Green Acres Real Estate Update - 12.27.09

Check out the latest listing of homes for sale in Green Acres. Find a new home and come be a part of this great neighborhood.

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December Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, December 8
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Ann, 134 N Overhill

Topics: Transition Town Bloomington, the City's new Leadership program, and anything else neighbors want to discuss

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, John & Jessica Gauss, Ann Kreilkamp, Jane Spearman
Guests: Dex Conaway, Keith Johnson, Scott Routen, Danny Weddle

Due to some technical difficulties, the full time of the meeting was spent on a Transition slideshow. We learned about the need for cities and neighborhoods to adapt to what is called the Long Emergency. This emergency is caused by the convergence of Peak Oil, Climate Change, and Economic Instability. The slideshow discussed the principles of Transition and how they relate to sustainability. Following the slideshow, neighbors and guests discussed how our neighborhood can prepare and respond. If you would like to learn more, do a web search on Transition and check out a website such as this one; or join in one of the many presentations that will be hosted in our neighborhood and city.

The next meeting is Tuesday, January 12 at 6:30pm; kindly hosted by Al & Kathy Ruesink, 2605 E 5th Street.

Notes respectfully submitted by me!

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 12.6.09

Follow this link to see the latest listing of homes for sale in Green Acres. Come be a part of this wonderful neighborhood.

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 11.15.09

Follow this link to see the current listing of home for sale in Green Acres.

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November Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, November 10
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Jelene, 2521 Eastgate Lane

Topics: Proposal for dry cleaning business inside of Sahara Mart, GANG Celebration, City's Peak Oil Task Force Report, and anything else neighbors want to discuss

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, Tom Capshew, John & Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Al & Kathy Ruesink, Georgia Schaich, Jane Spearman, Kimberly Wagner
Guests: Young Bae (Spring Cleaners) and Rachel Johnson (City of Bloomington Planning)

Dry Cleaning Proposal
Young shared with neighbors her interest in opening a pick-up/drop off branch of Spring Cleaners inside Sahara Mart East. It would occupy about 1,000 square feet of front (south) part of the Sahara Mart building. It would have a seperate entrance, which is already located appropriately. Rachel explained that this would require Young to request a parking variance (due to fewer spots than city deems necessary); Sahara Mart is already approved for a parking variance. Neighbors asked questions about the business, including proposed hours, number of employees, and sustainable/green practices. After discussion, neighbors present agreed that Young's prosal would be fine. Jane will send a note of approval to Rachel for Young's variance petition, in case it is needed.

Dues
Georgia collected dues from members. Georgia will get all dues together for Jane to deposit into the GANA account. A dues report will be provided at the December meeting.

GANG Celebration
Ann reported that the GANG celebration went well. Mostly the usual, wonderful faces, but some new folks too. The garden was sucessful put to bed and one complete year of community gardening was heralded by the group. Ann was really please with the number of people (11) who volunteered to canvas the neighborhood with flyers about the celebration. Kudos to everyone involved!

Other News
* Ann will give a talk on Transition Town Bloomington and the Peak Oil Task Force report at the November CONA meeting (11/18, 7pm, City Hall). Ann would like someone to give this talk at the next GANA meeting.
* Meteor Shower - Leonids meteor shower should take place on November 17.

The December meeting will be Tuesday, December 12; kindly hosted by Ann Kreilkamp, 134 N Overhill.

respectfull submitted by me

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Green Acres Celebration - Bedtime for the Garden

(click image for full size flyer)

GANA would like to thank the volunteers that helped distribute the flyer for this event to the entire neighborhood. Thank you to Valerie and five of her children, Georgia, Jelene, Emily, Nathan, Megan, Jane, and Colin!

To find out how the celebration went, check out Ann's blog.

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 10.25.09

To see the current listing of homes for sale in Green Acres, follow this link.

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GANG - Workshop #8

"Extending the Growing Season"

Ann and I were both absent from this workshop. Fortunately, Megan does a great job sharing the details of the day on her blog post. Participants in this workshop built hoop houses and cold frame boxes to extend the growing season, so even after we put most of the garden to bed, we will still have some foods emerging! Speaking of which, GANA will be sponsoring a celebration - part work party and part harvest dinner - to put most of the GANG to rest for the season. Details will be announced soon!

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October Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, October 13
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Kevin & Kimberly, 2621 E. Edwards Row

Topics: Dues collection, bypass expansion, Neighborhood Improvement Grants, neighborhood fun, and anything else we want to discuss

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, Valerie Cox, John & Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Georgia Schaich, Jane Spearman

Before we began the meeting, neighbors enjoyed some good food and great conversation. Especially nice was the hot cider provided by Kimberly and Kevin. Yum!

Dues
Georgia collected GANA dues from neighbors. We will provide a final dues tally at the next meeting.

Bypass
The bypass expansion has been delayed at least until spring. Neighbors asked about the contacts for the bypass issue and a reminder of the various means of sharing information about the bypass. Jane will send an email after the meeting with the contacts and information. Jelene shared an article from the H-T; the article details the top ten crash prone intersections in Monroe County, three of which are on the bypass. Ann suggested that someone should write a letter about this. Jane agreed to write the letter.

GANG
It is time to put the garden to bed and Ann wants to have a work party and harvest dinner. We decided on Saturday, November 7. Ann shared some flier ideas. Kevin reminded Ann that we have an account at White Rabbit. Ann will finalize the flier and several of us will help distribute them closer to the date.

Ann said we need to get more people eating from the garden. There was plenty of food this year and not enough people enjoying its bounty. Spreading the word to the students and reminding the permanent residents will help.

The final workshop of 2009 is Saturday, October 24. We will be learning about ways to extend the growing season. More details are at this link.

