August GANA Potluck & Meeting

Date: Tuesday, August 17 (rescheduled from Tuesday, August 10)
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Green Acres Neighborhood Garden, 2601 Dekist

Neighbors Present: Al, Kathy, Jelene, Ann, Colin, Jessica, John

Neighbors enjoyed some great foods from the GANG and a private neighbor garden. Yum!
A representative of B-Top came and taped the group talking about the bypass. The city is offering an Ice Cream Social grant and the group decided it was a good idea. They settled on Sunday, September 12 for the date. More details coming soon.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 14. Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow, kindly hosted by Al & Kathy 2605 E 5th.

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July Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, July 13
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Jelene's home, 2521 Eastgate Lane

Neighbors Present: Jelene, John & Jessica, Ann, and Mary

There was no pressing GANA business and so the neighbors passed a pleasant evening enjoying great food and each other's company.

The next meeting is Tuesday, August 10. Potluck begins at 6:30 with meeting to follow. Location is currently TBA.

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June Potluck and Meeting

Many of our regular attendees were out of town, so we decided to have an informal gathering in the Green Acres Neighborhood Garden. We will return to our usual potluck and meeting format in July. More pictures from the June gathering are in the full post.

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May GANG Meeting and Potluck

Date: Tuesday, May 11
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm, with meeting to follow
Location: Ann's house, 134 N Overhill

Topics: Project Updates, Upcoming Events, and anything else neighbors want to discuss

Neighbors Present: Ann, Al & Kathy, Jane, Alfio, Asiri, Mano, and Kacey

Kids! - We were happy to welcome three Green Acres children to our meeting. Kids have been come to meetings from time to time and it is always wonderful to have the participation of neighborhood youth. We hope this is a trend that will continue. Parents - if you have hesitated to come to a meeting because you weren't sure what to do with your kids during that time - please come and bring the family with you!

Noise concern revisited - our noise issue discussed last month continues, although the neighbors close to the home report that some progress is being made. Efforts to have no parking signs installed are paying off, but they are not always being properly enforced. Neighbors report that they have been told by City Parking Enforcement that they are not responsible for patrolling the area for parking violations. Ann was able to track down a potential contact for one of the noisy homes. Jane reminded the neighbors to speak with Tim Mayer, City Council At-Large and Green Acres Neighbor, to see if he has any ideas of what else to try.

GANG - We toured the garden to see the completed work from the SPEA project, as well as the individual efforts of neighbors and the workshop participants - stop by the garden yourself to check out the progress, it is awesome! The second GANG workshop for year 2 is Saturday, May 22.

Blooming Neighborhoods - we still need a few people to sit at the Green Acres table at the event. Jane will call for volunteers via the listserv. The GANG has been nominated for the City Council Neighborhood Enhancement Award and Jane has been nominated for the HAND Neighbor of the Year Award - congrats to both on the nominations. A win in any category earns the neighborhood $100 (which would be great to use towards a Small and Simple Grant).

The June meeting will be Tuesday, June 8 and currently has no where to call home. Jane will call for a volunteer via the listserv.

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April GANA Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, April 13
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm, with meeting to follow
Location: Jane's house, 2611 E 5th

Topics: Noise concerns, Project Updates, Upcoming Events, and anything else neighbors want to discuss

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, John and Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Al & Kathy Ruesink, Jane Spearman

Noise concern - Jane reported that a neighbor on 8th street emailed the neighborhood gmail account to voice concerns over noise. She is frustrated that she is not getting the response she expects when she calls police with a noise complaint. Jane invited her to attend a meeting and gave her the HAND contact info and that of Tim Mayer, Council person. Neighbors present shared stories of various noise issues that they have faced over the years.

GANG - Coca Cola is donating three white barrels to the garden for compost bins; Dave Parsons gave the garden some free compost; the SPEA students continue their work on the garden and will install the compost bins on Saturday, April 17; the first GANG workshop of 2010 will be Sunday, April 18; the GANG got free woods chips from a company cutting trees in the neighborhood and they are being used to create better aisles between the beds in the garden; lots of wonderful collaborations happening because of the garden

Quick reminders:
* Vote for Bloomington's Community Orchard Project
* Join the Bypass Email list to get involved in bypass action

Upcoming Events:
* Jelene's band, The David Gohn Band, CD release party - Friday, April 23
* GANA 6th Annual Plant Share and Neighborhood Clean Up - Saturday, May 22nd
* Blooming Neighborhoods Celebration - Saturday, June 5th

