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UTAH STORIES MAGAZINE

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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 42

6 Utah Stories 24 University of Utah Contributors Ski Team 1947 to now 12 Finding Christmas Spirit 50 Charting A Can shopping local transform New Course a Grinch?

Where have all the students

14 Stocking Stuffers More than a gift

20 Explore Agave Spirits with New World Distillery

gone?

56 The Hamas and Israeli War Rages On All lives are worthy

Better than tequila

SPOTLIGHT 28 Moab

42 Sugar House

Winter in Moab

Construction Impacts Sugar House

34 Ogden Controversial Apartment

44 Food

Complex Under Review

Create Memories with These Holiday Pastries

38 Park City

LOCAL & AWESOME?

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Utah Stories invites excellent local businesses to inquire about our advertising rates and determine if our readership is a good fit. For more information please contact Richard at 801-856-3595 or visit utahstories.com/advertising WE POST STORIES AND PHOTOS ALL THE TIME. FOLLOW US @ UTAHSTORIES PUBLISHER/EDITOR Richard Markosian Golda Hukic-Markosian PUBLISHER’S ASST. Connie Lewis SALES & ACCOUNTS Alegra Zuchowicz Matt Pyne Shelley Stewart

Tamara Mullen DISTRIBUTION Connie Lewis DIGITAL PUBLISHER & MARKETING & EVENTS Golda Hukic-Markosian Alegra Zuchowicz SOCIAL MEDIA Alegra Zuchowicz

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COPY EDITOR David Jensen

Brian Nicholson John Taylor

GRAPHIC DESIGN Anna Lythgoe Fletcher Marchant Susan Maxfield

ILLUSTRATORS Chris Bodily

PHOTOGRAPHERS Richard Markosian Amiee Maxwell

Dung Hoang WRITERS Francia Henriquez Benson Brandi Christoffersen Bianca Dumas

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BEHIND THE STORIES Francia Henriquez Benson Francia Henriquez Benson is a Latina journalist, writer, blogger, and film director. She is currently working on her short film, “Our Life at the Cottage,” which she wrote and directed. She travels around the world and documents her traveling experiences in her blog, Vagabond Brunette. Francia enjoys learning about cultures, people, and history. Last year, she graduated with a Master’s Degree in English and Creative Writing from Weber State University. She is working on her essay collection and delineating plans to produce her next short film.

John Taylor

John Taylor is a photographer based in Salt Lake City. As a young boy, armed with his grandfather’s vintage camera, he started to see the world through the lens. Even today, he enjoys connecting with people on assignment or location, or just out for a walk with his wife, son, and rescued greyhound. He never leaves home without a camera and is always on a quest for the best shot. To see more of his work, visit his website at www.visionfoto.com.

Bianca Dumas

Bianca Dumas is from Helper, Utah, where she grew up in an Italian-American family that loved food and storytelling. She and her husband raised their two kids on the road, homeschooling them and traveling full-time in an RV loaded down with a canoe, kayaks, bicycles, a Jeep, and even a sailboat. The trip lasted eight years and took them through every nook and cranny of the Lower 48 States.

They paddled with alligators in the Okefenokee Swamp, hiked the Grand Canyon, and sailed in San Diego Bay. They ate bologna with the Amish, shrimp and grits on Hatteras Island, and tamales in Yuma, Arizona.

The kids worked in restaurants and coffee shops from Utah to North Carolina. Her husband, Guy, rode a bicycle from coast to coast, and Bianca made sure everyone kept up with their Latin, math, and especially geography.

When the kids moved on to their own adventures, Bianca and Guy took a 6,000-mile sailboat journey around America’s Great Loop route.

Today, they live near Helper and own Guy’s Barbershop. Bianca works as a freelance writer.

She’s been published in Cruising World, Artists and Illustrators UK, Family RVing, Oh Reader, and other publications.

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Finding christmas spirit SYMPATHIZING WITH THE GRINCH?

By Golda Hukic-Markosian

12 | utahstories.com

with bags full of presents they actually don’t deserve.

In this issue of Utah Stories, we highlight some of our local shops where you can buy gifts for those you love, while supporting the local economy.

Amanda Rock talks about local bakers with their special pastries that will make this Christmas season even cozier. Amiee Maxwell breaks down the frustrating construction in Sugar House. Rachel Fixsen shows travelers what to expect by visiting Moab in winter. Richard Markosian examines the lack of personal accountability in our public schools, and Francia Benson talks to Utahns with ties to Israel and Palestine and gives them a voice to share their experiences.

We hope you make the most of this holiday season, and that you can create joy and merriment with family and friends.

Merry Christmas and happy reading!

utahstories.com | 13

PHOTO CREDIT: CALEY DIMMOCK/UNSPLASH

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS BODILY

A

s I write this, the first snowfall of the season has covered the valley like a coat of fresh paint, hiding the flaws, cracks and stains, and making a good impression.

Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. But oh, how I dislike Christmas!

Although the snow is beautiful, I despise the cold!

A whole month of Christmas music could drive me crazy, and if I have to watch It’s a Wonderful Life for the 25th time, I may go over the edge.

But most of all, I hate the obligatory shopping! A lot of people feel this way.

It’s so hard to shop for adults.

After all, what do you buy for people who have everything?

And then there are the kids, with their large, unrealistic lists, when most of the time they should get coal in their Christmas stockings.

Right now I really can sympathize with the Grinch.

But you probably didn’t expect a co-publisher of Utah Stories to tell you about her contempt for one of the most profitable holidays of the year.

Actually, what I dislike most is the capitalistic aspect of this holiday — this giant annual money-sucking festival. The glut of rampant consumerism is appalling at a time in history when we should be conserving resources and recycling to protect our planet. Most of what the Amazon, FedEx and UPS trucks are hauling to our doorsteps will inevitably end up in a landfill.

Meanwhile, war is raging in other parts of the world, and some of our fellow human beings don’t have enough food.

However, I do like Christmas as a reason for giving — a season of giving thoughtful presents and celebrating with family and friends by breaking bread together. Helping fellow humans in need. Keeping our children accountable and not spoiling them

Andrew Makian, of European Tastees, holds some of the stocking stuffers you can find there.

Stocking stuffers: more than a gift Utah’s small shops shine with unique options for holiday stockings

By Tani Leavitt 14 | utahstories.com

European Tastees

PHOTOS BY TANI LEAVITT PG. 15-16 & JOHN TAYLOR PG. 14

T

he first thing you notice walking into European Tastees is the authentic aromas of Eastern Europe.

Places like Poland, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, and more are represented here, from the language on Gail Piccoli of the packaging to the Commerece distinct adornments on and Craft. the counters. European Tastees even bake their own German style bread and savory snacks to go.

Andrew, who is from Armenia, is the store manager. He’s continuing the legacy his parents Ruzan and Art started in 2005. Imagine putting your hand into a stocking feeling a small, wrapped box crinkle in your fingers, and instead of pulling it out to find another boring candy cane, the eyes of a Polish child on an embellished box transport you to another land. Andrew experiences this every day and has great ideas for things to stuff your stockings with.

“We have a lot of goodies like candies and chocolates that are native to Eastern European countries. We have Christmas and New Year’s themed gift boxes, cakes, Russian nesting dolls, and a lot more goodies that you will only find in Europe. We have gift boxes that kids would love with surprise toys, and gift boxes for adults with liquor filled chocolate. We also have European sodas, drinks and teas that would make great stocking stuffers.

I’m sure everyone will find something unique to take home,” Andrew says.

handmade goods.

“Everything here has soul put into it,” Gail says, as she runs over to the pewter measuring spoons and then to the stickers, thinking of what could possibly make the best stocking stuffer. She then makes her way to the homespun jewelry and books. She explains how each item in her shop is handmade mostly by local crafters. “Just about everything in the store is small enough to fit into a stocking, but some of my favorites are the little drop dishes and the small stained glass art pieces,” Gail says.

