Author Archives: Fairpark Community

Fair to the Fair?

by Steve Johnson

When the Monarchs fluttered away from the deal with the Utah State Fair to build a soccer stadium, many Fairpark Community residents felt that the Utah Fairpark was, again, at risk. While a soccer stadium was not everyonfair_soccere’s ideal, people recognized that the Fairpark had to increase its financial stabilityty. The soccer stadium seemed to offer this.

Nor did the Utah State Fair get a long-term lease with the State – a fundamental component of any sublease that the Fairpark would make with the Monarchs or another group.

Why did the REAL Salt Lake drop out of the deal? According to Micheal Steele, Executive Director of the Utah State Fair, Dell Loy Hansen, owner of the REAL Salt Lake soccer team simply, did not want to deal with politics surrounding the Utah Fairpark at the Utah State Legislature.

The nature of these politics was revealed by introduction of bill late in the legislative session that would have rewritten the law defining the relationship between the Utah Legislature and the Utah State Fair, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation created in 1995 by the Legislature.

In the existing law, the Utah Fair organization is mandated to enter into sponsorships and other agreements that will help the Utah State Fair be self-supporting.

When the Utah Fair’s Board of Directors entered into an agreement with the Monarchs, it was following this dictate.

But, it seems that some members of the Legislature disliked this show of independence by the Utah State Fair. Late in the legislative session, HB340 was introduced by Rep. Froer. At it’s core, the proposed legislation would have required that any sublease for property on the Utah State Fairpark (like the property for a soccer stadium) to be approved by two separate Legislative committees. This legislative language was going to make it nearly impossible for the Utah State Fairpark to negotiate sublease agreements with other groups – too many fingers in the pie. Anything negotiated by the Utah Fair could be changed or vetoed by either of the two Legislative committees.

The bill passed the House. It was not acted upon in the Senate.

And there another bit of good news. The Utah State Fair received its annual $675,000 appropriation to help cover expenses beyond the receipts of the annual Fair and other events.

North Temple Park and Ride? Maybe….

Some residents were excited to see the parking lot just West of Jordan River, north side of North Temple designated as a UTA Park and Ride.

Well…this is not quite true.

Christopher Chesnut, UTA, the UTA managament who visited the Fairpark Council last year, explained that, while Park and Ride signs have been posted at the front gate on North Temple, the parking lot is a temporary arrangement between UAH and the Utah State Fair. UTA hopes to come to an agreement with the Fair in the near future for a more permanent arrangement.

The temporary Park and Ride is open for use.

Mr. Chesnut noted that the lot does not have any security. He cautioned people against using it for long­term parking.

Fairpark Community Council Board Nominations

You are needed to serve the Fairpark Community!

In anticipation of the Annual Meeting on April 23rd when Board membership for the next two years will be decided, a Nominating Committee will be seated at the upcoming meeting on March 26th It will be the task of this committee to create a slate of nominees for the Board’s Executive Committee – Chair, 1st Vice-chair, 2nd Vice-chair, Secretary, and Treasurer – and for the seven At-large positions.

Nominations will also be accepted from floor during the elections.

See the right sidebar for more information.

What is the future of North Temple?

The future of North Temple will be a topic of discussion at the Mark 26 Fairpark Community Council meeting.

SLC Redevelopment Agency’s North Temple Project is going to significantly alter the character of the Fairparavatark Community’s southern border. Running parallel to I-15 and stretching to Redwood Road bordered by 200/300 North and 100 South, the purpose of the project is to encourage transit-oriented development, increase density and housing options, and creating long term economic stability in the area. Transit Zoning allows buildings up to 5 stories.

RDA’s David Arteaga, Project Manager, will be making a presentation at the upcoming Fairpark CC meeting on the project. He will also answer questions.

Legislature Not Total Loss for Utah State Fair

When the REAL Salt Lake withdrew from the agreement to build a soccer stadium,

Photo by Examiner.com

Photo by Examiner.com

many recognized that a unique opportunity to stabilize the future of the Utah State Fairpark had been lost. But, perhaps, the biggest disappointment during the Utah Legislature was the failure of the Legislature to vote to encourage the Governor to sign a long-term lease with Fair for use of Fairpark.

The Fair did, however, receive a $675,000 appropriation. Proposed legislation that would have required votes by Legislative committees before the Utah State Fair could sign a sublease with another group, something not required by current law – the bill, HB430, passed in the House of Representatives, however was not acted upon by the Senate.