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

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March GANA meeting and potluck

Date: Tuesday, March 9
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm, with meeting to follow
Location: Ann's house, 134 N Overhill

Topics: Blooming Neighborhoods Celebration, 6th Annual Plant Share, GANG updates - lots to share, Bypass Expansion Project, Upcoming Events

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, John and Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Al & Kathy Ruesink, Jane Spearman

Blooming Neighborhoods Celebration - Jane did the table last year, but due to her pregnancy will not be able to do it this year; neighbors agreed it was still important to have a table and that we will do it; Jane will let Vickie know that Green Acres will participate again this year. Part of this event is the three awards, all of which come with $100 prize for the winning neighbor/neighborhood. This is a great way to get match money for Small and Simple Grants. We will have nominations for at least two of the three categories.

6th Annual Plant Share and Neighborhood Clean Up - Jelene will host the 6th Annual Plant Share on Saturday, May 22nd. Neighbors also agreed that we would continue with last year's idea and do a neighborhood clean up following the plant share. More details on both will be circulated later.

GANG - Instructors for the 2nd year have been chosen and Ann has secured a grant from ARC to cover their fees; a SPEA class is partnering with the GANG to build a compost system and to address other issues of the GANG; Ann is working on possible grants from Bloomington in Bloom; Ann is working with the city to address liability issues and how they limit the ability of community gardens to flourish; the GANG will be featured as part of the City's Parks and Rec Department's Garden Tour; GANA has been contacted by Stepping Stones about opportunities for collaboration and this is being worked on.

Bypass Expansion - The project is scheduled to be let on May 12. The mayor addressed the bypass during his State of City Address. The project will start at the west end, near Kinser Pike and work its way east; it could be 3 or more years before ground is broken near Green Acres.

Upcoming events - The 10th Street Mobility Study findings will be presented Thursday at 5:30 at Monroe County Public Library. Immediately following and also at the library will be a showing of the film "In Transition 1.0" sponsored by Transition Bloomington.

Jelene's band will be having a CD release party on April 23; details to come later.

The April meeting will be Tuesday, April 13 and will be kindly hosted by Jane, 2611 E 5th Street. Potluck begins at 6:30 with meeting to follow.

respectfully submitted by me :)

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February Potluck & Meeting

NOTE: This meeting was cancelled due to the weather. Green Acres encourages you to be safe, stay warm, and take care of each other!

Date: Tuesday, February 9
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30 with meeting to follow
Location: Ann's, 134 N Overhill

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January Potluck and Meeting

Date: Tuesday, January 12
Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Al & Kathy, 2605 E 5th

Topics: Bypass, GANG, neighbor news

Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, John and Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Al & Kathy Ruesink, Kimberly Wagner

Bypass: Neighbors discussed the recent H-T article stating that the bypass project is the most important project of 2010. John brought up the idea that since there are lots of houses on the west side of the by-pass and very close to it, perhaps a wall could at least built there? He wants to look at the idea of trying to fight for just this stretch of the road: don't widen this final stretch; slow the speed limit down. Ann will attend the B-Top meeting January 11 (tomorrow evening) and report back to the group anything of interest to us.

GANG: Neighbors discussed what we want the garden to be in its second year. How will the garden continue its educational and community-building mission as well as grow food? An IU Sustainability class will be working with the garden during spring semester to design and build a state-of-the-art compost system using bins. Ann is meeting with Vickie Provine (City's HAND Department) tomorrow for lunch to discuss the garden. Neighbors agreed to leave the ferrocement fence as is and to finish the painting so it is uniform. Also want to make a sign this year. Colin has volunteered to do all the little building projects that remain during the growing season this year: finish the picnic area, build the tool shed, and make permanent cold frames for the front area of the garden. More neighbor support, as well as ideas for what the garden should look like this year, are needed. Ann presented a slide show (created by Jane) on the GANG's first year to the McDoel Gardens Neighborhood Association which got them very excited to do something similar in their neighborhood. We would love to share this presentation with other neighborhoods, so get the word out. We will talk with Nicole from the Service Learning Center at IU to see if there might be a graduate student who could intern at the garden in some way. John brought up the idea of saving seeds from the garden and giving to people in the neighborhood to establish their own gardens. Neighbors talked about the community gardens in the city and thought about the idea of HAND setting up a tour of different types of community gardens that already exist in Bloomington.