Old Dutch Store

From the street, The Old Dutch store makes its presence known. The architecture is reminiscent of an old windmill which was painted over with the blue, white and red found on the Dutch flag. The Old Dutch Store opened in 1978, and the current store owner Sharon Wuolukka Walking into Commerce Sharon took it over some of Old Dutch Store. and Craft, you are greeted years back. Looking around, with little trinkets and bobbles there were flag pins from the dangling from the shop walls. Gail, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, shop owner, shows her enthusiasm for the Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.

Commerce and Craft

utahstories.com | 15

Items from Holland on display at The Old Dutch Store.

Sharon came out from the back and educated me on the Northwestern part of Europe’s traditions.

“The Dutch chocolate letter is a perfect fit for a stocking stuffer. The tradition behind this is to give a chocolate letter of the first letter of the name of the person receiving it,” Sharon says.

Along with the Dutch chocolate letter, there are other things such as magnets on display, with images of the countryside, small puppets, and even Dutch children. The best part was the traditional wooden shoes that children would put out to receive their gifts from Sinterklaas — the Dutch Santa Claus. So instead of putting out a stocking, put out a traditional Dutch shoe, hopefully to find Marzipan pigs, fruit from Germany, and European licorice inside on Christmas morning.

Dancing Cranes

Dancing Cranes got its beginnings in 1994. It hosts lots of goodies from places between India and Japan, such as Tibet and Bangladesh. Carlene is the store manager, and boasts of how the store has been locally owned and operated since the beginning, and she tells of the experience customers

16 | utahstories.com

have here.

“Here, you’ll be transported to a realm of enchantment with treasures sourced directly from artisans, craftsmen, and women across continents. From exquisite textiles and intricately carved wooden sculptures, to mesmerizing jewelry and soulful musical instruments. We have stocking stuffers galore, from sterling silver and unique jewelry, natural body spa products, incense, natural perfume oils, crystals and stones, and much more,” Carlene states.

Inside, you are greeted by very large metalwork cranes that make an appearance in every corner, dancing with you through the store. In the heart of the building is a pool filled with massive living Koi fish.

And the sheer size of the trees to the geodes inside are impressive.

Hatch Family Chocolates

Hatch Family Chocolates is where you’ll find your friendly neighborhood chocolatier, Katie, who is also the store manager. She sources her chocolate from Guitard, a French-Belgian company, but they make everything else on site, like the caramel with local honey and sea salt. Katie explains what

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you can expect to find this Christmas: “We have hot chocolate in-house, and while you are here, you could grab gift cards to give to your kids. We’re doing little bags of chocolate Santas, penguins and bears, little boxes of chocolates and cocoa bombs, even chocolate covered suckers like reindeer, snowmen, and snowflakes. But one thing you really must try is our Karmel Malone Rice Krispies treats. They are popular stocking stuffers and one of our best-selling items,” Katie remarks.

Apart from chocolate covered goodies and her famous chocolate covered Rice Krispies treats, Katie also has other non-chocolate goods such as dog treats and finger puppets.

Ward & Child, aka The Garden Store

When you find the entrance to The Garden

18 | utahstories.com

Store, you will be filled with Christmas joy.

A winter wonderland sparkles and twinkles around the entire room. After 30 years of being in business, the indoor and outdoor furnishings have the most housewarming Christmas gifts you will ever see, and is a one-stop shop for Christmas decorations.

Mikeal, the store manager, has a background in interior design, and can help you with concepts for the perfect Christmas setup.

Mikeal also mentioned some special items that can fit into a stocking.

“We carry candy like Swiss chocolates,” Mikeal shares. We have gift certificates; those are always great for stocking stuffers, since most of our items are very large. But I’d really have to recommend a specialty item from Ginkgo; they have wondrous light-up globes that show the universe.”

Merry Christmas and happy shopping!

PHOTO BY GOLDA HUKIC-MARKOSIAN

Light-up universe globes from Ward & Child.

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Explore

A sampling of spirits from New World Distillery.

agave spirits

with new

world distillery Ask for them at your favorite bars & restaurants

amed after the biblical garden of Eden, Eden, Utah is home to several natural wonders: Powder Mountain Ski Resort, which recently topped the SKI magazine western resort rankings for 2024, and creatively crafted spirits from New World Distillery.

Unlike the ski resort, the distillery is still somewhat of a secret to Utahns, explains Christopher Cross, owner and distiller of New World, who, along with his wife and founder Ashley Cross, opened New World Distillery in 2016.

“The tourists find us easily because they Google things to do nearby,” says Chris.

And they’re the ones who then tell their local friends about the tour they took and encourage them to visit.

For those who already know the New World name thanks to their leading liquor, Oomaw gin, with the beautiful dragonfly on the label, the craft and artistry that goes into their products is evident — validated by the

20 | utahstories.com

many restaurants that feature their liquors in cocktails across the state.

While the gin is Ashley’s favorite, Chris’ love is firmly in agave spirits — most popularly known as tequila and mezcal.

Blue agave is the base for tequila, but by law, agave spirits made outside of five specific regions in Mexico cannot be called tequila. Chris is completely fine with that designation and says of their Rabbit and Grass Blanco Agave Spirit, “It’s dramatically different from a Mexican blanco by design, because our process is quite different.”

To craft the blanco, Chris takes 100% organic blue agave and then ferments it using champagne yeast under tightly con-

PHOTOS BY JOHN TAYLOR

N

By Heather L. King

trolled conditions. He distills it to capture the fruit-forward flavor of agave for a bold blanco that’s easy to sip.

Caring as much about what’s inside the bottle as outside, original artwork by local artist Tyler Davis was commissioned to depict Mayahuel, the goddess of agave and fertility, for the agave spirits line.

“We start with the art first, and then the name comes after,” Chris explains. The Crosses researched ancient and modern renderings of Mayahuel and gave Davis the collection, noting their preferences and then let him craft an idea. “He incorporated the things we liked and tried to avoid the things we didn’t to come up with our own custom,

modern version of Mayahuel,” Chris says.

“It’s a really cool piece of art and we accepted the first draft! I really love the piece of art because it’s so unique to us.”

Various interpretations of ancient Oaxacan legends say that Mayahuel was the patron of the 13-day festival in the Aztec calendar that starts with 1 Malinalli (grass), and that she gave birth to an infinite number of rabbits, each one describing a state of intoxication.

Chris further explains that the name Rabbit and Grass comes from the Aztec calendar which follows a system of each day and week having a nature symbol associated with it, so rabbit is the day and grass is the week.

utahstories.com | 21

“New World Distillery ferments, distills, ages and bottles all three traditional tiers of agave spirits: blanco, reposado and anejo,” Ashley explains. The distillery’s latest edition is the anejo, which is aged for just over a year in used barrels that once held their sold out Ogden Nine Rails Bourbon, resulting in a smooth and complex flavor.

The couple also makes the only 100% blue agave-distilled vodka in the state of Utah, and to date, it is only one of two made in the entire United States. When asked about the bold choice, Chris says, “I only make things I drink and I don’t drink vodka, but Christopher Cross, we needed owner and distiller at New World Distillery. it in our lineup because a third of Americans do, so we were experimenting and that’s when we tried it. It’s absolutely amazing!”

Finally their Wasatch Blossom Utah Tart Cherry Liqueur is a blend of site-distilled agave and neutral spirits featuring the flavors of Utah Montmorency tart cherries and sweetened with 100% organic agave nectar.

Chris’ foray into agave began long before the distillery, as he grew up in Arizona and headed to the beaches of Mexico (and drank tequila) in his youth. He then became a hobbyist and finally decided to include what is now his favorite in their product line — Rabbit and Grass Blanco — in the distillery’s

22 | utahstories.com

initial product launch.

“Chris has been chasing tequila his whole life,” says Ashley. “Agave distillates were among the first distillates he ever experimented with in the early days of his research.

He’s studied with some of the world’s most-renowned agave producers. His passion for such a tenuous and challenging raw material when it comes to spirits production is what led him down this path in pursuit of making American agave spirits.”

You’ll find many of New World Distillery spirits at various DABS liquor stores. Along with the Oomaw Gin, the Rabbit and Grass Blanco and Ogden Valley Vodka are available widely.

