Emancipation Proclamations, one in 1863 which freed all the slaves in the rebellion states, and the second one that ended slavery for all in 1865. l
The Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir performed during the Juneteenth celebration on the SLCC campus.
Faculty and members of the community joined for the event on the SLCC campus.
Big Bones Barbeque offered BBQ dinners for those in attendance.
The SLCC Black Student Union hosted the event for the third straight year.
West Lake STEM Junior High almost ready for students this fall
By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
I
t has been nearly four and a half years since students occupied its classrooms and hallways.
Barring unforeseen circumstances in the coming weeks, that will end on Aug. 14 when West Lake STEM Junior High School will reopen in a completely new building for the 2024-25 school year.
The campus at 3400 S. 3450 West in West Valley City had temporarily closed in mid-March of 2020 and sent students home to attend classes remotely as Covid-19 hit. The closure became permanent when an earthquake struck days later on March 18 causing enough damage that Granite School District officials determined that rebuilding the school with insurance money and other emergency funds was the best option for the school’s future.
Fast forward to today as West Lake STEM Junior High prepares to welcome students “back home” next month.
“We’re so excited for the kids to come in,” said Principal Sarah Wall, who was previously an assistant principal at the original West Lake and its temporary home at the closed Westbrook Elementary School in Taylorsville. She expects enrollment of between 700 and 720 students for the new academic year. “I’ve only heard great things from parents and our school community council (about the new facility),” she added. “Everyone is just ecstatic and ready to move back into our community and be closer to our homes.”
Besides the newness of everything, Wall is excited about the modern layout of the updated structure. “The first and most exciting part about this new building is the wings create a student collaboration space
in between all of the classrooms. Teachers can bring all their students out and work together and use that extra space for student collaboration.” That will be especially beneficial in helping the school carry out its emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM. “The new building is designed more for a 21st-century education,” said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley.
The new building is two levels, compared to the single-story old building. The 2024 version of West Lake STEM Junior High will also include modern technology and seismic infrastructure and the latest security measures. “We’re feeling very safe in this new building,” Wall said. Public access will be limited to the front entrance and comings and goings around different parts of the campus will be controlled and monitored.
Despite opening in 1964, the original West Lake would probably still be operating today if not for the earthquake. “It still had a little life in it,” Horsley said. “Even this old building was not our worst.”
Principal Wall was in the original building the morning the earth shook. “Initially, we didn’t think it was as bad as it turned out to be,” she said.
A formal school-opening celebration will take place sometime after the school year begins and things settle down. “We want to make sure the building is in perfect working order and the school is functioning before we start looking at an open house or ribbon-cutting options, but both are in planning stages right now,” Horsley said. l
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.
Construction is in the final stages at the newly rebuilt West Lake STEM Junior High School in West Valley City.
(Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
Top 5 splash pads in Salt Lake County
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Splash pads are a summertime staple with water jets, sprays and fountains helping kids of all ages beat the heat. As cities look to create sustainable, family-friendly activities, splash pads continue to grow in popularity, transforming public spaces into vibrant interactive centers.
While Salt Lake County has many splash pads, these five parks stand out for creativity and size.
Wardle Fields Regional Park, 14148 S. 2700 West, Bluffdale
With myriad water features, Wardle Fields splash pad is perfect for warm summer days. A wading river runs through most of the area and the waterfall offers a cool spot from the heat. Sprayers, misters, fountains and shallow pools provide playful options. Bring shade tents to create a sun-free zone. Water at the splash pad is filtered to water the adjacent park. Open Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.
Magna Regional Park, 4042 S. 7200 West, Magna
This award-winning 62-acre park in Magna features an inclusive splash pad for people of all ages and abilities. The waterfalls are a popular attraction, as are the misting vents, musical toys and large rocks that spray water. The splash pad covers a wide area and features
unique fountains for all-day play. Open Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.
