Lions Park Improvement Project Funded Once More!

Aaron tells us that the project to continue improving Lions Park has received two $5000 grants.  This is great news.  He is now waiting on the cooperative help from the City Parks department.  Once the plan is drawn up, you will hear about opportunities to help out on Saturday mornings.

Don't Forget to Vote Today

Today is the Primary election for municipal council members.  There are four candidates for our District.
In alphabetical order they are: Jim Pettersson, Howard Stone, Kay VanBuren, and Lindsay Wiblin.  Click on their names to find information that they have provided on line.

The polling places for our neighborhood are at Freedom Academy for those in precincts 27 and 13 (east of  the street that is 1500-1550 W), and at Westridge Elementary School for those in precincts 25 and 31 (west of 1500 W, including Parkridge).

Polls close at 8 PM today.  So take action: learn about your candidates and go vote!

Crucial Conversations

This message comes from the Mayor's Blog:
Most of us think we're better at communicating but find ourselves saying the wrong thing more often than we'd like.

For that reason, United Way of Utah County and VitalSmarts have invited the public to hear bestselling author Ron McMillan at a special community event called "Crucial Conversations with Kids, Teens, and Significant Others" on Friday, September 16, from 7-9 p.m., at the Provo City Library at Academy Square, 550 N. University Ave.

Learn how to:

• Hold loved ones accountable with love and respect
• Be both 100 percent honest and 100 percent respectful
• Listen and be heard
• Manage escalating emotions when moments become heated

The event is free, although a $5 per person donation is suggested. All proceeds benefit the United Way of Utah County and its partners.

Register here by Monday, September 12 (today). Space is limited, so be sure to register early. If you have questions, contact Tara Jones at 801-724-6342 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              801-724-6342      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or tjones@vitalsmarts.com.

Bubble Sheet Voting

Provo City will use pen and paper voting, also known as optical scan voting, for municipal elections this year. After researching its options, the city found that optical scan voting was not only faster and more reliable, but also less expensive, saving the city $10,000 in election expenses.

"There are many advantages to optical scan voting," stated Provo City Recorder Janene Weiss. "For example, the ballots are simple to use, which means shorter lines. They can also be recounted manually. We found there was no longer a good reason to incur the expense of electronic voting."

The city will use optical scan voting for both the primary election on September 13 and general election on November 8. The elections will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at polling places throughout the city. Provo voters can find their polling places online at maps.provo.org by typing in their name or address in the upper right hand corner and then clicking on "My Polling Place."

The online map is up to date, and includes changes since the polling places were announced in last month's city newsletter.Except for a few changes outside our neighborhood, polling places are the same as listed in the newsletter, and the same as two years ago, during the last municipal election. Municipal elections--when only municipal offices are on the ballot--occur every two years and are handled by the city instead of the county.

Four municipal council offices are up for election this year, including City Wide II, currently held by Steve Turley  and District 4 (West Central), currently held by Sherrie Hall Everett. None of the incumbents are running again this year. Only Districts 3 and 4 will have a primary elections.

Early voting began August 30 and will continue through September 9 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Provo City Recorder's Office, 351 W. Center St. Those with questions about Provo municipal elections may call the Recorder's Office at 801-852-6524.

Last call! New Opt-Out Deadline for Recycling

Provo City is extending the deadline for residents to opt out of its household curbside recycling program to September 9. A total of 2,671 opted out by the original deadline on August 7, which would have added over 10,000 more residential sanitation customers to the program, and increased participation from 24 percent to 84 percent.

The city has extended the deadline to make sure that number reflects reality before ordering new blue recycling cans and delivering them in October. "We're pleased that so many want to recycle," stated city spokesperson Helen Anderson. "But we don't want anyone to be surprised when a blue can shows up on their doorstep next month. We want to make sure residents know it's optional." The city recently sent those who had not yet opted out a postcard with the new deadline.

To opt out before the September 9 deadline, residents may call the Provo City Helpline at 801-852-6000. Those who do not opt out will get a blue can from Allied Waste in October, and service and charges will start in November. The cost is $4.75 per month, and those enrolled in either the curbside household recycling or the yard waste recycling program will be charged $2 less for regular garbage service.

Residents can find more information about the recycling program, including cost, schedule, and what to recycle, at www.provo.org.

Ten Year Commemoration this weekend

UVU President Matthew Holland will be the keynote speaker at a 9/11 Commemoration on Sunday, September 11, 2011, at 5 p.m. at the Provo Seventh-day Adventist Church, 255 South 700 East (next to Fire Station 5). There will also be a flag ceremony, a video presentation, and performances by the Payson High School Bagpipe Band. The event, which is free and open to the public, is a group effort between Provo City; Orem City; America's Freedom Festival at Provo; United Way of Utah County; the American Red Cross, Mountain Valley Chapter; and other local organizations. Please share this invitation with others who may be interested.

"Cease to be Idle!"

This month Provo is taking part in a statewide campaign to bring awareness to the problems caused by idling automobile engines.  You may have already seen the fliers or signs produced by "Idle-free Utah".  They point out that air pollution is concentrated where vehicles idle together, such as school drop off and pick up areas.

The campaign includes:

*     Curtis with Lt. Governor Gary Bell and other Utah mayors in an "Idle Free Awareness Month" news conference on September 1.

*     Provo City encouraging employees of its internal idle reduction policy, which prohibits letting a vehicle idle for more than 10 seconds except in limited situations.

*     Provo City School District bus drivers have signed a pledge to limit idling time in school bus loading and unloading areas.

*     Look for signs in every school parking lot reminding drivers to "turn the key, be idle free."

*     Volunteers are passing out bi-lingual idle reduction literature at the Festival Latinoamericano this weekend in downtown Provo.

*     Curtis has posted idle reduction information on his blog, www.provomayor.org .

For more information, see www.idlefree.utah.gov