Show 1 iy va f T- T ta 7 f z M Pa g p Neighborhood from hell searching for the T 7 Terry Dillon editor Co-editor Sherri Humes is Student tired of being classified as asa asa asa a welfare person She needs housing She lives on a monthly disability grant which doesn't give her a lot a-lot alotto lot lotto to survive on Humes doesn't like all the talk about Academy Park being a neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood neigh from hell II A A few people have hav screwed it up for the rest us They dont don't care but that doesn't mean that we all dont don't care I Iam Iam Iam am in a position tion where I could lose everything everything-e everything even even en my kids kids kids-if if I dont don't have a place to live What the welfare system needs to do is to look at the way rents are going up then up-then then look at the allotments to make sure they keep up with the cost of living People dont don't realize how difficult it is to find affordable affordable affordable dable housing They dont don't accept accept accept ac ac- ac- ac county housing because welfare housing has a bad badr r Linn tinn arras t lLa uv Not all people who live below the poverty line deserve this reputation For example a number of students are living on their own below the poverty line Some of them have sufficiency self-sufficiency grants from county housing The grants pay part of their rent in inthe inthe inthe the low-income low four Many of these students are also single mothers like Jackie a working mom who lives in Academy Park Jackie plants flowers in front of her apartment complex She also knows where her two daughters are at all times Even though she doesn't earn very much she has made her apartment apartment apartment apart apart- ment into a home students and other students who are in job training training training train train- ing are among the preferred tenants say neighbors of Academy Park Margaret Peterson West Valley Valley Valley Val Val- Val Val- ley City Councilwoman cares a alot alot alot lot about West Valleys Valley's tion Like Humes Peterson believes that many of these reputations are unfair People should know that West Valley does have ordinances ces to protect neighborhoods from deterioration It is up to the neighbors to see to it these ordinances are enforced Peoples People's attitudes are the number number number num num- ber one cause cause or or solution solution for for these problems Peterson recommends that neighbors keep watch over the activities in their own neigh neigh- Dont Don't depend on government t to find your solutions solutions solutions for yo you Notify the police each and every time you see people fighting in the streets shooting off guns gun's abusing their children selling drugs and acting acting acting ac ac- ac- ac ting intimidating Dont Don't put up with verbal assaults either either call call the police Notify the Salt Lake Coun County ty Health Department when people dump chimp garbage inappropriately inappropriately inappropriately or when garbage collection runs behind schedule The health department department depart depart- ment moves swiftly in cases of o f garbage flying around housing g areas West Valley ordinances re re- quire people to cut their grass and keep weeds under control co Property must be kept up up to standard or the owners will be penalized Neighbors must take the responsibility to notify West Valley authorities of viola viola- There are no special poI police ce patrols out looking for bad neighbors to cite West Valley Police recommend recommend recommend mend that that if you have problems getting along wi with h hany any of your neighbors dont don't l let t. t it fester West Valley police have special officers who are trained in conflict manage manage- ment They can help you and your neighbors find peaceful resolutions I It t is a good idea to get to know all your neighbors Go over to their home and visit them It is difficult to hold a grudge or a typed stereo-typed belief about someone with whom youve you've been friendly Peterson cautions that some people are just too uneducated to under under- stand Some people dont don't know what is expected of them as neighbors or even how to live up to certain standards In this case just jus as as with children nr tArr rt tho h hac rf r v a n as LO t. t First neighbors have to know there is a problem They need to understand what the problem problem problem lem is and how it impacts people around them After that it takes patience and persistence persist persist- ence on the part of the people who feel the effects of the problem problem problem lem to make sure things get better One elderly homeowner in Academy Park Bernice told Horizon that this advice works Because of her persistence in getting to know neighbors neighbors- especially their children children and and showing them she cares she said the two apartment buildings buildings buildings build build- ings across from her home are model apartments Bernice said she and her husband have also called the police many times since the apartments were built Eventually Eventually Eventually Even the bad neighbors all moved out Even the people living in the the apartments apartments didn't want them around It is really too bad when a few people ruin it for everyone else Dont Don't blame Democrats for these problems ei either ther Academy Parks Park's housing project was built under the Nixon Ford administration The county commissioners who ensured the housing project would be built were also Republicans The county commissioners were able to halt one housing project that was built at the same same time as Academy P Park rk The project was in an east side Cottonwood Cottonwood Cottonwood Cotton- Cotton wood Heights location Marilee Cederbloom was a ayoung ayoung ayoung young newlywed ne when the Academy Park housing project went in She and her husband Stan were told by county commissioners commissioners com corn missioners that a solid wall was to be bu built t to shield homeowners from the sight of the welfare low com corn plex plea The wall was was to o be similar to the one along the new West Valley freeway Instead Cederbloom said they built t a redwood picket fence Within 6 months from the time they built the fence it was mostly all torn torri down Cederbloom said People tore it down so they could drive their cars over the lawn to get to their parking lot They didn't want to drive in the driveway to get there I guess they thought one minute was too long of a drive After tenants of the project drove over oyer the grass for a a num num- V u ber of years somebody built low concrete retaining walls i in their way Now they must use the proper roadways to get in there she said The sold their house in 1990 because they explained explained explained ex ex- ex- ex they couldn't stand living In in the neighborhood from hell another minute iv II s A. a 40 7 J They owned their home for 14 years and had made capital improvements improvements improvements im im- to the property In spi spite te of this they were unable to make any profit form the sale I feel lucky we got out al almost almost almost al- al most what we paid Were We're so glad to be out of there she said d sal j continued next week |