Heritage Splash Pad, 10828 S. Redwood Road, South Jordan
Incorporating 17 different water spray features, the splash pad at Heritage Park turns 1-year-old this year. Highlighted by an old-fashioned water tower, a wading creek, small waterfalls and numerous interactive spaces, including a shaded area for small children, the splash pad is a destination spot for families this summer. The park utilizes a recirculation system to reduce water consumption. Open Monday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sandy Splash Pad at Amphitheater Park, 1245 E. 9400 South, Sandy
Featuring seven unique waterfalls, the Sandy City splash pad offers an interactive water experience for families seeking relief from the summer heat. Water from the falls flows through the splash pad area to create a fast-moving, shallow river, while sprayers, fountains and misters add fun elements for kids and parents alike. With large grassy areas, ample shade and beautiful views of the Wasatch Mountains, this splash pad is a great place to spend a day. Open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Smith Fields Splash Pad, 150 E. 13400 South, Draper
Using an interactive river, spray nozzles and fountains, the Smith Fields Splash Pad provides hours of water fun in a shady venue. A “water weave” design cascades water down the steps at the park with arching, vertical and bubbling sprays to keep everything cool. Dumping buckets, spray cannons and spin soakers create
fun opportunities for water play while shade sails provide relief from the sun. The splash pad is operated with limited hours, to reduce water usage. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Aug. 31. l
EMPOWERING OUR HEROES
Several splash pads in the county offer fun, wet, cool summer relief. (Stock photo)
New two-story liquor store showcases locally crafted beers
By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@thecityjournals.com
Utah’s first multistory liquor store opened in downtown Salt Lake City earlier this month, offering a new place for consumers and showcasing local breweries products.
The store has two levels because of its smaller size in the heavily urban area. But the additional level allows aisles to be wider with more selection. The new store will feature an expanded refrigeration section for cold beer, which is something not offered in many state-run stores until a recent policy shift by Utah’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services. They will also feature a special section dedicated to Utah-made beers, wines and spirits.
The 14,500-square-foot building is five years in the making. State legislators agreed that the aging Utah State Liquor Store No. 1 had served its purpose and it was time to find a new place for it.
This brings good news to breweries in South Salt Lake with their own crafted beer.
“The local brews section brings attention toward our product and other locally crafted beers making it more likely for
consumers to engage with us and find new beers they love,” said Gus Erickson, owner of Epic Brewing in South Salt Lake. “Most privatized stores like grocery stores prefer to display national brands like Anheuser-Busch or Molson Coors over local products. The local brews section is actually a huge and uncommon win for the UDABS.”
Erickson believes the new liquor store will have an overall positive impact on the brewery. It may bring in customers that tried their beer from the new store.
The new store will boast another unique trait besides offering local refrigerated beer. It will also feature a section showing artifacts dating back to the 1800s. These are items found during the store’s construction that showcase what was in the area over the decades.
The store is expected to generate millions of dollars in the next year, with nearly $5 million going to state and local governments to help fund things like roads, transportation, education and health.
It will be open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 151 E. 300 South in Salt Lake City. l
The new two-story liquor store at 151 E. 300 South in Salt Lake City will offer a refrigerated beer section that will feature South Salt Lake breweries products. (Bailey Chism/City Journals)
Hometown exchange inspires personal change
By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com
Salt Lake 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 Utahns 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
We see them becoming less biased toward people who are different from them or disagree with them.. We see them more excited about hanging out with people who are different from them.
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-
David McCullough III
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 be-
liefs 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
Exchange students pose for a photo shoot on the Salt Flats. (Photo courtesy of Teresa Akagi)
Wolverines cross country has new coach and new track
Hunter High School has named one of its assistant coaches as its new head cross country coach. Anna Robbins-Ek took over the position in early June and has her team focused this summer on becoming better people and runners.
“I think that these student-athletes have so much great potential,” Robbins-Ek said. “A lot of these kids play multiple sports or do other activities. I have learned that wherever they put in the effort is where they are going to succeed. They learn what they can be, through running.”
Robbins-Ek has coached track and cross country for over 10 years. She has worked and schools in Washington, D.C. and Virginia and in Utah at American Prep. Her experience in running competitions include top five finishes in the Arizona 3A state track meet. She specialized in the 100, 200 and 400 meters.
