Hang out at the High School

One more late breaking opportunity for volunteers:
Stacy Wellner of Provo High PTA is calling for help.  Says she, "If anyone has time tomorrow morning (April 28) at 9:00am, PHS needs help stuffing envelopes.  Just meet at the business office.  Thanks for your help!"

And you thought you had nothing to do!

Free Summer Concert Series

If you are looking for a Friday night date idea, here is one you might want to look into.  On the first Friday of every month during the summer (May-October) you will find Provo's Rooftop Concert Series on the roof of the Provo Town Square parking structure.  Free is a great admission price but bring your own chairs.  May 6th is the first in the series and features the group Fictionist. Click on this link for more information.

volunteers needed

I just got word about this service opportunity: 
Craig Rollins (son of Glenda Rollins) is the director for the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon on April 30th and is looking for volunteers to help fill gift bags for the runners. Volunteers will gather at 10:00am Thursday morning (April 28) at Thanksgiving Point.  If you would like to help, come to the second floor above the gift shop.

Westside Story

Although we are not technically part of the area of Provo called "Provo's West Side", we are connected and often impacted by their growing pains.  The name West Side came about by description and not by any official act.  However, the City is now entertaining thoughts on changing the name officially for that area of Provo and a survey with several suggestions is found on the city website.  Feel free to voice your opinion or suggest a new name.
For more information on the reason for the name change, see the Herald article.

Weekend Detours

If you plan to be out and about late at night this weekend, be aware:

The on-ramp from University Parkway to northbound I-15 is scheduled to close Friday, April 29, from 10 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. and Saturday, April 30, from 10 p.m. to 11:30 a.m. Motorists connecting to northbound I-15 can use Geneva Road or State Street as alternate routes to the Orem Center Street interchange. The off-ramp from northbound I-15 to University Parkway is scheduled to close Saturday, April 30, at 10 p.m.

through Monday, May 2, at 5:30 a.m. Crews will reconstruct the on-ramp in its new configuration. Motorists can use the Orem Center Street Interchange as an alternate route from northbound I-15.

There are more construction-related closures.  Drivers are encouraged to check the I-15 CORE website  for the latest information. You can stay informed by signing up for weekly e-mail updates at their website or text updates by texting *i15* to 53535.  You can also follow the project on facebook.com/i15core and twitter.com/i15core.

Computer Reincarnation or Electronic Waste

If it is time to up-grade your computer, think carefully about what you will do with your old computer. If the computer is still usable there are charitable organizations that would be pleased to clean them up and put them to use again.  Laptops are particularly needed in isolated schools in third-world countries. If you want to donate your old computer, send word to grandview.south@gmail.com for information about how your old computer can find a new life. 

If your old computer is beyond use, be aware that simply dumping it in the trash is very dangerous.  The chemicals and electronics must be handled with care.  For this reason, it normally it costs $10 to dispose of a computer at the SUVSWD transfer station, but you can get rid of computers, monitors, TVs, and other electronic waste for free at the Simply Mac e-Waste Recycling Event on Fri. April 29 (Institutional Day) or Sat. April 30 (Public Day), 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Provo Towne Centre (1200 Towne Centre Blvd., Provo) west parking lot. Read more about it here: http://www.simplymac.com/recycle.

Looking Ahead at Provo City

West Provo neighborhood leaders are holding discussions with the Mayor and Provo City Council members regarding the future of Provo City and you are invited to join in the conversations.  The first of the series of discussions was last week (See the April 11 post); the second is at 7 PM on Thursday, April 21st at Lakeview Elementary School. 
The topics being discussed this week are:

• West Side Connector
• Long Range Transportation Vision
• Provo River Delta Restoration
• Vision 2030
• Airport
• Economic Development
• “Lake District” Name Change
• Utah Lake Commission

City Council Representative Sherry Hall Everett has more information on her website. The third discussion in this series is scheduled for May 12th.

It's Raining; It's Pouring!

