Holiday Highlighting Unity Pride & Progress

West Valley City Hall is largely empty today in observance of the Martin Luther King Holiday.  America-The Diversity Place has chosen to highlight the dedication of Rosa Parks Drive in West Valley as the feature story commemorating the holiday.  The road leading to the Utah Cultural Celebration Center has received widespread attention for this action, an action that highlights the spirit of Unity, Pride, and Progress of Utah's second most populous city. 

The UCCC is a very fluent and important area of West Valley City and the greater Salt Lake Valley and it is important to be continually adding to that campus.  Adding not only in programs and events, not only adding in monuments and exhibits, but most importantly adding to that place in a deeper meaning and spirit.  In honoring the legacy of Rosa Parks we add important meaning and spirit to our community.  That meaning and spirit will be different things to different people, but the underlying Unity-Pride-and Progress of honoring those that have sought to make our country great, will hopefully be a reminder and an inspiration to those that travel it to find new ways of bringing families, neighborhoods, and nations together.

To get a look at today's America Diversity Place story you can go to:

http://americadiversityplace.com/Utah/TheDiversityPlace.aspx

30th

Last week was West Valley City's 30th anniversary of incorporation. Still fairly young by City standards and a remarkable amount of accomplishment has occurred in those three short decades. The Utah Symphony performed on an absolutely picture perfect summer evening. I enjoyed some food and the variety of musical selections that were played. Earlier in the evening was City Council meetings were the following proclamation was read and I afterward signed as Mayor Pro Tem:

WEST VALLEY CITY, UTAH
PROCLAMATION
A PROCLAMATION DECLARING 2010 AS WEST
VALLEY CITY’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF
INCORPORATION AND CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF
“PROGRESS AS PROMISED.”

WHEREAS, in 1977 a determined Community Council of Granger, Hunter, and
Redwood residents wanted to form a new City Government in Utah, and
WHEREAS, those residents, along with State representatives and local leaders pushed forward, winning an incorporation vote; and
WHEREAS, on July 1st, 1980, Judge David K. Winder administered the oath of office to the leaders of the new City; and
WHEREAS, on July 8th, 1980, a subsequent disincorporation vote was defeated, realizing the dream of forming a new city and moving forward with plans for West Valley City; and
WHEREAS, West Valley City has embraced its first-class status with the addition of parks, new roads, independent public safety services, the Maverik Center entertainment venue, the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, the Family Fitness Center, residential and commercial enhancements, a city center and public plaza, and many more accomplishments too numerous to list;
NOW, THEREFORE, I do hereby commend those individuals with the dream to build a new city, those elected officials, administrators, and employees both past and present who have worked to turn what was once a dream into Utah’s second largest City, and proclaim 2010 as West Valley City’s 30th anniversary of incorporation, celebrating 30 years of “Progress as Promised.”

Also during that evening Council meetings we convened as the City's Redevelopment Agency and Municipal Building Authority to have public hearing is order to sell the City's surplus land at near the Cultural Center to be developed as part of the Jordan River Marketplace.

The other big news coming out of the City is the naming of the Maverik Center. I am very pleased to have Maverik as the naming sponsor of the arena and excited at the potential for numerous partnerships to help promote the quality entertainment district that West Valley City offers. I have been asked by numerous residents and news agencies about the terms of the deal. I am happy to report that the deal is worth millions of dollars over a number of years. Deals like this are lengthy and complicated, but in the spirit of good government and transparency I hope that those that are seeking further information on this partnership get their questions answered sooner rather than later. I have always taken pride that the community owns the Center and that we will all play a big role in the future of that entertainment district. We'll work to establish as many quality partnerships as we can to keep West Valley City moving forward.

Cultural Arts

It has been an eventful year for West Valley City Arts. The recently retooled Cultural Arts Board has their sights set high for programs and events throughout this year. Recently I received this summary of the cultural art events and exhibitions that the City has helped facilitate in one form or another. Even though I attended quite a few of these events, I was still amazed at the many quality events that I missed. Many of the events below are becoming yearly traditions, so if you missed something of interest last year look for an improved version this coming year.

15 Art Exhibits

International

Spark of Hope: Rwanda

Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon (a travelling Smithsonian Exhibition)

National

Day of the Dead

American Association of University Women: Celebrating the Diversity of Women

Retablo Exhibition by Jeronimo Lozano

Regional

Celebrating Fiber Arts: From the Past to the Present

Nine Muses

Adoption Exchange

Peace Flags Project

Local

Face of Utah Sculpture

Trees of Diversity

Brian Baity’s Easter Eggstravaganza (Artisan Eggshell Carvings)

Utah’s African History: Storytelling Through Art and Artifact

Arnold Friberg’s Entering The Valley Exhibition

30 Educational Programs

ArtRageous Tuesdays

ArtRageous Seniors

Urban Youth Tile Project

Vietnamese Language Classes (48 classes)

Shakespeare-in-the-Schools Presents: Twelfth Night

(Utah Shakespearean Festival)

14 Festivals, Concerts and International Exchanges

WorldStage! Summer and Winter Concerts

Fiesta!

International Summer Festival

Chilean Independence Day Celebration

Vietnamese New Year

Polynesian Reggae Festival

Winter Market

Humanitarian Services

International Film Screening

Taiwan Film Screening

(Sponsored by Utah Coalition of Sister Cities,

West Valley City Sister City Committee and

Salt Lake County Sister County Committee)

Gloria Film Festival

Reawakening the Jordan River

The Utah Cultural Celebration Center played host to a luncheon today that centered around the past, present, and future of Jordan River. It was well attended by members of municipalities, businesses, academics, and river enthusiasts all eager to assist in bringing forth the true potential of the Jordan River. As City Councilman and co-chair of the Blueprint Jordan River committee I was able to give some welcoming remarks as well as give a brief overview as to the progress and status of the implementation committee. The main portion of the program was the introduction of the Jordan River photographs documentary (that will be featured at various places along the river in the coming months) followed by a keynote address from Dr. Karl Haglund. Dr. Haglund has Utah roots, but is currently an Urban Planner, Author, and Historian in Boston. He has done extensive research on the Charles River in Boston and drew parallels between the two rivers. Overall it was good to have so many people coming from different backgrounds attend today's event and continue the process of making the Jordan River corridor the natural amenity that we need. Soon the Jordan River committee will submit an inter local agreement to the various municipalities for their consideration in furthering the adoption of a Jordan River Commission.

Happy Holidays

It is amazing to witness the holiday transformation within my home, neighborhood, and throughout West Valley City. The City Center including City Hall, Valley Fair Mall, and the surrounding streets have been adorned with various lights and decorations that add to the vibrancy of our community. JCPenney's has recently completed some simple, yet striking improvements to their exterior as the Mall redevelopment moves along. Construction didn't hamper the excitement surrounding the annual Christmas Parade which was made possible with the partnership of Chamber West. The highlight of the parade was of course Santa Claus at the end of the parade and not the City Council at the beginning. One final noteworthy festive holiday contribution from the City and City residents is the Trees of Diversity exhibit on display at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. The submissions are a delightful walk down the various interests and accomplishments of West Valley City. The Utah Cultural Celebration Center also hosts a couple of free concerts this holiday season including Miss Margene's Musical Theatre on December 14 at 7:00 pm and Bonnie Harris will preform her legendary Christmas Concert on December 21 also at 7:00. These are a couple of great ways to celebrate the holidays and make a few new family traditions here in West Valley.