Heber Valley Life

Tag: covid

  • 10 Reasons to Love 2020!

    10 Reasons to Love 2020!

    Goodbye 2020. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

    We have been barraged with negativity about the year 2020. True, there were some bad things that happened this year. Okay, a lot of bad things. However, there’s always another side to the story.

    10 reasons to love 2020:

    1. The kids got more sleep.

    Really, sleep has so many health benefits. So, when the kids all came home from school permanently in March, definitely a shocker, they were probably completely sleep deprived from years of waking up at unearthly hours to catch the bus or make it to school before the tardy bell. So, thank goodness they could finally sleep in, day after day, week after week, and get caught up!

    2. The adults got to work from home.

    We all had SO MUCH extra family time in 2020. Everybody was able to spend 24/7 with his or her significant other and children. We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. Mornings, afternoons, and evenings together. Wasn’t that fun?

    3. The environment received a much-needed break.

    Were there really dolphins in the canals of Venice? It was on Facebook anyway.

    4. We had a mini, preparatory earthquake.

    All those years of trying to get people to take the big one seriously finally paid off. And we switched out the size 2T clothes we had in our 8-year-old’s 72-hour kit. And got new granola bars.

    5. The government handed out free money.

    We don’t know where it’s coming from, but hey, free money! Who knew the government could just print whatever money they want? Maybe we should just print our way out of the national debt too. So many possibilities here!

    6. The presidential election is over.

    Or is it? Just kidding. Whether your first choice won or not, I think we can all agree that at least, for the most part, hopefully, it’s over, and we don’t have to watch any more debates.

    7. We had a preview of what things will go first in emergencies.

    I, for one, am buying an extra package of toilet paper every time we go to Costco from here on out. And water bottles. And maybe some yeast and flour in case there is no food, and I need to learn how to make bread. And whatever they make Oreo cookies from. Let’s stock up on that too. And maybe plant a cacao tree.

    8. We realized other counties are jealous of Wasatch.

    Remember when the Governor said Utahns could only recreate in their own counties? That was awesome! Could we make that an annual thing?

    9. The shelters ran out of dogs!

    Awwww…So many pets found new homes. And they were taken on walks all the time. And their owners got more exercise too.

    10. ESPN showed the Cornhole Championship, old spelling bees, and the NBA players in a super-competitive game of HORSE.

    Ha. That was super entertaining. I’ve never seen a huge, billion-dollar, maybe trillion-dollar, network scramble more. I can only imagine what the network meetings were like. “Ummm…We could have the NBA players compete in a game of HORSE.” Silence. The president of ESPN starts to cry.

    Bonus: We learned to be more resilient and thankful.

    Seriously, we all received a much-needed course in resilience. And we realized how many things we’ve been taking for granted. The Covid pandemic knocked us off our feet. Will we come back stronger and more prepared?

    We badmouth 2020 like it was the worst thing ever. Covid has been devastating for communities and families. We have lost almost 2 million people worldwide. It’s unquestionably a tragedy.

    However, the Spanish Flu, the one that our pandemic is sometimes compared to, happened at the same time as World War 1. Can you imagine how difficult that would be? It’s estimated that 20 million to 50 million people died worldwide from that flu, in addition to the 16 million who died in the war. Some estimates have Spanish flu deaths as high as 100 million because of difficulties in record keeping. Could we have handled that?

    2020 brought with it plenty of trials, but also amazing advances in science and worldwide cooperation to stem the tide of this most-recent pandemic. 2020 was amazing in so many ways. Plus, now we have bragging rights to talk forever more about how we handled the pandemic of 2020, how it affected our lives, and how it made us stronger, more creative and innovative, and better able to handle challenges in the future. We’ve got this! Bring it on 2021!

    Kidding. We don’t actually want 2021 to bring on anything. But if it does, I have lots of Costco toilet paper in the garage.

  • Fireworks to Celebrate Utah on January 4th!

    Fireworks to Celebrate Utah on January 4th!

    Wasatch County and the State of Utah will celebrate together on Monday, January 4th. The event, Thrive 125, commemorates the 125th anniversary of Utah’s statehood.

