Tooele and Stansbury wrestling preview See A6 TOOELETRANSCRIPT S T C BULLETIN S THURSDAY December 26, 2019 www.TooeleOnline.com Vol. 126 No. 60 $1.00 County’s job rate nears historic low ‘Employment opportunities are plentiful,’ statewide, economist says TIM GILLIE Services. “Rapid declines in EDITOR such a low unemployment Utah’s unemployment rate environment point to an fell to 2.4% in November 2019, economy running at full steam. matching the state’s lowest Employment opportunities are recorded unemployment rate plentiful.” recorded in early 2007, accord- With a labor force of 33,607 ing to state economists. in November 2019, Tooele As the state’s unemployment County’s 2.6% unemployment rate fell it took Tooele County’s rate means there were 32,744 unemployment rate with it, employed people living in with the county’s unemploy- Tooele County and 863 that ment rate reaching 2.6% in were out of work but looking November 2019 — almost for work. reaching the county’s historic Tooele County contributed low of 2.5% set in February 447 jobs to the state’s 51,600 and March 2007. job growth for the month of “Utah’s unemployment rate November. The Department of The Fifita family poses for a picture with Santa Claus and Clayton Dunn, the associate publisher of the Tooele Transcript has fallen by four-tenths of Workforce Services estimated Bulletin, while being presented with the 2019 TTB Benefit Fund check at their Tooele home Tuesday. a percentage point over the there were 16,738 local jobs past four months,” said Mark in Tooele County in November Knold, Chief Economist at the Department of Workforce SEE RATE PAGE A6 ® Fifita family presented with Benefit Fund gifts, donations Tooele residents PHOTOS DEVAN GOWANS DEVAN GOWANS have a whole year STAFF WRITER Olive Fifita opened the door to his Tooele home on the morning of Christmas Eve to to comment on an unexpected, yet familiar, visitor. “Ho, ho, ho,” shouted Santa UDOT’s rural plan Claus. “Merry Christmas!” “Hey, Santa! Come on in,” Olive said, welcoming Santa with a warm smile, as he TIM GILLIE Phase 2 projects are planned motioned for him to come into EDITOR for 2031-2040. Phase 3 proj- the den of his home, which The Utah Department of ects are scheduled for 2041- was filled with the members Transportation has a new long 2050. Phase 4 projects have of the immediate Fifita fam- rural transportation range plan not been scheduled nor has ily and Sione T. Soto, Olive’s for the next 30 years and it’s funding been identified for father-in-law. accepting comments on it until them. Although the purpose of the end of 2020. Funding has been identi- Santa’s visit was rather joyous, UDOT is now accepting fied for the implementation of it was a result of a very tragic comments on the 2019-2050 phases 1-3. Clayton Dunn event that had beset the Fifita Statewide Rural Long-Range “Project concepts in Phases (above), the family. Oto’ota Fifita, Olive’s associate pub- Transportation Plan through 2 and 3 represent longer term loving wife and the mother of lisher of the Tooele December 31, 2020. needs. Individual projects in Transcript Bulletin, his nine children, had passed The plan includes a list of these Phases are those that speaks to the Fifita away at the age of 44, on the projects arranged in three might need additional study to family prior to prior Monday after suffering phases. achieve consensus on the final the presentation. from a heart attack. Phase one projects are scope and scale of the potential Olive Fifita (right) Oto’ota leaves behind scheduled for 2019-2030. project or for which financial opens the door of Olive and their nine children: “Project concepts in Phase resources are not sufficient to his Tooele home to Paul, 21; Sarah, 20; Sila, 17; 1 represent immediate needs allow active project planning welcome in Santa Fine,14; Garrett,12; Mele,10; and, for the most part, are in to begin,” reads the plan. Claus and Clayton Topui, 8; Emosi, 6; and Olive Dunn. active stages of project plan- The 2019-2050 Rural Long Jr., 3. ning or design,” according to the plan. SEE UDOT PAGE A6 ® SEE FIFITA PAGE A6 ® Flu activity on the rise but ‘normal’ for this time of year TIM GILLIE been 110 seasonal-influenza vaccine.Vaccine providers can lead to death. doctor prescribes them. been caused by influenza B/ EDITOR associated hospitalizations can be found at https://vac- UDOH offers several steps The U.S. Centers for Disease Victoria viruses, which is Influenza activity is increas- statewide, with 31 of those cinefinder.org, according to to fight influenza that include Control and Prevention esti- unusual