Museums, Council, Publication and Pavillions |

Facebook Page
I heard that Facebook has been asking people to verify their identity with government id on Facebook. If not, their account was suspended. I currently do not have a gov’t id for Hewy Nosleep. So to be safe, I am going to start using my No Sleep in Helena Facebook page more. So if you are friends with me on Facebook, head over to this page and join in case I disappear tomorrow. facebook.com/NoSleepinHelena

Color guard
Congratulations to the PHS Color Guard teams. At the SCGC competition this past weekend the Junior Varsity team placed first in their division and the Varsity place 2nd in their division.

Baseball
Congrats to the PHS Baseball team. They defeated rival Thompson High School in a two game sweep last night.Way to Go!

Helena Museum Acquire Collection
The Helena Museum acquire the important Lindsey family collection for its archives according to an article by Laura Brookhart.  The collection of pictures and documents are an important part of Helena history as well the Civil War. James Lindsey was an eye witness to General Robert E. Lee  surrender at Appomattox.. you can read the full story here: LINK

Living Museum
The Helena Elementary has a cool program where students dress up like present or historic figures. It make history fun for them and for the adults who get to come into their living museum to learn more. Pictured above is Debbie Patterson's second grade class for HES Living Museum. Thank to Susan for the picture.

TRX Suspension
Laura Brookhart wrote an article about Helena’s Erin Brown who does TRX Suspension training.  The article talks about the special type of exercise that “accommodates any fitness level” and it gives Erin’s background as well as her passion for mission work. You can read the full article here: LINK

Book about Death
Australian Herald Sun site is reporting that two Melbourne experts have written a book about the death of Tina Thomas. The book recounts the events and discuss the legal system.
LINK

City Council Topics
I have been receiving emails and messages about various topics coming before the city council.  I wanted to talk about them because if a few people are asking, then I am sure there are more wondering. I want to hear your opinions because everyone brings different viewpoints that help with my ratiocinations. As far as I know the information below is correct. If I missed a point or have out of date information then email me and I will correct.  So here are the ones that I have received the most communications:

Street lines
The repaving of Helena Road (CoRd261) is needed, but many people have shared frustration about the pace in which is being done. They also talk about how difficult it is to see the lines at night or when it is raining. The ALDOT controls the process and the City has limited input but the Mayor contact the engineers, earlier this week and asked for an update. The construction has been delayed by the weather and when the crews are needed for urgent repair in another location but they will start back as soon as possible. The current street stripes are only temporary, and after the final paving they will restripe and add reflectors so it is safer to drive.

Helena Newsletter
You already know that the city sends out a quarterly newsletter to residents. The response to number one question is: No, there are no plans to stop it. We will continue to have a Helena newsletter. People have said they are happy with the current newsletter and asked why the city is asking for companies to provide offers?

This started back when an another published company owned by a Helena resident asked why the newsletter wasn't offered out like all other contracts. They said they could do it cheaper and save the city money. So to answer that last question, the city of Helena has an obligation to be good stewards of the tax payer’s money and publish the newsletter at the best price. That doesn't mean we have to choose the cheapest bid because the quality of the newsletter matters. In fact, Alabaster and Pelham recently reexamined their newsletter options.

Cost-The price of mailing the newsletter is around $1700 and they would only change by the post office. The printing price could fluctuate a little based on the printer and volume.  So if you take out the price of postage and printing, how much should the city pay for someone to do the layout, editing, and story creation?  The publisher of the newsletter also sells ads, and gets to keep that money.  It does not go back to the City. Should the sale of ads cover that cost? Should local companies have priority? Has the company made a magazine before?  Should we stay with the current publisher? These are the types of question that I will be asking when we open all the bids at our pre-meeting on Monday. If you can't make it on Monday to share you opinion then please email and let me know .

Park Pavilion Reservation
I think I had around 7 people share their thoughts on this topic, one person didn’t want any changes, and four people liked the idea of reserving pavilions but didn’t like the idea of paying a fee. I also have two others in favor of it.  Before you decide, let me give you some background information...

Currently the pavilions at Helena City parks are first come, first serve. So if you sent out invitation for a birthday party, you could show up and find someone already there. People started coming hours before the event and setting up. They would leave someone there to guard it until the guest arrived.  Several people told council members they wanted a reservation system just like other cities. At the last council work-session, a rough draft was presented that would allow people to reserves a pavilion for two hours for $25 with a $50 refundable deposit. The cost would pay for someone to manage the whole process. keep in mind none of theses details are finalized so feel free to share your thoughts.

 I would love to hear your opinion on any of the issues. Email me at nosleepinhelena@gmail.com or tell me on Facebook.Remember that I am only one vote so if you feel strongly about any topic that is coming before Council,  then share your opinion with the Mayor and all the council members.It means more than me showing up and saying "people on the internet told me this".