“I have a long history of running track and cross country. I have participated starting in junior high. Then in high school and in college. I then started coaching quite a few years ago,” she said.
Last season the Wolverines girls team finished fourth in Region 4 and the boys finished fifth. This is something the team would like to improve on.
Cross country competition is scored differently. The runners earn points by where they finish. The teams with runners that finish toward the front of the pack are rewarded. The team with the lowest point total wins the event. Ideally, the team should try to finish fast and together to limit their opponents scoring opportunities.
“We are a young team. I love coaching them because they have so much potential to learn and grow,” Robbins-Ek said.
Hunter junior Anthony Martinez scored 19 team points at the boys region finals last season. The boys varsity team lost only one senior from that team—Evan Jensen. They are scheduled to return three seniors to compete for spots on the team: Samuel Breeze, Paiten Rodeback and Jack Chapman.
The girls team lost two seniors to graduation—Riana Chen and Victoria Fallis. Junior Madeline Taylor, sophomores Jasemin Walden and Genevieve Callister, and seniors Jessa Freeman and Patricia Jennings could be important parts of this year’s team.
“This is a dedicated group of kids. In the summer they come to the school at 7 a.m. to run. Running is a full body sport. We do strength training and conditioning. We have been working on technique. Learning the mechanisms of running, breathing correctly and even how to swing their arms. If they apply themselves and learn these things they will become faster,” the coach said.
Runners this year will be using Hunter High School’s brand new six-lane track.
“We are excited, we will have the things we need. We can host events. We hope to get so many people involved,” she said.
By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
Robbins-Ek was also named by Utah Business as an emerging leader and one of 30 women to watch in 2024.
“As an owner of a child care business it has been important to me. I have taken a role to help other women and elevate child care workers into a more important place,” Rob-
bins-Ek said.
She owns and operates Mom Pod Co., a company helping to provide child care services with flexible drop off and learning opportunities for children. She said her love for running and for children has helped her throughout her career. l
Hunter High School has named Anna Robbins-Ek as its new cross country coach. (Photo courtesy of Hunter High School)
The Hunter High School cross country team has been training all summer at 7 a.m. (Photo courtesy of Anna Robbins-Ek )
Excess of existing low-rate mortgages lock out new Utah homebuyers
By Robert Spendlove, Senior Economist
Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates have been hovering around 6-7% for nearly two years, but most Utah homeowners have locked in a much lower rate. In fact, 72% of Utah homeowners have a mortgage with an interest rate at 4% or lower – the greatest share of homeowners in any state, according to an analysis by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
One reason for Utah's high percentage of low-rate mortgages is the state’s strong housing market. Surging home values over the last decade helped existing homeowners build equity, allowing many to refinance their mortgages and take advantage of historically low rates.
While rock-bottom rates benefited those who were able to refinance or get a new mortgage before rates shot up, the surplus of existing low-rate mortgages has created a lock-in effect in the market.
Current homeowners unwilling to give up their lower rates are freezing up housing inventory, making it more difficult for younger and lower-income families to enter the state’s already- tight housing market.
Utah’s average home value was $522,754 in May 2024, well above the national average of $360,681, according to the
Zillow Home Values Index. A Zions Bank analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and Zillow data found that housing costs are taking a much bigger bite of the household budget than they were a decade ago. In 2022, a typical Utah family spent five-and-a-half times their annual income on a new house, up from just over three times their annual income in 2012. The result is that Utah’s housing mar-
ket is the most unaffordable in our state’s history.
The Beehive State’s homeownership rate dropped from 71.2% to 70.3% from 2022 to 2023, which isn’t surprising given that more than 90% of renter households can’t afford a median-priced home.
To address housing affordability, Utah needs more housing units, more housing
density and a variety of housing options, including more multi-family units and mother-in-law apartments. The Gardner Institute projects 153,000 new housing units will be needed by 2030 to meet growing demand and keep the housing market in balance.
