What's going on in Uusikaupunki

12 Tiistaina 5. toukokuuta 2020 W H A T , S G O I N G O N I N U U S I K AU P U N K I ? What’s going on in Uusikaupunki in Granger T. Simmons Imagine sitting in chairs with no seats, working on ta- bles with no legs, and walk- ing through doors that never open or close. Could this be the future of design and ar- chitecture? I had a chance to travel to the future and I have great news for you about the year 2023. Are you ready for it? Marko Kivistö , architect, artist, and teacher has spent most of his career designing public buildings as an archi- tect. Known for his outstand- ing work as Chief Architect for the Helsinki Music Cen- tre, Mr. Kivistö is the leading man for the City of Uusikau- punki’s SiHy building project. The project’s goal is to re- place some of the old school buildings and the swimming hall with a new, modern, and multifunctional complex of buildings that will be open to everyone and feature various spaces of activity and oppor- tunity. CONSIDERING the city’s goal of developing a stron- ger, more connected, and supportive community for all residents, this project may be a key step towards unifying new-comers and foreigners with residentswhohave been here longer. – I would say that one of our key ideas is to radi- cally renew public services in Uusikaupunki. It used to be that different spaces were built without creating spaces for synergy between the users. Today, and espe- cially in the future, I think that spaces built with pub- lic money should serve and connect more people, Marko Kivistö says. THE NEW building project began after a recent vote amongst government offi- cials and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year 2023. This project consists of many phases.There are quite a fewsteps thatmust be taken towards the completion of School of tomorrow might look a bit different. EIJA ISOTALO LAURA KOTILA, VALTIONEUVOSTON KANSLIA Words of the month ■■ Volunteer – vapaaehtoinen työntekijä ■■ Past – menneisyys ■■ Present – nykyhetki ■■ Future – tulevaisuus Back to the future of Uusikaupunki Thank you to all of you who read and follow this column. I really appreciate the support and great feedback that I have received during this almost two-year project of writing about Uusikau- punki in English. In this month’s edition of What’s going on in Uusikau- punki, we will talk a little about the past, present, and future of Uusikaupunki, from last week, all the way into the year 2023. Present: Prime Minister announces that schools will reopen Granger T. Simmons Prime Minister Sanna Marin re- cently announced that primary schools and lower secondary schools will open again onMay 14th. Government and Health officials came to a consensus that current legislation, in comparison to the country’s current situation, does not ban the re-opening of schools, but rather encourages the idea that schools would open again. –There are no legal obstacles to opening schools again. All children have a right to an education, Sanna Marin says. ONCE the doors of the schools open again, teachers will not be required to provide remote learningmaterials so students in effect, are not allowed to continue homeschooling without permission. If you, your child, or any family member in your home, are in the risk group, it is best to speakwithyour doctor and your school’s principal to decide what is best for your family. Information regarding the open- ing of schools and any changes in the codes of conduct will be publicized. Be sure to keep an eye onWilma, and be incontactwithyour child’s teacher or school for more information. Granger T. Simmons Prime Minister Sanna Marin.