There will be an Emergency Preparedness Fair, Saturday, September 27, 2008, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at St. Martin’s University. This fair is put on by the Emergency Management Council of Thurston County. There will be expert speakers and vendors at the fair all day. For details call 754-3360 or check the website, www.co.thurston.wa.us/em/fair.
Attending: Kathy McCormick (TRPC), Jennie Peterson (Americorp / Madison Elementary), Ryan (OPD), Terry Zander, Whitney Bowerman, Luke Bowerman, Sam Schroeder
Luke called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm.
July meeting minutes were approved by Whitney. Sam seconded.
Kathy McCormick from Thurston Regional Planning Council attended to talk about the Walk and Roll Program. Christine Watts from the Eastside neighborhood is helping with the program. Madison also has an Americorp volunteer (Jennie) working on these issues.
The immediate goal is to encourage students to walk, bike or bus to school, to educate students about safety and to educate parents abut safe driving, especially around the school, and the benefits of fewer vehicle trips around school at arrival and departure times.
The long-term goal of programs of this nature is to build a school program that facilitates a generation of kids looking at transportation differently (walking, biking, other alternative transportation).
The biggest issue in the Eastside neighborhood is traffic and speed (as opposed to safety) for kids walking to school.
Kathy is pursuing grant money for a crosswalk to be built across Legion Way, in front of the entrance to Madison.
TRPC would like to have ENA support for the grant. Sam, Whitney and Luke agreed and gave permission for the ENA to co-sponsor the grant. No financial commitments were made.
October 8 is international Walk to School Day and monthly walking events will follow thereafter.
Terry expressed concern about neighborhood safety (stolen bikes and cars being broken into)
Officer Ryan (lastname) reported that in a 1 week time frame in August there were 15 robbery-related incidents in the Southeast Olympia area (from Plum Street east to Lacey/Olympia city limits and 4th Ave south to Yelm Highway)
The City has 5 districts, with one officer in each district at a time, plus a roving officer.
Part of the purpose of this is to encourage community-oriented policing (allowing the police officer to get to know a specific geographic area and its residents).
Tim Byrne, Eastside neighborhood resident has offered to work on a ENA’s vandalism program based on the success the the Northeast Neighborhood Association has had. Amy Stull with the Olympia Police Department meet with Tim & Luke. The City provided the ENA with a graffiti kit.
The ENA will use SeeClickFix, a free web service for community residents to report vandalism. Additional information will be on the web site and email lists shortly.
Luke spoke with David Hanna at the Olympia Parks Department regarding the Madison Scenic park. The Sunset Park garden project was a pilot project and is still be evaluated (it has 2 or 3 years left on its lease at which time both sides will reevaluate and decide whether or not to continue). Go past a pilot (or a second project) would require a strong answer to the question of “public benefit” of a semi-private garden on public lands.
The City really wants both a strong answer to the question public benefit and would likely want a strong partner organization to be involved – Grub at this time has expressed that they are too busy with other projects to seriously consider another. The ENA, as currently formed/staffed, likely does not have the skills or staff to be the primary partner in such a project.
The City currently has approximately $150,000 designated to do capital improvements to Madison Scenic park in 2009. While the budget is currently in-flux if this money is still in the budget they will begin planning a public input process in early 2009 (January/February timeframe). Approximately 30% of this amount is already designated to basic improvements (safety and access upgrades). The president will continue to stay in contact with Parks & Rec in regard to this project.
The next ENA newsletter will go out in mid-October. Now is the time to suggest articles.
Whitney’s board term will end in February and she will not be continuing on the board or with the newsletter. The ENA should start looking for someone to take over the newsletter duties effective February 2009. Although hopefully we can address this sooner so that the new person can cross-train.
The Eastside Neighborhood Association (ENA) will be having our monthly board meeting next week on September 18th at 7pm at Luke & Whitney Bowerman’s house. Contact [email protected] for the address.
– Review July Meeting Minutes (http://eastside-olympia.org/2008/07/21/july-ena-board-meeting/)
– “Walk and Roll” demonstration program at Madison (Jennie Peterson & Kathy McCormick)
– Neighborhood Graffiti Cleanup Program
– Picnic Review – New Treasurer Candidate(s)
– Garden Update
– City of Olympia Neighborhood Matching Grant – Interest / Ideas?
– October General Meeting program
– Newsletter
– Neighborhood Safety Review (Terry Zander)
As always, anyone is welcome at ENA Board meetings
Mothers of preschoolers (ages 0-Kindergarten) are invited to be part of a new MOPS group in Olympia. Join together with other moms for a time of fun, support, learning, and relationship building. Moppets, a counterpart program for children, is provided so that MOPS moms have a chance to relax and connect with others in a child-free environment.
Meetings will be held alternating Thursdays from 9:00am-10:30am at New Bridge Community Church (812 Central St SE). The first meeting will be Thursday, September 11th. Please RSVP to ensure we have enough quality childcare providers.
For more information or to RSVP please call 360-486-9029
Now that school is back in session and kids are starting to Walk and Bike to school again, it’s a great time to send them to a bike safety skills workshop! Sign them up for a Youth Bike Rodeo so they can learn how to handle their bikes, how to be visible when riding, what hand signals to use when riding on the road and more! There are two Youth Bike Rodeos to choose from:
- Saturday, September 20, 9am-11am: City Hall Parking Lot
- Saturday, October 4, 9am-11am: City Hall Parking Lot
Call Parks, Art and Recreation today to reserve your spot: 753-8380 or sign up online at www.ci.olympia.wa.us. There is a $5 registration fee. Brought to you by the City of Olympia’s Olympia Walks, Olympia Bikes campaign.
If you have any questions pertaining to the lesson, please contact the instructor, Kerry Tarullo at 753-8575.