Community Service

After serving in PTA locally for about 15 years, I figured this was my last year of doing that kind of service for my community.  I doubled dipped a few years with Strawberry Days volunteering too.  But this week I start a new community service chapter in my life.

I was asked to sit on a citizens' committee regarding our Public Safety Building that is proposed for our town.  It was on our local municipal ballot last year, but the rush to get it a bond for the building on the ballot that quickly had some people imagining there was some nefarious business going on and their suspicions spread like wild fire and the bond issue was voted down--along with our mayor and a few others on the city council.

This committee will meet with the consulting architects and the police and fire department heads and then consider the costs, locations, option,s and needs to make the most efficient and logistically feasible choice.  I'm sure I will learn a LOT.

We are only scheduled for four committee meetings--plus a large city wide introductory meeting tomorrow night--so we will need to work fast.  I am kind of happy that the meetings are already set and we have a time limit.  Otherwise people get in their heads this is the most important thing EVER and meetings last forever.

I'm happy to serve my neighbors and friends here.  I don't think I know anyone else on the committee, so I have many more potential friends to meet.  I do like our little town and I know that when we serve each other every is blessed.  Wish me luck!

Repeat in Volleyball

I know my own kids don't play high school volleyball, but it is sure fun to watch.  Last Saturday I got to go see the high school girls repeat as state champions in volleyball.  It was exciting to see.  This doesn't even look the same as the volleyball the young women (attempt to) play at church.

A bit shaky, I know, but the crowd was really into the game--and the VB girls played their hearts out.  Once the championship was sealed, the student council (the adviser, at least) lit the G to celebrate!  Good things happen in this town.  It is fun to be even a little part of that.

About Last Night

Our high school and junior high school PTSAs hosted a Meet the Candidates night last night.  One of our terrific US History teachers at the junior high moderated the event for us.  We ended up with about 75 people there to watch and listen.  All six city council candidates participated.

You know there are a lot of reasons to not enjoy campaign season--especially when it is a big national election year.  But this year is a local, municipal election, and there really should be a higher interest in the local stuff than the federal level, in my opinion.

The issues our city council decides affect our families, our schools, our children, our safety and our well-being locally.  We feel the effect of the state and national decisions too, but not to the same extent as the local ones.

Our city is a very nice place to live.  But we have struggled drawing a broad base of business to town, and keeping those that are already here.  We struggle with the growth of young families, the influx of multi-family housing and green space balance.  We struggle with providing adequate safety coverage--fire and police and clean water and sewage systems--for a city of our size, and age.  We struggle with the demands of wanted amenities for residents, and the need to do financial things responsibly.

There is no quick fix to the problem and challenges our city faces.  But I am please that six qualified, willing, enthusiastic candidates are willing to put themselves out there and run for the three council positions that are open this year. 

Now if the residents will just go out and make their informed choices on Tuesday.  We've done what we can to help them make the best choices we can.

The Local FEMA: Friend's Emergency Management Agency

Littlest Brother, who got to stay with me this morning while Dear Friend Micheale was at school.

Today my Dear Friend Micheale had school and her hubby was working and her mother and mother in law were also at work--a perfect storm of childcare disaster if there ever was one. So I took all the kids to the elementary school this morning for classes and held on to her 2 1/2 year old for the morning, then we picked up his Preschool Brother and played until mom got back from school just after lunch time.

Whew! I am tired! They are great little guys, but I am not in preschool shape anymore.

I don't mind this kind of service as opposed to the "service" that I give grudgingly to people I don't know but who call because I am not a work-for-a-paycheck mom and I happen to live in their ward or because the RS president give them my number and tells them "Oh, she's home in the daytime. Give her a call". When actual friends call, I am grateful to be able to do something to help them. In this case, I knew that Micheale would have exhausted all her other avenues before she called, so she must really need me.

Genius Golfer trying to move the shed over the weekend with the floor jacks!

So I let the entertainment begin. Littlest Brother was here while a giant crane truck came today and got our shed moved about 1.5 feet from the property line, per a city ordinance we were written up for in May. (However lame I think the ordinance is, we still felt like we needed to move the stupid shed and get in compliance.) So we hired the crane guys to come do it for us--in about 10 minutes. Sure beats the hours Genius Golfer spent with four floor jacks over the weekend trying to move it himself. Come to find out, the dumb thing weighs 6,000 pounds! No wonder we could not do it ourselves. The whole adventure made for fun distraction for the little boy, who otherwise was stuck with me and my really lame and very old toys.

The Crane Guys are ready to hoist that bab boy of a shed into the RIGHT place!

So the Crane Guys saved my muscles, GG's sanity, Littlest Brother's interest, and my grief with the city. Meanwhile, I was "saving" Micheale's peace of mind so she can go to class, take the test, and be a good example to all of us about life long learning. Save a little there, save a little here.

I suppose both or either of these systems is sensationally better the FEMA plan after Hurricane Katrina 3 years ago. Maybe if we just stick together and do the saving locally, we can avoid most disasters we would need the actual FEMA for after all. That sounds better to me. Plus the crane project was pretty cool to watch! Even if I a little older than 2 1/2 years old.