Fond Farewell: Kevin and Kimberly announced that they are leaving Bloomington and moving to Athens, Ohio, where they will simplify their lives and start a permaculture garden on 4.5 acres with an existing trailer. They hope to build a straw bale house there eventually. Neighbors were excited to see them take that next step on their journey and sad to know their wonderful friendship and participation would be missing from future GANA life. Best Wishes to Kevin and Kimberly - you will be missed tremendously!

Next meeting Tuesday, February 9 at 6:30pm; kindly hosted by Ann, 134 N Overhill

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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March GANA meeting and potluck

Time: Potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow
Location: Kindly hosted by Al & Kathy Ruesink, 2605 E Fifth Street

Topics discussed: 3rd street sidewalk,update on Dekist garden project, special guests for April meeting

Neighbors Present: Rob Archangel, John & Jessica Gaus, Ann Kreilkamp, Kathy & Al Ruesink, Georgia Schaich, Erik Schedler, Jane Spearman, Katie Zukof
Guests: Joe Fish, City of Bloomington Transportation Planner

The majority of the meeting was spent with Joe Fish discussing his project, the College Mall Pedestrian Accessibility Study. The study looked at the College Mall area from 3rd & High to Jackson Creek area. Joe shared maps for the study. One of the majors areas of concern for the neighborhood is the extension of the 3rd street sidewalks from High to College Mall on the north side of 3rd street. This extension is one of the major recommendations from this study. The study should be completed in the first part of 2009. Implementation of study recommendations will follow, however there is no timeline at this point. Joe encouraged neighbors to voice their support for the projects by contacting their city council representatives and city hall in general. For more imformation about the study, contact Joe at fishj@bloomington.in.gov. Neighbors wanted to know more about how the bypass extension would effect the intersection at 3rd and College Mall. Neighbors expressed many concerns regarding the bypass project. Unfortunately, the bypass project is handled by INDOT and as far as INDOT is concerned, the discussion period has passed and plans will go forward as is. Joe encouraged neigbhors to address concerns regarding the bypass to INDOT.

* Dekist garden project - the project has a name, Green Acres Neighborhood Garden (GANG) - Dekist. The workshop has been publicized in several outlets and an article will be in this weekend's Herald Times. There are 20 spots available for the workshop, so sign up soon if you are intersted as spots are filling quickly. Info
* Pick it up bags were made available to neighbors. See the February 2009 meeting notes for more information. If you were not at the meeting and would like some of these bags, let us know.
* April meeting special guests - Vickie Provine (HAND) and Nate Nickels (Planning) will be attending the April meeting to discuss our neighborhood plan. Note: due to a schedule conflict, Vickie and Nate will attend the May meeting instead of the April meeting.
* April meeting date and location - Tuesday, April 14th at Jane and John's, 2611 E 5th Street; potluck begins at 6:30pm with meeting to follow

Respectfully submitted by Jane

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GANA Meeting

Time: 6:30pm
Location: Kindly hosted by Georgia Schaich, 202 S. Hillsdale

Topics Discussed: meeting locations, meeting speakers & topics, neighborhood events, City of Bloomington grants and programs, City of Bloomington neighborhood projects, advertising homes for sale, service learning projects, and the Dekist garden project


Neighbors Present: Jelene Campbell, Valerie Cox, John and Jessica Gauss, Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Kathy and Al Ruesink, Georgia Schaich, Jane Spearman, Kimberly Wagner, and Katie Zukof
Guests: Mike Satterfield (Bloomington City Council Representative - District III)

Meetings and Gatherings:
* Meeting Day and Time - GANA's monthly meeting and potluck will be the second Tuesday of each month.
* Meeting locations - possibilities include Sahara Mart (no heat and not yet set up for use), IU's Raintree House (Ann will talk with Dave Parkhurst), neighborhood homes, and returning to the church facility. There is concern that potlucks would not be allowed at some of these locations and many neighbors feel this is an important part of the meetings. This conversation will be continued at the March meeting.
* Future meeting speakers/topics - Georgia and Valerie started a list of possible speakers and topics. Possibilities include: The Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization (topic: Complete Streets Policy), Parking Services, Fire Department (topic: get to know your local), City of Bloomington (topic: get to know your elected officials), Planning Department (many topics possible), and the Commission on Sustainability.
* Non-meeting gatherings - Georgia and Valerie started a list of possible non-meeting gatherings, which would be in addition to the plant share, ice cream social, and other events that are already regularly planned; possible ideas include a renters party at the start of the IU school year and a fall party.