Utah also needs more starter homes, and those starter homes need to be less expensive. This will require a reassessment of what homebuyers demand and what homebuilders provide. For example, I bought my first home in 1999, an 1,100-square-foot house with a carport. Today, a young family would be hard-pressed to find a similar cost-effective option along the Wasatch Front.
Housing affordability is a tough issue, but if we don’t address it, it will impact the state’s future workforce. Utah may start losing young families to more affordable parts of the country, or transition away from a home-ownership society to become a rental society like Europe.
Regardless of one’s personal housing situation, affordable housing is foundational to health and well-being, educational outcomes, social stability, and the economic vitality of our communities, state and nation. l
How to talk with people from celebrity interviewer
By Holly Curby | hello@hollycurby.com
Fromgraduations 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
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-
Fscano’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
Salt Lake Men’s Choir commemorates its 40th anniversary with summer concert
By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com
or 40 years, the Salt Lake Men’s Choir has provided an inclusive community for singers of all backgrounds to come together with their love of music. To celebrate four decades of musical excellence, the choir held a summer concert at Murray High School in June that featured its favorite songs from stage and screen.
Dennis McCracken has served as the choir’s artistic director for 18 years. He conducted the performance that had the audience cheering, laughing and emotionally connecting with songs that included “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory,” “For Good” from “Wicked” and “Make Them Hear You” from “Ragtime.”
“Over the years the men’s choir has done about every genre of music available and we always come back to ones that we love to sing, and that is Broadway show tunes,” McCracken said.
Several soloists performed during the event including Darrell Peterson, Buck Patton-Hedger, David Haslam, Berry Payne and Conor Reese. The “Circle of Life” rendition, from “The Lion King,” featured flutist Jarod Smith and drummers Allen Anderson, Rhys Davidson and Brad Meehan.
The choir celebrated Pride Month with “The Rainbow Connection” from “The Muppet Movie” and incorporated lighter numbers like “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady” from “At the Circus” and “Sing!” from “A Chorus Line.”
Davidson has performed with the choir for six years. The West Valley resident said being part of the organization allows him to be around like-minded people who love music.
“We like to sing, and I get to see all of my friends each week,” Davidson said. “I tell people all the time, if you like to
sing show tunes or acapella, our concerts are super fun. It’s just a good time.”
The Salt Lake Men’s Choir’s reputation is one of welcoming acceptance. Many of the members identify as gay or bisexual and the choir is a safe place that offers support, social connection and encouragement.
“It’s a big family. So it’s more than just getting together and singing, they really take care of each other and love each other,” McCracken said. “The mission of the choir is to be inclusive, take our music everywhere and let people see what a great bunch of people we are.”
More than 70 choir members participated in the summer concert that featured 18 songs and a medley of showstoppers. The audience was filled with supportive family and friends, cheering everyone on.
Reese, originally from South Dakota, now lives in Salt Lake and is enjoying his first season with the choir.
“I’ve been singing since I was in grade school but there was a big gap after college and I realized I had more time on my hands and there was something in my life that was missing,” he said. “I got with the choir and it’s been great.”
Anyone interested in joining the choir can attend rehearsals on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church (777 S. 1300 East). For more information, visit SaltLakeMensChoir.org
“Everybody has different backgrounds, different voices, but we all come together and make it work,” said choir member Mitchell Eddards. “We have people that come from all over the state. It’s a lot of fun to put together. And a lot of work.”l
Movie critic and Emmy winner Tony Toscano. (Photo courtesy Tony Toscano)
Darrell Peterson prepares for his solo in “God Help the Outcasts” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” during the Salt Lake Men’s Choir summer concert. (City Journals)
More than 70 singers performed in the Salt Lake Men’s Choir's 40th anniversary performance at Murray High School in June. (City Journals)
Fear Factory holds first haunt of the year
By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@thecityjournals.com
Believeit or not, we’re already halfway to Halloween. And some of the most favorite haunted houses are already kicking it into gear. Fear Factory celebrated the halfway mark with a spooky weekend of haunts for Halloween enthusiasts to enjoy.
