Author Archives: Fairpark Community

West Side Spotlight: Andrew Johnston, District 2 Councilman

Andrew_Johnston_D2-e1452108440430On January 4th, Andrew Johnston, formerly the Chair of the Poplar Grove Community Council (our neighbors to the south) took an oath of office to join the Salt Lake City Council to represent Fairpark in District 2.  We sat down with Andrew to pick his brain about the upcoming legislative session, transportation, homelessness, and other issues particularly important to the west side.  Born and raised in Utah, Andrew says, “I love my neighborhood. That’s why I’ve been involved in the Poplar Grove Community Council and now Salt Lake City Council to make Salt Lake a better place for me to live, for family, for my neighbors, for everybody.  I’m proud of the west side and anyone who takes up the challenge to make this a better place.   I mean, it’s a great place to live!  For all the folks who are new to the area, or folks who are thinking about getting involved but haven’t yet, there are lots of ways you can participate.   Come on out, and get involved.   There are lots of opportunities for things you might really enjoy, and if you look for it, you can find some cool things you can do to help make the west side a great place to live.” Continue reading →

Dirt2Table: Holiday Stuffing

This article is being written just before Thanksgiving. As such there is not a lot going on in the garden this time of year. We planted our garlic, cleaned out the dead annuals like tomato and pepper plants and now we just wait for spring. I have come up with a few twists to the Thanksgiving/Holiday Stuffing that I would like to share with everyone. dirt2table

The modifications I make to the standard recipes on the box or bag of bread cubes are as follows. First, I increase the amount of onions, from 1 cup of chopped onions to 2 cups of chopped onions. I also increase the celery to half again or twice as much as the directions call for. I sauté the onions and celery with the butter called for ion the recipe, and I add a generous amount of hand rubbed sage, thyme and rosemary to this sauté.

Wait a second, back up.
 Continue reading →

Utah State Fairpark Gets Legislative Support

fairUp to $10 million in state money may be coming to the Utah State Fairpark.  The Fairpark Board was able to participate in a meeting at the Utah State Capital this month and speak to a panel of lawmakers about how important the heritage of the Fairpark is to our community.  This legislative panel will be opening the issue of funding and renewing the lease for debate when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

“The time for studies and discussions should be over,” said Bryce Garner, chairman of the Fairpark Community Council. “Anything that brings sustainability to the Fair and keeps the Fairgrounds where they are, intact, is something we wholeheartedly support.”

Discussions during the meeting involved bringing the Salt Lake County Fair and the Days of ’47 Rodeo to the fairgrounds, as well as major structural improvements to the grounds including renovating the rodeo arena, or adding an Expo style building for conferences.  More business to the State Fairpark means more positive growth for our area and the possibility of better restaurants, shopping and retail to support the growth.

 Read the Salt Lake Tribune article here.

Education Corner: “Operation Warm” SLC Firefighters to the Rescue

childcoatEach year the Salt Lake City Fire Department chooses an elementary school whose 2nd and 3rd graders will be recipients of brand new winter coats. This year’s school: Backman Elementary.

“Backman Elementary School in Salt Lake City has been chosen by the Professional Firefighters of Utah (PFFU) and IAFF Local 81 (Salt Lake City) to receive coats for their students. Backman Elementary School was chosen based on the needs of their students. 98% of their students qualify for free or reduced meals. “ (Salt Lake City Firefighters, Local 81 website. http://www.1645.org/mobile/index.cfm?highlightId=287)

Multiple media agencies reported on the event. Links are provided below to those articles.

Salt Lake City Fire Fighters Local 81 has a Go Fund Me page for community members to donate funds to support this project.

“This is a very low impact fast and easy way to raise the funds to make it possible to provide coats to provide coats. Continue reading →

Pedal in the City: Bike Commuting ~ One of the Best Ways to Stay Healthy

Working out at the gym has its benefits, but consider something that might bring more enjoyment along with those health benefits: Bike commuting.pedalcity

A 2013 article in Grist Magazine by Jay Walljasper discusses the health benefits of bike commuting.

“Biking for transportation appears more helpful in losing weight and promoting health than working out at the gym.

This means I can spend less time wearing a grimace as I endure mind-numbing exercise routines at the Y — and more time wearing a smile as I bike to work, shopping, and social events. Just what I always thought.”

Citing a study on commuting by bike vs. car, Walljasper highlights the fact that exercise for transportation my have better health benefits than weekly exercise routines. Continue reading →

Fairpark Community Council Meeting December 3 Agenda (and Annual Potluck)

turkeyEach year the November/December Fairpark Community Council meeting is combined due to the Holiday season. There is no meeting in November and an early December meeting is held along with a community potluck.

This meeting will also be an opportunity to be involved in a discussion about goals and initiatives for the Fairpark Community Council for the next year.

Meeting agenda:

6:00 Annual Fairpark Community Council Potluck – Turkey and some sides are provided, as well as drinks and utensils. Please bring something to share and enjoy the company of Fairpark residents!