You may have seen reports of the flooding affecting Weber County.  Provo City wants to be prepared for any floods that might occur on account the thawing of this year's unusually heavy snow and the recent rainfall.

Volunteers, including scouts, from the Grandview North and South neighborhoods are gathering on Friday afternoon, April 22nd, beginning at about 3:30 PM to prepare sandbags.  You can help!  The City is providing the sand, the bags, and the shovels.  Volunteers may want to bring their own work gloves.  We will be working at Provo City Public Works, located at 1377 S 350 E.  That is about two streets east of Sam's Club in South Provo.

Connie Bauer is organizing the volunteer force. Please call her if you plan to come so that she can get a reasonable count beforehand.  You can also call her if you want more information.  Her phone number is 801-375-6534.

Rx for a Safer Community

Remember when your dentist sent you home with a prescription for pain medication? He said to fill it before the pain hit -- just in case.  The little container of capsules is probably still in the medicine cabinet.

The deadliest drug problem in the United States is prescription painkillers. According to a national survey of drug use and health, more than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs. They also estimate that every day 2500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time.  Highly addictive painkillers are killing more people in the United States than heroin and cocaine combined. Demand for drugs is also fostering increased crime. Home invasion and theft of drugs have affected our own neighborhood in the recent past.

Simply flushing chemicals, such as those in prescription drugs, down drains or toilets poses problems to the water treatment processes. Putting them in the trash is often not a safe way to dispose of them either. 

Addressing these problems, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies has scheduled a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

The Utah County Sheriff's Department has arranged to operate a collection site where people can drop off their unneeded prescription drugs. They will be disposed of properly. There are quite a few locations around the County where you can drop off medications; the closest one to our community is at Macey's Grocery Store at 1400 N State Street, here in Provo.

Now is the time to look through your medicine cabinets and clear out any expired or unneeded drugs.  Spread the word to your friends and neighbors.  You can find additional sites for drop off at the DEA website.

High School Graduation

Provo High School senior students will celebrate their graduation at an all-night party at Pirate Island on May 26-27. Parents and others in the community are working together to provide an exciting, fun, and safe graduation party.
Karen Bosco is organizing the event and could use your help.  She is looking for adults who can help with the planned activities, such as Karaoke, laser tag, Guitar Hero, Bingo, etc, and for prizes and food donations.  She will be holding an organizing meeting on Wednesday, April 27th. 
If you can contribute time or items for the graduation party, click on her name above to send her an email,. If you have questions or need to contact her immediately, call her at 801-400-8987.

Provo School District

The following is a message from our local School Board representative, Kristine Manwaring:

I want to let you know about our School Board Meeting Tuesday evening, April 19.  

I think the most important reason you might think about attending is to hear a presentation on the new Common Core Standards by Associate Superintendent for the State of Utah – Brenda Hales.  Provo School District, along with all the districts in the state, will begin implementation on the new Common Core standards for English and Math next year.  For Math, the changes will be dramatic and will be phased in over several years.  Next year the changes will affect 6^th and 9^th grades.  Once there is full implementation the rigor will be increased for all grades.  In middle school and high schools, the curriculum will be organized differently and there will no longer be classes titled Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2 or Geometry.  All of these changes are necessary to ensure that our children are prepared for a global economy in the 21^st Century.

Please attend the presentation tomorrow evening so that you will understand these changes, how they will benefit your children and that the Common Core was not created by the federal government, but was voluntarily created by states working together to improve education.  

This website provides more information: http://www.corestandards.org/

During the study session prior to the business meeting (beginning at 4:45) we will be hearing presentations on the addition to the Timpview weight room (being entirely funded through donations) and the IB program at Provo High.  We will begin discussion on creating a donation policy for the district and reviewing changes to the existing Purchasing and Financial policies.

