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Tips for Creating a New Parent-Teacher Group
August 31, 2010 • No comments
A new school year is officially underway, so it’s time to hand full responsibility over to the teachers for a few months, right? Not necessarily. Many parents seek to maintain involvement in their children’s eight-to-three lives, through chaperoning the occasional field trip, attending a school open house, or through joining either the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) or a Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). Although the two types of organizations differ when it comes to national support – local PTAs belong to and can receive grants and scholarships from National PTA whereas a PTO is a more general term for an independent parent-teacher group – they share a similar goal. “The two have similar purposes at a local school level – to support the children and the
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Heartbreak on the HIll
September 3, 2010 • No comments
“Heartbreak,” mused Tim Cavanaugh, “I can’t let it end without being here.” Cavanuagh, chief deputy of the Douglas County treasurer’s office, was clad in a throwback ‘40s era St. Louis Cardinals jersey and cap as he nursed a forlorn beer at Starsky’s Bar and Grill 90 minutes before the first pitch of the last baseball game at Rosenblatt Stadium. “This has been such a big part of my family,” he said as the Omaha Royals wrapped up batting practice a block away. “A part of Omaha is dying tonight.” There was plenty of heartbreak to go around last night at Omaha’s diamond on the hill. You can blame it on the sentiment surrounding the final game played at the hallowed ground that took its first swing in 1948, but you can also blame it on the game
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Make Some Noise with the United Way of the Midlands
September 1, 2010 • No comments
Think “lawn party” and visions of smallish, rather urbane affairs may come to mind, scenes where you might expect to learn a little more about your neighbors and the neighborhood over quiet conversation and a mint julep. With the United Way 2010 Campaign Kickoff & Day of Caring event Sept. 2 on the ConAgra Foods campus the same idea applies, but the “lawn” becomes a sprawling, multi-acre “front yard,” your “neighbors” are three dozen local nonprofits looking to tell their story, and the notion of our “neighborhood” multiplies to span the entire metro, all while retaining that just-around-the-corner vibe of great volunteer efforts that make our community a better place to live. The Thursday 11 a.m. – noonish event features almost 40 nonprofits surrounded
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Parks Department Making the Tough Choices
September 1, 2010 • No comments
On paper, the proposed five percent budget cut for Omaha’s Parks, Recreation and Public Property Department in 2011 looks like one of the most dramatic in the city’s new budget. Only the Human Rights and Relations Department, which is scheduled to reduce its current 11-person staff to six next year, is facing a larger cut. Melinda Pearson, director of the Parks, Recreation and Public Property Department, says that the $1.5 million cut in 2011 actually represents a budget that is flat compared to last year as the city will turn over Rosenblatt Stadium and its operating costs to the Henry Doorly Zoo in January. Since 2005, through annexation and the addition of such new facilities as the Zorinsky Family Aquatic Center and the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, the city's park
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A Moment with Mary: Parents and Teachers
August 31, 2010 • No comments
We welcome Mary Maxwell, Omaha’s First Lady of Humor, to her new space on the pages of Neighborhood News. Her quick wit and dry humor have made her a popular speaker at events throughout Nebraska and across the country for more decades than she cares to count. I’m not so sure it takes a village to raise a child, but I do know that it takes both parents and teachers to take a five-year-old who can barely tie his shoes and turn him into a confident, knowledgeable and unarmed member of society. There was a time when I had no children and a number of useful theories about education. That was during a brief period of time when I had a phone, a car and a bathroom I could call my own. Then God … uh … blessed me with motherhood and soon I had five children and no theories. read more »
Fall Youth Sports Update
August 31, 2010 • No comments
Azzurri Soccer Club – The Azzurri offers year-round, indoor/outdoor select soccer to girls and boys ages 4 – 13. Visit azzurrisocceromaha.com or call 402-593-9919 for additional information. Bellevue Junior Sports Association – The BJSA offers open play in football, volleyball, baseball, basketball, cheerleading and volleyball to youth in the Bellevue area. Visit bjsa.net or call 402-292-2572 for additional information. Bellevue Soccer Club – Founded in 1974, the Bellevue Soccer Club offers micro, recreational, and select soccer to youth of all ages throughout the metro area. Visit bscneb.org or call 402-292-3222 for additional information. Greater Omaha Youth Football - G.O.Y.F. teams create a coordinated development track to the Millard High School football
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Editor’s Pick: Septemberfest
August 30, 2010 • No comments
For over three decades Septemberfest has been turning downtown Omaha into a five day carnival of family fun, food and entertainment. Billed as a "Salute to Labor," there are plenty of options to keep any attendee from actually working as we pass the traditional summer's end signpost of Labor Day and head for the fall. There are nearly too many events to name but here's a quick rundown: a carnival, five nights of live music, a food garden, fire safety demonstrations and a firefighters competition, a car show, horse and buggy rides--take a breath--a poker tournament, a Muay Thai match, more food, and, finally, the annual Labor Day parade featuring the United States Air Force Heartland of America Band. But the one event that really has my mouth watering? The first ever Ribeye
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Editor’s Pick: The Final Home Game at Rosenblatt
August 30, 2010 • No comments
This is it, folks. Join the Omaha Royals at Rosenblatt Stadium Thursday for their last home game ever to be played at 1202 Bert Murphy Ave. The finale of a 13-game home stand, the Royals will gear up against Texas’ Round Rock Express to close out its final four-game home series. A Pre-game Fan Fest begins at 5 p.m. outside the ballpark, and gates open at 5:30 p.m.. The first 2,500 fans through the gate will each receive a miniature Rosenblatt stadium seat. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. Home games also take place tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday. Enjoy $1 hotdogs tonight, or $2 general admission tickets, should you decide to go to Tuesday’s game. Or, take advantage of the final Free Ticket Tuesday by bringing a Kraft Singles wrapper to the Rosenblatt ticket office and
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Local Church Connects in Guatemala
August 25, 2010 • No comments
A remote Guatemalan village of approximately 1,000 people will soon have a new connection to Omaha. An internet connection, that is. What began as a quick mission trip to build houses in Guatemala has morphed into a long-term undertaking for the Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church (DSLC) congregation and their associates. The undertaking is a partnership with the village of Campanario La Avanzada aimed at continued assistance until it becomes self-sufficient. “Our focus is to try and transform this one village,” explained Sean Chapman, director of family life ministries at DSLC. “We hope to see these 1,000-odd people grow and emerge self-sustaining so that they can go out and make impacts in their country far greater than what we can do ourselves.” Chapman’s wife,
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Latin Films and Flavor to Fill Film Streams
August 25, 2010 • No comments
In the three years since its opening, the Ruth Sokoloff Theater at Film Streams has become Omaha’s de facto home for foreign film. Starting this Friday, you’ll notice a distinctive Latin flavor emanating from the North Downtown hotspot with the kickoff of Cinemateca 2010. The five-week series will bring 10 Spanish-language films to the big screen along with expert discussion from University of Nebraska-Omaha faculty members and food from some of Omaha’s best Latin restaurants. Cinemateca 2010 marks the return of a successful partnership that debuted in 2008 between Film Streams and the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies of the Great Plains (OLLAS) at UNO. Lucy Garza, OLLAS project coordinator, said the first series began to come together in 2006, before
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