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Show A community newspaper serving residents and businesses on the west side of Salt Lake City Issue No. 23 AUGUST 2005 Neighborhood House: A Goo d Neighbor to Have Neighborhood House to Gain New Executive Director By Charlotte Fife-Jepperson After almost 20 years as Executive Director of Neighborhood House, Vicky Mori still occasionally slips and introduces herself by her former title. Last month, Mori accepted a new job as Executive Director of Guadalupe Schools, and SLC Weed & Seed Coordinator Children wait cheerfully under the coat racks in the hallway at Neighborhood to right: Calvin, Yessenia, Citali, Vince, Cindy, and Marcelo. Photo by Norma Hendrickson Way of Salt Lake recently named Neighborhood House its “Impact Partner of the Year.” But for much longer than a year, 111 years to be exact, Neighborhood House has positively impacted the west Salt Lake area. Organized in 1894 as the Free Randerenten Association, Neighborhood House has never lost sight of its most important mission: providing day care for low-income families based on their ability to pay. agency,” Mori says that she will still be in contact with Neighborhood Child Care Services Offered House folks; Guadalupe School Weed & Seed Jacob Brace, who Families who enroll children in Neighborhood House, located at 1050 West 500 South, find a setting more home-like than institutional. — Today, visitors are greeted with the smell of sizzling bacon as cooks in the commercial kitchen prepare BLT sandwiches for one of the 12,000 monthly meals here. Visitors hear the sound of children laughing as they walk hand in hand. They see walls decorated with historical pictures, donor plaques and a healthy dose of the children’s own is located on weeding out crime and seed- - See Neighbor on page 2 West Salt Lake Tongan Youth Perform at ‘Day of Celebration’ By Shannon Allen Polynesian teens from hood on the West Side of as from other Tongan LDS performed for thousands of the Glendale neighborSalt Lake City, as well Stakes around the area, spectators at Rice-Eccles Stadium July 16 during the “Day of Celebration.” The event commemorated 175 years since the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and 200 years since the birth of its early leader, Joseph Smith. Around 500 Polynesian, teen-aged boys (along with 500 or so 12-13-year-old boys) performed the Haka, a powerful dance and chant that originated in New Zealand. This Maori chant was traditionally performed before warriors went off to battle. Its purpose was to make the warriors feel proud and confident. During WWII the chanters and drummers scared away German enemies with their force and assurance. Today, it is also used in football and rugby games to rally players. At the Day of Celebration, the Polynesian Haka performers came out on the field dressed in bright yellow t-shirts and traditional lava lavas. These young men were enthusiastic and ready to share their now,” she said. only a few blocks away from Neighborhood House Coordinator” has focused ‘ and the two schools share some ing in positive change on the! west side for the past five years, . space. _ Five Neighborhood House Executive says he learned about the vacant years ago a contract was developed that allows Guadalupe Schools to rent space See Director on page 2. 15-yr-old Westside Baseba. All- Stars Take State. religion, as well as their culture, 2 the thousands in attendance. They started out drumming and as it got louder and more energetic, a sea of 12-year-old boys in matching costumes ran on the field and performed hand and body actions, clapping and yelling to the chant. An applauding and yelling audience joined in saying, “Choose light, choose joy, choose light, all right! We are able, we are pe we are witnesses of truth!” This enthusiasm was exactly what LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley wanted - to create an atmosphere where youth could experience the joy of their church through song and dance. Haka Director Nathan Moleni of the Tongan North Stake said, “I was worried. There were so many youth, and I wasn’t sure they would all be enthusiastic and willing to help, but I felt the spirit, and that made me get into it. That was the whole purpose - to do it for the youth...I was glad to be a part of it.” Most of the ne ieraere had previous training and knew what they were doing. Moleni grew up in New Zealand and was taught in school how to do the See Haka on page 4 Westside 15-year-olds All-star team, from left to right, back row: Coach Mike Hanna, Ben Hanna, Derek Coach Johnny Arellano, Jordan Cruz, Juan Martinez, Christensen, Scott Floisand, Joe Valles, Coach John front row: Chase Taylor, Joey Ellis, Sean Martinez; Shimizu, Geoff Cannon, Curtis Green, CJ Salinas; and not pictured: Nick Monte. This all-star team took first place in district and state, and placed fourth in region. They represented Utah in an exciting Regional Tournament, July 27 — Aug. 2, playing teams from Taylorsville, Utah; Hawaii; Guam; Arizona; Nevada; Central Southern and Northern California. The highlight of the tournament was when they beat rival and host team Taylorsville, 2-0. Me PORTA United From left oP SEAT By Norma Hendrickson House. Jacob Brace will take her place at Neighborhood House in September. “I left Neighborhood House feeling really good; in those 20 years, we accomplished a lot,” said Mori. But, she sees her job change as “an opportunity to continue to help out on the West ee — with another from Neighborhood House in the non-summer months to accommodate Guadalupe’s bursting seams. Guadalupe has a waiting list of 80 children and their acclaimed English as a Second Language (ESL) program has a waiting list of over 100 people. “The current building that houses Guadalupe Schools is too small to meet the needs of the community,” says Mori. To address this problem, Mori is already working with Salt Lake City to obtain space at the future Unity Center site, which will be built next to the existing Sorenson Center on California Avenue. “The new building would give us 40,000 square feet to work with, versus the 13,000. square feet that we have ; |
