May Newsletter at a Glance |
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Geneva Open House
Celebrate the legacy of Geneva Elementary at the open house on Monday, May 24th at 5 PM.
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Spring Clean-Up
Palisade Park will have a dumpster Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM until May 15th.
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Summerfest June 7-12
Check out all the festivities the city has planned for this epic celebration on the Summerfest website!
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COVID Vaccine for
the Homeless
A one-day walk-in clinic will be administering free vaccines in the Food and Care Coalition parking lot to anyone who is considered homeless on Wednesday, May 5th.
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Elections This Year
Orem will be holding elections for the mayor and 3 council seats. Invite friends to run or consider becoming a candidate yourself.
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Building Safety Month
Each week of May will be focused on a certain area of building safety. Click here to learn more.
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Yard Care Checklist
The Orem Beautification Commission has put together a checklist to help you keep your yards, gardens, and trees beautiful this summer—and less of a hassle too.
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"A Pastor's Comments"
In working on my family history this past week I came across a copy of the Pastor's comments of the Lutheran Church of Molde, Norway, about my Great Grandfather Gustav Sattem.
The paper noted that Gustav had received his vaccination for smallpox while he was 8 years old. Later the paper noted that Gustav had not taken his wedding vows yet (at this time he was 22 years of age) and thus his name was being stricken from the church rolls. It also stated that he was of good character.
Gustav later immigrated to the United States at the age of 23 and married at the age of 24. He settled in a small town of 800 people in Illinois and raised a wonderful family of 5 children.
I thought it would be interesting to look up this town which has since become a city of 27,000 people and learn more about it. Some reviews were good but some pointed to high crime rates, dirty and rundown areas of town, disappointments in citizens voting down a recreation center multiple times, and voting down a new library multiple times. And it was pointed out that this city has the second highest property tax rate in their state.
This made me think of our life in Orem. I appreciate the citizen's support of the building of the new recreation center and the library hall buildings. This is investing in the future of our city and for our citizens.
I appreciate that Orem has been ranked the 17th safest city in the nation. I appreciate how clean and well kept the city is by its residents and the city government. I love our wonderful and plentiful parks. I appreciate our good roads and utility infrastructure that is kept up to date.
In our proposed city budget for this next year we are planning on purchasing 10 new police vehicles and 1 new ambulance. We also are working on building a new 10 million gallon water tank and drilling 2 new deep water wells for the future water needs of our city.
Orem has the second lowest property tax rate for the city's portion of any city in Utah County. And our utility rates are lower than the average for Utah County cities as well.
It takes a lot to run a city of 100,000 people and keep it in good condition. I appreciate all of the present city council members and present city staff who all work hard to make Orem a great place to live, work and play.
— Mayor Brunst
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Message from Councilmember Terry Peterson |
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Mark your calendar and get ready for a spectacular week of carnival rides, live entertainment, mouth-watering food, and dozens of festivities you won't want to miss! Click below for the full schedule of events. |
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All events will be available on the Utah Valley Interfaith's YouTube Channel here. |
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2021 City of Orem Municipal
Election Opportunity
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This year the City of Orem will be holding a Municipal Election. The City of Orem will have 1 Mayoral and 3 City Council seats open in this election. Each seat is for a 4-year term.
Primary Elections will be held Tuesday, August 10, 2021 and the General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
PLEASE CONSIDER SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY
BY RUNNING FOR OFFICE FOR ONE OF THESE POSITIONS.
- Candidate filing period begins: June 1, 2021
- Candidate filing period ends: June 7, 2021
Declaration of Candidacy Forms must be filed in person with the City Recorder at 56 South State Street, Orem, Utah between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday-Friday.
For questions, please contact the Recorder's office at 801-229-7298.
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Geneva Elementary Open House |
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After 73 years of serving the Orem community, Geneva Elementary will be closing its doors at the end of this school year. We are excited to announce that Geneva will be consolidating with Suncrest Elementary and students from both communities will be combined together in the current Suncrest building starting this fall.
To help celebrate the long history and legacy of the Geneva building, an open house will be held on May 24th from 5:00-7:00 in the evening. We invite former students and community members to walk through the building, reminisce about old times, view scrapbooks from past year and enjoy some refreshments. A time capsule concealed in 1991 will also be opened at approximately 6:00.
The Geneva and Suncrest names will be retired and the new consolidated school has been given the new name of Parkside Elementary. We are excited to begin a new era of serving the students and families of Orem and look forward to continued community support.
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Spring Clean-Up Continues at Palisade Park |
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The last two weeks of the Orem Spring Clean-Up will be at Palisade Park. Dumpsters will be available from Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 8 PM until May 15th. Closed on Sunday. Please review the rules before visiting the dumpsters. |
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Perform in the Summer Concert Series
(Jul 5 - Aug 9)
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Looking for a gig? Apply now to be in the Summer Concert Series!
Selected applicants will receive a $400 stipend and the privilege to perform on the outdoor state at City Center Park.
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Get Affordable Internet from the Orem Library |
Struggling to afford internet service? The Orem Library has T-Mobile WiFi Hotspots Available for Checkout. Read the full article here.
Ask about hotspot availability and apply at the Circulation Desk.
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- Scera Pool Punch Passes are 10% off in May! Stop by the Fitness Center to buy yours today.
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Registration is now open for swimming lessons, swim team, gymnastics and tumbling, summer camps, and much more! Click here.
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The new Fitness Center is hiring for several positions! Click here to apply.