Wasatch Blossom Cherry Liqueur is available at a handful of DABS stores and the distillery in Eden. The reposado is available via special order by the case through DABS or at the distillery, while the new anejo is only available at the distillery. All New World Distillery products are available for purchase online to all but six states (Utah being one) in America.

Chris encourages fans of their products living in the Beehive State to ask for them in their favorite bars and restaurants, explaining that demand from customers has a direct effect on more of their products becoming available in more DABS stores.

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The university

The University of Utah Ski Team celebrates its fourth straight NCAA Championship on March 11, 2023 in Lake Placid, New York.

of utah ski team

16-Time national champions In 1947, the very first year the University of Utah hosted an official ski team, Coach Sverre Engen led the Utes to victory in a national tournament. Three of his skiers — Dick Movitz, Jack Reddish, and Dev Jennings — went on to represent the US in the 1948 Olympic Games.

And so it began. In 2022, the Utah Ski Team won the U’s History Maker Award in recognition for extraordinary accomplishments in winter sports. Utes represent 84 individual champions, 35 Olympians, and innumerable Hall of Famers, All-Americans, and Academic All-Americans. As a team, they’ve won 16 National Championships, including the last four consecutive titles. Their fans hope to see them do it again on March 6-9 at the NCAA Tournament in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

From the beginning, the team’s tremendous success has come from great coaching.

Here are a few highlights:

Pat Miller

Coach Miller graduated from Fort Lewis College in 1970, where he was an All-American Nordic skier. He came to the Utah Ski Team as an assistant in 1974 and served for 25 years. According to the Fort Lewis College Hall of Fame, “Miller was instrumental in building Utah into the premier skiing program in the NCAA.” Under Coach Miller, the Utes won 10 National Championships, 46 athletes were named individual National Champions, 251 were All-Americans, and 10 became mem-

24 | utahstories.com

bers of Olympic teams.

Notable individuals during this time include alpine skiers Anke Friedrich and Christl Hager. Friedrich won both the slalom and giant slalom in 1990. Hager won the giant slalom three years running (‘94, ‘95, and ‘97).

When asked what made him such a good coach, Miller’s disposition inevitably gets mentioned. “I think when you characterize his capabilities and his expertise as a coach, it starts with his personality,” says Dr. Greg Thompson, Emeritus Associate Dean for Special Collections at J. Willard Marriott Library. Thompson skied with Miller on the Ft. Lewis College team and the two had offices near one another at the U. When thinking

PHOTO CREDIT NCAA PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES

By Bianca Dumas

of Miller’s coaching days, Thompson adds, “There was an awful lot of spirit.”

Miller’s huge personality as a head coach didn’t impinge on his coaching staff. He was known to let the alpine and Nordic coaches run their own departments.

Miller was inducted into five sports Halls of Fame including the Alf Engen Ski Museum Hall of Fame in 2008. He passed away in 2013 of a sudden illness.

Kevin Sweeney

Coach Sweeney is the original student athlete. He graduated cum laude from the University of New Hampshire in 1985, and twice represented the US at the World Cup.

Sweeney was an assistant coach for Pat Miller from 91-99 and was named head coach in the year 2000. He served this term for five years and returned as head coach in 2010. He led the Utes to two National Championships (03, 17). Sweeney now lives in Norway.

Under his tutelage, Martin Bergström was a three-time National Champion in both freestyle and classic cross country skiing.

Barbara Yamada, affectionately called the “ski team mom,” witnessed Sweeney in action. “He’s just a really good person and he treated his athletes and everybody around him very personably,” she says. “It’s a family, it’s a team effort, and it’s a family feeling,” and she says Sweeney made it feel that way.

utahstories.com | 25

Former longtime Utah Ski Team director Pat Miller offers instruction to an athlete prior to a race. Miller helped the Utes win 10 national championships under his leadership from 1976-99.

Coach Landstedt is a native of Sweden, but competed for the University of New Mexico, where he was an All-American and became a Nordic coach. Before coming to the U, he coached two other American universities to National Championship titles.

Landstedt was named Utah’s head coach in 2018. Under his direction, the Utes won four consecutive National Championships (‘19, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23). Landstedt won the U’s Don Reddish award three times as the leader of an Olympic sport to have had the most successful season.

Notable skiers under Landstedt include Madison Hoffman, who won both the slalom and giant slalom in 2023. She was the first women’s double alpine NCAA champion since 2019 and the first Ute to win both at the NCAA level since Anke Friedrich. Sydney Palmer-Leger (‘21) and Novie McCabe were named National Women’s Nordic Skier of the Year (‘22).

In 2022, 12 of the skiers in the Beijing Olympics were current and former Utah Ski team athletes, 10 of which trained under Landstedt. An additional ski alumnus attended as a coach.

26 | utahstories.com

When asked why Utah’s skiers have been so successful, Landstedt mentions camaraderie. “Skiing is a little different because you have both alpine and Nordic, and you also mix men and women, so there are four parts to the team,” he says. “To be a very strong team, you need to glue these four parts together and create a great environment where everyone gives 100%.”

Landstedt’s European background is often cited as a reason he’s excellent at international recruiting. He has also been supported by a consistent coaching staff since his arrival.

Academic All Americans

By and large, competitive skiers are focused on individual success, and this applies to academics as well as athletics. Electrical and mechanical engineering, biology, and master’s level finance are among the majors being pursued by ski team members. These subjects require an intense level of study, but Utah skiers get top grades in the hardest subjects while putting in 20 hours of training a week.

The Utah Ski Teams consistently have among the highest GPAs at the U. At the end of the 2022 season, 21 Utes were named to the All-Academic team.

PHOTO CREDIT UTAH ATHLETICS ARCHIVES

Fredrik Landstedt

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We need your support!

ENJOY WINTER $ MOAB THE OFF-SEASON HAS ITS OWN CHARMS (AND NO CROWDS)

M

By Rachel Fixsen

oab is busiest in the summer when kids are out of school and can join families on visits to national parks, and when

28 | utahstories.com

activities like whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and extreme sports like skydiving are at their most appealing. In winter, things

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RED CLIFFS LODGE

MOAB

slow down. There are fewer visitors and events in town, and some hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions close for a few weeks.

But the winter season has its own charms: the trails are less crowded, and the occasional snowfall highlights the dramatic colors and contours of the landscape.

“We typically close for December and January,” said Megan Fryer, owner of Rustic Inn in downtown Moab, adding that she and her staff take advantage of the time off and the reduced crowds to visit the national parks.

Visitors wishing to avoid high-season crowds will often book at Rustic Inn in late November or February. That timeframe is

also appealing for travelers on a budget.

Room rates are lower during those times of year, Fryer said. (She encourages people to book directly with the hotel for a discount and to avoid paying fees to an intermediary booking site.) Many repeat guests enjoy the slower pace and the unique aesthetic of Moab in the winter.

“The skies really do glow here in December,” Fryer said. Photographers often visit in late fall and early winter to catch the most dramatic sunrises. Winter’s cooler temperatures may also be friendlier to travelers who want to hike with their dogs.

Brian Hunnings, general manager of Red

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Castleton Tower outside of Arches National Park is a top rock-climbing destination.

Cliffs Lodge outside Moab, said some visitors prefer the winter season because of the abundant opportunities to see wildlife. Hunnings himself saw a mountain lion near the lodge in mid-November. It was late at night and he was taking his dogs out — “they have the smallest bladders in the world,” he joked — and he saw the lion’s green eyes glowing in the light of his headlamp.

Hunnings backed respectfully away from the area, ending the encounter without drama.

Red Cliffs Lodge sits along the Colorado River outside of Moab, and the river corridor attracts birds and animals. Hunnings said bald eagles are a frequent winter sighting.

Some of Red Cliff Lodge’s most loyal repeat guests are bird watchers and animal enthusiasts who come to observe nature in the serenity of winter.

Red Cliffs Lodge also offers activities for guests both on- and off-site year-round, including in winter.

