Looking for Participants for the Pesticide-Free Neighborhood Project

The ENA is applying for a grant from the Department of Ecology to participate in a Pesticide-Free Neighborhood Project developed by Thurston County.

The project will require a  commitment by 10 households to stop using toxic pesticides and high nitrate fertilizers.  The grant will pay for specialists and supplies to assist in the transition to less toxic solutions.  A professional landscaper will provide a specialized site assessment and long term plan for the property to meet the households 2, 5, and 10 year landscaping goals. The participating households will  commit to stop using and dispose of  toxic pesticides and high nitrate fertilizers at a door-to-door household hazardous waste collection. Participants will take home free less-toxic bug and weed killers and slow-release fertilizer and will participate in monthly meetings for eight months covering a variety of topics relevant to their particular landscape issues.

Participants will also sign a pesticide-free pledge and post a pesticide-free sign in the yard.  Through this project we hope to achieve a reduction in toxic pesticides and high-nitrate fertilizers in our neighborhood.  If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact Jessica Archer at je**********@***oo.com

You Are Invited to Attend the Transportation Impact Fee Workshop

You are invited to attend the Transportation Impact Fee Workshop on November 13, 2008.

Goal of the Workshop: The goal of the workshop is to receive input on what you see as solutions for reducing the currently proposed increase in impact fees. Transportation staff will facilitate a process to prioritize your feedback into a range of options for the Olympia City Council to consider.

Workshop Information: The workshop will be held at the Associates Building, 825 Legion Way, SE on Thursday, November 13, 2008 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. (directions below).  If you require special accommodations during your attendance, please call (360) 753-8588 at least 1 day in advance of the event.

To learn more:  Download the attached PDF or visit our website at www.olympiawa.gov/cityservices/transportation/.  Workshop information will be available on our website no later than 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 28, 2008.

Northeast Neighborhood Association seeks your input about a neighborhood-based sidewalk-building program

Like residents in many of Olympia’s older neighborhoods, your neighbors in the northeast corner of Olympia are anxious to have sidewalks installed on streets that are used to reach local destinations like schools and parks. Because it currently costs the City of Olympia close to $1 million per mile to install a typical concrete sidewalk, very little money is left to build sidewalks on the City’s smaller streets, which are often the most popular routes used to reach schools and parks. The 1-page summary, complete proposal, and presentation made to CNA on Oct. 13 (posted on our website, www.neneighborhood.org) describe how we’d like to address community mobility issues in a way that is environmentally sound, cost effective, and lead by residents themselves.