Utah Valley Quilt Guild and Clean Air Task Force honored by Utah County commissioners

At a meeting of the Utah County Board of County Commissioners, staff presented Friends of Public Health Awards to the Utah Valley Quilt Guild and recognized members of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Clean Air Task Force for community public-health work.

Ralph of the county public-health staff described the Quilt Guild’s volunteer service to the Welcome Baby program, saying the guild has “provided close to 500 blankets for our Utah County families” over recent years and that a recent service day produced nearly 70 quilts. A guild representative accepted the award and said, “We are very honored to receive this award and to be recognized today.”

Ralph also introduced the county’s Clean Air Task Force and named Donald K. Jarvis and Ned C. Hill as individual honorees. He outlined the task force’s activities, including school air-quality flag programs, outreach through local events and social media, anti-idling measures, and encouragement of transit and electric-vehicle infrastructure.

Ned Hill, the task force president, told commissioners the group is expanding representation across cities and emphasized both health and economic reasons for cleaner air, noting results from a recent Utah Foundation poll that listed affordable housing first and clean air second among residents’ top concerns. “We’re trying to help people understand that, clean air is not just a health issue… but it’s also a business issue that attracts more businesses to our area,” Hill said.

The presentations were ceremonial; no formal vote was required. The commission recessed the award portion and proceeded with the published agenda.