    The festivities include a televised event called “Thrive125: A Utah Celebration.” The 30-minute special will play on all of Utah’s network affiliates at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the 4th. There will also be a repeat showing on PBS Utah at 8:30 p.m. that night. The show will feature performances from notable Utahns and celebrities. There will be music and dance, along with a celebration of the state’s “artistic heritage, cultural diversity, and scenic wonders,” according to the website.

    Following the original broadcast, at 7:30 p.m., fireworks will fill the sky in all 29 counties of Utah. Wasatch County’s fireworks will originate from the top of Memorial Hill in Midway.

    In a video message, Heber City Mayor Kelleen Potter said, “We want everyone to watch them, but to just be socially distanced from wherever you are.” The Thrive 125 website states, “It is important that this celebration is COVID safe. People are encouraged to watch from a distance, in their cars, and in their front and back yards. The fireworks will be an exclamation point on a day of celebrations and in most counties will last 3-4 minutes.”

    Utah became a state on January 4, 1896. State leaders applied for statehood seven times before receiving approval. The complicated process lasted 48 years. Utah finally became the 45th state to join the United States of America.

    The Utah Department of Heritage & Arts created the Thrive 125 initiative, with support from Utah’s Governor and Legislature. More information about the event and Utah’s road to statehood is available on the Thrive 125 website: https://thrive125.utah.gov/january4th-event/. The site also includes a 12-minute historical video and additional resources for educators.

  • New Covid Restrictions Mandated for Wasatch County

    New Covid Restrictions Mandated for Wasatch County

    Utah’s government launched a new “Level of Transmission” index on Tuesday. It will provide a more scientific way for assessing each county’s Covid situation, along with new restrictions created to fight the current rise in cases. Color-coded guidelines are discontinued. 

    Wasatch County is one of six Utah counties currently on “high transmission” risk. Levels will be reassessed weekly. They are determined by looking at case rates per 100K, percent of test positivity, and statewide ICU usage.  

    The Governor did not enact a statewide mask requirement, as some have asked him to do. However, masks are required in the “high level” counties and in the “moderate” level until 10/29.   

    The new guidelines emphasize care being taken during casual gatherings between family and friends. These small social gatherings are considered to be one of the main causes for the current high numbers in Utah.  

    In Wasatch County, under the high designation, the following restrictions are now in place, according to coronavirus.utah.gov:  

    1. Casual social gatherings are now limited to 10 or fewer people. This doesn’t include “formal religious services” or events “overseen by a formal organization.”  
    1. Masks are required for “public indoor settings and outdoors when physical distancing is not feasible.” 
    1. Restaurants, including bars and buffets, must maintain six feet between parties at all times (including waiting and seating areas.) 
    1. Other establishments allowing public gathering, including live events, movie theaters, sporting events, weddings, recreation, and entertainment, must require masks (performers excluded) and six feet distancing between household groups. (Rare exceptions to distancing may be requested, but are highly discouraged.)  
    1. Business owners also have additional restrictions, which are available on the website. 

    Wasatch County’s Covid numbers will be reviewed each week. The “High” transmission level may be lowered after 14 days, depending on if the county is meeting threshold numbers.  

    “Over the last 4 weeks, we’ve seen our infection rates and case counts skyrocket to the highest they’ve ever been,” said Utah Governor Gary Herbert. “It’s really time for a new game plan.” 

    Additional information is available at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels/.

  • Wasatch High School Goes Online

    Wasatch High School Goes Online

    Wasatch High School is temporarily switching to an online learning format from Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 23, 2020. The school is planning to return to in-person learning on Monday, October 26. Extracurricular activities will continue as planned.

    As stated on the Wasatch County School District Facebook page, “Our in-school mitigation efforts have proven to be effective. However, the recent increase in community COVID cases has had a direct impact on our high school students and staff.”