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The City of Orem understands many area residents are struggling to meet basic needs due to job loss and other effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our webpage includes resource flyers in English and Spanish, as well as information on rental and utility assistance, food assistance, employment, mental health, and more. |
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Resident Resources Highlight:
Vaccination Clinic for the Homeless
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The clinic is for individuals who are unsheltered, homeless but sheltered, staying in housing projects intended for homeless persons, domestic violence survivors, and anyone who broadly fits into a definition of homeless. |
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Safer Homes for Building Safety Month |
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Find out what you can do to help prevent accidents and injuries in your home and in our community.
Click each week below to learn more about the weekly building safety themes this month
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“Too many young people share with me that,
‘my parents do not listen to what I am really trying to say. They try to fix everything without really understanding what I am going through.’ ”
— Dr. Greg Hudnall
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Family connections are some of the most important connections a child can have. It is important to find ways to connect with the children in your family.
One good way to connect with a child is simply listening to them, but parents often want to jump in and fix things. Dr. Greg Hudnall, a Utah Valley community advocate said, “Too many young people share with me that, ‘my parents do not listen to what I am really trying to say. They try to fix everything without really understanding what I am going through.’”
When we sincerely listen, it shows a child that they have something worthwhile to say and that they are important to us. Next time your child tells you something, make sure to show them they are valued and important by sincerely listening to what they have to say.
Listening to a child builds your connection with them and helps them know that you will always be there.
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Resilience Presentation:
A New Perspective on Emotional Health
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Join the United Way of Utah County and Hope 4 Orem for a special training for adults and teens on May 17th at 7pm at Orem Junior High School (650 W 700 N). View the event flyer: English | Spanish
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Utah Water Savers provides a “Flip Your Strip” rebate program. Increase your curb appeal, reduce water use, and get money back! Receive $1 per square foot for replacing the lawn in your park strip with a water-efficient design, or $1.25 per square foot if you also attend a free park strip class. Click here. |
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Spring is coming! Learn more about landscaping tips that save water and enhance your property by clicking here.
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The Central Utah Water Conservancy District is offering free landscaping classes, as well as classes for children and youth. Landscaping classes cover growing fruits and vegetables, sprinkler classes, planting bed design classes, and much more. Click here.
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Utah County residents can now apply for down-payment and closing-cost assistance through Provo's Loan to Own Program. Click here.
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The Property All-Star award program recognizes homeowners and landlords who have improved their once-blighted properties and have brought them up to a community standard or beyond. More information can be found here. Nominate someone today!
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City Code Highlight
Overgrown Weeds: Orem Municipal Code § 11-2-1. Overgrown weeds are a serious fire hazard. Make sure to cut down weeds to help limit fire danger.
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🗹 Aerate
Aeration allows air, water and nutrients to enter the lawn. It also helps with compacted soil and promotes a healthy lawn; healthy lawns = less weeds and problems.
🗹 Weed and Feed
A few dandelions or clovers might be best removed by hand, but large amounts may need a liquid treatment. Treat these before it hit 80 degrees to avoid harming desirable plants.
🗹 Mow Weekly
Mowing regularly to 2.5" helps your grass grow thicker. Have the blades sharpened on your lawn mower as well as a tune up for optimal performance.
🗹 Water Appropriately
May requires less water than the summer months. Water in the early mornings 2 to 3 times a week depending on temperatures to avoid disease and fungal problems.
🗹 Treat Fungus and Grubs
As temperatures reach 70, make plans to address fungal problems and treat for grubs you've had in the past.
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🗹 Schedule Planting
Typically in Utah Valley, May 10th is the last freeze date. That means you can plant annual
flowers and vegetables by mid May.
🗹 Add Compost and Fertilizer
Before planting, incorporate compost into your beds along with a granular fertilizer to give your plants the nutrients they need for a good start.
🗹 Rotate Crops
To avoid disease and pest problems, don’t plant the same plant in the same spot year after year.
🗹 Prevent Weeds
Get weeds out before they seed and cause more problems later. Preen is a great product in flower beds where more manual treatments like black plastic or grass clippings work well in vegetable gardens.
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🗹 Plant Anything New
Planting in Spring allows new trees and shrubs to have root growth before the hot summer temperatures. Follow nursery instructions for healthy establishment.
🗹 Prune as Needed
Prune out any diseased or dead branches. If you did not prune your shrubs in the Fall, prune them, but not cutting more than a third of the plant’s size at a time.
🗹 Fertilize
Fertilizer spikes will give them the nutrients they need for the growing season.
🗹 Water Appropriately
With not much precipitation this past winter, your trees and shrubs will need a good deep watering.
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Happy gardening from the Orem Beautification Commission and thanks for being good neighbors and doing your part in keeping Orem a beautiful place to live! |
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Do you run a business in Orem? Are you tuned in to what's happening with the Orem Business Alliance? The OBA currently holds webinars and regularly sends out informative emails about funding sources, trainings, and other important information to help Orem Businesses. Check out last month's webinar titled "Cyber Security for Businesses." Also, sign up here to receive emails and get the inside scoop!
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Be Kind to Teens Scholarship |
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The good people at Hope4Orem are sponsoring a Kindness scholarship essay contest for all three Orem high schools.
There will be 3 winners per school. Submissions are due May 13th.
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The City of Orem is Hiring |
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We are hiring for multiple full-time and part-time positions. To view a list of available job openings and to submit an application, follow the link below. |
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Know somebody with a great yard? Nominate them for one of our beautification awards. Just click here.
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