At the end of May, Fear Factory held their “lights out” event, meaning guests only have a finger light to guide them through the spooky thrills and chills. Zombie buses ran from The Gateway to Fear Factory, decked out in Halloween spirits. They ran the bus every 30 minutes.
“It’s kind of a time that's away from Halloween to still do some Halloween fun stuff,” said Rob Dunfield, co-owner of Fear Factory. “And it's a good way for our crew to get together and not have such a long break in between performances and stuff. So it's kind of a great way for our people to stay kind of active and in touch all year round, rather than just waiting till the fall.”
Fear Factory was recently named the top haunt of 2023 by the Haunted Attraction Association. This is the second time in the last three years that Fear Factory has been named in the HAA’s top haunts list.
“This award wouldn’t be possible without our incredible team and their commitment to providing fans with an exceptional experience,” Dunfield said in a press release. “We’re honored to be included in the list of the top haunts with so many others around the country that are consistently innovating and finding new ways to entertain haunted attraction fans of all ages and interests.”
Dunfield said they always want to give their best for their guests.
“We always are shooting for our best,” he said. “We're always making new things, new things to share, some new attractions, features and gaming changes. Every year, we try to make some new stuff, to draw people to come see more of what we do. And there's always some of the old things that people always return to see and come back for year after year. But yeah, we definitely are going to be always trying to top last year.”
Fear Factory is located on what used to be Portland Cement Works in the 1800s. Due to the danger of manufacturing in those days, through the use of boiling liquids and heavy machinery, the building saw several accidents.
“There's a lot of old history, and that draws the paranor-
Ismal people to want to come and try and communicate with some of those who pass on,” Dunfield said.
Dunfield said they see several paranormal investigation teams throughout the summer, hoping to speak with the ghosts that wander the halls. They also offer public investigations for those who want to join in on the experience and see what really haunts Fear Factory’s walls.
The hunts are typically from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends and everyone is invited to join in on the fun. They also offer private ghost hunting tours, where your group will be the only ones wandering the building, looking for things of the past.
Dunfield said even himself and some employees have experienced unexplainable things while in the building, whether it’s lights turning off by themselves or feeling something tugging on their costumes.
“I've always said that, if there are any ghosts here that they can stay, and as long as they're friendly and nice, we can always be friends,” he said.
Fear Factory opens the second weekend of September this year, with their second weekend open over Friday the 13th.
“Yeah, it's going to be a big [night], so that'll be real fun,” Dunfield said. “I already have some special stuff going on.”
Once October hits, Fear Factory, located at 666 W. 800 South, will start opening on weeknights, gearing up for Halloween. l
Summer Off Socials: Gen Zers encouraged to ditch social media
social media really social? That’s the question two students at Brigham Young University asked themselves before coming up with a plan.
Macy Dial had been on social media for a decade—half her life—before she decided she was done with it. Looking back on that decade, she saw how social media “fundamentally altered” her brain.
“Anything beautiful or precious in life became an opportunity for a photo op,” she wrote. “I began to think in Instagram captions.”
Dial said her push from social media came after reading a book called “4,000 Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman, a book about how we use our time. Dial said she realized how much time she was wasting on social media and decided it was time to make a change.
Fellow BYU student Kristen Hansen also felt put-off by the social media she’d grown up with. So, they teamed up to encourage Gen Zers to get off social apps and experience the shock for themselves.
By Bailey Chism | bailey.c@thecityjournals.com
screens every day. Dozens of efforts have been made to curb screen time through usage tracking apps, time limit settings and even a 3D-printed brick that temporarily removes apps from your phone.
Hansen and Dial aren’t necessarily expecting participants to swear off social media forever, but they do hope people become more thoughtful about their digital choices.
There are obviously some drawbacks to living off social media. You may not stay with current trends or slang, and some small businesses only post updates on social media. Plus, you’ll definitely miss out on some life updates.
