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Show Page A7 (The imrs-3nhrpruhr- July 11, 2002 ut of a typical in the life of a Summer Work Project participant A glimpse by Dusty Quinn guest writer Seven a m. comes early, but not early enough to escape the desert heat. The typical morning with the kids of the Summer Work Project starts like this: Bang bang, bang! Fists pound on the upstairs sliding-glas- s doors impatient taps and leering faces, kids eager to get in. Now why the kids are so eager is still an amazement to me, seeing as how when they first get in they don't do a whole lot, except maybe a couple of flying somersaults onto the beanbags before making lunch for the day So, as follows, lunch is made in a chaotic frenzy. Laughter starts early, and so do the questions. Where are we going today? Can I have some ice cream? Say, when do we get paid? Do we really have to work today? Why?" Sex jokes bad ones seem to be the next natural progression, as is the custom in a group w here the majonty is made up of young boys. Sex jokes seem to mark the begin- ning (and the end, and the middle) of the work day. At any rate, the lunch making generally comes to an end around 7:30-7:4at which time we make for the big white van, put our seatbelts on and head down 0, the road, always with Eminem bouncing through the speakers and kids mouthing the lyrics. Now might be a good time to explain who we are. Angie Brown and myself, Dusty Quinn, are the two Outdoor Educators for the SWP. Our job is to supervise and sometimes two groups slave-driv- e of twelve local teens (one group in June, one group in July) as they embark upon a four week journey into tha real world": the world of work. Some of the kids wish not to be named, and some wish their name to be the headline of this article, so we will honor the former and just say: twelve local, awesome teens. Another name to be included is Brandon Williams, an employee of Wild Landscapes whose job it is to hang out with us for the summer, wrestle with the kids and to supervise our work in Mill Creek Canyon. Yet another key player is Laurie Collins, my and Angie's supervisor and both ours and the kids biggest supporter. The Summer Work Project program and is a shoot-of- f of Laurie's is a four-year-o- ld pregnanc- program. y-prevention The aim of the project is to keep local teenagers busy and making money during their summer break, rather than engaging in the many less constructive activities of bored kids. The philosophy for this program, and others like it, is that work is good for self esteem, for fostering teamwork and communication skills, and is critical in developing the kind of character that helps make one successful in life. We believe that this philosophy is especially appli- cable This is, howe er, not to say a One other from it. Far drag that the experience was aspect of the SWP is to Youth Action kids, since youth is at that critical stage remind them, oer and over, that they chose to be here, they are getting paid to work here and that attitude is everything the recreation: in lv the Community of addition to twenty-si- These articles are designed to both taking strengthen relationships between organizations that serve youth, to empower youth, and to create awarenesr of opportunities available to youth in the community. Anyone interested in writing an article should contact Michelle Wiley of the Youth Garden Project, the world in, and cre- ating life habits from what they learn. Now that we know who we are and 259-232- x hours per week of work, we all also spent about ten hours per week strictly having in all fun, sorts what the program is about, well move on through the day. The next step, on a typical day, after the e ordeal, the lunch-makin- g van-rid- and the preliminary is the 8 am. arrival at upper Mill Creek Canyon. Generally we hike about a mile into the canyon, with buckets full of saws, pruners and loppers in our hands, and arrive at our work site for that day at about 8.30-- oclock. Our days, work activities consist mostly of closing off social" trails in the canyon, cutting down and dismembering Russian olive trees (so that they dont overrun the cansex-joke- s, 9 yon), and caging cottonwood to trees with chicken-wire- , all from them being prevent s beatoppled by vers. Often the workday begins with a quick feelings-chec- k as we sit or stand in a circle next to the creek. We may discuss events from the day before that need to be revisited: laziness that showed up yes- of ways. Mondays are days one scoop per kid per week donated by Living Rivers. Canyon Voyages was kind enough to donate two rafting trips down the daily" to the ice-crea- m kids, and Poison Spider hooked us up with water bottles galore AND a whole fleet of bikes to take down Gemini Bridges. In exchange for touching up their benches and chairs with varnish, Bar-Chuckwagon let us in on a country dinner, a gun-figand the silliest Western show Ive ever 6een. Beyond that are the everyday joys of work in Mill Creek Canyon the beauty, the shade, and mostly, Utah's recession expected to end in second half of 2002 first time in 20 years The state's jobless rate reach 5 9 percent in March, the highest level since 1987 The Utah unemploy ment rate then fell to 5 7 percent in April and 5 3 percent in May suggesting