October General Meeting minutes

Minutes taken by Elaine Nelson, Secretary, October 15, 2009
Called to order 7:01 pm

Opening remarks by Nathan, thanks Carol & Bill of CoG for letting us meet here.

Volunteering: Nathan Allan

ENA relies on volunteers. Always want people to help on the board, we try to do one big project a year. Lots of other opportunities, don’t have to turn up all the meetings to participate. Newsletter delivery, routes of 20 – 80 newsletters. Garden walks, 2 last year, need help organizing, unless we have people to run it, hard to put together. Annual picnic, 7 or 8 years now, this year with grill donated from Party Outfitters, always need volunteers, plus free food!

We need to replace president, he took it on because there was no one who would, a new person can volunteer now and learn the ropes before taking over in full in February. Our n’hood is one of the most active, people in other associations say we are the only one w/regular newsletters, annual picnics. Bev mentions grants, which we’ve received in the past, including Healthy Lifestyles, Safe Routes. You may be thinking: don’t have time or skills, but really enthusiasm is the most important aspect!

Treasurer’s Report: Jenni Fleming

Checking: 818.24; Savings: 1554.05; Signs fun 1286.71; 75 paid members

Open Mic

Woman with rain barrel from Gardener Supplies, french rain barrel, turned out to be too big for the space. Willing to sell for way less than she paid!

Candidates’ Forum

Candidates who spoke:

  • Two port commission candidates (don’t have names recorded)
  • Karen Rogers
  • Karen Veldheer
  • Steven Buxbaum
  • Jeannine Roe
  • Joe Hyer
  • Tony Sermonti

Adjourned for snacks and conversation.

Neighborhood Notes

Three big events in the next week that you might want to attend about future plans for the neighborhood and the city as a whole:

Olympia Comprehensive Plan – Shaping Olympia’s Future

The Imagine Olympia Kick Off on November 14th from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Olympia Center is the official launch of the city’s multi-year process to update our city’s guiding planning document, the Comprehensive Plan.

They will feature information on past Comprehensive Plans and the process for the update. Additionally, staff and Advisory Committees members will be available to answer questions about the Plan’s elements and the public involvement process.

This will be no ordinary meeting! They’ll have local musicians, snacks, and plenty of time to mingle with our fellow citizens and staff. We hope you’ll join us!

Want more information? Visit the Comprehensive Plan website, www.imagineolympia.com

Calling All Gardeners (and Community Activists, Neighbors, Fundraisers, Teachers, Learners…)

Exciting plans are underway to develop a cooperative garden at Madison Elementary School and Avanti High School. Our hope is to partner with community members in the Eastside neighborhood to make this project stronger and more sustainable. That is where YOU come in!

We are still in the planning stages but some ideas of how the neighborhood can be involved are to have a community use pea patch space and to establish a student mentorship program using neighborhood garden experts. At our next meeting, we will assess the level of interest from the community so please come to share your ideas and show your support for this important project!

What a wonderful opportunity to connect children in our neighborhood schools with folks in the community who have a green thumb and love of gardening to share!

Monday, November 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Madison school library (enter on Legion)

RSVP to Katie: ka********@***oo.com

The Future of Public Pathways

Public Pathways are short cuts for bicyclists and pedestrians that connect streets to parks, schools, and other streets where no motor vehicle connection exists. These pathways shorten trip lengths and provide more comfortable off-street routes for bicyclists and pedestrians. (In the past, Public Pathways were also called “Neighborhood Connections.”)

There are no City funds identified for improving or maintaining these pathways. Long term, a formal program to construct and maintain pathways would be desirable. In the interim, work by neighborhoods to improve these pathways could be appropriate.

In August of this year, the City Council directed the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) to develop a program that provided guidelines to residents so that they might improve pathways on a volunteer basis.

Draft materials have been developed for this program: an introduction to the program, guidelines, an application, and an agreement.

