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Show ~ May 2005 The: West View Page 3 This opinion section is an open forum for community issues. Editorial columns and opinion articles are strictly the opinion of the author. Letters of an indecent or demeaning > From the Editor Diversity — a Challenge and a Blessing Most people would agree that the multicultural make-up of the biggest challenges. The incredible diversity that our community is so proud of can sometimes create difficulties in communication, under- Lake City, including the elimination of the 900 South line. All residents are asked to attend one or more of the following meetings: avoid their neighbors who might not speak their same language well. Some of these actions and decisions are based on assumptions or even | West-side community councils, which serve as local neighborhood associations that make important public decisions affecting their communities, are also experiencing these assets and challenges. A study conducted by a group of Glendale residents and U of U professors suggests that, “the rapid demographic and cultural changes that [west-side neighborhoods] have undergone over the past decade, creates challenges and opportunities to which local governing bodies have yet to adapt.” You can read more about this study on the front page of this issue. | | It has always been a goal of The West View to try to foster pride in our community’s unique diversity and understanding between the various cultural, religious, generational and socio-economic groups that co-exist. I believe that everyone has something to offer, and that if we all dare to step out of our comfort zones a little more, we will become a much more cohesive, viable community of neighbors. - Charlotte Fife-Jepperson students from Horizonte in West Salt Lake and the business profes- sionals are their volunteer mentors from. PacifiCorp/Utah Power and SLC Corporation’s Youth City program. The students attend bi-monthly activities tailored to build life and business skills. But the program, now in its third year, does more than simply teach skills. Mentors get to know the students and sometimes their families, and students say they feel comfortable calling the mentors anytime they face challenges at school or in their personal lives. Without exception, students say the teen mentoring program has changed their lives. Andres Velez-Tuero, 18, was considering going to directly to work after high school. He said mentors told him, “Go for what “Would I hire myself?” The mentors arrange for job shadow éxperiences, and the students are nearly as excited about these, as they are about attending a Jazz game. The mentors find opportunities for each student to “observe someone working in a job in which the student has interest. Brian Phister, a junior, has no doubt that his mentor, Ben Gifford, will line up an opportunity for him to get in the air to feed his desire to become a helicopter pilot. “The more I do, the more I talk to Ben, the more I see it happening,” says Phister of becoming a pilot. Nearly all the students credit Jeanne Watson, the coordinator from Horizonte, with making them aware of the program and encouraging them to apply. She also drives them to the activities in one of the school’s vans. The mentors say they would put these students up against the you can do, and you can do most brightest and best high school stu- anything.” He now plans to pursue a medical career as an anesthesiologist. Ryan Nelson, coordinator of the program for Utah Power, serves as a mentor in addition to his administrative duties. He says mentors want to break down barriers for students, educate them and motivate them to succeed. Nelson says the students are led to ask, dents anywhere in the state. Their plans for the future: Christina Luna, 17, wants to be a police offi- cer after she becomes assistant. Sallie Johnson, her on eye a law a dental 17, has career and Shannon D. Francisco, 18, is look- ing at psychology and Both the article and editorial regarding UTA’s May 1, 2005 fare increases were timely and thought provoking. From my perspective, however, they missed the point. I found Mr. Inglish’s statement that low-income issues aren’t UTA’s problem the crux of what divides us. [’m sure he realizes that low-income issues are everyone’s problem. Poverty breeds an environment where crime flourishes. Where the criminal element is allowed to run amuck, economics and positive social interactions fail in a death spiral that turns a viable neighborhood into a living hell. But Thursday, May 12, 6:30 p.m. at Parkview Elementary, 970 South Emery Street ¢ Saturday, May 21, 3:00 p.m. Elementary, 1410 South 800 West at Riley Our collective voices can make a difference. We need you! Please call Senator Fred Fife at 5217383 for the location and time of additional R&R issues meetings or for more information. neither you, nor I, nor UTA, nor any charitable or governmental agency acting alone should be expected to have all of the answers. We must be partners, or real oldfashioned neighbors if you will, in finding solutions. We need UTA to be our neighbor...our partner, not our adversary. I am a near-daily bus rider and come coupled with a service enhancement for once. I live in the Fairpark neighborhood so if I’m depending on the bus to get home, I don’t go out in the evening. The last regular route bus leaves downtown just before 6:30 and Nightride barely skirts the outside edges of my neighborhood. I’ve watched many evenings as a steady stream of people walk by my house until well after midnight. So just whose needs are being met here? Not mine, not all those oth- ers left to walk home from work and not the businesses we would support if we had access to public transportation during the’ evening hours. Some ago, I was Suddenly everyone would make excellent public transportation a priority because its current prob- lems would be catapulted front and center in the public's attention. But rather than launch an allout attack, I would like to