There is a new starting time for the 21st Jamboree Run which steps off 5 p.m. Saturday, June 2 from the corner of Heading and Sterling avenues. Run proceeds will be used for local organizations. Registration fee is $30, and the forms can be picked up at City Hall or online at www.facebook.com/jamboreerun. More detailed information can be found on the Facebook site. You can still register on Saturday.

The 33rd annual Troop 11 Boy Scout carnival, an integral part of the Jamboree event, is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Family friendly festivities begin at 6 p.m. and feature live music by West MacQueen Street Band, food and beverages. The menu includes pork chops, brats, hot dogs, nachos and beverages. You will need to bring your own chairs. The event is held at Franciscan Park and is entirely organized by neighborhood volunteers.

It’s time to begin preparing your property for the influx of visitors who come every year for the Fourth of July Parade. Volunteers are very much needed to keep the parade well paced and with new parade entries. Contact City Hall to volunteer.

Have you thought of a West Peorian you’d like to see as grand marshal? A letter of recommendation is needed including that person’s community activities and history. The nominatee should have had an impact on West Peoria. Submit this information to City Hall and be sure to include your contact information. Send your letter of recommendation to: mayor@cityofwestpeoria.com or drop it off at City Hall.

The next As the Page Turns Book Club meets 6 p.m. Monday, June 18. “Plainsong” by Kent Harcef will be discussed. For more details contact Maggie Moore at 673-0535 or Loretta Fehl at 637-0326. The next Seniors on the Go meeting is 1 p.m. Thursday, June 28 in the township building on Rohmann Avenue. For more information contact Maggie or Loretta at the above numbers.

The Residents Association meets 6 p.m. Thursday, June 21 at City Hall. Neighborhood Watch meets 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 13 at City Hall. Speakers will be announced at the meetings. The Beautification Committee has completed the annual community plantings. Volunteers are critically needed. Join and enjoy many other West Peorians and get involved in the community. Douglas Peterson was sworn into office as a Trustee of the West Peoria Fire Protection District at the May 8 City Council meeting.

For many years, students/graduates of Calvin Coolidge Grade School were under the watchful eye of Mrs. Muriel Phenix. She passed away recently and will certainly be remembered for her uniqueness and manner. I was intrigued by her and learned more about her after reading her obituary. She always retained her distinctive English accent. Go to the internet and check on the 30-acre Stanford Hall outside of Loughborough, England, where she was raised before she came to the United States after World War II in 1949 where her parents were employed. She brought a special quality to the youth and adults who knew her in West Peoria.

Please don’t put grass clippings in the streets. They will clog the storm sewer drains. Landscape waste pickup is every Friday.