Follow Up
The home on 8th Street that appears to be abandoned and falling apart was given until the end of September to repair the home or seal it. Here is the information provided by HAND about the property:
"Under the Unsafe Building law, the city has three remedies for buildings that are falling into a state of disrepair: 1) Orders to Seal; 2) Orders to Repair; and/or 3) Orders to Remove. Which one we select is based on a lot of factors, including state law. For simplicity sake, if a property is in a state of disrepair, but is structurally sound and can be sealed against the elements and unauthorized entry, we do Orders to Seal. That is the most common unsafe order done by HAND. In this particular instance, the owner received Orders to Remove or Seal – giving the property owner the choice. He chose to seal the property. Neighborhood Compliance Officer Michael Arnold verified on September 10th that the property had been sealed. We will conduct periodic drive-bys to make sure that the property remains sealed.
So, what this means is that the property can remain unattractive as long as it is sealed up. I know that this is not what the neighborhood had hoped would be the resolution, but this is really what we can do within the bounds of the law. If you see any activity in the house, please contact the Bloomington Police Department. If it seems urgent, please call 911. If it does not appear urgent, the non-emergency dispatch number is 339-4477. If you notice that the property has become unsealed (someone breaks in a window or door), please contact HAND."
Neighbors commented on seeing open areas in the home still. If that is the case, they should contact HAND.

Odds & Ends
* A different home on 8th Street was seen having a street sign, complete with GANA topper, in the front window of their home. This was reported to HAND and they contacted the police. The sign is no longer in the residence.
* Regional Neighborhood Network Conference - Ann and Jane, along with Prospect Hill Neighbor Sarah, attended the 2009 RNNC in Decatur, Illinois. Jane and Ann shared their experience with the group.
* Wireless Internet for the Green Acres - Ann shared an idea for getting a group wireless access point in the neighborhood. Perhaps a service provider would be interested in doing this. The fee could be paid by those wanting to use the service and would be significantly cheaper than individual accounts. This might be something of interest to the students as well.
* Jane is working on making contacts with the group home in the neighborhood and getting the folks involved in our activities.
* Georgia is working on the Tri-Ad Friendly Visitor Program. The program is targeted at home-bound individuals who would benefit from a weekly visit. If you could use this service, or know someone who could, email us and we will put you in contact with the group.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 10 beginning at 6:30pm, kindly hosted by Jelene 2521 Eastgate Lane.

Respectfully submitted by me!

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 10.4.09

To see the most recent listing of homes for sale in Green Acres, follow this link.

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GANG News 10.1.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 10.1.09
We used this week to pull up the grass at the edges of the fence and in the front corner of the garden. It is going to seed and will easily spread to the beds. Preventing this will make weeding the beds easier in the coming year. We shared stories and happenings with each other as we worked and were continuously joined by new faces throughout the hour. It was a great time; when spending time in good company you don't even notice that you are working. A very natural sharing of space and time occurs that is really wonderful.

Outside of the Hour
The seventh workshop, "Preserving the Harvest:Canning, Drying, and Fermentation," took place on Saturday, September 26. Follow this link for pictures and information from the workshop.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help putting the garden down for the season; various work days will be planned and announced on the GANA email list (email greenacresneighborhood@gmail.com)
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* leaves, leaves, and more leaves to feed and protect the beds throughout fall and winter
* compost and mulch materials
* buckets

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A Lovely Brunch

Today, Jessie & her mom, Diane, hosted a potluck brunch for friends and neighbors. Since it was Lotus weekend, we all shared out stories from the festivities. Everyone heard musical acts they liked and we found out that there is (or was) a marching band in Green Acres who performed at Lotus. We enjoyed viewing Diane's art displayed throughout the house and sharing each other's company. Thanks to Jessie for hosting this fun & sunny brunch!

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GANG - Workshop #7

"Preserving the Harvest: Canning, Drying, and Fermentation"

We spent most of the morning watching a slide show and discussing the various techniques for preserving foods. Several of the methods are low or no energy and one of them actually enhances the nutritional/health value of the food (fermentation). After we learned, we got to work in the kitchen. Preparing vegetables and fruits for drying, fermenting, vinegar preserving, and canning. Many foods lend themselves to several methods of preservation, so there are many options for each person's preferences. Check out Ann's blog for additional photos and details.

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GANG News 9.24.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 9.24.09
We were rained out this week. Some usual volunteers used this time to learn more about sustainable gardening and to begin dreaming about next year's crops.

Outside of the Hour
The seventh workshop, "Preserving the Harvest:Canning, Drying, and Fermentation," will take place on Saturday, September 26. A few spots are still available, so send an email to arkcrone@gmail.com if you would like to join. Follow this link for more details on the workshop.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help putting the garden down for the season; various work days will be planned and announced on the GANA email list (email greenacresneighborhood@gmail.com)
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* leaves, leaves, and more leaves to feed and protect the beds throughout fall and winter
* compost and mulch materials
* buckets

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GANG News 9.17.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 9.17.09
No official volunteer hour was held this week so that Green Acres neighbors could attend the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference in Decatur, IL.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help putting the garden down for the season; various work days will be planned and announced on the GANA email list (email greenacresneighborhood@gmail.com)
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* leaves, leaves, and more leaves to feed and protect the beds throughout fall and winter
* compost and mulch materials
* buckets

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 9.13.09

Follow this link to see the latest listing of homes for sale in Green Acres. Cheers!

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GANG News 9.10.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 9.10.09
No official volunteer hour was held this week so that Green Acres neighbors could attend the City's 10th Street Mobility Project Study.

Outside the Hour
Ann penned this thoughtful and inspiring piece for her blog. Give it a read!

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

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September Meeting and Potluck

Date: Tuesday, September 8
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by John and Jessica Gaus, 2638 E Dekist

Topics: Bypass expansion (meeting held at home that borders the bypass), use variance petition, neighborhood fun

Neighbors: Megan Assaf, Jelene Campbell, Tom Capshew, Colin Cudmore, John & Jessica Gaus, Nathan and Lulu Harman, Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Al Ruesink, Jane Spearman, Kimberly Wagner

Update on Use Variance Petition
Tom filled the group in on the withdrawl of the use variance petition. There were several factors that led to this decision, chief among them was the cost of the city required property upgrades (sidewalks, paved driveway, curbs, etc.) and that there are deed restrictions on the Green Acres Covenant. These restrictions do not allow for a residential property to be used as a business. Doing so would open up the property to lawsuits from other Green Acres neighbors.