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“We have tons of stuff you can do,” Hunnings said.

Many tours and activities lend themselves more to the warmer seasons, but there are special winter activities open both to guests (usually complementary with a stay) and the public (usually for a fee).

On Saturdays in December, the lodge hosts craft sessions, such as candle-making or wreath-making, with lunch included. There’s also a breakfast with Santa Claus, where children can meet the man in red and receive a small gift — if they’re on the nice list, of course.

“Our holiday elves make that happen,” Hunnings said.

The lodge restaurant, The Cowboy Grill, has special holiday meals: a Thanksgiving buffet and a Christmas brunch.

And on New Year’s Eve, Red Cliffs hosts a party that includes fireworks at midnight.

Other activities available year-round include yoga, sound baths, and various art and craft classes. There’s an on-site film museum tracing the rich history of movie-making in the Moab area. The lodge also arranges tours like hiking and horseback riding. Some are best suited to the high season, but some, such as drives with the on-site Bronco Off-Roadeo, are good options to get out and see the landscape in winter.

Motorized tours take visitors to many iconic views and features around Moab.

Parks near Moab — Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dead Horse Point State Park — are open in winter and usually see fewer visitors in the cooler months.

There are fewer interpretive programs, and visitor center hours may be shortened.

Also, road and trail conditions might be perilous if there’s ice or snow. But, as the Arches National Park website says, winter “is a peaceful time, without the crowds or scorching heat that can plague summertime visits.”

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OGDEN

house of cards?

Ogden apartment complex may pose danger to public

By Cathy McKitrick

The unfinished apartment development on Historic 25th Street in Ogden.

34 | utahstories.com

Troubled contractor

The developer, Springville-based Summa Terra Ventures, touts 35-plus years of experience in erecting multi-family structures in Salt Lake City and metro markets in other states.

The building’s contractor, Makers Line, also had a reputable track record until recently. This summer, various subcontractors on multiple projects began filing suit for nonpayment.

In mid-November, The Salt Lake Tribune reported that 13 lawsuits had piled up against Makers Line, with the company’s debt totalling more than $2.2 million.

Two of those lawsuits involve Ogden’s outsized structure at 144 25th Street — one from Logan-based Bear River Heating and Air Conditioning for $64,029, and the other from Bingham Plumbing & Mechanical for $106,173.

In a recent phone interview, Ogden Community and Economic Development Director

PHOTO BY BRIAN NICHOLSON

P

rogress on the unfinished five-story apartment building at 144 Historic 25th Street shut down in March due to the contractor’s failure to use fire-retardant lumber.

And this fall, building inspections revealed other critical deficiencies in the stalled structure that looms larger than any of its neighbors.

In mid-October, the Standard-Examiner reported on results of an October 2nd inspection that indicated sagging floor joists, structural connections that failed to meet code, bowing of the building’s framing components, and tilting of its roof trusses.

An October 12th notice from Ogden City warned that these conditions pose a danger to public safety if any structural support members give way due to continued stress and weight overload.

A worst-case scenario would be the collapse of the 4,701-square-foot building.

Brandon Cooper said the building should be alright, at least in the short term.

“There’s no pending danger right now,” Cooper said, adding that the City is working with Summa Terra to replace Makers Line as the project’s general contractor.

The City has also stepped in to keep the massive structure from going up in flames.

Part of that effort involves a strategic fire watch.

“We’re also taking steps to fortify the perimeter with a taller, more secure fence, and a lock and cameras to thwart any unauthorized access,” Cooper said.

Uncertain future

But what happens next remains unclear.

Even the City Council seeks more answers.

“A lot of residents have been asking how that building got authorized in the first place,” City Council Chairwoman Angela Choberka recently said by phone, noting that further research was underway to chart its timeline and trajectory.

However, the Council doesn’t play a part in deciding its future unless a budget action is required, Choberka said, noting that the most they can do is apply political pressure “to make sure something happens.”

City documents indicate that the Planning Commission first approved the 55-unit, five-story site plan in February 2021, then amended that plan on May 19th, 2021 to ensure that its brick exterior blended with neighboring storefronts.

The City’s Landmark Technical Committee reviewed that revised plan and signed off on it before Mayor Mike Caldwell gave it final approval on May 21st, 2021.

Mike Watson, Summa Terra CEO, did not respond to requests for comment. But Cooper said the developer remains under a stop work order and a notice of dangerous building.

And Cooper doesn’t yet know where, why or how the structure’s deficiencies crept in.

“We’re not sure where the failure happened between the contractor and developer,” Cooper said. “I believe they’re still trying to figure that out between themselves.”

However, winter weather is on its way, and Cooper acknowledged that heavy snowfall could pose a significant threat.

“I’m not a structural engineer,” Cooper said, “but from what I understand, the time [of year] and additional weight is not our friend.”

Adhering to the process

During an October 24th City Council work session, Ogden Chief Administrative Officer Mara Brown defended the City’s planning process.

“We have followed the normal construction and plan review process in this situation, which has been a year and a half or more,” Brown told City Council members and staff, describing the balancing act that gives developers time to fix problems that surface during inspections.

But when it reaches the place where the required fixes aren’t getting done, the City can intervene to do what’s necessary, including demolition as a last resort.

“Then it has to be identified as a dangerous building,” Brown said. “That’s the point we’re at.”

A third-party inspection, hired by the contractor, corroborated the deficits uncovered by earlier City inspections, Brown said.

A LOT OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING HOW THAT BUILDING GOT AUTHORIZED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

36 | utahstories.com

Ticking Clock

The City’s October 12th notice gave the developer 60 days to resolve its issues. Any appeals could extend that time, Brown added.

“So we’ll be keeping an eye on it as it goes through that process,” Brown said. “But right now the most important perspective of the City is that we’ll be doing the in-person fire watch and we’ll be hardening the structure.”

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PA R K C I T Y

liberty sanctuary Saving america’s forgotten equines

By Brandi Christoffersen

Visit www.libertysanctuary.org/ rescues to support rescued equines, including Wyatt, a handsome wild mustang.

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PHOTO BY PEGGY SPEAR

I

t’s a warm spring morning in Bowie, Texas. A beautiful painted mare is in the final stage of labor. At six years old, she is healthy but terrified, which is understandable given her surroundings. Stuffed in a dirty, uncomfortable stall, she must give birth to her baby on her own. After a final push, the front hooves of the newborn come into view, then the nose, head, neck, shoulders, and hindquarters. The mother gently licks her baby’s face and soon the colt is walking around the crowded pen.

While the birth was a success, outside perils persist. Sadly for mom and baby, the pair have been given a death sentence in a Texas kill pen. If not rescued, the two will be shipped to a chevaline (horse meat) plant in Mexico.

Luckily, during this same time, a Utahbased nonprofit had just opened its doors.

Founded by Debra West, a longtime equine owner and lover, Liberty Sanctuary has a mission to rescue and rehabilitate horses and donkeys from the slaughter pipeline, and to share their stories and create awareness of their plight and inhumane circumstances.

In April 2023, Liberty had just performed its first rescue mission from that same Texas kill pen. They were quarantining and vetting the rescues nearby when West learned of the painted mare and her newborn colt. “We had to go back and rescue them immediately so care could begin,” said West.

“All the horses arrived with USDA stickers glued to them, so providing them with names and true identities was important,” West explained. She wanted their names “to protect them for their courage and value.”

Accordingly, West bestowed the name Gemma — meaning treasure — to momma mare, and the colt was dubbed Jasper — a precious stone.

West explained what motivated her to create the nonprofit. “My husband and I have owned horses for years but we were unaware of what happens during the kill pen process. Contrary to the common belief that only sickly horses are sold for meat, 92% of the equines slaughtered are healthy young animals. Owners take the horses that they love to be traded at an auction, but they don’t realize that often the horse is bought by a ‘kill buyer’ that contracts with a slaugh-

utahstories.com | 39

terhouse.”

For the next 7 to 14 days, the auctioned animals are gathered in a US kill pen.

Shortly thereafter, the horses and donkeys are stuffed into trailers and transported to slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada.

