Our Neighbor Featured on the Mayor's Blog

A resident of our Grandview South Neighborhood, Richard Snyder was featured in Mayor John Curtis' blog today!  Click here to see the post.

He also appears in the Mayor's Brag Book, telling how he rescued a woman on a balcony who had locked herself out of her apartment. Saving the day -- one Super Neighbor!

Congratulations, Richard!

Dixon Middle School

This evening I had the chance to meet Mr. Jarod Sites, the new principal of Dixon Middle School (see the June 26 post).  I was impressed with the man and his vision for our local middle school.  He expressed a willingness to hear from parents; stated that he would soon know every one of the students by name; committed to interviewing each of the teachers and staff by August first; and has plans for expanding the available courses for students at Dixon.  Parents who attended the open house expressed support for high standards in academics and behavior. They seemed pleased with the specific plans that Mr. Sites described and gave suggestions for additional improvements

District School Board member and open house host, Kristine Manwaring asked those who were attending what they thought of several plans currently under consideration, including replacing Dixon with a new middle school on the Grandview Elementary site sometime in the next 5 years.  Mr. Sites asked for parent comment on the unfinished track on Dixon's field.

If you have 7th or 8th grade students this year, I encourage you to stop by Dixon Middle School some time this summer to meet Mr. Sites.  The number one indicator for a child's success in school is involvement by parents in their child's education.  Mr. Sites welcomes you to become involved in your child's Dixon Middle School experience.

Holiday Weekend Travel

The following information is from UDOT in anticipation of traffic congestion because of Provo's Freedom Festival activities. If you have family and friends who will be traveling to and from events, pass this on to them:

Drivers traveling through UDOT’s Utah County I-15 Corridor Expansion (I-15 CORE) should plan ahead to reduce projected one- to two-hour delays at the busiest travel times over the Independence Day weekend. Motorists are advised to plan ahead and schedule their travel before noon on Thursday, Friday and Monday to reduce the chance of encountering heavy delays through the 24-mile construction zone.

No new construction activities are scheduled to take place over the weekend, but drivers should plan to encounter existing restrictions such as narrowed lanes, reduced speed limits and lane shifts that will remain in place to ensure safety.

Other tips include:

*             Check the Map: Motorists can save hours of waiting in traffic by taking five minutes at  dot.utah.gov. Click on Know Where, Know Why to see the interactive map of where all the road construction is happening in the state along your travel route and what delays might be expected.

Look at live cameras and check traffic reports on the site before heading out.

*             Avoid the Fire Frenzy: On Saturday, UDOT will be working with Stadium of Fire organizers to coordinate traffic signals on major roads during heavy travel periods before and after the event. Drivers coming from the north are encouraged to use 800 North and Center Street in Orem and University Avenue in Provo. From the south, drivers should use State Street in Springville to 900 East and University Avenue in Provo.

Provo Center Street is under construction and should be avoided. A special text on traffic conditions before and after the event will be sent to subscribers who text *I15* to 53535. The project will also provide frequent updates on open routes, delays and crashes on twitter (twitter.com/i15core). These recommendations are also for those traveling to and from the Freedom Festival on Monday.

*             Extend Your Stay: Motorists are encouraged to support in-state travel and reduce delays this weekend by leaving a day earlier or staying a day later. UDOT, in partnership with the Utah Office of Tourism, created the *Stay an Extra Day* program to provide special offers at lodging properties and tourism attractions for those who extend their stay. A list of offers is available at www.udot.utah.gov/stayanextraday. Drivers reduced delays by more than an hour by traveling on Thursday and Tuesday over Memorial Day weekend.

Routes around the stadium following the Stadium of Fire event on Saturday, July  2 is diagrammed below--

Petition to Encourage Single Family Homes

In response to a recent City Council decision to change a city ordinance, a group has started an online citizens' petition asking Council members to reconsider. 

The movement has a YouTube video to call attention to the beautiful gardens surrounding homes in Provo. The new ordinance allows property owners to pave up to 40% of a backyard for parking and "hardscape" the remainder of the backyard, with only "some green barrier" between the parking and the rest of the yard. Makers of the petition feel that this ordinance will result in less family-friendly neighborhoods.

You can read about the change to the ordinance in a Herald article (click here) and see the petition by clicking here.

Rooftop Concert This Week

Just what you are looking for this weekend: a free, community concert featuring The Abbey Road Show, and Sarah Sample! Friday, July 1, from 8 PM to 11 PM at Provo Towne Square, on the top of the parking structure between Center Street and 100 N, and University Avenue and 100 W.  For details, click here to see their website.
The concert is part of Downtown Provo's Rooftop Concert Series, a series of concerts the first Friday of each month from May to October. Bring chairs and blankets to sit on.

Update on Meeting the New Principal for Dixon Middle School

This message is from Kristine Manwaring, your representative on the Provo District School Board:  

This week I will host an open house for our community to meet the new Dixon principal -- Jarod Sites. Jarod Sites has a great reputation as an educational leader who listens to parents and improves schools for the benefit of all students.  He is very excited to come to Dixon and really wants to know what we like about hte school and what we would like to see changed and/or improved.

