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Show i r i 1 USPSI325-58- 0 r 1 irua O $ v aim ' $ ' ,? School Community Editorial 2 Food 6 3 Sports Classifieds 7 4 - Keep up with the Times - VOLUME 96 NO. 20 Hundreds of Magna residents took advantage of the opportunity to learn about healthy resources in the community and county at the Healthy Communities Health and Wellness Fair. The Fair was held Saturday at the Magna Fitness and Recreation Center. Booths from more than 100 organization and businesses were on hand to educate participants on healthy lifestyles from cooking to Fitness and a little bit as of well. Also on hand was McGruff, the crime dog, who shook hands with children, including Hayden Butler, 3, of 1 citizen confusion By DEBBI OLSON Editor Magna residents, developers and potential new business owners are confused when it comes to who diey need to see to get approv als for business and zoning issues The confusion stems from having two council groups that Salt Lake County planning services advise petitioners to go to see before the issue is sent to the Magna Township Planning and Zoning Board. The two groups are die Area Council and the self-pamperi- ng Magna. Main street rebirth still possible Correspondent The Magna Main Street that many residents knew in youth, during die 40s, 50's, 60s, to die mid 70s is gone, and is never coming back. But a rebirth of die area is still possible. A Magna Mam Street Report, compiled for Salt Lake County Economic Development by Wikstrom Economic Planning and Consultants, indicates that given die strong population Thursday, May IS, 2003 Area Council wants to end Healthy community party Bv GREG SCHULZ 8 growth and demand for various types of goods and services, the Magna community has a huge void to fill. According to the survey, the population growth of the community has consistendy mirrored the statewide growth patterns, but has been going backwards when it comes to meeting the needs of the consumers. Currendy, per capita sales figures show Magna seriously lagging other comparable Salt Lake Valley communities With annual per capita sales in 2001 of $1,1 32, Magna important to make that program as accessible as possible, Allen said. The AARP Benefits Assist Program, an initiative sponsored by AARP of Utah, the National Council on the Aging, and several pharmaceutical companies, will offer Medicare-eligibl- e seniors who meet certain income levels access to highly prescribed medicines at reduced pnces. The program also performs a "real-tim- e review for additional programs in which eligible seniors may want to participate. "This program creates a one-sto- p opportunity for our seniors to find w ays to lower the costs on then medications and household needs, said AARP of Utah spokesman Michael Syler. "The beauty of the 'Benefits Assist program is we can let the person know right away what they can get help w ith The old assist programs could take two to four weeks to get the answers. Though Utah offers limited coverage for some 5,500 seniors with below-povert- y incomes, currently Utah is one of 20 states that has no mam-strea- is well behind South Salt Lake ($55,212), Midvale ($21,822), Draper ($1 1595), and Riverton (3,485). The income figures show o Magna, though not as as some of these areas, is relatively comparable, which indicates the money is there. The questions are how to get to it be spent in Magna, and not spent in the other cities; and more specifically, how to get that money spent in the Mam Street Shopping District well-to-d- Suggestions include: Opening busmesses to meet the consumer demands of Magna Magna. According to die Wikstrom survey, there is a very good list of consumer needs that could turn into business opportunities. The Wikstrom survey offered more than 25 choices to the respondents. Some of these items, home improvement, department stores, are not con- - Community Council. The Area Council is the recognized local authority for the city to die county and planning commission The Community Council is a group of citizens that have organized to be proactive to Magna concerns and spearheads many Magna service organizations, such as CAP and MagnaFact "The Area Council is the official voice for die people of our community," said Area Councilman Colin Douglas "There are some difficulties m planning and zoning meetings where people have gone to the Community Council meeting mstead of the Area Council meeting " The result is that typically as issue has to be continued for 30 days until the Area Council can be addressed and provide comment and suggestion to the Plannmg and Zoning Commission. "What has happened is that the County is telling people when they make an application that they have to go to the Area or Community Council meetings, said Councilwoman Ellen Aguilar "But that is not the case. Im tired of die confusion and we want it to stop. Those who appearing before the Community Council, which meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at the Magna Senior Center, should know that doing so is only a courtesy. The County planning and zoning department has, out of courtesy, been forwarding planning and zoning and business issues to both the Area and Community councils. However, statutorily, applicants must to go to the Area Council, which, can hold over an issue if it is not briefed properly on it. The Planning and Zoning Board relies on input from the Area Council before making their final decisions. "It is confusing to people and slows the process down when people think they can go the Community Council and have their applications passed from there," Aguilar said "I have no problem with anyone wanting to meet and do things to help Magna The public has access to documents when they go in and ask for them, but they should not automatically be sent to anyone like the Community Council is receiv ing them, and it needs to stop. County Mayor Nancy Workmans office has said it has no intention of stopping the courtesy information to the Community Council because of its long tradition in the community At the May meeting of the Area Council, the council agreed to begin working w ith the County to have the problem resolved in order to end the confusion for Magna residents. "My concern is the basic principle of official authority," Douglas said. "Legally the Community Council doesn't have authority over Magna and theyre getting a special privilege." The Area Council said it was not trying to dissolve the Community Council, it only wants to county to give the Area Council the proper Please turn to COUNCIL pg 10 Miss Magna Seniors to get help from new AARP program Pageant Friday Bv GREG SCHULZ Correspondent West side seniors who are struggling to cover then pre- scription expenses may get some relief from a place they would least expect - the drug companies, themselves. In an announcement to the attendees of the Magna Healthy Community Wellness Fair, State Sen. Ron Allen Park) announced the new openings for enrollment for die AARP Benefits Assist Program to be held at die .Magna Senior Center and the Harman Senior Center m West Valley City during die month of Given the escalating June. costs our seniors are facing m healthcare, any time a program becomes available that can help diem meet then needs, I feel its m government-sponsore- d prescription benefit plan "Utah was chosen to test market this enrollment drive, due to the number of seniors we have falling through die cracks," said Allen. Those numbers are very significant. According to the 2000 census figures, more than 190,000 Utahns are age 65 or older. AARP estimates nearly 85,000 Please lum to MAIN pg 10 Medicare recipients in Utah have no prescnption coverage. As a part of the same survey, AARP Utah found at least 98 percent of members surveyed take at least one medication. "On average, our seniors are paying around $275 per for medmonth ications," Syler said. Those figures gready concerned Allen "For some seniors in our community, it's becoming a choice between taking their medications or buying food, Allen said. "That tradeoff is t" unacceptable Allen began coordinating w ith AARP of Utah to get Magna and West Valley seniors enrolled because the initial enrollment, held in Salt Lake City on May 5, would overlook many of Magnas and West Valley's seniors who could benefit from the program the most 'It was felt that everyone who wanted to attend wouldnt be able to travel to downtown Salt Lake City on Monday (May 5) and get enrolled," Allen said . "I knew the one-da- y enrollment would bypass many of our seniors, and not be 1 enough This is why went to AARP and asked them to come out to Magna and West Valley. This way we can assist all who would like to enroll, without creating additional burdens As an example of what the program can offer Pfizers Share Card program offers eligible seniors its brand of medications for a S 5 flat fee . . 1 Please turn to SENIORS pg 10 Seven young women from Cyprus High School will compete for the title of Miss Magna Friday at 7 pm. The scholarship pageant will be held in the Cyprus High School Auditorium. Contestants include Sheena Aguilar, Jessica Christensent, Aubrey Jeppson, Kira and Destin McDougle, Nicole Rowley and Shalyce Spor. Tickets to the pageant will be available at the door for $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors or $15 for a family pass. |