This entire experience is obviously traumatizing, so it’s no surprise the rescued animals arrive at the sanctuary extremely fearful and sometimes physically hurt or ill.

Fortunately, Liberty has Eric Kraut on board as Director of Equine Wellness. Eric is a dedicated equine physical therapist. Known as ‘the baby whisperer’, he gives special care to the youngest residents, ranging from one month to a year, and also provides medical supervision to all sanctuary animals.

“Trevor Howard runs our training program and is one of the most talented and authentic horsemen I have met,” West said.

“Honestly, I may rescue the horses, but it’s Trevor and Eric who really save and rebuild

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their lives.”

Additionally, none of this could happen without Liberty’s dedicated and caring volunteer staff managed by Alesia Valentine.

Once the rescues have had time to settle in, they are carefully introduced to rehabilitation and training techniques geared to build trust with humans. The ultimate goal is to find them permanent, secure homes. So far, four of the rescues have been adopted and more will follow.

West knows she will add Gemma and Jasper to the adoption list soon, but it won’t be easy. “Momma and baby were pretty fearful when they first arrived, but Jasper is now 7 months old and thriving. He is the perfect example of the success of our program.

Our belief is that he will be a wonderful, adoptable horse with little to no memory of his negative experiences. Gemma is more shut down than some, but we will absolutely reach her, too.”

Creating awareness is paramount for West. “No American equine deserves to be sold out to a meat plant. We have solutions and homes right here in the United States.”

Liberty Sanctuary’s ultimate mission is to ensure that no equine will be exported for slaughter again. This goal can be reached through the passing of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act. This bipartisan bill, introduced to the 2023-2024 Congress, would permanently ban horse slaughter in the United States and prohibit the exportation of horses for slaughter. As written, the SAFE Act amends the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018 by simply adding the words “or equines,” thus protecting our nation’s top three companion animals from slaughter. Disgustingly, there are opponents to the bill, including the meat lobby and other groups.

To become law, the SAFE Act needs to pass in the House of Representatives, and then in the Senate. Liberty Sanctuary, along with other animal advocates, plans to continue their fight for these majestic creatures until they are federally protected.

If you would like to support the SAFE Act, you can email your legislature at democracy. io. You may also donate toward the care of Liberty Sanctuary’s 28 equine rescues at libersanctuary.org/donate.

PHOTO BY DEBRA WEST

Founder, Debra West, nurtures a young American mare on the Liberty Sanctuary ranch.

Open Every Day, 10am-5pm 528 Main Street Park City, UT 84060 Parkcityhistory.org Or call 435-649-7457 for more information

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Source: KlausFoehl/Wikimedia Commons.

SUGAR HOUSE

sugar house area businesses need community support the importance of buying local

By Amiee Maxwell

With all the construction happening in Sugar House, pedestrians and motorists are frustrated and confused.

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I

f you’ve tried to visit any Sugar House businesses lately, you know how easy it is to get deterred by the construction mess.

Full reconstruction of the 2100 South and Highland Drive intersection began this fall, and reconstruction of 2100 South from 900 East to 1300 East is set to begin in early 2024.

“This is not going to be easy the next couple of years on the businesses,” says Brandon Hill, Co-Chair of the Sugar House Chamber of Commerce.

Chris Howard, owner of Fankhauser Jewelry, a fine watch repair shop located near the corner of 2100 South and Highland, acknowledges that the project needs to be done; he just wishes it could be done in a way that minimizes the impact on businesses like his. Howard says, “It’s been definitely slower with the construction.” He says that parking is an issue and he doesn’t get nearly the same walk-in business. For a few days in mid-November, the construction made it nearly impossible to access his shop.

When asked to quantify his losses for a construction mitigation grant offered by the city, Howard said it’s hard to estimate since his business focuses mainly on repairs, so if customers aren’t able to drop off their goods, it won’t affect him for months down the line. He’s still waiting to hear back from the city to see if he will receive any grant money.

Bob Campbell, owner of All About Coins, also located near 2100 South and Highland, said that his numbers have been way down, and his numbers aren’t the only thing he’s concerned with. “It is one thing closing the road, but it’s hard to get any work done with all the flashing lights and noise,” Campbell said. He also said the road work has been so rattling at times that it’s knocked items off their shelves. He also expressed frustration that the city isn’t checking in more with local businesses to see how they are faring with the disruptions.

I decided to pay a visit to the businesses

on 2100 South and Highland to check out the construction for myself. I parked near the Sprague Branch Library, walked north down Highland, and then attempted to cross 2100 South. I found no ‘sidewalk closed’ signs, no signs pointing out how to access these businesses, and no signs pointing out the nearest open crosswalk, so I ducked in between construction trucks to cross the road and hoped for the best. Ironically, I saw both a ‘no right turn’ sign and a ‘no left turn’ sign upon exiting the parking lot and turning onto Highland Drive, but there was no option to go straight.

When I asked Hill about the lack of signage, he said that in the early stages of construction, the Sugar House Chamber invested in signs pointing out business access and additional parking areas.

Unfortunately, these signs were repeatedly stolen and they couldn’t justify making more with their limited budget. Instead, the Chamber has focused its efforts on getting the message out that Sugar House shops are open and in need of community support during the lengthy construction process.

“It’s never been more important for people to get out and support the local businesses,” says Hill. He encourages people to visit the website shopsugarhouse.org for Sugar House area business information and news on local events. They are currently running a #ShopSugarHouse contest where if you share photos of your favorite Sugar House shop, restaurant, park, or other locale, you can win prizes from local Sugar House businesses.

Hill says that now Sugar House area businesses have gotten over the initial shock of the long-anticipated start of these construction projects, he’d like to focus efforts on what Sugar House will look like moving forward and find ways to boost visitation to the area despite the mess.

PHOTO BY AMIEE MAXWELL

It’s never been more important for people to get out and support the local businesses.

utahstories.com | 43

FOOD & DRINK

Create sweet memories

uthese holiday pastries Try some aebleskivers, franzbrÖtchen, apfelstrudel, bienenstich, baumkuchen und Trekant!

By Amanda Rock 44 | utahstories.com

PHOTO BY JOHN TAYLOR

Petra Vigil slicing her popular holiday stollen.

2747 S. State Street, South Salt Lake City, Ut. 84115 | www.delicebakeryslc.com | (801) 953-1910 Monday- Wednesday from 7:00 am - 7:00 pm | Thursday-Saturday from 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

T

here’s something special about holiday pastries. My favorite Christmas memories are as a kid, eating golden struffoli (fried balls of dough drenched in honey) and pizzelle (delicate wafer cookies that resemble snowflakes) made by my Italian grandma.

I’m grateful my mom is carrying on the tradition. To me, spending time with family and eating homemade cookies are the essence of the holidays.

Whether you’re looking for a sweet gift, or want to bring a special dessert to dinner, making warm holiday memories with your loved ones will be easy with unique sweets from these small businesses.

Petra of Petra’s Backstubchen has been described as “everyone’s German grandma”.

She has been in business for ten years, a staple of local farmers and holiday markets. “I make strudels, pretzels, a variety of cheesecakes, and cookies. Crumb cakes with pudding, plums, or blueberries. Bee Sting cake and Black Forest Parfaits and a lot more” using the cookbooks she brought when she emigrated to the United States, she proudly states.

“I stick to the original recipes, not changing anything. That can be a challenge, but I won’t do it any other way.” She says German pastries are special because “ ... they are very different from the American ones. Not as sweet with a lot more taste to it.”

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Besides finding Petra at local markets, you can buy her treats from The Store in Holladay and at The Gateway. You can also place orders on her website, petrasbackstubchen.com.

Inspired by her mom’s Christmas chocolates, Elise Barrus developed vegan versions to share with friends. Now that she runs Sweet V, an online vegan chocolate shop, she still uses her mom’s recipes. The holidays are an important time for candy makers, and Sweet V is bringing it!

