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Category: Event

One-time events and ongoing activities (public and ticketed) in the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood.

Materials for the Nov. 14 EGNC Meeting

Materials for the Nov. 14 EGNC Meeting

We’ve just posted the minutes (often imitated, never duplicated) from the October 10 meeting as well as the agenda for the upcoming November 14 meeting. Get ’em here:

We’re still waiting on confirmation that this month’s Neighborhood Planning meeting will take place as usual. As stakeholders and attendees of last month’s neighborhood meetings will know, E.J. Iannelli has stepped down as planning manager for a variety of reasons (some of which are noted in the above minutes); Jay Cousins has stepped up to fill the role.

As always, the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting will start at 6pm at the Corbin Senior Center. We’ll be discussing how to allocate the approximately $57k in funding that the neighborhood will be receiving as part of the Community Development Block Grant in 2013. The process and stipulations for CDBG funding have changed this year, and there are a number of issues to address if we want to ensure that Emerson-Garfield sees the same (or greater) level of attention as in years past.

One of the big changes is that much of next year’s CD funding is designed to be used for capital projects (i.e., bricks and mortar). Some examples of what other neighborhoods have done — as well as some of the facts and figures behind 2013 CDBG funding — are outlined in the previous post.

And remember: the neighborhood council isn’t a cabal of insiders. It’s open to everyone and anyone who wants to attend. Please come to find out what’s going on and help shape Emerson-Garfield for the better.

Now, Where Do We Go from Here?

Now, Where Do We Go from Here?

Thanks to everyone who took the time to follow the story about The Hoods and our response to it, we’ve had hundreds of new visitors to this site over the past 48 hours. We hope that it won’t be a one-off and that many of you will return to stay abreast of much less incendiary news about neighborhood developments and events.

Whether you agree with our point about The Hoods or not, we want to invite everyone with a stake in Emerson-Garfield to participate in our ongoing efforts to improve the neighborhood from the bottom up. Contrary to stereotype, Emerson-Garfield’s neighborhood council and planning committee aren’t a cabal of grumpy old men griping about kids on their lawn — the groups are diverse, they’re vibrant, they’re active, and they’re always looking for ways to become more of all those things.

Some of the biggest challenges we’ve historically faced are ignorance and apathy, but The Hoods has shown that people can become informed very quickly if the incentive is there, and that those people are anything but apathetic about their neighborhood.

So, where do we go from here?

Don’t limit your concern to a single of outburst of controversy. Don’t limit your comments to a single blog post. Don’t sour on an issue because of criticism. Instead, show up to neighborhood council and planning meetings. Speak your mind. Offer your input. Make suggestions for improvement. Help with the legwork. Because neither the individual councils nor The Hoods are the sole arbiters of what our neighborhoods are or what they can be. That takes all of us working in concert.

Here in Emerson-Garfield, there are two meetings this week that would welcome new faces, new voices, and new ideas:

  • Neighborhood Planning, 6pm on Wednesday at Corbin Senior Center. This is an initiative that is working toward a documented vision that could guide the neighborhood for the next decade and beyond.
  • Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council, 7pm on Wednesday at Corbin Senior Center. This focuses on practical issues and improvements such as crime updates, new playground equipment in the parks, and event planning.

If you’re fired up and live, work, or own property anywhere in Emerson-Garfield, we hope to see you at one or both of these meetings.

The Hoods: A Neighborhood Arts Show, Sept 7

The Hoods: A Neighborhood Arts Show, Sept 7

Spokane design project The Hoods will hold its debut arts show celebrating Spokane neighborhoods on Friday, September 7 at the Bon Bon cocktail bar in the Garland business district. It kicks off as part of First Friday and will run the entire month of September.

The group says that this marks the city’s first contemporary arts and design show with a neighborhood focus. Designers from local agency Seven2 have partnered with freelance designers Joel Barbour, Karli Ingersoll, Jesse Pierpoint, Eric Smith, and Nick Tibbetts to create logos, posters, and printed artworks that celebrate the spirit of Spokane’s communities.

The graphic designers, illustrators, and photographers who formed The Hoods have created campaigns for some of Spokane’s largest companies as well as for nationally recognized brands. They came together earlier this year when they realized they had an opportunity to celebrate the intersection of Spokane’s history with its modern culture.

If you plan on attending, you can RSVP on the Facebook page for the event. Anyone with media questions or an interest in participating in future shows should contact Karli Ingersoll via e-mail or on (509) 863-7235.

As Emerson-Garfield representatives, we encourage everyone to attend in support of their own neighborhoods and to see what these great local designers have cooked up, but we have to confess to harboring mixed feelings about this show. Please visit tomorrow to read why.

Community Garden Harvest, Aug 31

Community Garden Harvest, Aug 31

It’s harvest time! Come learn about Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood’s new community garden.

Emerson Community Garden was started this year with the vision of fostering neighborhood relationships and providing wholesome fresh produce to garden members and neighbors.

The garden members are hosting a free neighborhood corn feed this Friday, August 31 at 6pm in Emerson Park. Chicken and corn will be provided. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. All are welcome.

Instead of each person gardening their own rented plot, Emerson Community Garden is a shared gardening experience where members share in the work and in the harvest from the garden as a whole. There are opportunities for involvement at various levels. It is a great way to meet neighbors, learn about gardening, and enjoy the fruits of gardening!

For more information contact Paul and Sara Kimball at kimballs09@gmail.com.

(This post was written by Sara Kimball, who heads the Emerson Community Garden and also serves as the community development representative for the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council.)

N. Monroe Business Meeting, Aug 29

N. Monroe Business Meeting, Aug 29

This month’s North Monroe Business District meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday, August 29 at 6pm. It will be held at Petunia’s Marketplace [map].

Prior to the meeting, the NMBD is asking business owners to take the following short multiple-choice survey that will help focus their efforts.

1. What is your business focus?

  1. Customer service
  2. Community outreach
  3. Public service
  4. Retail
  5. Other: ___________

2. What is your primary business goal?

  1. Increase revenue
  2. Increase public awareness
  3. Generate interest from the city/state
  4. Other: ___________

3. What are your concerns about the N. Monroe Business District?

  1. More foot traffic
  2. Better signage
  3. Better pedestrian access
  4. Easier parking (on-street or off-site)
  5. More events that promote the business district
  6. Other: ___________

You can e-mail your survey answers to petuniasmarketplace@yahoo.com, fax them to (509) 328-4259, or better yet, bring them to the meeting.

Depending on turnout, they’re hoping to plan some upcoming autumn events and think of ways to make the holiday shopping season even more successful.

Questions? Connect with Petunia’s on Facebook or call Stacy Blowers on (509) 328-4257.