Janine Gates’s “Little Hollywood” blog covered the opening of the garden in a recent post. It’s a great description of the groundbreaking and how the garden is getting started.
DRAFT!
Great potluck & discussions
[note to self: what’s one thing that *I* can do?]
Parks update from Nathan.
Board elections:
Terms up: Nathan & Sam up for re-election, Jessie, Ann, Tim, stepping down plus one vacancy
Don LeMaster, Ruth Middlebrook, Kerry Smith from FUMC, Yvonne Fish
Moved, seconded, approved.
Discussion of proposal to change number of required board members. Determined it was not necessary to change now.
Discussion of next potluck event, will be March 18. Looking for people to host yard signs.
Bonnie: school district is doing projections about staffing level, could be within several years that there won’t be enough teachers to keep the school open. Is the neighborhood interested in participating in creating an argument from our point of view? NOT A LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN. Looking for a small group to discuss more/brainstorming? Jenni asked about timeframe: April? May be a topic at next potluck.
[nametags. sign-in sheets.]
The Eastside Neighborhood Association bylaws currently require that the ENA board consist of no less than 10 members. The current board recognizes, however, that a great deal of useful and important activities can be conducted by volunteers who do not have time for or interest in the monthly board meetings. We want to focus our volunteering efforts on getting people involved in those activities: the newsletter, the picnic, gardening activities, membership expansion, and more.
To that end, the board is proposing an amendment to the bylaws to require that the ENA board consist of 5 to 15 members. Because this is a change to the bylaws, it will require a formal vote at the annual general meeting in February. At least 25 ENA members, paid or not, need to attend for this vote. Please join us at the General Meeting on February 18 to discuss and vote on this proposal.
DRAFT
Started 7:01
Guests: Beth, Katie Stoll, Mark D.
Present: Nathan, Jennie, Chad, Elaine, Ann, Bev, Sam
– general meeting planning
– garage sale
– ping pong tournament
– new business
Madison/Avanti school garden: were looking for our assistance as sponsoring organization for their grant. We will be on their initial letter of intent to apply. Brainchild of Avanti principal to cooperate, has gotten to be much more than just small . Landscape architect Curtis Roberts (ENA resident), also design/builder for fence, will be assisting. First Methodist has been helpful. Do we still have access to fund related to an item at Madison Park? Grant to United Way, we don’t have the right status, but this should get their foot in the door. Discussion of that money. Design is in phases. Nathan & Beth will work out letter signing. Elaine moved, Chad seconded, all aye. Different ways to involve community in the garden. How much interest do we think there is in pea patch by neighborhood residents. Chad suggested garden walk tour, Katie mentioned plant exchange. Think of ways to keep people interested, some discussion. Bev asked about scout involvement, he said that there are scouts who might be interested, they’re out of First UMC, can bring it up. Has a lot of friends who went to Lincoln, and they tend the garden, including chickens. (!) Huge involvement. Bev visited a school garden in Sacramento, her 90 year old brother in law was the only person maintaining in the summer! Sam suggested having annual picnic at the garden this year. There was a lot of interest. Groundbreaking work party on February 6. Background check: must have arranged by Wednesday prior. Tuesday after that is day of service for Avanti, will be working with Grub & Madison kids, Olympian will be there.
Jared – soapbox derby – boy scout from troop 48 – might be Eagle project, but will do any case. wants to bring All American Soapbox Derby association to Olympia. kids do most of the work themselves. has called together associations that he works with. Thinking about using Legion, Nathan suggested 10th, it has to be approved by the association for insurance purposes. Legion is very smooth. Would bring in a lot of people from out of town, but no semi trucks. Spectators, pits, and starting area. Has talked to Kathie Butler. Wants to make this a race city. (more races per year) Would be two days on a weekend: May 1 & 2, from All American. Elaine asked if marathon conflict. Katie didn’t think so. Questions about specific starting locations. What is he looking for? Support? Wants to make sure that we know, wants to be polite. Coordinate with a garden day? How many people? 35 cars at a sizable race. How many hours during each day? worst-case 8am – 6pm, total closure time. awards could be held elsewhere. Silverdale would be legally in charge, on their charter. stock 8-13, super-stock & master 10-18, would mostly be stock and super-stock. wants to get a Rotary club involved to sponsor/own the cars. Need an accessible route for the vehicles come back up to the top. Wants our involvement to help get people engaged. Nathan suggested holding a second picnic at the Madison/Avanti garden at that same time. Would include time for non-racing kids to try out the cars. (Salem has been holding these events for more than 50 years.) Elaine mentioned timing of newsletters, but also that we can do email/website promos. Nathan will write to Kathie and indicate our support. Nathan suggested that if we do end up working out a picnic, we should have an earlier newsletter.
Bread & Roses work party – to clean up front yard – First UMC.
General meeting February. location? Chad recommended light & life, have community cafe beforehand. Will also be running Imagine workshop before the meeting. Pizza? Chad is working on getting donations from the co-op of healthy snacks. He’ll get everything handled. Meeting pushed back to February 18 to give enough time for producing the newsletter. Articles now due by February 1. Chad mentioned the idea of getting it inserted into Olympia Power and Light. Elaine is no longer able to handle the advertising aspect, and would also like some assistance in the project management aspects. Jenni thinks we need more volunteers to do this well. She can take on some of the advertising piece. Chad wants to shift away from paper distribution of the newsletter. Ann thinks we don’t get that big a turnout for general meetings from the newsletter. Bev thinks it’s a real strength, though, we need it. Sam says that it’s the reason he’s involved. Re Oly Power & Light, would need to have something on the outside that says it’s ENA. Chad will continue the dialogue with them; Sam isn’t sold but needs more information. Olympian now has a single page pull-out on a heavier paper, more noticeable. Bev has worked on many newsletters, not eager to do that again. Chad thinks we could do a color (glossy?) for the same price we’re paying now. Jenni asked if anyone would be willing to join working on newsletter: Jenni, Mark, Chad, others? Newsletter meeting will be on February 11, 6pm at Bev’s, bring food.
Chad mentioned email he’d seen about complaints to city about equipment at Lions Park, and he reminded city person that ENA continues to be interested.
Board composition discussion. Bring to general meeting to change number of board members to 5 to 15, and then focus on having more people in committees. Chad also volunteer to serve as president, but wants to have someone step up to be vice-president. Jenni might be interested. Discussion of Coalition of Neighborhood Associations. Amendment will go on the website, in the newsletter, and to the email list.
Chad will get a new map from the city.
Ann will bring some refreshments to the general meeting.
Adjourned 8:30pm
At the Light & Life Church on 7th and Fairview.
Potluck & Community Cafe at 5:30 pm
As a conversational process, a Community Cafe is a simple methodology for hosting conversations about questions that matter. These conversations link and build on each other as people move between groups, cross-pollinate ideas, and discover new insights in the issues that are important to our neighborhood. Bring a salad or main dish; we’ll provide water, rolls, and cake!
Meeting at 7:00 pm
Agenda: Open mic, Bylaws proposal, Board elections, Tool sharing