Bypass
The meeting was held at a home bordering the bypass. Neighbors toured the yard area that abuts the SR45/46 and the sounds from the bypass dominated the conversation. Jelene offered to make audio recordings of the sound level from this property. We will try and post them on the blog. Jane reminded people of the various methods of sharing info about the bypass project (see this post for info). Ann stressed the importance of writing letters to the editor to keep this issue in the community discussion. The group decided it might be a good idea to do a petition or maybe GANA statement that we can send to the city, the chamber, IU, INDOT and other groups we think need to hear our concerns - Jane will start a rough draft and send out for fine-tuning.

Neighborly Fun/Welcoming New Neighbors
The group discussed ideas for neighborhood fun. We decided it would be too late in the season for an ice cream social. Other ideas include a harvest pie social, a battle of the bands, and several small block parties. Nathan has met some of the other musicians in Green Acres and he will see if there is interest in the battle of the bands. Jane passed out some GANA contact cards (card containing logo, email, and website) and encouraged folks to give these to new neighbors. They make it easy to say hi and share information about the neighborhood.

Neighborhood Dues
Al asked about dues. Jane will check with Georgia to get the details.

Next Potluck and Meeting will be Tuesday, October 13, potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow, location is currently TBA

respectfully submitted by me

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GANG News 9.3.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 9.3.09
Volunteers checked the general condition of plants; harvested cucumbers, red cabbage, pumpkin, beets, greens, tomatoes, and ground cherries; checked the fish and pond life; watered the beds.

Outside the Hour
Tom and Kevin continued finalizing plans for the storage of the GANG tools.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

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GANG News 8.27.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 8.27.09
Volunteers checked the general condition of plants; harvested cucumbers, greens, tomatoes, and ground cherries; and sprayed the plants with seaweed (plant food).

Outside the Hour
On 8/22, the workshop "Drought and Stress-Proofing Your Home and Garden" took place. Visit this link, to see details and photos of the day.
On 8/25, Jane and Ann planted leaf lettuce and kale, for fall harvest.


Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

Update on the Use Variance Petition

The Use Variance Petition submitted by Tom C. and Ann K. has been withdrawn. If you have any questions, you may contact Tom at 812-219-6734.

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 8.23.09

Follow this link to the see the latest listing of homes for sale in Green Acres.

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GANG - Workshop #6

This workshop was a full-day class on permaculture. We learned, and learned, and then learned some more. Keith's extensive slideshow led the day, along with discussions amongst the participants and specific questions relating to each persons own unique microclimate. After lunch, we took a tour of some Green Acres homes to talk about permaculture applications for various yards. It is amazing how easy it can be once you become attuned to the specific needs and abilities of your home and landscape. Check out Ann's blog for more details and pictures.

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GANG News 8.20.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 8.20.09
Volunteers checked the general condition of plants; harvested cucumbers, greens, tomatoes, and ground cherries; and planted several seedlings for fall harvest. During the hour, several new neighbors stopped by to learn more about the garden and how to get involved. Keep spreading the word about the garden to your neighbors, it is for all of us to work in and enjoy from.

Outside the Hour
GANG Workshop, "Drought- and Stress-proofing Your Home and Garden," is next Saturday, 8/22/09. You can find more info, including how to sign up, at this link.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

GANG News 8.13.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 8.13.09
Volunteers checked the general condition of plants; harvested cucumbers, greens, tomatoes, and ground cherries; watered the beds, created little poles for the pole beans to climb; and worked on weeding. During the hour, we were treated by a visit from neighbors with their child and friends of theirs and their children. It was great to see neighbors being ambassadors to the garden and to see the children playing about the garden, observing and learning about what is going on.

Outside the Hour
GANG Workshop, "Drought- and Stress-proofing Your Home and Garden," is next Saturday, 8/22/09. You can find more info, including how to sign up, at this link.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* volunteers to help plan and implement the garden for future seasons
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

August GANA Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Ann K., 134 N. Overhill

Topics: Use Variance petition, bypass expansion, neighborhood fun

Neighbors Present: Megan Assaf, Jelene Campbell, Tom Capshew, Valerie Cox, John & Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Yusuf Nur, Kevin Polk, Jane Spearman, Kimberly Wagner
Gues: Rachel Johnson, City of Bloomington Planning Office

Use Variance Petition
The meeting began with a tour of 2601 E Dekist, the site of the proposed Center for Healing and Community (CHC). The garden fence and the CHC require variance approval. Tom gave an overview of the process. Follow this link to the blog post containing a message from Tom and links to the variance petition and proposed floor plan. Rachel is helping Tom and Ann on their petition and explained the process from Planning's point of view. There are several potential issues in granting this variance, including the need (expense) of putting in a sidewalk and the fact that the variance would be in perpetuity. If you would like to write a letter of support, please send it to Rachel Johnson (johnsor@bloomington.in.gov); Rachel will include letters of support in the variance packet given to the Planning Commission. The Planning hearing is August 31, so get your letters to Rachel at least 3 days prior.

Bypass
Jane reminded everyone of the bypass email list and Facebook group; follow this link for the blog post with info on how to join and also, info on the blog that was put together after this meeting. We are to understand currently that INDOT is waiting on feedback from the City and IU regarding concerns with the bypass design. INDOT does not want to meet with the public until these changes have been incorporated (or rejected) so as to not meet about a plan that may not be the actual, final plan.
John got copies of portions (it is a 200+ page doc) of the plan, as it currently stands, that are most relevant to our neighborhood; these plans were passed around the meeting. John and Jessica would like to host the September meeting at their house. They live on the dead end of Dekist and would like other neighbors to experience the sound level of the bypass when school is in full swing.

Ice Cream Social
Everyone agreed that we would like to have an ice cream social. GANA has had one the past few years, and even though we didn't win the Edy's contest, we would still like to do this. Jelene and her band would be willing to play and so Jelene will get back with some dates that will work and we will select a date from there.

Newsletter
Jane would like to create a newsletter for distribution. The idea would be send it to the email list and more importantly, to canvas the neighborhood to let new neighbors know what is going on and how to get involved. Jane will explore the City's assistance for newsletters and Kevin said some funds for advertising that were part of the Small & Simple Grant we received. Tom offered assistance in creating the newsletter. If you have anything you want to see in the newsletter, let us know.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 8, kindly hosted by John and Jessica Gaus, 2638 E Dekist; potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow.

