Emerson Garfield

Materials for the April 9 EGNC Meeting

April 9, 2014 Emerson Garfield

Join the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council when they meet tonight (Wednesday, April 9) at 7pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland). It’s a lighter agenda than the past two meetings, but there are some important items.

The top item will be voting on the North Hill Neighborhood’s proposed developer agreement for the city-owned property on Cora at the base of the N. Monroe Hill. You can find that agreement as an appendix in this month’s agenda. We ask that you please familiarize yourself with that document beforehand to avoid prolonging the meeting.

The second important item is elections. Our secretary is dead set on stepping down after four years in the role, and though his shoes will be tough ones to fill, we’re hoping the right candidate will do so.

Don Waller, President of the Spokane Firefighters Union IAFF 29C will be one of the two guest speakers. Fulcrum Institute canceled because they wanted to develop their project more fully before addressing neighborhoods, but Alicia Powell of the Office of Neighborhood Services will be taking their place to finalize the scheduled tree-planting on N. Maple on April 19.

In addition to addressing some recent resident concerns, there will also be updates on the annual Spring Cleanup event, scheduled for May 10.

Download the April 9 meeting materials here:

Agenda for the April 9, 2014 meeting
Minutes from the March 12, 2014 meeting (pending approval)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Korean Food Event (Apr 12)

April 7, 2014 Emerson Garfield

Good news for Asian food fanatics: Spokane Hope Christian Reformed Church (스포켄 소망교회) has switched from a biannual schedule to a monthly event with their Korean food sales! The next one will be on Saturday, April 12 from 11am to 2pm.

If you’re not already aware of where the SHCRC is, don’t worry. Raising awareness about the church is part of the reason why they hold these events. They share a building with Knox Presbyterian Church (806 W Knox), which is where the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is held during market season. In fact, the SHCRC recently informed us that they’re hoping to have a vendor booth at the market this year.

There’s a bit more on the menu than last month — including kimchi fried rice and bibimbap. Recurring favorites like the potstickers and spicy pork are still there too. As always, all proceeds benefit the SHCRC.

For more info, call them on (509) 720-9646 or e-mail James at shinejds@gmail.com.

Block Watch Forum (April 3)

March 28, 2014 Emerson Garfield

Spokane C.O.P.S. in partnership with neighborhood councils across Spokane will be hosting a free Block Watch forum on Thursday, April 3. It will be held at All Saints Lutheran Church (314 S Spruce St) and run from 6 to 8pm.

At the forum you’ll learn about the Block Watch program — such as how to start one or where to join an existing one — as well as practical steps you can take to help prevent crime and address graffiti in your neighborhood. It will also put you in touch with other residents in your neighborhood who are interested in doing the same.

Representatives from organizations such as the Spokane Police, the Department of Neighborhood Services and the Department of Corrections will speak about current crime trends and proven prevention methods.

For more information, contact Maurece Vulcano at mvulcano@spokanepolice.org or (509) 835-4572.

Tree Planting on Maple Street

March 21, 2014 Emerson Garfield

Thanks to the legwork and support of engaged residents, one of the corners of our neighborhood that has become a priority for the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council is the Maple Street area — specifically, the two-block stretch where it curves and splits into a residential/arterial street.

The oddly shaped (shoestring-thin in the middle, bulbed at either end) piece of land that divides the residential stretch from the arterial is a problem for a number of reasons. It’s untended and generates dust. It doesn’t offer a contiguous pedestrian pathway. It is a frequent accident site on account of speeding and adverse weather conditions. And it’s ugly as sin.

The proposed tree-planting site. — The proposed tree-planting site in all its dusty glory.

To start addressing some of those problems immediately, we’ve recently arranged to have street trees planted on the strip. The proposed locations and tree varieties (e.g., ponderosa pine, lilac, wireless Zelkova, tuliptree) are pictured below. These will help root some of the dust and provide a natural sound and sight buffer between traffic and the nearby homes.

Proposed varieties and locations for street tree planting on Maple Street. Click for a larger view.

The next step will be to have some native grasses or flowers planted and sidewalks installed. Later we’d like to see a pedestrian crosswalk across Maple and Ash in line with Euclid. This is a tricky spot, though, so we have met with city engineers and are working with them to figure out the optimal solution for vehicles, residents and pedestrians.

It’s taken the involvement of quite a few organizations and individuals just to get this far: Maple Street residents, the EGNC, Spokane Urban Forestry, the city traffic department and the Office of Neighborhood Services. The EGNC alone is contributing about $3500 from its Community Development Block Grant street-tree fund to help things along. The reassuring news is that, ever since the project gathered steam, it has seen very rapid progress.

As things stand, the site will be prepped for planting on April 17 or 18, and then the trees will be planted by neighborhood volunteers on Saturday, April 19 under the supervision of a certified arborist. This will be kinda sorta part of the wider Spokane Gives initiative.

If you’re interested in learning more about this neighborhood improvement or you’d like to lend a hand during tree planting, please leave a comment below or attend the next Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting on Wednesday, April 9. And we not only welcome but encourage similar proposals from residents all over Emerson-Garfield.

Korean Food Event (Mar 15)

March 14, 2014 Emerson Garfield

Spokane Hope Christian Reformed Church (스포켄 소망교회) is holding one of its Korean food sales tomorrow (Saturday, March 15) from 11am to 2pm.

SHCRC shares a building with Knox Presbyterian Church (806 W Knox), which, as you might already know, is where the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is held during market season.

This food event is held about twice a year and is a great chance to pick up some tasty and authentic Korean food — some of which is pictured above. The kimchi they sell is amazing. And all proceeds benefit the SHCRC.

For more info, call them on (509) 720-9646 or e-mail James at shinejds@gmail.com.