5th Tuesday City Council

City Council meetings are usually only scheduled during the first four Tuesdays of each month. Today was a Fifth Tuesday and as such no meetings today. However, I did participate in a meeting today as a member of the West Valley Monument Review Committee to discuss a proposed Serviceman Memorial. The City Council also took the opportunity of no meetings to participate in a City service project. Myself and two other City Councilmembers assembled at the Harman Senior Center to clean out some of the basement storerooms. We quickly filled a dumpster with trash and reorganized the supplies in the rooms. I feel that it is very positive for our City Council to learn how to work together in and out of City Council Chambers. It was also a good opportunity to get to know a couple of staff members that oversees the operations of this great City facility and learn more about the mission of the Center.

The David and Grace Harman Family Home was the boyhood home of Pete Harman, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, which he donated to the City for use as a senior recreation center. The house was originally built in 1918 and remodeled in 1989 before Harman turned it over to the City.

Today, the Harman Senior Recreation Center provides West Valley City's senior residents with access to community resources and programs that enhance dignity, support independence, encourage community involvement, and stimulate physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The address, phone number and hours are listed below:

4090 South 3600 West
West Valley City, UT 84119

Ph: (801) 965-5822

Hours
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Lunch
Monday - Friday at 12:00 pm

Neighborhood Night Out and Service Project

National Neighborhood Night out events have been taking place this week in communities across the nation and especially here in West Valley City. The City is often award recognized for the scope and quality of 'Night Out' events. This year the festivities were kicked off by more than a thousand people at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center who enjoyed food, exhibits, and live entertainment from a former Las Vegas comedic musician.

Tuesday was when most of the City's 30 plus neighborhood block parties took place. These block parties range in attendance from the more intimate teens to the rocking couple hundred. I was able to attend seven block parties that evening starting at the Jordan River and working my way west. At these various parties I was able to discuss challenges faced by neighborhoods while eating pizza and hot dogs, debating sports, enjoying musical performances, and posing for pictures. It is interesting how many of these block parties have incorporated a featured trademark or tradition. One neighborhood sported an array of exotic cotton candy. Another boasts of their homemade Root Beer, while yet another uses the party as a card game tournament. Emily and my sister Bobbi hosted our neighborhood that was highlighted by a children's parade. Displaying a crate paper and sticker decorated bike or wagon was a proud moment for both the kids and the parents.

Yesterday I recruited a couple other members of the City Council to participate in a local service project. We removed graffiti and restored a cinder block wall along 4100 South (see photos). The project was greatly assisted by the City's Graffiti Officer that was hired last year to monitor, remove, and help prosecute graffiti. We were lucky to finish the painting just ahead of the winds and weather that rolled in. Projects like this are great not only because they help to beautify our City, but it helps us to be more effective City Representatives. When you work side by side with your colleagues in service projects it helps you better see eye to eye at City Council meetings.

Friday and Saturday the Police Department will host the annual Safety Fair at the Valley Fair Mall. Last night I was able to talk with Officer Wright (better known as Officer Friendly) about the successes of 25 plus years of the fair. This year there will be displays, demonstrations and various police equipment as well as as an abundance of personal and home safety information. There will be child fingerprinting and tips to help halt the growing crime of identity theft. There are also extensive prizes ready to be awarded in the Crime fair coloring contest.

I have been pleased far beyond my expectations on this weeks events as I realize that the work that is done between neighbors in the community is far more valuable than the usual measures of government intervention used to combat problems.