A quarterly publication serving communities in the western portion of Salt Lake City Issue No.7 WINTER 2002/03 Myths v. Facts we can do is to insure that those living along the rail line have a | good quality o life. ee is the next step.” About the West Side (I of IV) by Edie Trimmer of west In the long view, the division between the east and west sides of Salt Lake City dates back approximately 35 million years ago, when the Wasatch Fault, in a series of impressive earthquakes, raised the Wasatch Mountains and formed the eastern edge of the Great Basin. residents on these Popla — the questions. Several people were interviewed at the 900 West and Indiana Smith’s Food and Drug and at Day Riverside West Side. “The West Side is homey,” that do appease the mayor residents— there are many other options the # mayor should pursue. Library. Census data for 1990 and 2000 was also examined to see what the hard numbers say about the minimum could “Mitigation is not payment for deception...it is demoralizing and insulting...they are just oS their hands and noe Firefighters survey the scene after UP train derails on the 900 south. line. Trains Run Through Neighborhoods Amidst Controversy away.” (just says Janette. “When I was grow- Lake ing up, my parents never owned a Bonneville began to recede, leaving behind the sand and gravel deposits along the Wasatch Fault. We bought our house twenty three years ago and: still live Together, these geologic events there.” created ends at the city’s northwest edge “People move to this area because they can afford a decent home at a reasonable price,” says Oscar. Others agreed with him; with the salty remnants of Lake people are friendly and helpful to have been reached through nego- Bonneville. because they know their neigh-— residents on December 7, outlining what the City was doing to bors and because all face comaddress concerns over the reactimon challenges of raising famivation of the 900 South rail line. lies on modest incomes. “My neighborhood is quiet and (December 7, coincidentally, was tiations with Union Pacific: implementation of a “quiet zone, diverting trains carrying high-level nuclear-waste, a plan for installing fencing around the the rail spurs east of their - safe,” say both Danielle (Rose the very day that a train on the Park) 900 South line derailed.) In his letter, Mayor Anderson stated: “Because Union Pacific has made it clear they will not abandon that line, we firmly tracks and an agreement to. provide crossing guards at track crossings. line and the 900 South line We were deceived.” Likewise, the letter states that — In more 10,000 recent years the city’s times ago), benches “and foothills on the east side. To the west, the nearly flat valley floor -. side Michael Clara, secretary of the r Grove. Community Council, said that mitigation is ze a This article examines the views — Today, Salt Lake City is divid- ed in half by an artificial faultline created by freeways, railroad tracks and industrial areas. West of this “faultline” are the many neighborhoods of the West Side: West Pointe, Jordan Meadows, Rose Park, Fairpark, Poplar Grove, Jackson, Guadalupe, and Glendale. Are the economic and social divisions between east and west as dramatic as the physical barriers? How have these neigh- home and I moved around a lot. both 7 and not Janette (Glendale), so sure about each other’s neighborhood. Most of those interviewed think crime is worse on the West Side than on the East Side. Estanislao, Danielle’s husband, disagrees. “It depends on where you are. borhoods changed over the past decade? : page 2 Salt Lake Anderson distributed Nine west Salt Lake residents were tapped recently to serve as- Community Ambassadors for a new University of Utah effort to build partnerships with groups and individuals in west side neighborhoods. These nine individuals have agreed _ to help University newcomers learn more about their neighborhoods, as they begin Rocky a letter eral D.J. tentative Baxter, agreements senior page 4 and plans that state that Pacific was abandoning the city failed to “advocate for | mental assessment be done again on the impacts of the rail line on The letter further duined: SeV- that could bring about improvement. They have finalized this process, after consider- the community. see Trains page 2 relationships, for more/effective language and literacy classes, and for better infor- able brainstorming and discussion, by col- mation lecting their ideas into a brochure, recent- resources. They also identified the1 importance of addressing negative effects of heavy industry, mobilizing and ecto - Carolyn Hoskins tor of Neighborhood Housing Services, Jacob Brace, Salt Lake City Weed and page 8 Union all that we can to get rid of it entirely. We have been through extensive litigation and have exhausted our authority. ..the best encouragement from Maria Garciaz, direc- Stories maps shouldn’t be there. We have done oy used for a presentation at the University of Utah Student Affairs Annual Retreat. The Community Ambassadors agreed that the top west Salt Lake assets include piv and strengthen understanding of the their rich cultural diversity, historical richwest side. The group includes Karina ness, active community participation, outBaca, Luseanne Hoko, Clif Uckerman, Gerald Curtis, Jackie Hayes, Dani Phifer, “Working together we can Carolyn Hoskins, Charlotte FifeThe: - make a change and Jepperson, and Leon Johnson. help better Ambassadors have received support and our communities.” Side dents, the community councils of Glendale and Poplar Grove said the City “continued to ue us thing [possible] to reduce many of the adverse impacts, such as University/Neighborhood Partners. who empower youth, socio-economic The Ambassadors have met regularly equality, and abundant parks and open during the past several months to prepare space. themselves to present information about They agreed that chrllenee: facing heim. their community. Initially, members of the _ group shared their own personal stories. neighborhoods include the needs for business development, for more community about experiences in their neighborhoods. activities to stimulate unity and integrate Then, they identified, in their view, key diversity, for better school/community assets of their neighborhoods and things ‘West to . In a letter responding to Mayor Anderson and delivered to resi- believe that we should do every- op shared goals through the new University/Neighborhood Partners, soon to be located at 1060 South 900 West. The Community Ambassadors range in age from 21 to over retirement age, live in various west side neighborhoods, and come from diverse religions, ethnic cul- Community Council Reports that advisor Seed Coordinator, and Irene Fisher, with have developed plans to help break down for the Gateway development that called for the abandonment of the 900 South the interests of the communities,” the mayor said, “The one issue we all agree on is that the railroad | and proposed that an environ- to build networks of friendship and devel- tures, and language groups. Together, they participated in a plan- ning process line—not the reactivation. City Mayor Neighbors Tapped as Community Ambassadors by Leon Johnson and Irene Fisher were lied to. He said community members by Nicole Warburton train whistles.” see Myths According to Clara, residents are upset because they feel they standing neighborhood clinics, recreation and senior centers, good libraries, adults Opinion page 9 Sports page 10 ing youth dissemination on for community available organizing, improving neighborhood safety, and developing more senior, affordable, and mixed income housing. They feel there is also a need to increase access to health and dental care. The Community Ambassadors are now determining how they will share their personal stories and understanding of their neighborhood assets and challenges with new University of Utah partners. Future projects may include speaking engagements, media, workshops, cultural events, the creation of bookmarks or calendars, and many other methods of communica- tion. “Working together we can make 3 change and help better our communities,” says Carolyn Hoskins, one. of the Ambassadors. And, that is precisely what the Ambassadors intend on doing. Photo ID Contest page 6 —