Poway Gives Back: Grad Nite, Pets & a Grateful Goodbye

By Bill Stoudenmire

GRAD NITE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Poway High School is one of the last schools in PUSD to keep Grad Nite on campus. Grad Nite is an important all-night alcohol and drug-free event designed to keep students safe and off the roads on graduation night when many tragic accidents occur. To make it a memorable event for all, an incredible amount of time, labor and money is needed to plan an event of this size – from volunteering at the construction site to donating prizes and underwriting expenses. This is where you come in.

The school is significantly short of PHS parent volunteers this year. They are looking for PHS parents and community volunteers to get involved in preparing the facade and panels at their work site. They'll be moving panels into the gym on Saturday, June 8 starting at 8 a.m. in the PHS junior parking lot. Also, donations for prizes are greatly appreciated. Here's the link for a list of ideas. Mark all items “grad nite” and drop them off in the PHS office. To donate your time contact co-chair Kristine Smithers at kristine@smithers-player.com. Help make Grad Nite a success so it can be a recurring tradition for all PHS graduating seniors.

DON'T FORGET BARK AT THE PARK
Let your dog have it's day! It's this Saturday, May 18, starting at 10 a.m. at the Poway Community Center/Park. The day will be full of demonstrations, pet vendor booths, contests for participants and their pets, pet adoptions and more. Admission is free, but a small donation of $10 is required if you want to be in the contests. Food will be available for sale throughout. Entertainment will be provided by the Ballistic Racers and the Sheriff's Dept. K-9 Unit. Mayor Don Higginson is the celebrity judge. Monies raised goes to Rady Children's Hospital and the club's high school scholarship programs. Bear and I will see you there.

POWAY ROTARY SAYS GOODBYE TO TWO
The Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps honored longtime member, Bill Reher, who left the club last week after 48 years of being a Rotarian. Reher joined Rotary in 1965 in Guam and came to the Poway club in 1975. He was President when Rotary (finally) allowed women to join and convinced members who were ready to leave that it would be a good idea.

On a sadder note, long-time Poway Rotary member Nazem Agha, owner of Carpet Country Flooring in Poway, passed away on Friday, May 3, after a long illness. He was generous with his time, money and support of the club and the city he loved. We'll never forget his unique way of telling a joke and the candy he passed out at every meeting. He was a great friend and will be greatly missed.