“There’s definitely a cost to being out of touch in this way,” Dial wrote. “Without social media, I feel like I’ve lost a certain cultural cachet. I’ve missed life updates from friends. I miss the creative and funny content.”
They call the movement “Summer Off Socials”—participants will ditch at least one social media app and replace it with in-person connections. To help push participants in the right direction, Summer Off Socials will
“But the more research we did, the more we realized, like, just what a big piece of the puzzle digital wellness was, and how much social media and excessive technology use was impacting, like the mental health of Gen Z and just young people in society at large,” Dial said.
send out weekly texts with challenges, like going for a 30-minute phoneless walk, calling a long-distance friend or meeting someone new. The initiative launched June 1 and already has approximately 500 participants. According to reports, the average Gen Zers typically spend up to seven hours on
Dial said the pros to leaving social media far outweighed the cons, including her newfound peace of mind and the amount of time she now has.
Maybe someday there will be a mass exodus off social media, but for now, Dial and Hansen are encouraging people to take a break. l
Gen Zers are challenged to delete one social media app for the summer. (Bailey Chism/City Journals)
Dorothy Adams takes helm of Salt Lake County Health Department
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
Dorothy Adams, the new Salt Lake County Executive Health Director, brings a wealth of experience and a passion for public health to her role. In an interview with the City Journals, Adams shared insights into her personal journey, professional background, leadership style, and vision for the future of public health in Salt Lake County.
Previous director, Dr. Angela Dunn, left the department in February to take on a new role at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adams was deputy director of the health department from 2014 until becoming executive director this year.
Adams' career in public health began with a temporary position in the health department, driven by her interest in environmental health.
"I began working for the health department as a temporary employee with the desire to work in environmental health. My degrees were primarily focused on environmental health, and I was really interested in working in a capacity that allowed me to provide education around environmental regulations while also meeting the needs of the community," Adams said.
This foundational experience ignited her passion for public health and provided numerous opportunities for her to make significant contributions. Throughout her career, Adams has developed and managed various public health programs, which she believes have prepared her well for her current role.
"I’ve spent most of my career developing and managing public health programs. Through that experience, I developed a deep understanding of the role relationships with partners play in meeting the growing and ever-changing needs of the community," she said.
One notable experience was her participation in the Emerging Leadership in Public Health (ELPH) program, funded by the Kresge Foundation. "That connected me with many national leaders in public health. I am a firm believer that we all have opportunities to learn from each other—we are truly stronger together—so I continue to look for opportunities to connect and learn from others who have a mutual goal of improving our community."
As Adams steps into her new role, she is eager to immerse herself in the community and collaborate with various partners to improve public health outcomes.
"There are many partners who are essential components of ensuring that people within Salt Lake County have access to resources that help them be healthy. The health department is a part of that landscape, with our work to ensure everyone has access to immunizations, STD testing and treatment, education about how to lead healthy lives, disease surveillance, and environmental health work," Adams said.
Adams' leadership style is rooted in inclusivity and innovation. "I try to be a very inclusive decision maker and find that different perspectives build a more complete understanding of the issue at hand and, with that, ultimately lead to better decisions. I also know that being innovative means there will be times when things don’t go as hoped
or planned; creating an environment where people feel supported to try new and different things will truly allow our department to make a difference when working to address health outcomes across Salt Lake County," Adams said.
Her personal motivations stem from a deep-seated commitment to developing and implementing programs that directly address public health issues.
"I have been fortunate over my career to work on projects that were important to me. While working in environmental health, I started the state’s first household hazardous waste collection program, which over the last 30 years has grown in popularity, including with a new centrally located facility in Sandy opening in early July," Adams said.
She also highlighted her work on Utah’s waste tire program, which successfully cleaned up waste tires throughout the state. "Developing and implementing programs that directly address public health issues really gives me a lot of personal satisfaction," she said.
Adams recognizes the significant challenges her role entails but remains optimistic about balancing these with opportunities for impactful changes. "The biggest challenges many, if not all, public agencies face is finding ways to fund emerging issues. Nothing ever gets taken off our plate, but more things are added as our community grows and faces challenges associated with that growth," Adams said.