Respectfully submitted by me!

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Use Variance Petition for GANG and CHC

Tom Capshew, a soon-to-be Green Acres neighbor, together with Ann Kreilkamp, as owner, have filed a Petition for Use Variance with the City of Bloomington to allow for the use of the yard at 2601 E. Dekist St. to be used as the Green Acres Neighborhood Garden (GANG) and the house at the same address to be used as a Center for Healing and Community (CHC). The Petition will be heard by the Plan Commission on August 31 and the Board of Zoning Appeals on September 24, 2009. If you have specific questions or concerns, you are welcome to call Tom Capshew at 812.219.6734.

Link to the petition: http://docs.google.com/View?id=d3k9sk9_52fzhpzxfs
Link to floor plans: http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=d3k9sk9_53dhsn6hgq

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Bypass Email List, Blog, and Facebook Group

Get involved with the coalition of neighborhoods and concerned citizens as we join together to oppose the bypass, especially as it is currently planned. Ask questions, share ideas for action, and find out ways to join together to make our voices heard.

To join the email list, send a message to bypass+subscribe@b-top.org

To read the blog, follow this link http://b-top.org/blog/

To join the Facebook group "Bloomington Residents Opposed to the Bypass Project", follow this link http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=109141005676.

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GANG News 8.6.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 7.30.09
Tri-pods were created out of bamboo poles and used to tie up burgeoning tomato plants. Beds were weeded, seedlings and recent plantings were checked for progress, watermelons formation was observed, plants were watered and merriment was had by all. Volunteers took home a variety of plants - flowers to display indoors (from some broken plants), greens, ground cherries,tomatoes, and herbs among others.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* ideas for compost bin creation and location, as well as materials to create the bins
* ideas for the future of the garden - what we can do for it and what it can do for us and the community
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

Send an email to greenacresneighborhood@gmail.com for more info and to share ideas & materials.

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 8.2.09

Follow this link to see the homes currently for sale in Green Acres Neighborhood.

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GANG News 7.30.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 7.30.09
Volunteers were rained out this week. However, it was discovered that something (later decided to be a deer based on some pretty solid evidence) broke part of the fence at the northwest corner of the garden. Fortunately, the zip ties that hold the fence parts together were broken and not the fence itself. We quickly mended the fence with new zip ties and added a few extra for good measure.

Outside the Hour
GANG Workshop, "Planning, Prepping, and Planting for the Fall Garden," happened Saturday, 7/25/09. Check out the GANA blog post about the day, which contains a link to Ann's informative and inspiring blog post.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

GANG - Workshop #5

Planning, Prepping, and Planting for the Fall Garden
As you can see from the photo, we will have some yumminess to pick from the garden this fall! We made our own seedling mix, prepared seedling beds, direct sowed other seeds, and we even found time to work on staining the ferrocement fence. Check out Ann's blog for great details on the workshop including Keith's recipe for the seedling soil mix.

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GANG News 7.23.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 7.23.09
Volunteers weeded the beds, used leftover fencing to create a cage for a very large tomato plant, watered the thirsty plants, fed the undernourished plants, and harvested some tomatoes, lambs quarter, and chard.

Outside the Hour
GANG Workshop, "Planning, Prepping, and Planting for the Fall Garden," is this Saturday, 7/25/09. Additional info at this link.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* vegetables and herb plants for the beds
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

GANG News 7.16.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 7.16.09
There were two special visitors to the garden for this week's volunteer hour - Christie and Marino. Marino, a brother of a Green Acres neighbor, is visiting from Spain where he is an organic farmer. Christie is a college roommate of Ann's and is a Agricultural Economics professor who has done work in Africa. What a wonderful pair to have in the garden!
Volunteers cut and lay carpet for the aisles, weeded the beds, treated the tomatoes with phosphate (too much nitrogen, not enough phosphate for tomatoes to flourish), watered the thirsty plants, and repaired squash borer damage (remove and eliminate borers, bandage plant with tin foil) on the squash plants.

Outside the Hour
On Friday morning (7/10) Tom and Ann met with Nicole Schonemann and Andrew Libby of the IU Office of Service Learning, along with Melissa Clark of SPEA to discuss as possible semester-long sustainabiity project with the GANG and a new 400-level class she will teach next spring.

On Friday (7/10) afternoon, Kevin and Tom met to look at tools to order for the GANG and to decide how to design the toolshed for them.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* vegetables and herb plants for the beds
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

July Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, July 14th
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Jane S., 2611 E. 5th

Topics: bypass expansion, GANG update, neighborhood fun

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, Tom Capshew, John & Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Marino Lucas-Lledo, Jen Naylor, Yusuf Nur, Kevin Polk, Jessie Rome, Al & Kathy Ruesink, Jane Spearman, Kimberly Wagner, Katie Zukof

New & Announcements
* Katie placed around flier for "Dine Local Week"; each day different restaurants will have a local special, proceeds from which will got to support the Local Growers Guild.
* Ann shared updates from the garden: Tom & Kevin are ordering the tools and working on a system of storage and labeling that will keep the tools safely at the garden (this is a condition of the grant and just a good practice as well); Tom is building a picnic table for the garden; the garden needs compost bins, but it still being determined what type(s) will work best in the space.
* Tom talked about plans for the Dekist house (house that shares the property with the garden). The plans are to use this space as a Center for Healing and Community. Tom would live in one of the bedrooms and the rest of the residence would be used as cooperative space; meaning it will be for both producers and consumers. Rooms could be used for meetings, classes, movie showings, and much more. The Center would require variances and Tom is working on that. The plan goes before Zoning in August and Planning in September. Tom needs folks to write letters of support for this project. If you would like to write a letter of support, let us know.