stabilization and better times ahead The state's economy has lost a significant number of jobs during the past year The latest estimate shows a net decline of nearly 17,000 jobs (down 1.5 percent) over the past 12 months The state's sector has been the hard est hit during the past year, with the lo&s of an estimated Unemployment Wt&i&jiarply higher, bank says According to the Summer 2002 issue of Zions Bank's Insight - Economic News of Utah and the Nation released Tuesday, Utah economic performance is expected to improve modestly in 2002s second half, leading to a conclusion of the states firstrecession in a generation The state finds itself in lor the first time in a said Jeff generation," goods-produc-in- Thredgold, economic consultant to Zions Bank and author of Insight However, a continuation of solid U.S. economic performance and more impressive global economic growth will benefit the state and region later this year and into 2003 We expect the state to return to positive employment gains by early next year." The quarterly Insight publication features updates on current and projected economic and financial developments for the state of Utah, the region, and the nation The Summer 2002 issue also examines the impacts of the weakening U.S. dollar versus other major global currencies. Following are a few highlights from the UtahEconomic Outlook section of the Summer 2002 issue: Utahs recession of the past year has seen the states unemployment rate move sharply higher, with total employment declining for the Inter-mountai- activity in Salt Lake Count has been weak in recent quartets The national and Utah recessions have led to sharp declines in new construction major diops m abruption, and weakening it ntal lalt s Zions Bank is Utahs olde.--t financial institution and is the only lot al Link w it a statew idt distribution til blanches o(er atmg 126 tul service bianthes throughout Utah Zions Bank also ojierates 22 lull strvnc blanches in Idaho and mine than 200 ATMs thioughout Utah and Idaho 111 addition to a wide range ol tiaditmnal banking sen let s .urns nth isa compieheiisive anav of mvt st ment, mortgage, and u once services, and has a in twmk ot loan origination offices toi small businesses nationwide g 15,000 jobs in-i- major difference between the ruralurban mix in Utah, and most other states, is that Utahs rural population as a share of the total has not declined over the past 30 years In contrast, most states have found larger cities gainA ing population share. Nearly one-quart- GHEarit3n3!E? ojmxjiyizimiziD anLHaiszD of er Utahs population lives in ru- ral communities These communities have seen their economies hold up reasonably well with modest gains in total employment over the past n year The states residential construction sector remained solid over the past 18 months, despite weak overall economic performance. The $2 25 billion of residential construction was a new record in valuation, al- a r,j though the 19,675 actual units built was 20 percent below 1996srecord Commercial real estate over-zealou- terday, safety issues, what worked, what didnt, why, etc. This is generally a ten to n-minute process, then its on down the trail and into the fiftee- workday. The typical been described seldom varies, into much detail workday has above, and it so I wont go about it. I will say though, with certainty, that it is often very difficult to get these kids to focus on a task and do it well, particularly a task shrouded in that zMV OF f) MOOT IfJFLUEUTIAL PEOPLE AT OAfRC OOfJT ACTUALLY VOrHC AT THE BANK. most despicable of all words: WORK. I mentioned above the fact that Angie and I both often felt like slavedrivers, and it is true. In the world of a young teenager there seems to be very little choice in many matters, and so, as their only alternative to complete submission to authority, we found that some kids tend to drag their feet a lot, to exercise the power of laziness, saying: If I am to work, YOU must force me! our tactic was simply to SUJBSCKIBE to The Times-Independe- nt $22 in Green River, Grand 6C San Juan $30 per year outside area 62 and older $3 discount (or persons Mail The upon request to: Times-Independe- nt, P.O. Box 129, Moab UT 84532 We INSURE . (xylin fryer, frankie Nightingale. tE PROVIDE FINANCIAl SERVICES TAII OR dye r NEEDS If you want to offer products and services to reallv serve the needs of a tommumtv. then youd better know that community firsthand But that s ., Some migEit call it it works In this era of global this, and automate that, we want each and everv one of our ustoii to know that there's still a bank out then tha' all Phone 20PY f I) TO YOUR x I neighbors ttiat we relv on to help and your tommumtv Ecttir us understand urn e Boards in every area we operate in A group of friends and Cash lift local commumiy leaihrs melt regularly with TEiats win Zions works with Advisory enclose $22 or $30 for one year or $42 and $58 for two years Check Phil Lyman and Sheri Griffith at the Prd At Zionc we understand that every community is unique And when it comes to banking, one sie does riot fit Name. Address lyron Lewis, Skip Nightingale hasnt forgotten how to listen ZIONS BANK E ( aE 25V tor our branch at NAVEHT FQP&OTTEH V) Main in Moa m0 or call 5 $ 221 US ! 6L$iNf $S tor our branch ar 21 ! ( cntraJ Sf it M ' |