Looking ahead, Adams has a clear vision for the health department. "For as long as I have worked for the health department, there have been areas of our county with poorer health outcomes; for example, there are data that show that life expectancy between neighborhoods— sometimes adjacent neighborhoods—differs by as much as 10 years. It is important to me that we start changing things that can only be done when community members understand and have access to our programs and services," Ad-
munity partners.
Community engagement is a cornerstone of Adams' strategy. "Every five years the health department conducts a community health assessment to inform and update our community health improvement plan. We have historically worked with health care systems to conduct this assessment, as the information in it should inform the work that we all do," Adams said.
This year, there is a renewed emphasis on involving community partners in the process, ensuring the assessment becomes a guiding document for both the health department and its partners.
Innovation is also a key focus for Adams.
"The COVID pandemic demonstrated that we need to invest in a public health infrastructure so decision makers can access timely and important data. That is not an easy process, but with funding that will last until 2027 we plan to assess our current structure and work with other local health departments and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to improve upon our current system and capabilities," Adams said.
ams said.
Building upon lessons learned from the COVID pandemic, Adams aims to offer programs directly in the community through outreach events, requiring strong relationships with com-
Outside of her professional life, Adams enjoys the natural beauty of Utah through activities like gardening, hiking, biking, skiing and camping. With her three grown children, she now has more time to explore these interests. More information on the Salt Lake County Health Department can be found online at slco.org/health/. l
New SLCO Health Director Dorothy Adams at a hazardous waste collection event. (Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County Health)
City Journals’ Julie Slama awarded esteemed Josephine Zimmerman award for inclusivity journalism, five other writers recognized
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 recipient 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 dedicated 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.”
“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 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
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)
City, county and federal agencies working together to assist residents dealing with raccoons
By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
Taylorsville resident Ken Stevens celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary last summer with a bandaged finger – along with the unpleasant memory of the several rabies shots he had just received. Ugh – “rookies!”
Now, a year later, Stevens is no rookie. He’s trapped about three dozen raccoons in his back yard near the canal that just nicks the corner of his property. And his bitten finger count remains at one.
“It was one of the very first raccoons I trapped; I picked up the cage wrong and he nipped my finger,” Stevens explained. “I haven’t made that mistake again.”
The raccoon was tested and found not to have rabies. But before the test results were back he received “seven or eight shots, including several directly into the bitten finger. That hurt!”
At a recent Taylorsville City Council meeting, elected officials voted unanimously to change the way trapped raccoons (and the occasional skunk) are handled. For starters, residents like Stevens will no longer have to get anywhere near the trapped animals.
City council members approved a $9,394 (for one year) expenditure to participate in the Urban Wildlife Assistance Program. Salt Lake County Animal Services coordinates registrations with several cities, from Salt Lake to Draper, Magna to Brighton. But the program is actually operated by the United States Department of Agriculture.
In other words, there are city, county and federal people all stirring the pot. Officials say the USDA wildlife assistance program has been around for years. This is the first time Taylorsville has ponied up the money to participate.
So, the question arises: Are raccoons a new or growing problem in the city? They are at Stevens’ home, near 4800 W. 3200 South.
“We’ve lived here nearly 50 years, since 1977, and have never had raccoons until last
summer,” he said. “I’ve trapped 35 raccoons in my yard – and I know of at least six more that have been caught elsewhere in our neighborhood. The raccoons were stealing our cat food at night. I’m not sure why the problem has just started, after all these years. They are constructing new homes in the area. That might be driving the raccoons over here.”
Taylorsville’s participation in the USDA program began July 1 and runs through the city’s fiscal year, to next June 30. City officials can then renew the interlocal cooperative agreement for additional years. The $9,394 fee is based on the city’s population. Salt Lake and West Jordan pay more – Midvale and Bluffdale, less. The fee has nothing to do with the actual number of animals trapped within each city.
Until this month, trapped raccoons were picked up by West Valley City-Taylorsville Animal Services. Director Melanie Bennett is pleased with the change.