see UTA voluntarily choose to become a valued neighbor and build flourishing partnerships with our west side neighborhoods. Leaving us stranded and saying our issues aren’t their problem isn’t good business sense... it only inflames the issues between those who have much and those not so blessed and shows how out of touch UTA is with its customers. Mr. Inglish, I invite you to step up and be part of something wonderful that draws a community together. When you stop seeing us as simple numbers, or units to be counted and exploited for profit’s sake, you'll discover a wealth of new resources and a whole community eager to support UTA’s vision and goals. This doesn’t have to be you versus us. We can all win this game if we do it together. I actually like riding the bus. It’s convenient for work, or it was until the unionized drivers, who would the last change day when half of the simply be replaced with cheaper time points shifted by 20 minutes. - non-union employees, but a strike Kathy Burton, And it costs a lot less than parking by the passengers. Think, for a Fairpark Neighborhood downtown. For most everything moment, about what would happen else, it stinks because the routes are if no one boarded a UTA bus for 3 Editor’s note: Ms. Burton based not designed with riders’ needs in days. Certainly there would be an her cost comparison on personal mind. Still, I don’t even really take economic impact to UTA. If that _ experience and an article in the exception to this fare increase. Our didn’t adequately get their attenPueblo Chieftain. The article noted fares are lower than in many other tion, media coverage would make it one-way fares in other Western cities across the country, even those a public relations nightmare. United State’s cities varied from $1 of comparable size and cost of livBusinesses without employees, to $1.25. She noted in most cases ing statistics. I know because I’ve stores without shoppers and these fares would need to be doubeen on buses in other cities. I just schools without students would bled to compare with UTA’s rates. wish a UTA fare increase would find much to complain about, too. Fairpark’s Spring Fiesta: A Great Way to Celebrate Community By Tiffany Sandberg The upcoming 6th annual Fairpark Spring Fiesta is a great way for west-side neighbors to get to know one another. A brain child of the Fairpark Community Council, this community celebration provides a fun setting for many community members to get acquainted. Fairpark Community Council Chair Jilene Whitby, one of the original organizers says “The focus is to get the community to interact and socialize.” The Fairpark area includes North Temple to 600 North, and from 500 West to the Jordan River. It also includes the VIP mobile home park on North Temple. The Spring Fiesta started out as a small event fashion on 200 North between 700 and 800 West. It has grown over the years, and in response to its growth, the Fairpark Community Council has partnered up with the Northwest Community Center. This part- notion of high school marking the time questioning one of UTA’s own bus drivers about why a convenient inter-line between two routes was being altered, thus causing hardship to a number of riders. He had an interesting comment... that the only way to force a real change in the culture and thinking at UTA would be a strike. Not a strike by design. All of them reject the end of their educations. e UTA Should act as Neighbor Not Adversary family down the street who doesn’t belong to their same church, or to continued from page 2 NOtUCe: Meetings to announce New Developments Concerning Rail Traffic issues that could lead to improved rail traffic in Salt standing and effective community problem solving. — | These assets and challenges are experienced in our schools, recreation and senior centers, local government, and on our streets in our own immediate neighborhoods. Many families choose to raise their children on the West Side, so that their children will feel comfortable interacting with people from different backgrounds. These are families who value learning from one another’s cultural, ethnic, political, and religious differences. They recognize that these things cannot be learned out of a textbook. They also recognize that associating with someone different doesn’t mean that one will necessarily compromise their own family-taught values. Other families fear the negative influence that people from different backgrounds, particularly peers with different values, may have on their children. Most parents want to protect their children from the lure of alcohol, drugs, or gangs, which consequently lead to school dropout, violence and/or incarceration. 3 This fear may lead parents to forbid their children to play with the prejudice. Letters will be edited for style and space. The time to act is NOW. With the construction of UTA commuter rail fast approaching, a window of opportunity has opened up. There will be a series of community meetings to address new developments regarding railroad West Side is one of our community’s greatest assets and one of its MENTOR nature will not be published. nership has led to greater possibilities for fun and excitement. “The Spring Fiesta community fair has been a great annual event where folks from the neighbor hood can get together at our site to celebrate community pride,” says Kay Cameron, Director of the Northwest Community Center. As a public event, everyone is welcome to join this year’s festivities on June 4 between 11 a.m. —5 p.m. at the Northwest Community Center on 1300 West and 300 North. This annual fiesta is famous for its food, games for kids, live entertainment from local performers, informational booths, crafts, a petting zoo, basketball and volleyball clinics and free swimming. The estimated 1000 people who attend — each year, enjoy a little taste of the flavor of the Fairpark community. The Spring Fiesta is sponsored by Northwest Recreation Center, the Fairpark community council and Neighborhood Housing Services. |