    The Wasatch County Health Department confirmed there has been an increase in recent community spread. The Wasatch County 7-day average, as of Tuesday, was at 10.7 new cases a day, with the majority of those attributed to community spread, according to Trudy Brereton at the Health Department. “I think our community’s doing a pretty good job, but sometimes as time goes on, we get a little fatigued,” she said. “We’re not through this yet, and our spike in cases kind of reminds us of that.”

    “The teachers will still be in the building, which works because they will be able to stay within their classrooms or individual spaces,” said Kirsta Albert at the District office. “So, they’ll be able to completely distance from each other.”

    It will be different from what happened at the end of last year. For the first two days, until the end of the 1st Term, teachers will be accessible to students during their regular class times and for 30 minutes before and after school. When the new term begins on October 20, teachers will begin each class period with a Zoom call at the regular class time.

    Fall break was previously scheduled for October 14-16, and teachers will be doing professional development days on October 14 and October 19. The teachers requested an additional development day to regroup.

    “The teachers learned so much during the shutdown last Spring, that we are confident they will be taking the tools that they added to their arsenal into this closure,” said Albert.

    According to the District website, “No other District schools are approaching the threshold for closing.”

    The Wasatch School District website can be found at https://www.wasatch.edu.

  • Wasatch High Creates Innovative Homecoming Dance 2020

    Wasatch High Creates Innovative Homecoming Dance 2020

    Wasatch High School students of 2020 have missed out on many of the usual high school experiences. Prom, graduation, spring sports, and so much more was modified or cancelled completely. Homecoming was also on the chopping block. But the school district, the school board, the high school, Wasatch County Health Department, and some students, came up with an ingenious plan to save it. Thanks to them, Wasatch High School’s Homecoming Dance 2020 will be held this Saturday.

    Assistant Principal Ryan Bishop recalled, “Back in June and July, I started reaching out to see what other schools were doing.” He found that most schools were not going to have a dance. “At that point, I went to our district office and our school board, and they gave us an approval to try to work with the health department.” Bishop was hoping to come up with something for Homecoming that the Wasatch Health Department would approve. He continued, “Obviously we knew it would look different. So, I sat down with our student government kids, and we just brainstormed a hundred different things.” Sometime in the middle of august, students came up with the final idea.

    “What I really like about it is we had a lot of kids get involved. . . . It was really student-centered; the adults were just there to help them along the way,” said Bishop. Students took drone shots of the football field, and it was divided into 20 sections. Each section will be color-coded, along with assigned parking, entrance gates, wristbands, and a chaperone. 700-800 students are expected to attend, but there will only be 25-30 students in each 40×10-yard section. Digital tickets were pre-purchased over an app, to minimize contact. The dance time will be earlier than usual, 7-9pm, and masks will be distributed at the gates.

    “It’s amazing when there’s trust,” Bishop explained. “We’ve had a great deal of trust between our school district personnel, our administration at the high school, our school board, and the County Health Department.”

    Although many normal Homecoming activities were cancelled, some remained. Street painting was changed to “Chalk the Block,” and the front patio of the school was decorated by various school groups. Wasatch beat Spanish Fork 26-17 in a Homecoming football game Friday night. And a virtual Homecoming Royalty vote was held. The results were Sydney Brooksby as Queen, Kate Henderson as 1st Attendant, and Mary Santiago as 2nd Attendant.

    “We’re going to create a safe environment, and wear masks, and do everything that our health department’s asking us to do. But, we sure want to give our students some fun high school experiences too,” said Bishop. “We want to show them some sense of normalcy.”

    Parents seem to agree. According to Randy and Jen Larsen, “As parents of a Senior, we sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Wasatch School District, Wasatch High School administration & teachers, and the Wasatch County Health Department to be creative and implement guidelines that allow for some normalcy. Creating an environment that encourages social distancing and providing masks to each participant will give WHS students the opportunity for a unique, but real and memorable homecoming experience in 2020!”

  • Local Grant Provides Discounts to Customers

    Local Grant Provides Discounts to Customers

    The Shop in Heber Valley grant program was opened last week to businesses in Wasatch County. Not only will it help local businesses, but it benefits the general public as well. Businesses can apply for up to $5,000. These funds, however, must be used to reimburse huge discounts passed on to customers.