for this time of year. ing in Utah, but the rate of 110 influenza-related hospi- UDOH. preventive actions to stop the mates that so far this season A(H1N1) viruses are the hospitalizations is normal for talizations being made in the Influenza is a contagious spread of germs such as wash- there have been at least 3.7 next most common and are this time of year and the over- week immediately prior to respiratory illness caused by ing hands, covering coughs, million flu illnesses, 32,000 increasing in proportion rela- all severity of flu is still con- Dec. 21. None of the 110 hos- a virus that infects the nose, and staying home from work hospitalizations and 1,800 tive to other influenza viruses sidered low, according to the pitalizations were in Tooele throat, and sometimes the or school when sick. UDOH deaths from flu. in some regions, according to Utah Department of Health. County, according to UDOH. lungs. It can cause mild to also advises the use of influ- The CDC reports that the CDC. As of Dec. 21, there have It’s not too late to get a flu severe illness, and at times enza antiviral drugs, if your most influenza activity has [email protected] INSIDE BULLETIN BOARD B5 CLASSIFIEDS B7 New Year’s Tooele Polar Tooele’s Avina HOMETOWN B1 resolutions Express signs with OBITUARIES A6 See B1 See A2 Mavericks OPEN FORUM A4 See A10 SPORTS B1 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN THURSDAY December 26, 2019 SUE BUTTERFIELD/TTB PHOTOS Megan, Austin, Brandon, Jaxon and Christopher Goodwin (above) warm up and sip hot chocolate. The stage was set (below) for Tooele City Library’s Polar Express event SUE BUTTERFIELD/TTB PHOTO Naomi Halcomb (above) snaps a photo of Sherry and Nicky Hammond at Tooele City Library’s Polar Express event hosted at the Tooele Valley Museum and Historic Park Monday night. SUE BUTTERFIELD/TTB PHOTOS Austin Goodwin (above left) takes control of one of the trains on display at the Tooele Valley Museum and Historic Park. Brooklyn Christensen (above right) spies some interesting displays. Christmas magic of Polar Express comes alive at museum DEVAN GOWANS station, and the centerpiece the event has been happening they had to leave – I could subsequent years. Eventually, the elf hunt. That’s why I like STAFF WRITER experience was a reading of for roughly six years, hosting hear the crying of some of the because of issues with capac- doing programs for families. Local children and their the classic Christmas story it at the train museum is what kids there asking their parents ity, the decision was made We delineate space for you to families immersed them- “The Polar Express.” It was sets it apart from years past. why they had to go home,” to hold the event at the train be yourself.” selves in Christmas magic by retold in a retired military “One of the things that she said. museum, Carter said. The event felt like “pure taking a literary trip aboard train car at the museum to I liked the most about this Hosting the event at the old “There’s just something community,” Carter said, The Polar Express in a local further absorb the readers event was that to some folks, train depot has brought a new about this one being out- while noting her desire to Christmas pastime. into the visuals and charm of the museum is still relatively energy to the annual event, side with the trains that just hold the event at the museum In coordination with the the timeless tale. undiscovered,” Carter said. according to Carter. The first seemed to spark more inter- for years to come. Tooele Valley Museum and The children and their fam- “It’s a gem honestly, and year that the event was held, est,” Carter said. “I moved here for this,” she Historical Park, the Tooele ilies were met with a conduc- it’s so beautiful. There’s she recalled the Tooele City “We had approximately said. “I’m proud to be in this City Library hosted Polar tor who checked them onto something for everyone, and Library staff doing the story 250 people in the first run- community because of the Express in the Park at the the train. They were given for the kids, it truly added a experience in the library’s through and they were engagement from people and local railroad depot to help popcorn and invited to sit touch of magic,” Carter said. community room in one run- completely absorbed in that last night was an indicator of bring the story to life. anywhere on the train to hear “In talking with people who through. experience and comforted,” this. It was just so positive and The amenities available the reading of the story. were there, having those Because of the commu- she said.