“My officers have picked up 80 to 100 trapped raccoons from residents’ cages over the past year,” she said. “I like this change (to USDA field operators taking over the duty) because it frees my officers up to respond to higher priority calls. Taylorsville has made a wise move. This allows us to better serve our citizens.”
Although her staff will no longer pick up trapped raccoons, the animal shelter does still have several raccoon traps available to rent. A $75 deposit is required. That fee is waived when the trap is returned, undamaged. There is also no rental charge for the first week a homeowner has a trap. After that, the cost is $2 per day.
“Spring has typically been our busiest time for residents to call, asking us to pick up trapped raccoons,” Bennett said. “That’s the time of year when younger raccoons are being taught by their parents how to find food. Win-
ter, obviously, is the slowest time. The best way to avoid attracting animals is to not leave pet food outside overnight.”
Salt Lake County Animal Services Office Manager Carrie Sibert coordinates the cities’ participation in the USDA Wildlife Assistance program.
“This agreement with USDA definitely helps,” Sibert said. “(Salt Lake County Animal Services) are experts in domesticated animals –but not wildlife. It’s very nice to have USDA do this. They are helpful in educating people about how to keep raccoons and skunks away from their homes. This program is available for any city that wants to participate.”
Working out of the Salt Lake USDA office, Cjay Butters is the wildlife biologist who coordinates the Urban Wildlife Assistance Program for his federal agency.
“This program has probably been around since the 1990s; I’ve been supervising it since 2016,” he said. “We remove hundreds of raccoons and skunks every year. They are found everywhere: in business complexes, near the Jordan River and canals, in storm drains, wooded areas. We don’t trap the animals ourselves. But once people trap them, we save homeowners from having to pay a private pest control company to come pick the animals up.”
The Feds can’t recommend a particular trap; but they do say “bigger is better.” Animals are more likely to enter a trap that does not feel confining. Standard traps are available at stores like IFA or Home Depot and, of course, online.
“Raccoons and striped skunks are not protected animal species; no licenses are required to trap them,” Butters continued. “However, it is against state law to relocate the live animals.”
And before you ask, no – USDA is not relocating live animals either. They aren’t going to “live on a farm, upstate.”
“Our city council considered joining this program a while ago, but decided not to at that
time,” Taylorsville City Administrator John Taylor said. “But the problem has grown increasingly worse. We have a few residents calling us regularly to report problems. The council decided now was a good time to take action. I’m sure they will review the results next year before deciding whether or not to renew.”
The USDA recommends anyone interested in setting raccoon traps contact their office first. Preregistration into the program is not required; but getting a few tips before baiting that first trap is suggested. You can reach the Urban Wildlife Assistance Program at 385-419-3405.
Now an expert raccoon trapper, Stevens can count a couple of suggestions on his no-longer-injured fingers.
“They love Hostess Zingers so we use those for bait,” he said. “And keep your fingers out of the cage once you have one trapped.” l
Taylorsville resident Ken Stevens has trapped about three dozen raccoons in his yard in less than a year. (Photo courtesy Ken Stevens)
Humane, live-catch raccoon traps like this are available to rent at the West Valley-Taylorsville Animal Shelter. (Photo courtesy WVC-Taylorsville Animal Services)
Taylorsville resident Ken Stevens trapped this raccoon in his yard recently, along with more than 30 others before it, in less than a year. (Photo courtesy Ken Stevens)
Several humane raccoon traps are available to rent at the Taylorsville-West Valley City Animal Shelter. (Photo courtesy WVC-Taylorsville Animal Services)
That vivid white stripe on the black animal inside the cage tells this member of the USDA team he’s dealing with a potentially aromatic skunk – not a raccoon. (Photo courtesy USDA)
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7 outdoor concert venues perfect for summer nights
By Rebecca Olds | rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com
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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.
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
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+
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.
Concertgoers listen to a live concert at Kenley Amphitheater. (Courtesy Davis Arts Council)
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.” West Valley