6:30 Welcome and Start Meeting

6:35 Public Safety Report

— Det. Dustin Marshall, dustin.marshall@slcgov.com

— Fire Station 7- (801) 799-4103

6:50 Elected Official Report-Council Members/Representatives in attendance

7:10 Mayor’s Office Report – Michael Stott, Michael.stott@slcgov.com

7:20 State Fair Report

7:40 Discussion of Goals and Initiatives for the Coming Year

8:00 Adjourn

~HAPPY HOLIDAYS!~

Why Do We Change our Clocks?

-clock-on-autumnNovember 1st marks the day that we will be “falling back” one hour.

But why do we do this? Why do some areas choose not to observe Daylight Savings time?

Worldwide there are over 70 countries that follow DST. You can get the answers to many questions about this tradition at  The History of Daylight Savings Time.

….and remember to follow these safety tips as the days grow shorter and the darkness grows longer.  Be smart – and safe!

Dirt2Table: Home Made Snacks!

dirt2tableThis month we are offering a couple of ways to make great snacks. One is Fruit Leather (an alternative to Jam for preserving sweet fruit) and the other is Roasted Curried Chickpeas. Kids and adults alike will eat all that is offered of both of these healthy snacks! The trick is making enough to meet the demand.

The first batch of fruit leather we made was from peaches. We had picked one of our peach trees and were struggling to find enough time and jars to process it all into peach jam. With 4 gallons of cut up peaches waiting to be cooked down into jam in small batches, we decided to put one gallon of them into the food processor and puree them. Then we cooked them for about 3 hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. After they had reached a consistency that looked thick enough we added one quart of honey from our hive, cooked a few minutes more and then poured into thin layers on parchment paper spread out on our food dehydrator screens. After fruitleatherpeachone week in the dehydrator at the 120 degree setting, the leather was ready to eat! We ate some and cut the rest into strips the height of canning jars and rolled it up with the parchment paper still on it and put it into the jars to enjoy through the winter. With all the honey and sugar from the peaches the fruit leather stays preserved for a long time without growing mold or going bad. If you don’t have a food dehydrator, the drying could be done by placing the thick fruit mixture onto parchment paper on baking sheets and place in a 180 degree oven for about 4 to 6 hours until it becomes leathery.

IMG_9694Since that first batch we have made two more batches. One out of plums and grapes, the other out of pears and apples. All three kinds of fruit leather are delicious. We cut down on the amount of honey, since the peach leather was a little on the sweet side. The second and third batch we only added a pint of honey as sweetener. You could also use sugar if you haven’t started beekeeping yet.

Our second snack this month is Roasted Curried Chickpeas. Here is what you will need:

  • 1 lb of dried     Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  • 3 – Tbsp     Olive Oil
  • 4 – Tbsp     Tamari or Soy sauce
  • 1 – Tbsp salt
  • 2 – tsp.     Curry powder
  • 1 – tsp.     Cumin powder
  • 1 – tsp.     Chili powder
  • 1/2 – tsp.     Cayenne powder
  • 2 – tsp. Lime     juice
  • large baking     sheet (cookie sheet_
  • Parchment paper
  • Large pot or     kettle for cooking beans
  • large bowl for     mixing ingredients

Continue reading →

Have a Heart: Community Coat Exchange

Annual Community Coat Exchange

The Annual Community Coat Exchange promotes principles of community and re-using the day after Thanksgiving.

Every year people all over the United States spend the day after Thanksgiving coatexchangehaveaheart1kicking off the holiday season by taking advantage of the many opportunities offered by retail outlets. The 11th Annual Community Coat Exchange provides an opportunity for people to reflect on their own shopping habits as well as provides a service to the community.

The Community Coat Exchange is a collection and distribution of winter coats and other winter clothing items. The event is held every year the day after Thanksgiving between 10am and 1pm. This year’s event is being held at Pioneer Park, 400 South, 300 West.

Deanna Taylor, co-founder of the event, reflects about past coat exchange events: “This event is brings the whole community together. We have schools participating, businesses and community organizations. The coat exchange has become an annual event that people look forward to. ” Taylor adds that there is no prediction about how many coats are received and given away. “It varies from year to year. Some years we have had upwards of 700 coats and other years as few as 200.”

Several locations around the country have organized Coat Exchanges besides Utah’s events, in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Oregon.

Coats can be dropped off before Thanksgiving or brought to the event itself.

At the event, no questions are asked: If you need a coat, come get one. If you want to exchange a coat, bring the coat you want to donate and take one in exchange. If you have a donation of coats, we know people who can use them.

Left over coats are donated to the Crossroads Urban Center Thrift Store, a project of the Crossroads Urban Center which advocates for low income and homeless people. The Crossroads Urban Center Thrift Store gives clothes away to low income people and also sells clothes and other goods in its retail shop to the general public to help fund the Crossroads Urban Center programs.

Information: 801-403-0121 or 801-502-1991; coatexchange@blueskyinstitute.org; http://www.coatexchange.org