Northwest Middle School

NOTE: All Salt Lake City schools are closed for spring recess March 30-April 3.edcorner

This month’s featured school is Northwest Middle School, which serves 800 students in grades 7 and 8. the school prides itself in a “partnership of students, parents, educators and community members, committed to excellence by educating our youth to be life-long learners in a safe, inviting, innovative and academically challenging environment which celebrates diversity, unity with the world, personal best and a vision for a productive and satisfying future”.

The school has a thriving Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) program, a federally funded program in public schools that provides opportunities for underserved ethnic minority and female students who pursue coursework, advanced study and possible careers in mathematics, engineering, and science areas. Learn more about Northwest Middle School’s MESA activities .

The school’s features are highlighted on their “about” page. Some interesting facts include:

  • culturally, racially, religiously and linguistically diverse school where 29 different languages are spoken representing 31 countries throughout the world.
  • Through a technology grant, every day students use net books, iPods and clickers which increase their interest and learning in school. There is a Smart board in every classroom and over 600 net books.
  • The school is part of a federal School Improvement Grant that provides resources to increase student achievement.

Visit the school’s website at http://northwest.slcschools.org to learn more about the school.

Seed Production

dirt2tableSetting aside an area for seed production is something you might like to try. If you want to save seeds from your garden plants, some things like beets, turnips and carrots require growing the plants for two years before they will make seeds. The way I have always worked my annual garden beds is to add a little compost and dig it in each year, making it harder to save seeds from those biennial types. So this year, I plan to set aside an area at one end of one of my annual veggie beds and plant just two or three each of carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips etc. I will also plant a few dill plants, some lettuce plants maybe a few marigolds to get seeds off of this year. The root veggies will get left for another year to make their seeds. By having it at one end of a bed, I can get the rest of the bed all ready for next years garden, and only leave a small area for growing the second season of those biennial seeds.

Read more on seed saving at the Permaculture Research Institute

A New Church is Forming in the Fairpark Community

RLC GraphicRedeeming Life Church, a newly formed church serving Fairpark and Rose Park, will be hosting an Easter Sunrise Service at 7:30 am on April 5th at Riverside Park in the northwest corner by the Lion Terrance Pavilion. Everyone is welcome!

Starting on May 3rd, Redeeming Life Church will be meeting at the Northwest Recreation and Community Center on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. (1300 West 300 North).

Tracy Lynn Harris, member of the new church states:

Redeeming Life Church has a deep desire to serve the community of Fairpark and Rose Park. Out of love and a belief that Jesus is the healer of all things and all people they are committed to bring love, hope and life to the community. And they hope you might join them.

This love and hope drives Redeeming Life Church to love and serve the Community.

For more information, contact Theresa Fall at:  tfall310 at gmail dot com.

Pioneer Park Coalition: Trouble Brewing

The Salt Lake Tribune has published an article on the Pioneer Park Coalition’s troubles with members withdrawing. The Road Home and Crossroads Urban Center have officially withdrawn their membership.

The Road Home shelter is officially out of the Pioneer Park Coalition — the second homeless-service provider to leave — after top coalition leaders’ presentation earlier this month seeking funding from the state Legislature for a housing project on west North Temple.

Matt Minkevitch, executive director of The Road Home, said his organization left the coalition because it cannot sign on to such initiatives without the approval of its board of directors. He added, however, that The Road Home will continue to work with the coalition.

The leaders of the Coalition, according to the article, gave a presentation to the Legislature on the request for state funds to build housing based on the consent of all Coalition members.

In their Feb. 11 presentation to the Legislature, coalition executives Scott Howell, Bryson Garbett, Josh Romney and Jonathan Harmon listed 85 group members ­— including The Road Home — as supporting the request for $1 million in state funds to build housing units on Salt Lake City’s west side.

“We wanted to make sure we were not implying consent for various programs without the consent of our board,” Minkevitch said. “But we consider ourselves a friend of the coalition.”

Last week, the executive director of the Crossroads Urban Center, Glenn Bailey, resigned from the coalition because, he said, it listed his organization as one of the supporters of the housing proposal on the west side. Bailey said he hadn’t seen the plan and would never have supported the proposed sites. He complained the coalition was operating in a top-down fashion that left most members out of decision making and suggested it had an unspoken agenda of moving homeless services out of the Rio Grande area.

 

Read the article here.