So I have this idea….actually I have a lot of them, all of which came from talking to other folks about ideas they are excited about for the neighborhood. Thanks to everyone who responded to my last President’s message as well (although now I’m slightly intimidated that people are actually reading these.)
Here’s a few things folks were interested in:
- Parking (but I think I’m going to have to start with something easier, like world peace, but I promise we’ll get back to that.)
- Helping new folks feel welcome, and making it easy for them to get involved with the neighborhood.
- Projects to make the neighborhood even more gorgeous, like spiffing up the alleys and helping everyone maintaining their tree wells.
As you can tell from the breadth of our membership meeting agendas, folks have already hard at work on some of these projects. Just one example, some of our neighbors on Tuesday will be presenting a proposal for hanging flower baskets on Western that they’re hoping for neighborhood support for, so please come and express your opinion (in a friendly, good humored way, of course.)
Another idea we will be discussing, is an application for some funding to purchase mulch and potentially even flowers and fencing and having an “Allegheny West Tree Well Day” as one of monthly clean up events sponsored by the Friends of Allegheny. From my perspective there’s an incredible wealth of gardening knowledge in our neighborhood that I’d like to take advantage of. I’d be more than happy to wheel a barrow full of mulch up the street for a neighbor, especially one who is new in town and hasn’t had a chance to figure out where to even get mulch. And, of course, there will be a potluck. As a bonus, I swear I will stop showing up to social events with paperwork for people to fill out after I file for the grant.
Some of those same gardeners have suggested that the April clean up would be the ideal month, and we’ll hear about the results of the grant application in late February so we’ll have lots of time to plan a blow out of a clean up. By the way, these Buhl Fundation funds are open to anyone on the Northside, so if you have another idea you think could benefit from $1000 I’m happy to help you out with the application (but you have to take the petitions to the mixer.)
Hope to see everyone at the Membership meeting next Tuesday, with more ideas they’d like help making happen.
Catherine Serventi
President, AWCC
P.S. Carol R., I have ordered the tiara, you have to come to the meeting now.