| OCR Text |
Show A community newspaper serving residents and businesses on the west side of Salt Lake City Issue No. 22 JULY 2005 Peace Gardens Reflect Diversity of the West Side By Melissa Sillitoe On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, the International Peace Gardens are anything but peaceful as the Kids Together summer campers leap from their buses. And that’s the way that Irene Wiesenberg of the Salt Lake Council of Women prefers it. The Peace Gardens, which are housed in Poplar Grove’s Jordan Park, seek to represent every ethnic and cultural group in Salt Lake City, in fact as well as in flower gardens. The Salt Lake Council of Women founded the park in 1939 and continues to play a primary role in the Peace Gardens’ development. One of its members always serves as chair of the International Peace Gardens committee, an advisory group that raises awareness about the garden and plans the his 55 elementary school charges enjoy their time at the park, learning about geography in fun ways. “It’s unique,” he says. “We’re able to hide clues in advance and tell the kids to go find Mexico, go find Norway. They love it.” annual August Festival (see inset story). “There’s lots of stuff from different countries. It’s very peaceful.” Cultural organizations use the Peace Gardens as a gathering place for their holiday events. Norwegian Independence Day is celebrated here every May. The Swedish midsummer festival will include a dinner and traditional dancing. The more recent Vietnamese garden has already housed several informal events. Longtime garden caretaker Mary Ann Siegendorf of the Salt Lake City Public Services Parks Department notes that this is primarily a neighborhood park used by people who live in the neighborhood. “It seems like when I first started, most of the people I saw using the park were Hispanic. Now I often see Pacific Islander people here.” She hopes that everyone in the neighborhood will find a place in the Peace Gardens. ““There’s nothing else like it in Salt Lake,” she says. Today, children race through the park on a scavenger hunt, searching for clues located behind a Chinese pagoda and Great Britain’s rose beds. The dedicated in 1947 recovered from park, as the World War which United was States II, is divided into 28 ethnic and cultural gardens. The trees and shrubs are provided by Salt Lake City, but the landscaping of individual gardens is left to their cultural representatives. Some of the gardens are quite elaborate. The Nestled in the western end of the Peace Gardens alongside the Jordan the Japanese garden was the first to be completed 1950. Photo by Charlotte Fife-Jepperson and dedicated River, on July 11, Japanese Garden, dedicated in 1950, includes stone lanterns that came from the Emperor’s Palace Garden in Japan. The Danish garden has a replica of a Viking burial mound, a replica of the original mermaid statue in Copenhagen Harbor and a European Beech tree. The newer Scottish and Tongan gardens are still being developed. Camp counselor Jonathan Kinnaird says Zach French, the West 11, who used to live on Side, listed the Chinese his favorite part. Alex Najarro, art as 11, says, West Side Community Councils Come Together to Recognize National Night Out Against Crime Every .year on the second Tuesday in August, individual community councils all over the nation put on their own neighborhood Night Out Against Crime events. This year, all seven Salt Lake City west side community councils will come together to recognize National Night Out Against Crime. The first National Night Out Against Crime began in 1984 as the brainchild of Matt A. Peskin, executive director of the National Association of Town Watch. Peskin felt that a high profile, high-impact type of crime prevention event was needed nationally to heighten awareness and strengthen participation in local anti-crime efforts, It began with a “lights on” and “porch vigil” approach. Today, it has grown into a community gathering focused on crime and drug prevention awareness, support and participation in local anti-crime programs, neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. It also aims to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. Focusing on safety, preparedness and prevention, the West Parade Route I jake Garn Blvd. By Scott Forman Pioneer Precinct > > Illinois Ave. Circle ‘Ig OfWABN “S 6LIT ae Parade Lineup 4:30 p.m, opeorayy] Jadns Glendale Emery Street => 4 ot ~ = © i) © = - Map is not to scale - Side’s “Night Out” activities will take place on August 2 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Pioneer Police Precinct, 1040 West 700 South, with live music, food and informa- tion booths. Keeping with the Glendale Community Council’s tradition, a neighborhood parade will kick off the event. At approximately 4:30 p.m. entrants from each of the seven community councils and the police and fire departments will gather at the Super Mercado at 1179 S. Navajo Street. From there, the parade will proceed to Glendale Circle, travel east along Illinois Avenue to Emery Street, turn north following Emery to 700 South, turn east again and disband across the street from the Pioneer Precinct at about 6:00 p.m. Residents are encouraged to come early to save a seat along the parade route. To add to the excitement, stu- dents from the Paul Green School of Rock Music will perform excerpts from Pink Floyd and other rock favorites. Local law enforcement, SWAT team members, community officials, and representatives from a variety of agencies and organizations will also be on hand to provide information about crime and drug prevention, safety and preparedness. Open to the public, this event will provide an opportunity to meet local civil servants, mingle with fellow community members, and build neighborhood spirit and goodwill. |
