As children head back to school, parents whose children bicycle should be sure that they are aware of safety items.
Parents Central has a page of back to school bicycle safety resources.(http://www.safercar.gov/parents/OnTheMove/BikeTip.htm), ranging from things like fitting a bicycle helmet, bike inspection advice, chossing a safe bicycle route, bicycle safety songs for children and a bicycle activity kit.
Here are some general items for consideration:
It’s that time of year – back to school and all the activities associated with the excitement of a brand new school year.
Most schools in our area begin August 22. A list of area schools is provided here with contact and some back to school night information.
Registration information is available on most school websites.
Most schools require these documents for registration:
Proof of Residence
Birth Certificate
Immunizations
Verification of last school attended.
Looking for some back to school tips? Check out PBS parents which has some advice for easing into the new school year for parents. (http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/back-to-school/back-to-school-tips-for-parents/)
The Fairpark Community Council was pleased to join other community groups in the #RestoreNorthTemple coalition, a group of neighbors, residents and business owners who want to see North Temple brought to a Grand Boulevard status. Learn more at restorenorthtemple.com.
The Salt Lake Board of Realtors® reported a drop in the number of single-family homes sold in Salt Lake County in the second quarter of 2016, while sales of condominiums showed a double-digit percent increase. Sales of single-family homes in the most recent quarter fell to 3,863 units, a 3 percent decline compared to 3,991 units sold in the second quarter of 2015. The median single-family home price in Salt Lake County climbed to $296,000, up 8 percent compared to $275,000 last year. “Limited housing inventory continues to restrict home sales,” said Cheryl Acker, president of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors. “The higher price points of single-family homes have led many first-time buyers to purchase lower priced townhomes and condominiums.” Condominium sales in the second quarter increased to 1,208 units sold, a 16 percent increase compared to 1,044 sales a year ago. The median price of Salt Lake condos surpassed the $200,000 mark in the second quarter, rising to $203,450 from $188,750 a year ago. The median single-family home price for the Wasatch Front increased 9 percent to $274,900 compared to a median price of $253,000 in last year’s second quarter. The average cumulative days a listing was on the market in the second quarter in Salt Lake County fell to 37 days, down from 59 days in the second quarter of 2015.
We at the FCC are extremely proud to have established a strategic partnership with the Utah State Fairpark to help drive economic development along North Temple. We met with the Executive Director Larry Mullenax again this week to get an update. As you may have seen, demolition is nearly complete of the old arena, bleachers and horse stables to make room for our new state of the art outdoor equestrian and concert venue. This State-sponsored project is well under way and went through the appropriate DFCM contractor processes selecting Okland Construction as the General Contractor on 8/5. A camera was installed so neighbors can see real time construction! See our website for a link. Demolition is set to be complete 8/19 and construction begins 8/22 with a completion date set for July 1, 2017, just in time for the Days of ’47 Rodeo. Because of the construction, motorized events and equestrian events have been cancelled for this session of the Utah State Fair. In its place, the circus and live music events will run all 11 days. There will be an exciting automotive exhibit by the Diesel Brothers featured on the Discovery Channel on the opening day.
It’s back to school season again and for this month’s West Side Spotlight, we met with Dr. Jana Edward, Principal of Jackson Elementary. This K-6 school is located in the north east quadrant of Fairpark is home to over 500 students as well as 35 teachers and administrators. Dr. Edward has been with the school for seven years, and has her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah. As an administrator, she has always worked in bilingual education and she said she loves leading a dual emersion school that her child also went to Jackson. She said, “I love the community! They have been so involved and supportive of Jackson. Just look at our Community Garden! It happened in a weekend and we feel the support from the community!”
One unique aspect of Jackson as a west side school is their veteran staff. “The majority of teachers have been here for over 5 years, with several spanning their entire careers,” she said proudly. Jackson also has a preschool and an thriving Dual Emersion program where two thirds of the K-5 students are taught in both English and Spanish. Only three schools offer Dual Emersion programs in Salt Lake.
Edward is very proud that Jackson was the recipient of an “Apple Connected Grant” which equipped the school with iPads, MacBook Airs, Apple TVs and projectors. “We are the only one to one Apple supported elementary school in the district. We have professional development support from Apple and an entire program,” she said. The students are in an immersive technological environment where they are able to produce learning themselves while sitting in class, using iBooks creator, or KeyNote to make presentations for discussion. “Watching 2nd graders using iPads to create presentations is pretty cool. We also use them for math fluency.” The school is also home to the Beverly Taylor Sorenson program where 3rd through 6th graders learn to play the violin. The after school program called the Gracenotes keeps students busy for up to 12 hours a week learning to play the violin and how to compose music.