Bypass Expansion Project
Neighbors spent some time discussing what they have heard about the project. Most of us have heard that the project is going to happen and that it is too late to stop it. We agreed that if this is true, we would do better to focus our efforts on trying to make changes to the plan. Some of things that we might be able to change include buffering and crosswalks, both of which would help protect pedestrians and cyclists. Jane discussed the recent timeline of neighborhood involvement in the project; timeline is at this link. Neighors are concerned about several issues including: environmental impact (impact study doen 20 years ago), drainage/runoff issues (at one time, the plan included routing drainage through the neighborhood), increased traffic (the plan includes right turn only into and out of the Eastgate Lane entrance) and traffic noise (no sounds dampening walls in the plan), pedestrian and cyclist safety (underpass at 7th is still in the plan). The plan is available at the City's Engineering Division; they recommend calling ahead before you visit, contact info at this link. Ann called Tim Mayer (At-Large Representative on the City Council and Green Acres neighbor) during the meeting and shared our concerns. Tim will be back in contact within 2 days.
Action Plan:
* Al will talk with Mike Satterfield (District III Representative on City Council and Park Ridge East neighbor)
* Jane will contact Matlock Heights neighbors (other neighborhood that borders the bypass)
* Jelene will contact Park Ridge neighbors
* Jessie will lead a letters to the editor project. Al & Tom volunteered to help fact check letters (not a good idea to gain support with bad info). Jessie will solicit letters via the GANA email list.
* Jane will prepare and send a list of contacts, as well as a timeline of recent bypass events, to the GANA email list.
* Neighbors will share information and calls to action via the GANA email list.

We ran out of time talking about the bypass and didn't get to discuss neighborhood fun. In the meantime, think about what type of fun events you would like to see take place in Green Acres and bring those ideas to the August meeting.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 11; kindly hosted by Ann K. 134 N. Overhill. Potluck begins at 6:30 with meeting to follow.

Respectfully submitted by me.

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 7.12.09

To see the most recent listing of homes for sale in Green Acres, follow this link.

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GANG News 7.9.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of this week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 7.9.09
We planted 70 bush bean plants and continued weeding beds.

Outside the Hour
On Friday 7.3.09 we completed planting willows outside the fence.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* vegetables and herb plants for the beds
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

GANG News 7.2.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of the past week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 7.2.09
We created cages for the tomatoes using bamboo poles and string; this should keep the plants off the ground and allow them to grow better. We planted more willows along the outside of the fence; as they start to grow, they can be woven into the fence. We planted a beet bed at the end of bed one. We watered the new plants.

Outside the Hour
On Wednesday, July 1st several neighbors and friends gathered in the afternoon to complete the ferrocement fence. After the fence, they planted more vegetables in the beds and began planting willows on the outside of the fence.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* vegetables and herb plants for the beds
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

GANG - Workshop #4

Over the weekend, we worked on fencing the garden in and fencing the deer out. Additional details in the full post.

We made a fence at the front corner of the garden using the ferrocement technique and then used an open fencing for the remainder. The ferrocement fence provides a nice balance to the corner opposite the pond and the open fencing allows passerbys to see what is happening in the garden. Hooks were embedded in the ferrocement fence to hold the future GANG signs! We thought of ways to use the open fence; we could put climbing plants on both sides, we could hang neighborhood art, we could post announcements and much more. It was fun to envision the many uses of our neighborhod space, both inside and outside the garden. Check out Ann's blog for a much better description of the day's events! If you can't make the workshops, you can join us for the weekly volunteer hour, Thursdays from 5:30-6:30pm.

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GANG News 6.25.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of this week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 6.25.09
We transplanted tomato plants from their location at the end of bed one, to a more soily area in bed two, which should help them thrive. We also continued to weed the beds and discuss plans for next year's beds that will eliminate (or greatly reduce) this particular need. We discussed the bypass project and the meetings held this week to address it (hint: coming to the GANG volunteer hour helps you keep on top of juicy neighborhood news). At the end of the hour, we took home some fabulous greens - mesclun, lambs quarter, and chard; makes a tasty reward for a little bit of work!

Outside the Hour
Tom C., a new Green Acres neighbor who will be moving into 2601 DeKist Street in August, has volunteered to build the toolshed for the new tools that GANA will purchase thanks to Kevin's successful grant application to HAND. Kevin will also help design the toolshed to optimize security and tool retention. Ann K. has volunteered to finance the materials for this project.

Tom has also volunteered to design and build a picnic table that we will place near the pond under the shade for community use. We would love help in both purchasing the materials for this project as well as doing the actual carpentry from our GANA neighbors.

We will be putting up fence's in the garden this weekend for June's workshop. Details are here.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* vegetables and herb plants for the beds
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

Green Acres Real Estate Update - 6.21.09

Follow this link to see a current listing of the homes for sale in Green Acres.

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GANG News 6.18.09

Welcome to this week's GANG News post!

Details of this week's efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 6.18.09
We cut and lay carpet scraps for the aisles between the beds and we continued weeding the beds. We checked the plants for growth and general health; some plants were pruned and some were feed to address possible issues. We welcomed some new faces and enjoyed talking together as we worked.

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - designing, materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* vegetables and herb plants for the beds
* compost and other mulch materials
* buckets

View full story>>

GANA wins small and simple grant!

Good news! I just found out today that Bloomington's Small and Simple grant program will help us buy tools for the Green Acres Neighborhood Garden (GANG).

If you have attended the monthly GANG workshops, it may appear that tools just (ahem) grow on trees. In reality, instructor Keith Johnson has lugged wheelbarrows, shovels and myriad other tools to class from his urban homestead each time. Problem is, we need the tools much more than once a month, and we'll need them season after season to come.

That's why Ann has committed to building a tool shed at the GANG site by August 1. The City is chipping in for the tools themselves, and GANA will secure and maintain them. So as we approach harvest time, we'll have the carts, shovels, forks, shears, and other tools needed to prep and maintain the garden through Fall and Winter.

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GANG News #1

Welcome to the first GANG News post! Our plan is to update the blog weekly with what is going on in the garden.

Details of this weeks efforts, how to volunteer, and the current wishlist follow. Enjoy!

GANG Group Volunteer Hour 6.11.09
We identfied the plants in the beds, worked on weeding the beds, and planted some new foods.