Input from neighborhood representatives is sought about this program proposal and the draft materials. (Attached as a zip file containing four Word documents: Input on Public Pathways documents)

Please provide input by either:

Attending the Wednesday, November 18, BPAC meeting

6:15 to 8:15

825 Legion Way, southwest corner of Legion Way and Pear Street

Or

Send your comments to Sophie Stimson, ss******@***********wa.us

Please send comments by 3pm Wednesday, November 18

Fall 2009 Newsletter

Download the Fall 2009 Newsletter (PDF)

Previously posted online: Meeting info; Volunteer Opportunities; Summer Picnic; Waste Cart Graffiti Cleanup

Special thanks to our advertisers: Compass Rose, Swantown Inn, and Dallen Bounds (flooring installer). Please support these great businesses!

Volunteering Opportunities in Our Neighborhood (update): We have one volunteer who is interested in organizing Garden Walks. She’s looking for two or three additional volunteers to assist. Contact us to get in touch and help!

Treasurer’s Report, Jenni Fleming
As of September 24, the ENA Checking Account had $818.24 due to recent advertising and membership support and our Regular Savings had $1553.78. The Neighborhood Signs fund, which is set aside for maintenance or replacement of the metal entrance signs, had $1286.44.

Out of 1100 households, 75 are currently paid members. We want to get to 110 paid households (10% of the neighborhood!) by the end of 2009. Send in your dues form today!

Loan a tool, borrow a tool: coming soon
A small group of interested neighbors got together recently and talked how people in this neighborhood can support each other, and lend a hand or a tool, if needed or asked for. Our task and ongoing goal is to create an arena wherein people who may not otherwise know each other will feel comfortable with the prospect of sharing their belongings and engage confidently in doing so.

Access to the Tool Share database and a contact Liaison will be available soon to dues-paying members of the ENA. (Only $10.00 Annually!) Our website will contain regularly updated lists of items available for lending as well as items wanted.
A Liaison will put the Lender and Borrower in contact with each other, facilitating their meeting. This way no personal information will be available online. After the initial contact with the Liaison, the exchange will be between the individuals. Borrower and/or Lender will download and print out the appropriate ‘cards’ containing the agreement between the individuals concerning return timeframes and contact methods, as well as a statement of personal liability and waiver for the ENA.

The ENA Liaison will be available should any issues arise, to provide assistance and guidance. It is our intent to expand and broaden this program as involvement grows, to fit our group’s needs. We may eventually branch out to include items that aren’t tools in the common sense, such as a sewing machine or large coffee pot set. Many of us have items like this, which we use rarely and that others can’t justify purchasing, but could be quite useful. And why purchase more items if your neighbor would happily lend you theirs?

Once the program is off the ground, and there is more input to respond to, concerns will be addressed as they arise. Our current intent is to increase the ability for people to accomplish tasks around their homes by combining our resources. To get involved please check the box about Tool Sharing when you send in your dues. Watch eastside-olympia.org for information about how to sign up, coming soon.

Meet Your Neighbor: Jessica Combe, interviewed by Jessica Archer
I met with Jennifer Combe, an artist in the neighborhood, at her house on Central Street. Her house is brightly colored and full of light, beautifully decorated with a sunny porch outback and plum trees in the yard. She has an amazing art studio with skylights that filter sunshine onto her paintings. Jennifer invited me in despite having a big work deadline and gave me a big bag of plums and a tour of her art studio. She has lived in the neighborhood for 4 years and currently lives with an Evergreen student who is about to graduate.

Why did you move to the Eastside Neighborhood?
I wanted to buy a house before Bush was reelected for a second term – before interest rates went up. I bought the house from Sequoia Miller and Ariel Goldmeyer (sp?) – they had this art studio, but moved to another house where the art studio is twice the size of the house.

Wow you’re an artist! What type of art do you do?
I paint in oil. I just finished a low-residency Masters in Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. I also teach art at Tumwater High School.

What do you like about the neighborhood?
I like that it’s socioeconomically diverse and close to downtown.

What would you like to see change – what should the ENA work on?
I really dislike the noise from I-5. It seems like when they cut down some of the buffer trees, it got a lot louder.

What are your hobbies? What do you like to do for fun?
I like hiking, skiing, and cooking (this one was obvious from her beautiful kitchen).

Anything else about yourself that you’d like people to know?
I don’t like to talk when I get home from work (those of you who work in a school setting will understand this one!).

Where can folks see your art work?
View the art at jennifercombe.com You can also check it out now at the Waterstreet Cafe now (by the lake) and at Batdorf and Bronson in December. She’s doing a show at the Portilis Winebar in Ballard in August 2010.