“For the holidays, I offer boozy truffles, jumbo Santa and reindeer chocolates, and adorable gift tins full of various treats like peppermint bark, chocolate-covered pretzels, cookie butter-filled gingerbread people, and holiday truffles!” says Barrus proudly.

Her truffles come in unique flavors like Eggnog Rum, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Gingerbread. Golden Oreo Orange is her most original flavor, “which always turns out to be a customer favorite!” she says. Find Sweet V online at www.sweetvbakery.com and at pop-ups at Blatch’s Backyard BBQ. Follow Sweet V on social media to make sure you don’t miss out!

“The Edelweiss Bakery focuses on the best European breads and pastries, with a specialty in Austrian and German treats,” says co-owner Matthew Garlick. “We take pride in our crusty sourdough, hand-lami-

PHOTO COURTESY OF SWEET V

Sweet V offers vegan chocolates.

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nated pastries, and our authentic old-world delicacies.” For the holidays, Chef Camille is making “ ... hot Danish Aebleskivers filled with cream and topped with powdered sugar, German Franzbrötchen, Apfelstruedel, Bienenstich, and Baumkuchen. We’ll also have the best hot Wassail in the state; Grandma’s family recipe!”

You can sample Chef Camille’s passion for pastries yourself at the 2024 Northern and Southern Vintage Markets and the West Valley Farmers Market. Al La Carte Ordering is available on their website, theedelweissbakery.com.

If you’ve never tasted a trekant before, here is your chance! “It literally means ‘triangle pastry’ in Danish,” says Deliciously Flaked owner Jeannette Richardson. Her kids insisted she start selling the Danish pastry she’s made for her family and friends for years. Flaky puff pastry is layered with handmade almond paste and vanilla pudding, then topped with chocolate frosting.

The result is delicious. This pastry is light and fluffy and the flavors are sublime. If you’re in Murray, you can buy trekant from Wriggles Wraps, located at 43 East and 5900 South. If you want the larger sizes to share (and you do!), place an order on the website, deliciouslyflaked.com. The family/party-size trekant would be an ideal dessert for a

48 | utahstories.com

family dinner.

The mission of San Diablo Artisan Churros is “ ... to fill lives with happiness and memory-making celebrations!” says founder and owner Scott Porter. If you’ve ever dipped a fresh churro into hot chocolate, you get it. “We provide award-winning freshfilled churros that are undeniably delicious and delivered with our signature personalized and playful style … ” Look for them at Jazz games, Real Salt Lake games, fairs, and festivals. “For our at-home churro-making kits, you can find us online at www.sandiablochurros.com, at Orson Gygi, and on Amazon,” says Porter. That sounds like the perfect gift for families!

Did you know dogs love holiday pastries, too? If you’re looking for a fun gift, or want to include your pup in the festivities, Rebel Paw is a bakery and food truck just for dogs!

“This year we will be selling our Holiday treat boxes which include peanut butter cookies, banana oat donuts, pumpkin cheese buns, apple pretzels, and our signature peanut butter carrot pupcakes,” says Amelia and Nicholas, the humans behind the business.

If you don’t run into Rebel Paw at local farmers markets or doggy events, place your order on their website, rebelpaw801.com, and pick it up in Midvale.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN DIABLO ARTISAN CHURROS

San Diablo Artisan Churros are award-winning treats.

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American Preparatory Academy first grade students in class.

indoctrinating the truth The battle over hearts & minds and education of our children

By Richard Markosian

O

ur daughter came home demanding to wear her pajamas to school. “It’s pajama day tomorrow!”

“No. How? Why? That can’t be right,” I thought. But it was right and she had a flier to prove it. The same condition that had afflicted countless Walmart shoppers was now being encouraged in public schools. Why? I just didn’t get it. This came just a week after funny hairdo day. I thought that a school was supposed to instill respect for academics and the decorum that goes along with education.

Nope. At least not for six-year-olds. The parties from Kindergarten were endless. Unlike her private preschool, my daughter had no hope of learning to read without my constant involvement. It was not like this when I was in Kindergarten. I remember drilling and practicing in school. I remember maintaining the

50 | utahstories.com

utmost respect for our teachers and learning environment. Needless to say, we never had pajama days.

School choice is a bigger issue than most realize, and it’s not just about academics.

The nuts and bolts of academics are important: children need to learn to read, write and perform at a competent level the core skills.

The US today ranks below nine other Western countries in math and science despite spending far more per pupil. School choice is putting the parents back into the driver’s seat of the children’s education.

Carolyn Sharette, Executive Director of American Preparatory Academy, understands that while core competency is important, K-12 education should include liberal arts and critical thinking. Talking to parents regarding the promotion of DEI (Diversity Equity and

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN PREPARATORY ACADEMY

Inclusion) most don’t subscribe to the narrowly-constructed definition of the phrase.

Few schools are seeking diversity of thought, opinion and ideas, while most promote skin-deep inclusion or exclusion often also based on sexual orientation — ideas that most parents don’t believe their child should be spending too much time thinking about anyway. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that curriculums promoting transgender inclusion and sexuality to children under twelve is the norm. Falling by the wayside are subjects that once provided students a much more profound understanding of the true diversity of the world: economics, history and philosophy.

Sharette explains:

speak. Shapiro is a conservative who has called out Black Lives Matter as a racist organization.

Even twenty years ago when I attended the University of Utah, they had a professor who was gaining notoriety over his teachings about Marxism. Communist and Socialist sentiment has been on the rise on University campuses along with Pro-Palestinian sentiments that unfortunately have taken an awful turn towards anti-semmatism and the promotion of violence against Jews.

Still, teaching students about Marxism is a worthwhile endeavor if the benefits of free-market capitalism are taught alongside that material. But professors who teach pro-Marxist ideology and indoctrinate students towards a system that has failed every “I’m hoping to indoctrinate truth and time it has been implemented, do students a data. And that is Marxism, Socialism great disservice. History teaches us that the and Communism are bad and the free markets most liberated from govmarket is good. And we are ernment corruption and control unequivocal about that. Yes, in the world have always we are indoctrinating resulted in the greatest them to the fact that amount of prosperity for we don’t understand its citizens. how our ConstituExamine Hong tional form of ReKong’s incredible public through this growth when it was Free-Market has under British control created opportunity outside the realm of for the entire world. the Chinese CommuAnd we show these nists.

It flourished while American Preparatory trendlines. And if we China stagnated. Only Academy Executive don’t show them and Director Carolyn Sharette. after China copied its neighteach them that, how will bor and opened up its free we preserve it? Why would markets did it begin to flourish. they want to?

The United States is clearly falling behind Examining the events unfolding on college in education compared to other developed campuses these days, it appears that many stu- Western nations. Why aren’t we adapting dents are lacking not only in an understanding our education system more quickly? Most on of basic economics, but also historical context. the right would say it’s the teachers’ union, Five years ago I attended a rally at the Unithe (NEA). Many on the left would say it’s a versity of Utah that was a protest against poplack of funding. But the US spends far more ular podcaster Ben Shapiro. Protesters were on K-12 education than any other western claiming that Shapiro was a “white supremcountry. acist.” Most who I interviewed knew little to nothing about Shapiro, but still they chanted, “Hell no, we won’t go — Ben Shapiro has to go!” They were told by an Organization called In the last Utah legislative session, HB215 Students for a Democratic Society — a vestige was passed, giving parents up to $8,000 credit from the sixties, pro-free speech, anti-Vietnam per child if they wish to send their children era — who ironically determined that Shapiro to private schools. This will certainly provide should be shut down and not allowed to

Adapting Schools for the 21st Century

utahstories.com | 51

an uptick in enrollment for Utah’s 35 largest private schools. Meanwhile, public schools in both Granite and Salt Lake School Districts are closing due to unprecedented enrollment declines.

As most Utahns are aware, Salt Lake City is far more liberal than the rest of the State of Utah. But whether democrat or republican, religious or secular, more parents than ever along the Wasatch Front are choosing to send their kids to private and charter schools, and it turns out that this is a nationwide phenomenon.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, from the fall of 2019 to the fall of 2020, overall public school enrollment dropped by more than one million students nationally.