    The grant is the result of the combined efforts of Wasatch County, Heber City, and Midway City. These government entities are utilizing their CARES Act funds for the grant. It is aimed at supporting Heber Valley businesses with economic hardships, as a result of the COVID pandemic.

    According to Dallin Koecher, Director of Heber Valley Tourism and Economic Development, “We created this grant to help our businesses recover. The best way we thought we could do that would be to help share the load. If all of us are doing a little bit to help our businesses by shopping locally, then we’ll keep money here locally, and we’ll help those businesses thrive and survive through this pandemic.” The money received from this grant is intended to offer a “compelling discount” to customers. Businesses will then be reimbursed for the discounted amount.

    The Shop in Heber Valley grant has already been awarded to several businesses in the area. These include Spin Café, Heber City Theatre, Northland Professional, and others. Although all local shopping is encouraged, “these are folks that have had a significant economic impact due to the pandemic,” Koecher explained. These businesses and others are now offering large discounts to customers, using the grant money. A list of deals can be found here: https://www.gohebervalley.com/shopinhebervalley.

    By including the discounts on the website, more people can become “aware that maybe some of their favorite businesses are offering deals and discounts. . . . We’re trying to get that word out far and wide, using marketing efforts from both our own internal efforts and from those businesses’ efforts,” said Koecher.

    Other resources are also available on the Go Heber Valley website. A partnership with the Utah Valley University Business Resource Center provides business coaching and consulting. Additionally, a new grant using CARES Act funds will be available on the website soon. This future grant will be distributed in larger amounts. It can be used for things like payroll, rent, and COVID-related expenses.

    Grant applications and additional business help can be found at this website: https://www.gohebervalley.com/Local_Resources

  • Swiss Days 2020 Goes Online!

    Swiss Days 2020 Goes Online!

    Labor Day Weekend 2020 will be unusual in the Heber Valley. Swiss Days, a statewide favorite, was cancelled back in May due to Covid concerns. The massive craft, food, and entertainment event usually brings thousands to the valley each year. It is one of Utah’s largest festivals. 2020 would have been its 73rd year. However, there is still an opportunity to purchase items online from Swiss Days’ vendors.

    According to www.midwayswissdays.org, there will be a “one-time only Midway Swiss Days 2020 online vendors’ showcase.” Products from Swiss Days’ booths will be available on the event’s website. Select vendors received the online opportunity.

    Tami Van Der Veur, CEO of “Savvy Curls,” was invited to include her popular, no-heat headband curler in the website event. According to Van Der Veur, “We were so looking forward to Swiss Days and all the smiling faces and positive energy that it brings. And then, bam. As soon as we were accepted, they announced that they had to cancel this year’s event. As excited as we were to be accepted, we were equally disappointed that they shut it down.”

    Like many other Swiss Day’s vendors, Savvy Curls gets a bulk of its revenue every year from the highly-attended craft show. The event was cancelled early to give businesses as much time as possible to change course for the year. The website sales event is an attempt to help bring business to these vendors and bring products to customers.

    “Being the amazing community that they are, [Midway] was innovative enough to come up with an online Swiss Days to further support vendors,” said Van Der Veur. “We are thrilled to be a part of the online event this year. And we look forward with great anticipation to be able to participate in the regular Swiss Days next year.”

    Customers can shop 2020 Swiss Days online from August 31 to September 11 at https://midwayswissdays.org/.

  • Wasatch School District Opens its Doors

    Wasatch School District Opens its Doors

    Wasatch School District welcomed students back to school on August 17, 2020. The district opened on its original start date, a feat which was unattainable for many other districts across the country. Even in Utah, only four districts plan to be open by the 17th. Several have planned openings later this week. And many others will begin even later.

    Some states are still keeping schools closed. In fact, 8 states, plus the District of Columbia, do not have in-person instruction at all right now. Some are planning for delayed openings, while others are requiring hybrid or remote-only instruction. A majority of states have handed the reopening decision over to the individual school districts.