Bed Inventory (Beds numbered by proximity to the pond, plants listed from west to east)
Bed 1 - Berry plant (1)(not sure what type yet), green leaf lettuce(32), caraway (7), marjoram (2), oregano (2), dill (3), carrots (1), sunflowers (3), several varities of tomatoes (17), basil (9), and some surprise plants (9).
Bed 2 - brassica (6), red chard (2), giant lambs quarter (3), green chard (4), brassica (2), collard green (1), green chard (8), red chard (4), red coxcomb (1), yellow coxcomb (2), heirloom tomatoes (2), giant lambs quarter (1), berry (1)(not sure what type yet)
Bed 3 - green leaf lettuce (lots), red leaf lettuce (6), cauliflower (6), brassica (6), tomato (1), potato (5), mizuna (8), leeks (lots), berry (1)(not sure what kind yet), tomato (1), pumpkin (4)

New Plants (all in middle of bed 2)
We planted - cucumber (14), beets (15), carrots (16)

Pond - the koi have new friends, about 100 tadpoles

Why & How to Volunteer
We invite all neighbors to join us at the GANG. By volunteering you can earn shares of the gardens bounty; shares earned are based on volunteer hours. There is a weekly group volunteer hour Thursdays from 5:30pm-6:30pm, but you are welcome to volunteer anytime. There is volunteer log we use to track volunteer hours and what work was done during your time. The volunteer log (white binder) is located on Ann's porch, 134 N. Overhill.

GANG Wishlist
* help with weeding the beds; be careful not to distrub the small areas where the hay has been pulled back, these are the areas with new plants; put pulled weeds in the pile against the fence
* plastic blind slats (we will cut them up and use them to label plants in the beds)
* picnic table - designing, materials for, and/or labor to create
* water plants for the pond
* ornamental plants for the areas around the pond and the front area of the garden
* vegetables and herb plants for the beds

View full story>>

June GANA Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, June 9th
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Ann K., 134 N. Overhill

Topics: Ann K.'s Award and Blooming Neighbors, discussion of our neighborhood plan and how to move forward with our objectives, news & announcements

Neighbors: Jelene Campbell, John & Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Al & Kathy Ruesink, Georgia Schaich, Erik Schedler, Jane Spearman, Kimberly Wagner, Katie Zukof
Special Guests: City of Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development staff, Vickie Provine and Bob Wolford

Ann Award & Blooming Neighbors
We discussed Green Acres' participation in the Blooming Neighbors Celebration on June 6th and Ann's Certificate of Recognition in the HAND Neighbor of the Year category. Ann's award was passed around and neighbors gave Ann a round of applause for her accomplishments. Check out the blog post with pics of Green Acres' table and Ann receiving her award.

Neighborhood Plan (link to plan, pages 21-28 were discussed)
Vickie introduced Bob Wolford, who was able to step in for Nate Nickels (City Planning). Everyone thanked Bob for taking the time to join us in Nate's stead. Vickie read through our plan item by item and neighbors talked about the progress on goals and items of concern. Highlights include:
* drainage issues at Clark & 5th and Hillsdale & 5th, Vickie will report these issues; neighbors also shared their disappoint in the way the street and drainage project on east fifth did not follow more sensible, environmentally beneficial plans
* seemingly abandoned house on 8th & Clark; Vickie will report to HAND
* 3rd street sidewalk - neighbors are interested in seeing work begin on extending the sidewalk along the entire north side of E. Third Street; Bob reports that this is in the works and has city support, but neighbors should still speak with planning and their council persons to show the eagerness of the neighborhood to see this project move along
* Bypass - neighbors would like to see the plan (Vickie mentioned that City Hall should have one as should Planning, MPO, and IU Architect's Office); there is some possible action needed soon that might postpone the start of the widening project and neighbors could be needed to mobolize quickly on this issue; updates will be shared via the email list (to join, send us an email)
* Painting signal box at 3rd and Hillsdale - neighbors were curious what it would take to get the okay to paint the signal boxes, Vickie suggests contacting Miah Michaelson to discuss
* Signs - we discussed sign ordinances, both for neighborhood markers and for the GANG, it is likely that the sign for the garden will need a variance, so Vickie suggests that we talk with planning
* energy usage - neighbors discussed ideas for addressing energy usage in the neighborhood, such as carbon cutting workshops and teaching neighbors how to determine their energy usage

Vickie announced that the fall 2009 Citizen's Academy course had only 3 spots left. Jane will email the list right after the meeting about this opportunity.

Ann is working on plans for the home next to the garden. She would like to use it as a Healing and Community Center and is finding out about the variances needed to do this. The space could be used for neighborhood gatherings, movie nights, workshops; Ann would also like to have an artists space for more individual work and the garage would be available for use as a workshop to learn sustainable skills.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, July 14 hosted by Jane Spearman, 2611 E 5th; potluck begins at 6:30 with meeting to follow

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Blooming Neighborhoods Celebration Weekend

Ann K. receiving her award

On Friday, June 5th, Jim Diers' gave a presentation on community building. Green Acres won a HAND goody bag (complete with a copy of Jim's book) for having the most neighbors in attendance!

On Saturday, June 6th, the participating neighborhoods set up tables to display neighborhood information. This occured at Farmer's Market and during this time, the neighborhood awards were given. Our own Ann K. received a Certificate of Recognition in the HAND Neighbor of the Year category.

Thanks to all the neighbors who helped create and staff our table, and to those who came to cheer for Ann. Thanks also to Ann for making the neighborhood garden a reality and giving us something to cheer about! More pictures from the day are in the full post.

To see broadcasts of Jim's presentation, check the CATS schedule at this link.

Kevin P., Kimberly W., and Jane S. at the GANA table
Ann K. receiving her award
Jane S. and Roxy at the conclusion of Blooming Neighbors

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 5.31.09

Click here to see the listing of homes for sale in Green Acres.

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GANG - Workshop #3

The Lasagna Style No Dig Instant Garden - how great is that!

We planted, and planted, and planted some more. Vegetables, herbs, edible flowers annd ornamental plants. First though, we made the beds which consisted of stacks of materials that will break down and feed the plants on top - cardboard, newspapers, sticks and twigs (great sources of water as they break down), grass clippings, and hay all make great bed layers.