By 2023, public school enrollment was 2.3% below pre-pandemic levels.

Parents are pulling their kids out of public schools because they believe charter schools and private schools are offering a superior product. Charter schools in Utah now educate nearly 12% of K-12 students. Why are some Utah charter schools succeeding, especially for low-income families in ways that public schools can’t?

More than 78,700 of the state’s 674,650 public school students are enrolled in charter schools, and six charter schools now rank as the top schools in the state.

Will Charter Schools Destroy Public Schools in Utah?

Charter schools and public schools receive their funding on a per-pupil enrollment basis, and certainly the growth of charter schools is having an impact on public school closures.

But demographic shifts have had a more significant impact on school closures.

Back in the 1990s, Granite School District was the largest district in the State of Utah, responsible for the education of 78,000 students.

Today, they have leveled off at just 55,000 students. Currently, Granite School District is rebuilding Skyline High School. East side schools have suffered the greatest enrollment declines.

Skyline once had an enrollment of more than 4,000 students. Today, the school’s enrollment hovers around just over 2,000 students.

Skyline is currently rebuilding its campus “to meet the needs of the 21st century.” The academic department now pales in comparison

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to the performing arts and athletic complexes and grounds. The result will be a large campus with a lot of “flex space” for learning and plenty of grounds for sports and performing arts.

Skyline also offers excellence in academics, far surpassing the national average ACT scores and awards for scholarship funds to graduating seniors. But most parents in Utah will not be able to bus their kids to the new and improved Skyline. Due to housing affordability, more school age kids now live in Herriman, Vineyard and Saratoga Springs than in Millcreek.

This year, Twin Peaks, Spring Lane, and Millcreek elementary all closed their doors for good with students being transferred to Oakwood Elementary. The Salt Lake City School District will need to close four more schools in the next year. The schools most likely to close include Bennion and Hawthorne on the east side, and Mary W. Jackson and Riley on the west. The birth rate has plummeted by 22% in Utah in the past decade

Some Lessons From the Most Successful Charter School in Utah

But demographic shifts are not the whole story. A growing number of parents are embracing charter schools. Many of these schools are truly adapting for the 21st century and are attracting talented teachers despite their teachers typically earning less than regular public school teachers.

The largest and most successful charter school in the state is American Preparatory Academy, which now offers seven campuses along the Wasatch Front, including four campuses in Draper, two in West Valley, and another in Salem. What is the appeal?

Why is this model attracting so many parents and students? In a word: discipline. And a focus on academic excellence and a classical liberal arts education.

Unlike the way that Utah’s east-bench public schools are moving, with an even greater emphasis on performing arts and athletics, American Preparatory Academy focuses on music education, history, science, math and drilling the fundamental skills. They also cater to the greater needs of parents offering excellent after-school programs such as band

and theater that can keep kids occupied closer to the times when parents come home from work. This saves parents money on after-school childcare. But going even deeper, what I learned after spending an hour with the founder, is what they are really doing is indoctrinating children. Caroline Sharette is one of the founders and the Executive Director of American Preparatory Academy. She explains it this way: “I’m hoping to indoctrinate using truth and data. That Marxism and Socialism and Communism are bad and the free market is good. And we are unequivocal about that. Yes, we are indoctrinating them to the fact that we don’t understand how our Constitutional form of Republic through this free-market has created opportunity for the entire world. And we show these trendlines. And if we don’t show them and teach them that, how will we preserve it? Why would they want to?

That’s what college kids are doing.”

Sharette adds that, “We need to bring people around to these universal truths of humanity.”

American Prep was launched in 2002 under Sharette with just a few students. RIght from the start, AmPrep offered a very distinct mission: to use data and educational science to produce better outcomes in reading in math and clear behavioral guidelines to reduce chaos in the classroom. Today, after twenty years, American Prep’s enrollment has gone gangbusters. They now have seven campuses and 5,000 students.

Sharette explains that “parents love our schools because we are very specific about what we want for kids, and our priority is unabashedly to focus on what is best for kids.

And what is best for kids is not what is always easiest for adults.” Sharette says AmPrep places an additional workload on both parents and students, but the outcomes speak for themselves.

American Preparatory Academy Origin Story

The concepts of AmPrep all started when Sharette struggled a few decades ago when her children were attending a public school in Colorado. Sharette believed there must be a better way to teach “core knowledge.” After

conducting research, she found Reading Mastery, which focuses on breaking down the skill of reading into 45 different levels.

Sharette explains further that the curriculum is highly focused on stories that offer characters that assist children in understanding ethical and moral life lessons, as well as history.

For example,fifth graders read The Secret Garden which takes place in India. The teacher can pose the question: “Why were they living in India?” They can then touch on how the British Empire colonized India, and examine civilization in the early 20th century

Behavior/Culture/Classroom Attention

As employers, we have found that attitude and behavior often determine a potential new hire’s success more than academic achievement. American Prep implements a program called “self mastery.” Teachers are never allowed to correct a kid’s behavior by yelling at them. “Teachers never yell,” says Sharette.

“We use our feet not our voice.” Teachers aren’t even allowed to tell the students to be quiet. Teacher’s simply ask, “What’s our conversation?” Then she adds, “Teachers are never allowed to communicate the false idea that they are going to control their behavior by yelling at you and that happens everywhere in public school … because it is a lie you cannot control someone else’s behavior. That is an absolute lie.”

Again, Sharette says, the key is that there is no wiggle room out of it. “You won’t believe how fast kids adjust to this environment because it is so mentally clean and clear.”

District Academic Director Jennifer Walstad takes me on a tour where I witness a first grade class in session. All students are in uniform.

They are practicing reading. Their speed and clarity of pronunciation is impressive. After a student reads a sentence correctly, she leaps out of her chair to the back of the room. She squeezes her individual clothes pin and raises it up an inch. One step closer to her achievement goal. This might be more effective than a Ritalin prescription.

Walstad tells me that they use a builder theme to teach virtues. Kids build themselves, then their communities, nation and world. The school rotates through 12 virtues they work

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to emphasize, including encouragement, persistence, good attitude, etc. However, these aren’t “participation awards.” They make a strict practice to never award praise when praise is not due. Children must earn all of their awards authentically. “We think it is very important to be very direct and honest with kids concerning their achievements,” says Walstad.

Visiting the West Valley Campus, I notice that most students are dark-skinned ethnic minorities. From the way these classrooms appear, it seems clear that they are indeed preparing the next generation of a strong workforce for Utah businesses. They are building human capital, the most valuable asset Utah has to offer.

It’s clear that AmPrep has conservative-leaning values. But they are attracting a huge diversity of students who have parents who clearly want them to learn and succeed.

American Preparatory Academy has the feel of a free private school. While “indoctrination” of values and principles is part of what they do, it seems that nobody could argue that children being taught the difference between truth and fiction is a good ideal. Teaching children why the United States attracts the best and brightest in the world (despite the lackluster performance of our public schools) is a good thing.

Teaching skills, rigorous learning and hard work so kids can keep jobs is a great thing.

Other private schools in Utah have also seen enrollment increases since Covid. Juan Diego (763 students) and Judge Memorial Catholic (538 students) Schools also offer academic rigorous curriculum that prepares students for higher Sharette explains education. At the that many first-genhighest end there is eration immigrants Waterford (912 stuand minorities dents), which cost are enrolling at parents a whopAmerican Prep, ping $24K per year, “Because this is and Wasatch Acadwhat immigrants emy (300 students), want their kids to which is also upper learn: skills that are echelon in both price going to help them and academic rigor. succeed.”

