November General Meeting

All are welcome!
Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 7 pm
New Bridge Community Church (Old Madison School)
812 Central St SE

Please note the meeting is being held in a different location then in the past. There’s a lot going on this fall on the Eastside, at our meeting we’ll discuss a variety of topics and have speakers from United Methodist Church, St. Micheal’s Catholic Church and other neighborhood organizations. We hope you’ll come to the general meeting on November 8.

  • Open mic – at the beginning of the meeting, we throw the floor open to you. Share your concerns, dreams, and kudos.
  • Camp Quixote
  • Community Garden
  • Construction projects in the neighborhood

The Eastside Neighborhood Association is nothing without you. All of our projects are run by volunteers who live right here in the neighborhood, with help from your dues. The next newsletter comes out in late January—but you can send stories, story ideas, photos, and ads now!

October Board Meeting

Tomorrow, Thursday October 18, 7 pm, Jessica Archer’s house.  Email jessiearcher at yahoo dot com for address. Agenda is very simple: review newsletter content and November general meeting agenda.

September Board Minutes

ENA minutes from the board meeting on Thurs Sept 19, 2007  at Luke’s House.

People present

  • Ginny Smith
  • Eddie Willingham

Board members present

  • Nathan Allan
  • Casey Allan
  • Jessica Archer
  • Luke Bowerman
  • Carol Wilson
  • Elaine Nelson

Meeting was called to order at 7:05 by president Elaine

Update on the sign project. It is moving forward Elaine will go look at the location sights and decide on the final ones. She will meet with the city and they will get installed. We will have extra signs and posts. A decision will be made on what to do with them.

The grant deadline for the neighborhoods is approaching. The maximum is $4,000 and needs to be applied for asap. We would like to pursue the possibilities for Madison Scenic Park.  It was decided that we would talk to the Pea Patch group and get their ideas.  The school district needs to be approached about selling the property to the city of Olympia. Nathan and Elaine will talk to Willow with the pea patch group and work on the grant. Perhaps it could involve fencing and raised planting beds. The grant could be written to state that the school district needs to move forward with the city.

The next general meeting is in November  on the 8th  and the upcoming newsletter. Ideas for both:

1. Scott Homes could come and address the concerns about cutting down the woods for their development and the increase in freeway noise as a result. Jessica will put together an article for the newsletter and approach them about come to the general meeting.
2. Elaine will give a final sign report. Hopefully with pictures and progress.
3. Information on the grant submittal and explain what we are trying to do. Perhaps Willow could come and help explain the plans for the Madison scenic park pea patch.
4. Update on the neighborhood churches.  The progress on the St. Mike’s project, the opening of New Bridge at old Madison, and Camp Quixote at United Methodist.
5. Something about the completion of the new walking trail off of Eastside Street.

The general meeting will be at New Bridge. Elaine will contact Light and Life  Church and let them know of our location change.

Carol will bring the Ralph’s rebate cards to the general meeting.

Jody gave a report on the Active Community Walking project. All kids at Madison will get a map of the safe walking routes to the school, a water bottle and a pedometer. There are also 2 new banners put up at the school and on Legion. It looks like we will get funding for another year of this project. Christine Watts will continue with the active lifestyle project. A motion was made to donate money ( not to exceed $100.00) toward the cost of 8 blowup maps (one for each class) to use in the classrooms. Nathan made the motion and Luke seconded it—the vote was unanimous to donate the money.

Ginny Smith, from the United Methodist church on Legion across from Madison School came to answer questions about the arrival of Camp Quixote ( a homeless tent city) at the church’s property. She explained to us that it will be a fenced in area by their lower parking lot.  The camp will operate with very strict rules. It is a well managed resident ran camp. Everyone will have background checks. There will be a screening process for each tenant. There will be no one under the age of 18, no pets, no weapons, no violence, no loitering, no littering and no drugs or alcohol. Lights are out at 10:00. There will be an average of 20 people living there. The gathering will be there for 3 months and there will be port a potties but no shower facilities. She is looking for volunteers to help man the common area. It will be manned 24 hours a day and guests must check in and out.  She asked if any of us would like to volunteer to call her at 491-1540. The camp will move in the first of October.

Eddie wanted to announce that New Bridge Church was moving in on Sept. 30,2007 and the grand opening service would be on Sunday October 7th.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00.

Respectfully submitted
Carol Wilson

Welcome!

My name is Elaine Nelson, and I’m the 2007 ENA Board President.  I’ve lived on Frederick near Lions Park for five years, and volunteered with the ENA as webmaster for the last few years.  Last week I decided I’d start posting some regular notes about things going on in the neighborhood and with the neighborhood association.  I’ll try to keep it interesting and frequent.

Today’s note….

Early this morning I rode around in a truck with Lee and Ron from Public Works.  We stopped every few blocks along the edge of the neighborhood, yellow lights blinking and me with my cameraphone, setting the final locations for the neighborhood welcome signs.

If you came to the picnic, then you’ve seen the signs.  Otherwise, just visualize the logo on a white, slightly reflective sign with rounded corners. Those signs are going up at visible entry points to the neighborhood, with help from a City matching grant.

It turns out that mostly we can put them up on existing poles, pretty much all light poles.  (Which is sort of annoying, because we bought posts & set them in cement last year, and we’re only going to need a couple, with a few more for backup!) They should have great visibility, too.

We dropped one of the locations: that entrance point at 7th & Boulevard is just too complicated already! But in general, everything’s looking good. The board is reviewing the location information now, and we should be able to hand off to the city by early next week at the latest. (I need to get the pictures from my Windows Mobile phone onto my Macbook, though, which I haven’t done yet and am sort of dreading.)  There’ll be an opportunity to see at least one of the signs installed and get pics, and then every time you drive into the neighborhood — at least along the busiest routes — you’ll be greeted by a lovely Eastside sign.

September Board Meeting

The agenda items have been rearranged since Tuesday. Changes are below.

Date: Thursday, September 20
Time: 7 pm
Location: Luke Bowerman’s home (contact Luke for address/directions)

Agenda

  • 7 pm: Welcome
  • 7:10 pm: Sign updates – Elaine
  • 7:20 pm: Discussion of ideas for 2008 Neighborhood Grant
  • 7:40 pm: Suggestions for newsletter & November general meeting topics
  • 8 pm: United Methodist & Camp Quixote – Ginny Smith
  • 8:15 pm: Other new items
  • 8:30 pm: Adjourn

Please let me know if you have additional agenda items or questions.