During the Business Meeting, we will recognize Ron Dean for his extremely generous support and tireless work on the new Provo High Baseball facility.  We will hear presentations on Professional Learning Communities by Centennial teachers and the Common Core by Brenda Hales.  We will vote on the changes to the financial policies and on a resolution to support the Provo City Mountain Vista Project (through tax increment financing.)

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me, 

Kristine Manwaring

Provo School Board

kristine.manwaring@gmail.com

A Circle of Friends

Circles Initiative is a program that has begun to organize in Provo City.  Circles is designed to not only help families out of poverty, but to initiate changes in the community that result in eliminating barriers to economic stability. The long-range vision is to eliminate the condition of poverty altogether.

The Circles Initiative believes every member of the community has gifts and strengths to share that can improve the lives of others and help build the community around them.  You can help in a variety of ways.

Training meetings for volunteers are scheduled in the near future.  If you would like more information about Circles and the opportunities to volunteer, contact Jane Carlile at 801-691-8257 or visit their website. 

Vision 2030

Vision 2030 is Provo's process for defining a 20 year vision for the Provo community. Be part of that vision. Meet Mayor John Curtis and Council Member Sherrie Hall Everett an at informal discussion about growth for West Provo on Tuesday, April 12th, 7 PM at Lakeview Elementary School. Come learn about infrastructure, economic development, the airport masterplan, Utah Lake Commission, land use and  transportation planning, and their impacts on city budgets and your property tax.  Transportation topics can include plans for the Northwest Connector, Westside Connector, Geneva Road, I-15, and Center Street. 
Our Council Member has on her website tools that allow you to receive email notices of future dates in this series of discussions.  You can also participate in surveys and submit questions for future.

Easter Basket Auction

The Provo School District Foundation sponsors an annual Easter Basket Auction to raise funds sorely needed by our neighborhood schools.
This year's auction is Wednesday, April 20th, at the Provo City Library Ballroom at 6:30 PM. 
Last year the Easter Basket Auction raised over $100,000 for after school and summer school programs.  We hope to raise at least that much this year but we need your help! Create a basket to be auctioned!  It can be large or small, thematic or general. You can also donate items or services for a basket.  Of course, we hope you will come and see what is being offered for auction on the 20th.
If you would like to participate or have questions, contact Cathy at 801-374-4802, cathyb@provo.edu.

Lion's Park Improvement Project

The Grandview South Neighborhood joined with the Rivergrove Neighborhood and obtained a block grant to make improvements at Lion's Park.  The grant requires volunteer man hours or other contributions which are matched to complete the project.
Visit Lion's Park to see the new sidewalks that provide a pleasant walking course around the perimeter of the park. You can also get updates on the project on Facebook; search "Friends of Provo Lions Park".
You are invited to bring your family and help in the next phase of the project on Saturday, April 16th, from 8 to 10 AM.  All hands are welcome!

Launch of Our Neighborhood Page

Residents of Grandview Hill South of 1460 North are included in the Grandview South Neighborhood, a division of Provo City organized by the City Council.  
"The mission of the Neighborhood Program is to facilitate effective, informed and representative participation of citizens in government and self-help initiatives. The Neighborhood Program provides a channel for communication among citizens, elected officials and city department staff."

At the April 6th neighborhood meeting, Kay Van Buren was elected to serve once more as the Neighborhood Chair.  Three others were elected to assist as Vice Chairs. They are Donna Dalton, Kristine Breeding, and Deon Turley.

This website will be used to give information on events or issues that may be of interest to our neighbors.  We hope that you will want to "follow" this blog so that you will know when new items appear. Pass on our address so that others in the neighborhood can participate as well.

If you have suggestions for topics or would like to supply a post, contact Deon Turley at deon_turley@byu.net.

The Mayor of Provo Needs You!

Mayor Curtis is looking for volunteers to fill board positions for the City this year.  You may have experience or interest that corresponds with one of these boards.  More information can be found on the City web page or in a newspaper article on the subject.

Becoming involved is a great way to give back to the community to better understand the workings of city government. You may have exactly the talents that the City of Provo needs!