We’ve begun that time of year with a certain melancholic feeling to it. Fall.

Urban trees offer vital benefits to our community, such as conserving energy by cooling buildings and streets with shade, providing animal habitats, and filtering the air. However, in Salt Lake City's arid climate, trees don't thrive naturally. This creates a dilemma: keeping our urban forest healthy requires property owners to irrigate, which often feels contradictory to our necessary efforts to conserve water by cutting back on yard watering.

A local park in the Fairpark neighborhood is welcoming back neighbors of all ages after recent renovations. Madsen Park, located at 9 N Chicago Street, has evolved from once-empty land donated by private citizens to a full-fledged park. Now, it’s received upgraded amenities including a new playground and open green space. 

Dozens of exhibitors and volunteers packed the Sorenson Unity Center in Glendale, all to help highlight the different kinds of assistive technology available to those in our community with disabilities.

They arrived equipped with knowledge, resources, and tech aimed at helping individuals with disabilities navigate the world with greater ease. The second annual assistive technology fair was put on by the Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) at Utah State University.

Cafes that seek to build community offer much more than just a good cup of coffee. They create a space where people come to connect, share, and create. These places don’t only serve coffee, but they serve their communities by making everyone feel at home. And that's exactly what's been brewing at Culture Coffee.

On August 1st, Culture brought the community together with coffee, art, and good vibes at their first-ever local night market.

A dance group established in 1997 continues to thrive and make moves on the Westside and beyond in Salt Lake valley as they explore becoming a 501(c)3 organization. The move is coming with its own challenges, but Westside Dance has overcome many other trials as they expanded over the last 25+ years. 

The Other Side Village (TOSV), an all-inclusive living community for the chronically homeless, is currently receiving residents. But before gaining access to one of 60 cottage homes in the first phase of development, future residents are required to attend at least six months of training at The Other Side Village Prep School.

Through TOSV Prep School, those enrolled learn a new way of thinking using a human first, whole person framework that emphasizes self-love, self-trust, accountability, solidarity, community, unlearning negative beliefs, mentoring, self-reliance and honesty.

The Salt Lake City School District recently hosted its largest-ever Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection (TRAC) Signing Day, celebrating 19 students—the biggest cohort in district history to join the TRAC Advanced Manufacturing Program. Students signed their letters of intent, officially committing to youth apprenticeships with top local employers, including two manufacturers located on Salt Lake City’s Westside, Utah PaperBox and Stadler Rail.  

Utah State University is hosting Salt Lake City’s first assistive technology fair, ‘Gadget Galaxy.’ The event will highlight different kinds of technology available for individuals with disabilities. It will take place on Saturday, July 19th from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Sorenson Unity Center in Glendale.

In some parts of Salt Lake City, finding a therapist is as easy as searching online; on the Westside, it’s a different story. A tangle of challenges — from confusing messaging to financial strain — can limit the level of access to mental health services.

The issues regarding access to mental health care for Westside residents are multifaceted. Barriers like cost and limited insurance coverage to fewer nearby providers can hinder availability. 

Efforts to improve air quality and expand transportation options for older adults and underserved communities in Utah are receiving a boost through the AARP Community Challenge program. The national initiative supports quick-action projects that make communities healthier, more equitable, and easier to navigate for residents of all ages.

Locally, the nonprofit organization HEAL Utah used the grant to explore solutions at the intersection of transportation, air quality, and public health, with a focus on vulnerable populations most impacted by pollution and mobility barriers.

Baruch Spinoza once wrote, “Fear cannot be without hope, nor hope without fear.” He believed the two are deeply intertwined. Hope carries fear of disappointment, while fear holds hope for a better outcome. In a world where truth and lies coexist, a lack of promises occur, hatred is uplifted, and love is diminished. When everything seems chaotic, what can we do? I propose we face it with values we all know — respect, compassion, gratitude and hope. 

On a warm May evening, laughter echoed through the halls of Neighborhood House as over 120 teens and adults with disabilities experienced something many had never had before, a prom of their own. 

Hosted collaboratively by Neighborhood House, Columbus Community Center, and the Ability Inclusion Center, The Time of Our Lives Prom was much more than a dance; it was a heartfelt celebration of inclusion, collaboration, and the power of community. From glittering gowns to pasta dinners and some serious moves on the dance floor, every detail of the May 16 event was designed to make each guest feel celebrated, empowered, and unforgettable.

On June 28, The Other Side Donuts (760 S. Redwood Road) will celebrate its one-year anniversary from 9 am to 8 pm. The Salt Lake City business is a social enterprise of The Other Side Village.

Summer means adventure, road trips, late nights, and early mornings enjoying the weather. There’s something about those summer nights that makes everything feel a little more exciting. And with summer approaching, it’s the perfect time to check out what’s happening locally and possibly discover new hobbies.

“My Hometown Salt Lake City is an initiative that combines the strengths of individuals, faith-based organizations, and community partners to help individuals and families in this community improve their residential living conditions, maintain access to available services and community information, connect productively with other neighbors, and serve together.” - myHometown SLC

Throughout the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club seasons, Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) has stayed true to one mission: showing up for the community – especially those on Salt Lake City’s Westside. And as the offseason begins, the SEG Foundation is looking ahead, listening closely to the needs of those in the community, and finding new ways to deepen its impact where it matters most.

Many have heard or read about the opioid overdose crisis in Utah, but few realize that in 2014, the state ranked 4^th in the nation for overdose-related deaths. Thanks to those who raised awareness and worked tirelessly to bring change, we can celebrate that as of 2021, Utah has dropped to 42^nd in overdose death rates.

70 years – that’s how long Rose Park Baseball has been supporting Westside youth through the iconic American sport. On April 12th, the latest season kicked off at Riverside Park.

Continuing their goal of cleaning up the community, myHometown 2025 Salt Lake City is assessing additional community projects and services throughout the city. Right now, they’re focusing on three areas: Northwest (Rose Park, Fairpark, Westpointe and Jordan Meadows neighborhoods), Westside (Poplar Grove and Glendale neighborhoods), and Central (Ballpark and Liberty Wells neighborhoods). 

The next myHometown Days of Service in those three areas will be in May. The organization will continue to host projects on various days through October and November. More information on each project can be found at myhometownslc.org. 

Several infrastructure-related projects could be coming to the Westside within the next year, thanks to the Capital Improvement Program.

For over two decades, Comunidades Unidas (CU), a nonprofit organization built by immigrant Latina women in 1999, has provided many of those trying to make Utah their home with the basic resources they need to thrive, focusing on healthcare, food, shelter, and economic security. While our direct services remain vital, we recognize that the power necessary to change the conditions immigrants face in Utah comes from the political formation of everyday, working-class people, including immigrants. Ultimately, this will enable immigrants to actively shape their communities and pursue lives that center their dignity.

Eager to share the results of months of hard work, teams from The Other Side Village and The Other Side Academy welcomed members of the community to a recent open house. Those who attended the event on January 27th were greeted in the village’s clubhouse with fresh donuts from The Other Side Donuts and hot chocolate, and were able to mingle with those who played a role in getting The Other Side Village up and running.

For those of us who live on the Westside, we’re incredibly familiar with the challenges we face when trying to head east – to Downtown, the University of Utah, hospitals and other health care, shopping on 300 W, and more. Between I-15 and the railroad tracks, it can often feel like we’re cut off from the rest of the city we call home.

Now, Salt Lake City is launching a new study to analyze the problem and come up with solutions to help bridge the West-East divide. These solutions will include various kinds of transportation methods, including automobiles, public transit, biking, walking, and more.