Event – Page 29 – Emerson-Garfield Community

Materials for the Apr 8 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

April 7, 2015 Emerson Garfield

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meets tomorrow (April 8) starting at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).

Please note that E-G residents interested in claiming their two free tree vouchers as part of the City’s Free Tree Weekend (April 17 and 18) can do so at this meeting.

This month’s guest speaker is the STA. They’ll be addressing Prop 1, the sales tax funding measure on the upcoming special election ballot. This digital booklet has more info so you can come prepared with questions.

Judith Gilmore will also be stopping by to apprise the group of progress on Ash Street Station, the Fulcrum Institute’s newly renovated work-training site. The E-G Neighborhood Council voted last November to allocate a portion of its Community Development dollars to this facility.

We’ll hear a quick recap of last weekend’s Greening Grant plantings here in E-G as well as what’s in store for this year’s Emerson Community Garden. Voting members will elect the council’s officer slate for 2015-16.

As always, you can download the materials beforehand as PDFs:

If you live, work or own property in Emerson-Garfield, you’re invited and encouraged to come to these meetings. We regularly see attendance of 40+ people from all over the neighborhood, and there are no dues, fees or other obligations to participate. It’s a great way to stay informed, meet your neighbors and take an active, grassroots role in shaping your neighborhood for the better!

Photos from the April 2015 Greening Grant Plantings

April 6, 2015 Emerson Garfield

Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood held two simultaneous Greening Grant plantings on April 4, 2015.

One took place on the traffic median near 3114 N Maple, where trees had already been installed as part of the 2014 Greening Grant plantings. The year volunteers planted yucca and horizontal juniper bushes as ground cover, leaving enough room for the sidewalk to be laid later this year.

The other planting took place on the eastern side of Garfield Elementary. Spokane Urban Forestry had actually installed the trees a few days prior, so volunteers carried out some light dirt and sod removal followed by mulching.

Residents interested in the free trees that the City of Spokane is giving away over the weekend of April 17 and 18 as part of the Residential Tree Program were able to claim up to two vouchers at either of these events.

If you missed the plantings, there’s still another chance to claim your vouchers at the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting on Wednesday, April 8 at the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland). It starts at 6pm.

Spring Cleanup 2015 (April 18)

April 1, 2015 Emerson Garfield

Emerson-Garfield will be holding its 2015 neighborhood-wide Spring Cleanup on Saturday, April 18 between 9am and 12:30pm.

This popular annual event organized by the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council is designed to help you get rid of all the junk that’s been cluttering your garage, backyard or basement — as much as you’ve got, and it’s all for free.

Just like in years past, there will be a roll-off container site at Faith Bible Church (600 W Cora) where you can pull up in your car or truck and dispose of the following:

“Clean green” and general refuse. This includes untainted green waste (e.g., leaves, grass cuttings) and everyday trash.
The Salvation Army collects reusable goods and e-cycle items — functional, gently used electronics such TVs, digital cameras and printers.
Metal recycling. Under this category falls microwaves, stoves, small lawn mowers — that is, any 99% metal items with a few tiny non-metal tidbits (but no items that contain freon or liquids).

A couple of caveats to keep in mind:

Household hazardous waste (e.g., paints, solvents) will not be accepted this year. Ours was the only neighborhood to make regular use of that offering, so it got cut from the program. Bummer.
No construction items like concrete and drywall. There are a variety of reasons for this, one of them being that they disproportionately inflate the container weight.
Emerson-Garfield residents only. If you don’t actually live in the neighborhood, you can’t offload your stuff.

If you appreciate or make use of this free event, you can give back by volunteering. Just send an e-mail to Karl Boldt and request either a loading or non-loading task. Loading requires someone strong and physically fit. Non-loading includes responsibilities like traffic control, ID check, or conducting the annual “wants and needs” survey.

Volunteers will need to be onsite from 8am to 1pm. Oh, and they’ll get treated to ~~a pancake breakfast~~ free pizza afterwards.

Social media buffs can RSVP to Spring Cleanup on Facebook or on Nextdoor.

Free Tree Vouchers for E-G Residents

March 26, 2015 Emerson Garfield

By now you might have heard that the City of Spokane is giving away 2,000 trees. For free. Under this citywide initiative, Spokane residents will be eligible to receive up to two trees each. A variety of tree species are available between the sizes of four to seven gallons.

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council has received a limited number of vouchers for these trees to distribute to E-G residents on a first-come, first-served basis and as long as supplies last. Please read that last sentence again to ensure there’s no confusion or disappointment.

To claim their vouchers, Emerson-Garfield residents have two options:

Attend one of the neighborhood’s Greening Grant plantings on Saturday, April 4. More info on that event is here.
Attend the E-G Neighborhood Council meeting on Wednesday, April 8. That runs from 6 to 7:30pm at the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).

Your vouchers will entitle you to pre-select your tree species and then pick them up on April 17 and 18 from three local nurseries that have partnered with the City’s Office of Neighborhood Services.

Check the free tree species list (PDF link) to see which species are offered at which location.

To have more mature trees delivered right to your door, Greenleaf Landscaping & Nursery is offering an additional deal as part of the Residential Tree Program. Greenleaf has reserved 300 deciduous and coniferous tree species for residents to purchase at $95 per tree, and Spokane residents are eligible for up to two of these trees. With your purchase Greenleaf will deliver and install your new tree(s) directly on to your property at a time convenient for you.

View the Greenleaf tree flyer (PDF link) to view a list of trees that are being offered.

Not in Emerson-Garfield? We feel your pain. To find out which neighborhood you live in, visit the City’s neighborhoods page.

E-G “Greening Grant” Tree Plantings (Apr 4)

March 20, 2015 Emerson Garfield

It’s time for our neighborhood to plant the trees and landscaping awarded by our successful 2014 Greening Grant applications. Devotees of Emerson-Garfield news and beautification efforts will recall that this is a rescheduling of the planting event that was cancelled last autumn on account of an early freeze.

This neighborhood-wide event will take place on Saturday, April 4 from 9am to 1pm.

Please note that there are two simultaneous locations on either side of the neighborhood! Volunteers are needed for both. Anyone who wants to help beautify Emerson-Garfield is welcome to participate.

The first planting is on the east side of Garfield Elementary (222 W Knox) next to the playground. This is part of a larger “guerrilla” tree planting up and down the length of Atlantic and one block of Stevens — dubbed “guerrilla” because the original plan was to have volunteers plant a tree for anyone who wanted it right there on the spot. But Spokane Urban Forestry doesn’t work that way. Which is probably for the best, since the trees should be planted with professional care to ensure their longevity.

Roughly 15 volunteers will be needed here to plant the trees in the ground and distribute mulch. It will be light physical labor for all ages and abilities. Feel free to bring tools like a wheelbarrow, shovel or rake.

Social media fans can RSVP for the Garfield planting on Facebook or Nextdoor.

The second planting is on the west side of Emerson-Garfield at the median strip near 3114 N Maple. Approximately 15 volunteers will be needed to move ten yards of soil to the holes, then plant yuccas and horizontal junipers around the existing trees and along the soon-to-be-installed sidewalks. As above, feel free to bring basic garden tools to help the effort.

You can RSVP for the N Maple planting on Facebook or Nextdoor.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to wield a shovel or stay the full five hours to contribute. Bringing some cookies and drinks for the volunteers is as greatly appreciated as helping to put trees in the ground.

Questions? Leave a comment on social media, get in touch with the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council, or contact Alicia Powell at apowell@spokanecity.org or (509) 625-6780.