From the City:
* Small and Simple Grants - ideas discussed for this year's grant request include creating premanent yard signs for announcing GANA events, materials for the Dekist garden project, and the painting the signal boxes at neighborhood entrances (similar to downtown BEAD project). Kevin has written these grants requests for us for the past few years and would like to get others involved.
* Neighborhood Improvement Grants - ideas discussed for this type of grant were improvements to the path between Jefferson and Roosevelt, purchasing benches to place at key areas in the neighborhood, and creating signage/sculpture at neighborhood entrances. Volunteers are needed to work on this grant.
* Neighborhood Clean-Up Grant Program - GANA received this grant last year and it was incredibly well received. Volunteers are needed to work on this grant and to participate in the actual clean-up.
* Trees on 5th Street Dead End - Jane has been in contact with Lee Huss (COB Urban Forester), Justin Wykoof (COB Manager of Engineering Services) and Jeff Heerdink (COB Engineering Department Project Manager) regarding these trees and they report that the plan is to complete the plantings in April. Jane will continue to follow this project and will find out additional details, as requested, for the next meeting.
* 3rd Street Sidewalk - Joe Fish (COB Transportation Planner) will join the March neighborhood meeting to discuss the possibilities.
* Pick It Up - Kevin has bags for this; he will bring some to the next meeting.
* CONA - the February meeting will be brainstorming for ideas on the future direction of CONA and neighborhood involvements. The meeting will be February 18 at 7pm, City Hall. This is a great way to make your voice heard with the city, so don't miss out!
* Bypass Extension - Mike reports that there isn't much to report. He is getting no real answers and plans keep changing. Mike will update us if and when more information is available.
* Blooming Neighborhood Awards - nominations are due April 24th
* Vickie Provine(HAND) and Nate Nickels (COB Planning) will join for our April meeting to discuss our neighborhood plan.

Neighborhood Association Updates:
* Timeline - Georgia is working on a neighborhood timeline, this will include meeting dates, social events, volunteer opportunities, and other regularly occuring neighborhood events.
* By-laws - Georgia reported that our by-laws haven't been updated since the early
'80s and neighborhood direction has changed since then. Part of this process is reviewing other neighborhood's by-laws and our own purpose statements.
* Green Acres Real Estate - Jane is working on a project to get neighborhood real estate info out to interested owners. We also discussed ways to get the word out about the benefits of living in Green Acres. Shirley Bushey (Green Acres Neighbor and HT columnist) and Carol Knause (HT columnist)are both good contacts for this. One of the homes for rent is being adverstised as a great party home, which seems contrary to several GANA goals. Georgia spoke with Tim Mayer (City Council At-Large Representative) about this issue. Tim reports that this wording is okay by City Legal and suggests that GANA speak with the homeowner about the concerns as well as the stress that this type of activity would put on the property; Georgia is planning on doing this. Enforcement of parking restrictions and Quiet Nights Ordinances are also able to assit neighbors if this home were to be a problem.

Project Updates:
* Service Learning/Partnering with IU - Kevin shared updates from recent meetings with IU contacts and reported that there are many oppotuntities for engaging with IU students including student interns, living learning centers, and service learning courses.
* Dekist Garden - the permaculture project begins March 28th and it still needs a name. The Dekist committee will meet seperately to focus on naming the garden and spreading the word to other interested people/groups.

NEXT MEETING AND POTLUCK: Tuesday, March 10th at 6:30pm; Al & Kathy Ruesink's home E. 5th Street

Respectfully submitted by me

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GANA Pitch-In

Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Kindly hosted by Al & Kathy Ruesink at their home on E 5th St

Topics Discussed
Sidewalks, two student projects (urban orchards and aging in place), a Permaculture Learning Center, Service Learning volunteers, elections/Executive Committee openings, the new H.T. neighborhoods column, and when/where/how to hold our regular meetings.

Attending
Ann Kreilkamp, Kevin Polk, Kimberly Wagner, Kathy & Al Ruesink, Erik Schedler, Katie Zukof, John & Jane Spearman, Valerie Cox, Georgia Schaich, Jelene Campbell

The Process
After sitting down to a pitch-in dinner featuring cider, salads, pizza, several delicious potato dishes and cake, we began to discuss the neighborhood.