There will be a town hall meeting on Thursday, June 30th in the Grand Building at 7pm (155N 1000W) to share information and answer questions about the 10,000 seat arena proposed to be built on the current site of the rodeo grandstand on the Utah State Fairgrounds. The proposal for the arena includes funding from the State Legislature, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, LDS Church and private funding sources. The Arena will house the Days of ’47 Rodeo, and will be able to hold other events throughout the year. “It’s a jewel. As a community, we have always recognized the importance and historical value of the Fairgrounds, not only for our community, for my community, for the state. This is going to help the state Fairpark to be self-sustaining to be able to keep the fair in Salt Lake City and on the west side,” Representative Hollins said. “This is an investment toward economic success and stability. After 20 years of studying, adjusting, and budget tightening it is time to allow the Fairpark to be a revenue generator we all know it can and will be.”
This is a potential game changer for the Fairpark, with potential to create revenue streams to make the fairgrounds sustainable going forward. The Fairpark Community Council supports the proposed arena and we hope you will join us at the town hall meeting to get more information, and find out how we can support this initiative. State Senator Luz Escamilla, Representative Sandra Hollins, Representative Brad Wilson, and State Fairpark Executive Director Larry Mullenax will be in attendance.
In Fairpark, we value diversity and appreciate cultures from all corners of the Earth. This is a neighborhood rich with a history of welcoming new residents from different backgrounds for generations. This month, we will be focusing on the LGBT Pride Month of June and we had the opportunity to sit down with one of our local west side celebrities, artist and drag performer, Miss Gia Bianca Stephens. Let’s get started neighbors!
LGBT Pride Month History
Did you know that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan? The Stonewall riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBT Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Utah Pride Day which was celebrated earlier this month drove record numbers to the Pride parade, the 2nd largest parade in the state only outdone by the Days of ’47 Parade. Utah is also the number one state for gay parents raising children.
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” Maya Angelou
Gia Bianca Stephens – Rocky Mountain National Showgirl, Local Performing Artist
She’s even more beautiful in real life than she is in pictures. Tall, statuesque and stunning, Gia Bianca Stephens has been performing for years and could possibly be Fairpark’s most glamourous resident. Lately though, she’s been taking her talents to the national level.
It’s a Wrap!
Here is a list of the final figures from Fairpark Community’s First Annual Plant Sale:
Tomatoes:Beefsteak, Black Brandywine, Black Krim, Burbank, Hillbilly, Martino’s Roma, Matt’s Wild Cherry, Sugary Cherry,
Sungold Cherry, and Tiny Tim
Peppers: California Wonder, Gypsy Hybrid, Jalapeno, Poblano, Purple Beauty, and Rainbow Bell Mix
Eggplants: Black Beauty and Mixed Fingers
1,977 plants sold, 150 donated to a non-profit organization (there is no accurate count of consumers attending the event day
sale).
This is what happens when a community comes together for to build something good. And this project was good. It was phenomenal. It got vegetables growing in the backyards of Fairpark Community Residents. People who never grew vegetables in their lives are now growing their own food. And proud of it.
Remember to submit your photos of your gardening adventures to dirt2tableslc.org to post in our Flickr album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskyUjQk3
Please also share your stories, your recipes using your fresh vegetables and other anecdotes. We want to hear from you!
We are also building a list of potential volunteers for next year’s event. Please write to dirt2tableslc.org if you’d like to participate.
It’s summer and time to do some recreational biking! As we eagerly anticipate the bridge to be built, connecting the last section of unfinished trail, it is still easy to travel this path for for 50 miles from Utah Lake north to the Great Salt Lake through Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counties! On any given day, one can see individuals and families pedaling the Jordan Parkway Trail. How much do you know about this wonderful asset?
There are resources to help you get started on this journey. Here are two:
Jordan River Commission provides a digital guide, map and information on the river itself:
http://jordanrivercommission.com/jordan-river-parkway-trail-map/
Bike SLC provides maps also, but additional information on the master plan, municipalities along the trail, and more:
http://www.bikeslc.com/jordanrivertrail/default.html
Remember your helmet and water and sunblock before you set out – and have fun!