If you have plants to donate - food plants, water plants, or decorative plants, please email greenacresneighborhood@gmail.com to make arrangements for your donations!

Check out Ann's blog for greater detail and more pictures from Workshop #3.

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5th Annual Plant Share

More photos and event details in the full post.





Event Details
Jelene Campbell will be hosting the fifth annual Green Acres
Neighborhood plant share in her front yard (2521 Eastgate Lane) on
Saturday, May 16, from 9-11 am. This is a FREE event! In case of rain, plants will be in the garage behind her house.

Need plants? Here's a great way to get day lilies, tomatoes, peppers
and many more for your garden. You don't have to bring anything in
trade (we all have to start somewhere!), and free informational
brochures about gardening will be provided.

Do you have extra seedlings, plant divisions, houseplants, garden
tools, gloves, trays, or other useful garden items to share? Just
bring them to Jelene's between 8 and 9 am on the morning of the plant share. If you need a pickup, contact Jelene (jjcampbe@indiana.edu) a few days before the event. Be sure to put any plants you bring in pots or in bags with the roots wrapped in wet paper towels. Also provide the name of the plant and, if possible, planting and care instructions (e.g. sun/shade, size, color, annual/perennial, season of bloom).

Whether you donate, take, or both, mark your calendar for May 16 and join your neighbors for some gardening fun.

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Mini Neighborhood Cleanup

Last year, we held a huge neighborhood cleanup where the City provided a chipper, hazardous waste truck, dumpster and staff. The City says it won't provide the equipment and personnel two years running, so this year we're going with Plan B: a one-hour mini-cleanup.

Details in the full post.

Schedule
Saturday, May 16
11:00 am - Meet at 2521 Eastgate Lane at the conclusion of the Plant Share. Claim a street or two (we'll provide a map), pick up a blue HAND bag (or two), and fill it up with litter from "your" streets.
12:00 pm - Join us at Green Acres Neighborhood Garden (GANG), NE corner of Overhill and DeKist, for a group photo and refreshments. Bring a full bag,take home a yummy vegan scone.
Afterward- Bring the HAND bag home and put it out with your regular trash later in the week for a free pickup.

Things to Bring:
Garden or work gloves, maybe a whisk broom and a small dust-pan.

Hope to see you there!

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May GANA potluck and meeting

Date: Tuesday, May 12th
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: 2621 E. Edwards Row

Topics: update on the GANG, upcoming plant share and neighborhood clean-up, follow up on April meeting items, and anything else neighbors want to discuss

Neighbors in attendance: Jelene Campbell, Valerie Cox, John & Jessica Gaus, Yusuf Nur, Kevin Polk, Al & Kathy Ruesink, Georgia Schaich, Jane Spearman, and Kimberly Wagner

We had some new neighbors at the potluck, so we shared introductions and learned some new things about each other. Georgia brought a few Green Acres shirts for neighbors who did not have one yet - thanks Georgia!

April follow up
* Al spoke with his contact at IU regarding usage of the Raintree house for GANA gatherings. Raintree house has no bathrooms and there are fire ordinance issues that prevent IU from allowing these types of gatherings at Raintree. Al's contact is looking into the theater annex as a possibility.
* Jane contacted City Planning about DIY GANA signs for yards. No response yet, but this was to be expected since initial contact email sent two days ago.

Projects
* GANG - the second workshop is now complete. Neighbors and friends gathered April 25and 26 to complete the water features at the GANG. Pictures and descriptions are available on the GANA blog and Ann's blog.
Jane passed around a GANG wishlist. Neighbors are encouraged to get involved by donating items, time, design ideas, etc. Contact us if you want to have something to share for the GANG.
Kevin presented the volunteer log book that he created and talked about having a set day once a week that people could gather to socialize and work on the garden. Neighbors agreed that this is a good idea and decided that Wednesdays from 5:30pm - 6:30pm would be Volunteer Day at the GANG. Volunteering is not limited to this hour, so please volunteer whenever you want/can. For folks wanting shares of the GANG harvest, specific volunteer hours must be logged (details still being decided). The volunteer log book will be on Ann's porch, so check the book for an updated wishlist and to log your time in the garden.
* Green Acres table at Blooming Neighborhoods Celebration - Green Acres will again be hosting a table at this event, held this year on June 6th. Georgia and Jane have volunteered to work on the table and anyone else who is interested in working on this project please let us know - help us showcase Green Acres and the wonderful neighbors we have!
* Yard Sale - Natalia (not in attendance) sent an email to the GANA listserv about hosting a GANA yard sale. The response has been minimal and so Natalia is thinking about just donating her items rather than having a yard sale. If you are interested in working on a GANA yard sale, let Natalia know ASAP.
* Fundraiser for GANA - Jelene brought up using a FlowerPower order to raise some funds for Green Acres and neighbors discussed this idea. Usually FlowerPower prices are set so that they get 50% and the neighborhood gets 50%. In order for neighbors to support GANA and still get flowers at a good price, we agreed to offer the bulbs at 60% of the set price, so that the neighborhood would get 10% of anything sold. Jelene will have the order form at the PlantShare. If you can't attend the PlantShare, but want to order bulbs (and support GANA!!!!), contact Jelene.

Upcoming Events
* PlantShare - Jelene reminded everyone that the PlantShare is Saturday, May 16th. Jelene passed around fliers to share with other folks that might be interested in participating.
* Mini cleanup - Kevin reminded everyone about the neighborhood cleanup that will take place following the PlantShare. Kevin will bring maps for teams to select routes. Kevin and Kimberly will have scones for neighbors to exchange for each bag of trash collected. Group photo of trash collected and the trash collectors will take place too, so wear your Green Acres shirts.
* IU Bike Auction - Jane shared fliers about the bike auction that is happening May 16th. Group discussed successes and not-so-successes that they have had with the bike auction.
* B-Line Trail discussion - the City is hosting a coffee discussion about the B-Line Trail (funding, stimulus impact, grand opening, etc), May 14th at Village Deli, 7:30-8:30am.
* David Gohn Band - Jelene's band will perform at Peoples Park on Tuesday, June 2nd from 11:30am - 1:00pm. This performance is sponsored by the City of Bloomington Parks & Rec Department and is part of the ongoing Peoples Park Tuesday Lunch Concert Series.
* Blooming Neighborhoods - this two day event is coming up soon. June 5th is Jim Diers' talk and June 6th is the Neighborhood Awards and Celebration (details of both here). Because GANA signed up to host a table at the Celebration, we won a copy of Mr. Diers' book. Jane is almost finished with the book and will pass it on to Valerie. If you are interested in reading this book, please let us know.