Kathy reported on her discussion with City Councilman-at-Large Tim Mayer, who said he expects the city to move on building a sidewalk on the North side of 3rd between Overhill and near the Bypass in 2009. The State's Bypass construction this spring will include sidewalks within 500 feet of the Bypass, but that may still leave a short gap in the sidewalk construction projects along 3rd. Kathy also mentioned a forthcoming City Planning survey of bicycle and foot traffic on 3rd street near the Bypass. She will report back to us as things develop. Georgia suggested we also let BTOP know we want to stay informed about hearings on transportation issues that affect our neighborhood.

Kevin and Georgia reported on their meeting with SPEA student Amy Countryman, who is putting together a neighborhood orchard proposal for the Tree Commission. You may recall that we have worked several times with her adviser, Burney Fischer. Ms. Countryman was still in the exploration phase of her project when we met. She had just met with the Tree Commission and City Forester Lee Huss, who had concerns about planting fruit trees in front yards and along streets, where they could create a slippery mess. Instead, Huss preferred to establish the orchards in public parks. Georgia mentioned the possibility on working with IU on its long vacant lot near 3rd and Bryan. Kevin pointed out that since high resident/occupant turnover places many trees in jeopardy, the neighborhood association and city may share an interest in encouraging people to save the trees they have further back on their own property. Amy suggested that the neighborhood association could host talks by the City Forrester on the value and preservation of these trees, and run training/volunteer sessions to prune and care for neglected trees (perhaps in exchange for informal harvest rights, Kevin added).

Ann asked about the status of the project by School of Social Work professor Jean Capler's aging class. We haven't heard from them since they met with us in October. Kimberly will follow up with one of the students, who is an intern at her workplace.

Ann talked about the Permaculture Learning Center she hopes to build in the neighborhood. She recently added a pond and several large swales to the lot she just bought next door to her house. She hopes to have the neighborhood and Permaculture Guild work together to create a garden and learning center there. It's possible she will use the house on that property for interns in that program some day. Short-term, she needs help setting up the garden, adding a deer fence (Al suggested a double row of brambles such as raspberries and blackberries), and building a picnic area as a “Pocket Park”. She hopes to have Permaculturist Keith Johnson lead and teach neighborhood volunteers in these activities. Everyone was enthused. Jane said she would be willing to trade lots of labor for learning more about sustainable in-ground gardening.

Katie mentioned that one way to harness student energy for neighborhood projects would be through the IU Service Learning office's COPSL program. Kevin noted that several service learning volunteers he met at the Crestmont garden actually live in Green Acres.

We visited the topic of elections and Georgia pointed out that it was unclear what that would mean now that we use the Executive Committee Model. It's clear we need new people and probably more people involved with the routine and occasional leadership of GANA: organizing meetings, publishing meeting minutes, writing grants, working with CONA (which handles our finances) and managing the list serve and the blog. Jane said she would be willing to be Georgia's understudy for meetings and CONA representation. Valerie was interested in learning how to administer the list serve and Blog. Kevin will post a request for a few more people to join the Executive Committee this winter.

Georgia mentioned that City neighborhood advocate Vickie Provine and H.T. columnist Carrol Krause are planning a monthly column on neighborhoods and community building. They would like to meet with neighbors who have ideas and stories to share. They plan to meet at Vickie's home, 710 W Wylie St, on Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. If you would like to attend, please let Vickie know. Her work number is 349-3505.

We discussed meeting dates, times, locations and formats. Several people said they missed the monthly speaker's program. Al wanted to see some new signs to replace the temporary ones that worked so well for about a year. Ann felt the large room we used to use at First United Church was too cavernous for our little group. Al mentioned that a small room near the entrance is now available. Kimberly was in favor of consistent meeting dates and times, though Kathy thought we could vary the format somewhat, with maybe 3 big talks in a large space each year (she thought talks on weatherizing and property improvement would be appropriate; Al thought we might also look for a sociologist who could talk about community building).

In the end, we decided to hold a pitch-in meeting for everyone interested in Executive Committee work at Ann's at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7. Tentatively, we're planning to hold our regular meetings the first Wednesday of each Month at a location to be announced here on the blog.

We adjourned around 8:45 p.m.

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