    In a video message sent to district patrons, Wasatch Superintendent Paul Sweat said, “It is now time to get back to school and to help our students with the learning process that they deserve. . . . We’re excited to start the year. We’re going to work very hard to keep our schools open and functioning.”

    Wasatch School District offered four options to parents, including full-time school, a hybrid day, an online academy, and homeschool. Wasatch also plans additional cleaning and hygiene procedures at school. Utah Governor Herbert later added a state mandate that masks would be required for all students and faculty in the school buildings.

    Garrick Peterson, Wasatch Director of Academics, added that keeping schools open will be a community effort. The district has three goals for the 2020-2021 school year. The first goal is that no teachers will contract the Covid virus while at work. Secondly, all classrooms and schools will remain open. And lastly, all students will show mastery on all essential standards for each grade level or course.

    “We know that there are some risks that we are taking, but we feel like the benefit far outweighs those risks,” said Superintendent Sweat. He emphasized that the district feels a great responsibility for the students. “We will do everything we can to help protect them and, most importantly, educate them,” he said.

    For more information on reopening plans, click here: https://www.wasatch.edu/domain/2283

  • Wasatch School District Approves Plan for Reopening

    Wasatch School District Approves Plan for Reopening

    Wasatch School District approved their plan for reopening schools at a meeting on July 21, 2020. District plans have been evolving since last March, when kids were sent home unexpectedly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    “We have worked very closely with [the County Health Department] to put things in place,” Garrick Peterson, Director of Academics, explained. “We’ve put measures in place that make it safe to come back to school for our teachers, our staff, and our students.”

    Parent survey results showed 50% of parents desire full-day, traditional school. About 30% of parents chose a hybrid schedule. The remainder preferred online or home-schooling. In addition to parent surveys, the district also met with the district PTA, school PTA boards, teacher’s union representatives, principals, and a working group of teachers, administrators, and parents.

    Wasatch County’s school reopening plan gives parents three full-time options.

    1. Full-Day Traditional – This option will include a traditional schedule, increased cleaning, increased hygiene, and masks.
    2. Half-Day/Hybrid – There will be am/pm schedules, increased cleaning & hygiene, and social distancing. Students will continue to work at home for half of the time. High school and middle school students will attend core classes for 2 days a week. They will then watch an online stream from home for 2 days. This will allow for social distancing in those classrooms.
    3. Online – Wasatch Learning Academy (Harmony Educational Services) will provide online learning for K-8, and Edgenuity will be the district partner for Wasatch High School.

    Peterson said that the different options, “allow families to assess where they are and how they are prioritizing academics, physical safety, and social/emotional well-being, and make decisions for their families.”

    Face coverings are a necessity because of the Governor’s executive order and will be required in classes and on buses. According to Director of Operations Shawn Kelley, the schools will have plenty of masks available. Face shields will be provided for preschool and kindergarten children. Older students will receive “Utah” face masks with adjustable ear straps, custom “Wasatch High School” masks, or “Wasatch” masks. The district has plenty of hand sanitizer, and they even have N95 masks if a child requires one. Students could also choose to alternate masks and face shields if desired.

    Students riding on the bus will sanitize their hands upon entrance and exit and wear face coverings. They will also have assigned seating. This will allow for easier contact tracing.

    New cleaning and hygiene protocols request that students bring their own water bottles. Students and faculty will also need to stay home if sick, and they must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school. If someone in a class tests positive, he or she must quarantine for 72 hours after symptoms are gone.

    Currently, if a person has been within 6 feet of someone with Covid for more than 15 minutes, that person should quarantine for two weeks. However, the health departments statewide believe that wearing face coverings will mitigate the risk of exposure, and so the 2-week quarantine won’t be required for students with a positive-testing classmate. In this situation, parents will be informed and instructed to watch their students for any symptoms.

    Blaik Baird, Wasatch School Board President, thanked everyone for their hard work. He also stated, “I think it will be a learning curve in all aspects of this school year. I’m confident we’ll do it to the best of our ability.”

    The full plan can be found here: https://www.wasatch.edu/Page/16346.

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