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Show A community newspaper serving residents and businesses on the west side of Salt Lake City | Issue No. SUMMER 12 2004 Local Artists Express Community Pride By Kate Rubalcava Daniel ICY — Pacheco with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) explained that the hiring process was very formal im nature and required the students to fill out an application and then interview for the position. NHS then selected five con-tributing artists: Marisela Amezquita, est side residents exhibit pride in their neighborhoods and families in various ways. Some become active in church or community improvement groups, some organize or attend neighborhood street fairs, while others utilize their artistic talents. Local artist Ruby Chacon vividly demonstrated her cultural and community pride with the completion of a mural project in conjunction with National NeighborWorks Paulina Dominguez, Erin Evans, Shannon D. Francisco andAndrew Mestek. ee was that it, “involved experience and engaged to create Jean Irwin from Council. And engage Chacon relishes in hands-on getting kids artwork,” says the Utah Arts them it did. the thought that these students will carry this experience with them for. years. She watched how hard they worked ...with murals, Chacon js able to share her art with 5 and how much talent and energy people who wouldn t other- they put _ sctieie. they were wise be exposed to it if it ject, noting Week, June 5 — 12. selectedfor were hanging ina gallery... that Closing the week’s events, the unveiling of the Cihuacoatl Art Mural Project on the west side of Quetzal Market, located at 500 North 600 West, was a time to cele- the position, they spent several weeks in the classroom learning about the art project and getting to know Chacon. When they began painting the mural, they had only one month to complete it before the unveiling. The Utah Arts Council provided NHS with a grant to complete brate community neighbors. and Chacon unite as says that with murals, she is able to share her art with people who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed. to.itifit were hanging on a gallery or office wall. The project began months before with the application of a grant from the Utah Arts Council Ruby Chacon, head artist Market, brings Quetzal Cihuacoatl, "Protector neighborhood. Photo of a the of the by Lance and a formal application process to hire contributing young artists. Chacon was-hesitant at first about hiring teenagers. She wasn’t sure if new mural on the side of ancient Mayan goddess Children" to the Guadalupe Duvall the artists would take the mural seriously. She is very pleased with the outcome of the project. “Everything was so smooth,”’ she said. ..the-mural.-The Council: receives about 300 requests for grants per year and can only fund about 80 to 100 of them. What appealed to them most about the mural project “Growth equals hardwork.” This project has not only enriched the neighborhood with its visual appeal, but it has also inspired the lead artist and the contributing artists. Whether it was Chacon being impressed by the commitment of the teens or Dominguez and Amezquita being inspired by Chacon and her talent, inspiration was all around,.and the end result is cause for all to celebrate. Fast Action Saves Lives in West Side Business Fire By Chad Jepperson As a professional firefighter with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, I usually balk at Hollywood's versions of structure fires. They seem over dramatized with too many special effects, impossible survivals, and improbable coincidence. The movie star always makes it out of trouble in the nick of time followed by large volumes of fire and sometimes an explosion. It rarely happens that way, but in the case of the fire at Jeffrey Cobabe and Associates at 49 North 600 West, it did just that. On the afternoon of July 23, Omer Jeffery Kadjic, Cobabe an employee of and Associates, heard some strange popping and crackling sounds. He asked fellow employee Thomas Frank to come to the back of the woodshop to help identify the sound. They placed a ladder up into the crawl space, finding the source of the noise. It was the popping and crackling of a growing fire. They started to scream “Fire! Fire!” Two other employees heard the alert and grabbed extinguishers to try and put the fire out, but it was too late; the fire was already too big. “This all happened in under thirty seconds,” said employee Mike Hanna. Everyone immediately started to exit the building and alert the other employees in the shop. Eduardo Franco realized that co-worker Mike Ensign was probably not able to hear any of the warnings, because he was working in a remote part of the building. Franco ran to get Ensign, and they both made a hasty exit. While running out of the building “they had flames overhead,” said Hanna. “If Eduardo hadn’t alerted Ensign, he most likely would have been trapped,” said owner Jeffrey Cobabe. Everyone made it out safely, thanks to the quick thinking and fast reactions of fellow employCes: This fire went to a fourth See Fire on page 3 Jeffrey Cobabe and Associates, a west side business specializing in fine furniture at 49 North 600 West, was completely destroyed in a four-alarm fire on July 23. Flames up to 80 feet tall engulfed this historic, 120 year-old building, destroying irreplacable pieces of fine furniture and art. Photo by Lance Duvall |