Spring Cleanup (Apr 27) News

Spring Cleanup (Apr 27) News

Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood will be holding its annual neighborhood-wide Spring Cleanup event on Saturday, April 27 between 9am and 12:30pm. It’s going to be a multi-part garbage harvest that will help you get rid of all different kinds of household waste.

Just like in years past, there will be a roll-off container event at Faith Bible Church [map]. This is the same as we have done in past years, but there are some alterations and additions for 2013.

Here’s what you’ll find there:

  • “Clean green” and general refuse containers. This includes untainted green waste (e.g., leaves, grass cuttings) and everyday trash. But this year there’s going to be something new: an express lane for cars with small loads, and a separate lane for trucks/trailers with large loads. Both lanes will allow you to drop off either type of waste.
  • The Salvation Army will be on hand to collect reusable goods and e-cycle items (that is, recyclable electronics such digital cameras and printers).
  • Metal recycling is new this year. Under this category falls microwaves, stoves, small lawn mowers — which is to say, any 99% metal items with a few tiny non-metal tidbits (but no items with freon or liquids).
  • Also new is household hazardous waste collection. This will allow you to dispose of many common items in your home or garage (e.g., disinfectants, toilet cleaners, motor oil, antifreeze, fertilizers/pesticides, car batteries, paints, solvents, Fluorescent lights/ bulbs). This will be staffed and managed by a Solid Waste Management employee.

This event needs volunteers! Please sign up now by e-mailing Karl Boldt and requesting either a loading or non-loading task. Loading is exactly what it sounds like: taking stuff and putting it into the respective containers. Non-loading would be responsibilities like traffic control, ID check, or conducting the annual “wants and needs” survey. Volunteers will need to be onsite from 8am to 1pm.

Please note that the Spring Cleanup event is free, and anyone who lives or works (sorry, residents only) in Emerson-Garfield is welcome to drop off garbage.

Also note that there will be a second (equally free) event during the second week of June. And you won’t have to travel further than your front lawn. It will be for curbside pickup of large furniture items such as couches, recliners, mattresses, and similar non-appliance items. These items will need to be registered for pickup beforehand (by May 31) and placed by the curb in front of your house the day before pickup. A city truck with crew will come to registered houses and pick up the registered items.

A dedicated volunteer is needed for this program. This person must be willing to receive phone calls between May 13 and June 14, answer questions, register people, and create and deliver a register list for the city by May 3. Once again, get in touch with Karl Boldt to put your name forward and help out the neighborhood.

STA Moving Forward Open House, Apr 10

STA Moving Forward Open House, Apr 10

The Spokane Transit Authority is holding a free, all-corridor — which pretty much includes everywhere there’s a major route — public open house on Wednesday, April 10 from 4:30 to 7pm at the Lincoln Center [map].

The STA will use this event to showcase its proposed changes to the corridors — and there are some big ones under consideration that will effect the public transportation near you. By all accounts, these changes will be positive and, if enacted in full, stand to put Spokane on a par with any respectable urban center.

The STA has already solicited small-group input via a Corridor Advisory Panel as well as wider feedback through localized public open houses, so the April 10 event ought to offer a great opportunity to learn how the STA is planning for the future of Spokane and slightly beyond.

April 10 STA Open House Flyer

Please note that the open house falls on the same evening as the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting. Fortunately, it was scheduled in a way that shouldn’t conflict with the meeting, which starts at the time when the open house officially ends. The EGNC encourages anyone who’s interested in the N. Monroe corridor to stop by the open house beforehand — because the STA’s proposed changes will impact our neighborhood’s business hub.

More details are available at stamovingforward.com.

Logo Contest Results

Logo Contest Results

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council held a logo contest in the run-up to its March meeting. At that meeting, all attendees were given the chance to vote on their favorite.

There were three strong submissions from residents Stan Burke, Joe Snodgrass and Liorah Wichser. Stan decided to emphasize Emerson-Garfield’s parks with a silhouette of children playing that ought to bring a smile to your face. Joe cleverly echoed the contours of a leaf in an old-fashioned streetlight so as to highlight the neighborhood’s mix of history and nature. Liorah focused on the historic aspect of the neighborhood by representing it through period typography and an antique-looking sign.

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In the end, it was Liorah’s submission that garnered the most votes. From now on you’ll start to see that logo on EGNC correspondence and across our social media presence (such as here on our blog and on our Twitter feed).

We hope to find other ways to integrate the other excellent logo submissions — for example, Stan’s would be great for our park-related news and events (and we hope to have a lot of those in the near future), and Joe’s would be ideal for matters that pertain to planning and N. Monroe revitalization.

Neighborhood Planning Meeting, April 4

Neighborhood Planning Meeting, April 4

Just a reminder to all those involved or interested that the next neighborhood planning meeting will take place tomorrow, April 4 at 6pm in the upper north room of the Corbin Center.

At the March meeting, there was some discussion of what exactly planning is. Some participants said that they understand that planning for our neighborhood is important, but that they don’t have enough knowledge to be able to participate in the ways that they believe are important. Therefore that discussion addressed the various layers of planning and some of the aspects that neighborhood planning was concerned, and bound with.

This month’s meeting will continue that conversation and work towards making some headway on the planing process itself. Oh, and there will be cookies.

Upcoming Neighborhood Council Elections

Upcoming Neighborhood Council Elections

Got some free time? Want to devote some of it to helping lead Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council?

The EGNC will be holding officer elections at its next monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 10. All positions are up for grabs — and anyone who’s a member can put their name forward for nomination.

The officer positions include chair, co-chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer. Briefly: The chair heads meetings, appoints subcommittees and is the primary liaison between the EGNC and the city. The co-chair — which is a position that’s filled when necessary — helps share the load. The vice chair plays a slightly subordinate role, but in any event assists the chair and co-chair. The secretary writes everything down, such as meeting minutes and agendas. The treasurer at this point is a nominal role, but the position should be filled in anticipation of the EGNC becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

If you’d like to put your name forward, or if you have questions about the roles and responsibilities, please e-mail the nominations committee before April 8 so there’s enough time to include all names on the ballot.

Incidentally, this is a promising and exciting time to be an officer on the EGNC. Whoever is elected will help the neighborhood council with its transition into 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, assist in the neighborhood’s ambitious planning efforts, work towards establishing a more distinct identity in terms of social media and branding, and ensure that the city’s plans to revitalize North Monroe are consistent with what’s best for Emerson-Garfield.