American Preparatory Academy students It seems with the I ask if they have any in first grade. imminent public school clotype of Diversity, Equity and sures, the declining Utah birth Inclusion curriculum. Sharette rate, the excessive housing prices, says, “That would be the ultimate and excessive costs now involved in raising cultural appropriation to assume that we can children, that parents and children of the 21st effectively teach about other cultures.” Then she adds, “There are all sorts of cultural norms century will have huge challenges. Will public schools survive, adapt and adopt learning that go along with behaviors, but we teach methods that lead to strong minds and work about American culture.” ethics? Or will public schools in wealthy areas The two holidays they make the most of thrive while those in poorer areas decline are Veterans and Memorial Days. These days, creating more room for charter schools to fill the students honor veterans by listening to in the gaps? them speak about American history and their Hopefully our state and local leaders will own experiences. They learn about slavery by have the humility to adapt and adopt some of reenacting some of the battles. They learn that the best practices that are working for charter those in the military preserve our freedoms by schools and private schools. Perhaps they fighting against tyranny when those powers could start by having kids wear uniforms have clearly jeopardized America, such as the instead of pajamas. bombing of Pearl Harbor and the attacks on 9/11.

Why Immigrants love American Preparatory Academy

54 | utahstories.com

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The killing of innocent

people must stop the hamas and israeli war rages on

rom the moment of the savage attack by Hamas on civilians in Israel on October 7th, and the subsequent kidnapping of more than 240 people, the war has only become more explosive.

In retaliation, Israel has been defensively bombing Gaza with the intent to capture Hamas militants and recover the hostages.

However, the worldwide outcry is due to innocent civilians, including children, being killed and their homes destroyed. On the other hand, Israel grieves the murders of more than 1,400 of its citizens, while the families of the 240 hostages are being mentally and emotionally destroyed by despair and agony. They wonder, at every moment, if their loved ones are still alive and if they are being tortured.

During wartime, civilian voices are seldom heard, despite being those most affected by war. Utah is home to many Palestinians and Jews who want to speak up.

Sam Spector, the rabbi at Congregation Kol Ami, has raw sentiments about the Israel-Hamas war, “I am absolutely heartbroken whenever Israel is at war and life is lost, he said.” The rabbi had just returned from Israel, where he met with the victims and families of the hostages.

Janice Ward, president of Congregation Brith Sholem in Ogden, states she is “horrified by the war on so many levels.” Regarding the killing of Palestinians, she said, “The killing of civilians in Gaza is so awful, but the terrorists have been hiding among civilians for years. It is inevitable but not palatable.” Hamas hurts Palestinians by hiding among them to avoid capture. The lives of children and women are nothing to them as long as they get to attack

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Israel and hide.

Zee Hasan, a Palestinian born in the US, says the situation in Gaza “is hurting me to the core. I have friends and family that died in the war, and I am consumed all day thinking about it.” He wants the international community to cease fire and to instigate an “immediate interference to stop the madness and killing in Gaza.” Most of Hasan’s distant relatives still live there.

Fatima, co-coordinator of the Palestinian Solidarity Association of Utah, expresses that she feels “overwhelmed with grief and devastation at what is happening in Gaza.”

Her parents are from the West Bank, where she spent her childhood. Fatima has a strong opinion about “moral equivalency” from her humanistic point of view. She says, “More than 11,000 innocent people in Gaza have been slaughtered in the name of retaliation.

When will enough bloodshed be a ‘moral equivalent?’” For her and many other Palestinians living in Utah, speaking up and rallying is crucial to helping those in Gaza.

They demand that the US cut all aid to Israel.

For many, the attacks on Gaza by Israel can be classified as genocide. To Fatima, a brave Muslim woman who speaks up to end genocide, “it is heinous and reprehensible.” She continued to say, “As a common and decent people, we cannot stand by and allow more innocent Palestinians to be killed. We are witnessing, perhaps for the first time in history, genocide taking place in real-time, right in front of our eyes, and I believe we have an obligation to humanity to do everything in our power to stop it.”

For his part, the rabbi expresses his sentiments toward the Palestinian’s victims. “The

ILLUSTRATION BY DUNG HOANG

F

By Francia Henriquez Benson

loss of any innocent life is horrific. I am particularly devastated for the children who have been killed. Hamas … hid among their own population knowing full well that their death toll could be catastrophic. I am furious that Hamas is using their own civilians as human shields and hiding among their population and firing rockets from schools.’’

Despite being a relatively large community, Palestinians have yet to feel much support from Utah’s politicians. Hasan stated that he hasn’t felt support from them. However, he says that his friends have been amazing and very supportive. Hasan invites the community to call their representatives so they can advocate for a cease fire.

Fatima has received much support from her workplace, coworkers, and community, but has yet to see any from politicians.

Two rallies were held during November, one in Provo and another in the State Capitol.

Several women and men stained themselves

with fake blood to portray the dead in Gaza, and lay on the ground while supporters gave speeches. The moment was touching and deeply emotional.

Palestinians have been murdered. Children and babies are part of the heartbreaking statistics of those killed during the war. Israeli missiles have struck refugee camps and hospitals. The number of deaths and injuries keeps rising with no end in sight.

Aziz Abuzayed, from Gaza, says he has “lived through similar attacks by Israel over and over again, in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014. I am a survivor of many wars,” Abuzayed said. “The war must stop and cannot have a military solution against Hamas.” He explained that to stop Hamas, the Palestinian people need to be heard, and they need to be given what they deserve. The occupation and the upper tide system must end. He thinks

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the solution could be to have a one-state-solution. “I don’t care what it is called as long as the State gives the Christian Palestinians, the Jewish Palestinians, the atheist Palestinians, and the Muslim Palestinians the same rights.”

For the conflict to end, the rabbi feels that both sides must make painful concessions,” adding that, “They must devote their education programs for their youth to ones that promote peace and tolerance. Both sides must recognize that the other’s narrative has validity and claim to the land.”

One of the struggles the Palestinians face is that they are denied the right to move freely.

Abuzayed says that for people to travel out of Gaza, they need permission from Israel and Egypt. He says there are times they must put their names in a queue. He wanted to visit family in Egypt in 2017 and had to wait 18 months.

He also explained that to travel to Jerusalem or Ramallah, they have to wait 72 days prior to traveling, and they are only allowed a few hours. He says it isn’t like that for Israelis and that nobody asked them for permission at the borders. He added that many Palestinians have lived and died in Gaza without seeing what is outside.

For his part, Hasan explained that Gaza has been living under Siege since 2007, with everything in their lives being controlled by Israel. It’s an apartheid regime.”

Abuzayed says that Israeli forces kidnapped his cousin on October 7th, and the family doesn’t have any idea of his whereabouts. “Who is talking about him? Are the politicians in this building (the Capilotio) talking about him? Are the politicians in the White House and Congress talking about my cousin? Is his life less worthy than an Israeli life or a Jewish life? Lives are all the same.”

Israelis mourn the deaths of children,

youth, and the aged, who were brutally killed in a surprise attack. No one was prepared for what happened. The harrowing cry of the mothers gets louder as some cry for their dead children and some for their captive children. Not knowing anything about their condition consumes them, and nobody knows if Hamas will ever free them.

Rabbi Spector explained, “I met with people who were wounded in the massacre, and loved ones of the hostages and those killed.

There are at least a dozen Americans who were taken hostage and dozens killed. This should be on the front page of every American newspaper. Many of the female victims, in particular, experienced brutal sexual assaults. Yet, people are remaining silent about this, and many are even calling into question the validity of what they experienced.”

Ward states, “The families of the hostages are understandably angry as I would be if my child or family member were taken or killed.”

Fatima explains how she feels about innocent people from both sides being murdered. “I feel disgusted that we live in a time that justifies the killing of any innocent civilians in the name of collateral damage, whether Palestinian or Israeli.”

At the end of the interview, Fatima explained that what is happening is not a war. “A war,” she says, “requires two groups to be in combat against each other. What we are witnessing right now is a brutal retaliation tactic that Israel commonly enforces on Palestinians in the form of collective punishment.”

The rabbi sent a message to the families of the October 7th attack, “There are no words other than you are not alone. Many of us believe your stories and stand with you.”

Focusing on the humanistic side of the war and leaving out the political aspect of it, it is impossible not to conclude that innocent people are suffering and that the lives of many were cut too short.

I feel disgusted that we live in a time that justifies the killing of any innocent civilians in the name of collateral damage, whether palestinian or israeli.

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