Please come and meet Mr. Sites and share your perspective.  Working together as a community to improve our neighborhood middle school could be the most patriotic thing you do this summer!

The open house will be this Wednesday, June 29th from 6-7 pm at the Manwaring home -- 1714 N 2000 W. Provo.

Freedom Festival Volunteers

I was on vacation for the past week so some of these posts may be a little bit dated.  I hope they still are timely enough.

The nationally-recognized Freedom Festival in Provo requires a lot of volunteer help.  You can apply on their website (click here) and scan the various positions that need to be filled.

Alec Fowler is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Freedom Festival Grand Parade on Monday, July 4th.  There are quite a few positions to fill, most requiring 2-4 hours that day.  Contact Alec directly by clicking on his name at the beginning of this paragraph if you want to join in the fun.  He needs Balloon Wrangers (people who can walk the parade hanging on to a rope tethering a giant balloon character), Security Volunteers ("Please stay back behind the line"), Banner Carriers (carrying title and award banners), and Parade Route Beautifiers (passing out trash bags to spectators, etc.).  Most positions require that volunteers be 18 or older but some, such as the Beautifiers, can be as young as 10, so think of making it a family affair! 

Alpine Loop to Reopen

UDOT sent word that State Road 92, also known as the Alpine Loop, would reopen by Friday, June 24th.  It becomes too expensive to keep it open during the winter and the unusually heavy snowfall this past winter and required repairs delayed the opening of this road almost a month later than usual.
Take a drive and enjoy the cool mountain breezes, once summer is finally here!

Redistricting

Every ten years the United States conducts a census and the following year, the State Legislature is allowed to realign the congressional and legislative boundaries, to keep districts roughly equal in population.  Growth shifts and so the boundaries are bound to shift as well.  This year is the year of redistricting. 

In the past, Utah's law makers have been accused of gerrymandering the boundaries to protect their own interests.  They want to prevent these sorts of accusations this time around and have scheduled public meetings to discuss potential district maps.  There will be one such meeting here in Provo next week. 

On Wednesday, June 22nd, the Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee will hold a meeting at Centennial Middle School starting at 6 PM.  The school is located at 305 E 2320 N.

In addition, you can become more knowledgeable and involved in this process by visiting the State's Redistricting website (click here).  Not only is there information about the changes in Utah's population and the redistricting process, on this site you can draw up and evaluate your own district maps.

At odds are two philosophies: 1) draw the boundaries using as many established boundaries as possible, so that communities have representatives with shared interests; or 2) draw the boundaries so that law makers represent diverse populations. 
If the lines are drawn with only existing community boundaries and population as the guiding principles, elected officials could be drawing themselves out of their jobs.
With the second mapping principle, even small communities could be cut up like pizza slices. 

Population growth will require changes in the boundary map.  If election data from previous years influence the map, legislators can choose their voters and insure their reelection.  It will be important to have public scrutiny of this process.  Be informed and let your voices be heard!

Family Night at the Airport

The first Frontier Airlines flight from Denver to Provo will land at the Provo Municipal Airport on Monday night, June 20. The public is invited to tour the new terminal annex from 8-9:30 p.m. and watch the flight land at 9:15 p.m. Provo Fire & Rescue will greet it with a water cannon salute. There will be a ribbon-cutting for the terminal at 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Meet the New Principal at Dixon

This comes from our School Board Representative, Kristine Manwaring:

I am pleased to announce that Jarod Sites has been selected as the new Dixon Principal.  Fidel Montero has taken a position in the Alta School District.  Jarod is currently the principal at Spring Creek and has done an amazing job there.  Previously he was the assistant principal at Centennial Middle School. I think he will be great for our Dixon community. 
I am wondering if you all want a chance to meet him.  I would be willing to host an open house during the summer so students and parents can get to know him before the school year begins.  He is also wanting to meet our community to find out about your concerns and your wishes for Dixon.  Jarod has a strong reputation for listening to parents and putting into action their ideas and suggestions.

Please let me know  if you would be interested in attending an open house on Wednesday June 29th from 6-7?

You can contact Kristine with your response at this email address:  kristine.manwaring@gmail.com

Wolf Creek Pass Open for the Summer

UDOT announced today that State Road 35 in Duchesne County reopened as of today. 
Okay, I'll have to admit it; I did not know where Wolf Creek Pass was until I got this notice. But I found that it is north of the Timber Lakes, which is familiar to me because the Heber Valley Family Camp. And it is northwest of Starvation Reservoir--a place I had heard of but have never been enticed to visit (I wonder why?).
Here is the notice:
June 6, 2011--Duchesne County--  The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) will re-opened state Route 35, through Wolf Creek Pass, to motorists by 5 p.m. today.  Motorists should also be aware that a large sinkhole has developed on the north end of the pass on S.R. 35.  Crews have fixed the problem with ramps to make the road passable. 

S.R. 35 is a seasonal highway and due to heavy snowfall in the area, it becomes cost-prohibitive to keep the pass open for travel during the winter months. This road will remain open through fall 2011.

 -UDOT-

So there you are. Cheers! Take a road trip to Tabiona!