Observations and Concerns
* Georgia noticed an item in the Herald Times Hotline column about For Rent signs and how long they are posted. It seems that some property owners keep these signs in their yards year round, regardless of the current rental status. Georgia thought this might be a good issue for CONA to pursue.
* There is a dilapidated house on 8th street that seems to be violating all kinds of ordinances is becoming quite an eyesore. It was recommended that HAND be contacted to come look at the property and to issue violation notices as appropriate.
* Many neighbors are concerned about the traffic that will be coming through the neighborhood during and after the 45/46 Bypass widening project. Neighbors discussed the history of traffic calming in Green Acres and agreed that we should start talking with City Planning to revisit traffic calming in light of the Bypass.

Next Potluck and Meeting
* Vickie Provine (HAND) and Nate Nickels (City Planning) will be joining us at the June gathering to discuss next steps in fulfilling our neighborhood plan. Jane passed out copies of the plan so neighbors could look it over and come prepared for June. If you were not at the meeting, but want a copy of plan, let us know.
* June's gathering will be Tuesday, June 9 at Ann's (134 N Overhill); potluck begins at 6:30 with meeting to follow.

Respectfully submitted by me!

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 5.10.09

Click this link to view the current listing of homes for sale in Green Acres.

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GANG - Workshop #2

Or as I like to call it "Oh my goodness, we made a pond!!!"

Okay, so we did much more than make a pond. In just two days, April 25 and 26, we also created a bog and more plant beds, we made keyholes in the beds for easier access, we planted some lettuces and berries, we introduced water plants to the pond and so much more. Truly amazing what can be accomplished by a small group of people working together! Ann's blog has many more pictures and details, so check it out (day one and day two).

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Green Acres Real Estate Update - 4.19.09

Click this link to view the current listing of homes for sale in Green Acres.

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April GANA potluck and meeting

Date: Tuesday, April 14th
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm, with meeting to follow
Location: 2611 E 5th Street

Topics: update on GANG workshops, 10th street mobility project, Rogers/Binford traffic, upcoming events of interest, blog content and function, and anything else neighbors want to discuss

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, John & Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Kathy & Al Ruesink, Georgia Schaich, Erik Schedler, Jane Spearman, Kimberly Wagner, Katie Zukof

* Update on GANG - the first workshop went very well, despite rainy conditions. The next workshop will be April 24 and 25 and will be work to complete the pond.
* 10th Street Mobility Study - neighbors discussed ideas and concerns about the area to be studied. Information on the study, public meetings, and a survey can be found here.
* Rogers/Binford traffic issue - neighbors discussed the public meeting that was held at the schools on March 30th and our continued involvement with the issue. The neighborhoods in the affected school district would like the MCCSC school board to form an advisory committee to help study this issue. Neighbors discussed if there was anyone in the neighborhood that would like to serve on this committee if such a committee were assembled. Neighbors present do not have school aged children and as mentioned by many, our school district is University Elementary. If you were not at the meeting, but know someone who would be interested in this outreach opportunity, let us know.
* Blog - neighbors viewed the blog and talked about potential ideas for the site. Jane is working on a calendar of events for the site and is currently working on technical bugs to get this going. Please use and share our blog, http://greenacresneighbors.blogspot.com, and our general purpose email, greenacresneighborhood@gmail.com.
* Plant Share - the date of the plant share has been set for May 16th, details are forthcoming.
* Neighborhood Clean-up - since Green Acres was awarded a Neighborhood Clean-up last year, we are not eligible this year. Several neighbors expressed interest in doing a clean up anyway, albeit on a much smaller scale than what we are able to do with the equipment provided by the city. It was decided that a clean-up would take place following the plant share on May 16th. Details of the clean-up are forthcoming.
* Street sign toppers - John mentioned that several GANA sign toppers are missing. Kevin will give toppers to the city's Public Works department for reposting.
* Meeting space - John asked why we weren't using IU buildings in the neighborhood for our monthly potluck and meeting. Neighbors discussed ideas on meeting space from previous meetings and the benefits and risks of each. Al has agreed to talk with a contact at IU about using the Raintree House or the theater annex for this purpose.
* Signs at neighborhood entrances - John asked why nothing had come of this yet, based on conversations at previous meetings. Neighbors discussed the types of grants available for this type of project and that the deadlines for some of grants for this year had already passed. For the meantime, Jane brought up the idea of DIY signs that neighbors could post in their own yards if they chose. It was suggested that there might be city ordinances that could affect this possibility; Jane will look into the ordinances adressing yard signs.
* Blooming Neighborhood Awards - Green Acres has signed up to host a table at the awards celebration on June 6. Because Green Acres was one of the first neighborhoods to sign up, we were rewarded with a goodie bag from HAND. This bag contains materials for use in organizing and celebrating neighborhood events; it also contained a copy of the Jim Dier's book, "Neighbor Power: Building Community the Seattle Way." Jim will share his insights on June 5. Details of both events are here. Jane is currently reading the book; neighbors interested in being next in line can let us know.
* Upcoming City and IU Events of Interest:
Hazards in the Home - presented by Janet McCabe, Executive Director of Indiana
Kids Environment (IKE); Wedensday, April 15 at 7pm, McCluskey Room of City Hall,
sponsored by CONA.
Be More Awards - April 21st, 7pm at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater
IU Electronic Waste Recycling - May 2nd, 9a - 2p, Memorial Stadium parking lot. This is a great opporunity to dispose of your electronics in a safe, environmentally sound way and at no cost. Share this opportunity with everyone you know who would be interested.
* May potluck and meeting - the May gathering will be Tuesday, May 12th and will be hosted by Kevin and Kimberly, 2621 E Edwards Row

Respectfully submitted by me

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