Following a much-needed break in July and last month’s Summer Potluck in Emerson Park, the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council will resume its monthly meetings at the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland) tomorrow — that is, Wednesday, September 10 — starting at 7pm.
Among other things, we’ll be discussing shifting the neighborhood boundaries, Fulcrum‘s plans for renovating a building on N Ash, the status of our Greening Neighborhoods grants, the current crop of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding opportunities, and voting on the proposed MoU between Project Hope Spokane and the EGNC (which you should download and review before voting) regarding the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market.
If you live or work here in E-G or have a child who goes to school here, one or more of these issues will probably be of interest to you. The EGNC is an all-volunteer organization that welcomes participation from everyone who has a stake in our neighborhood, including residents, business owners and community leaders.
Put your iPad to good use and download the September 10 meeting materials as PDFs here:
Calling all artists, crafters, and those who love their work!
The Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is holding its first-ever Craftwalk on Friday, September 26 concurrent with the market (3-7pm). Artists and crafters will line the sidewalk around the market for this inaugural event.
The Craftwalk will be a great chance to get some unique handmade items for yourself as well as the friends and family who are already on your holiday shopping list. There will be reclaimed and repurposed goods, quilts, jewelry, soaps, exotic art, knitting and beading, and lots more.
If you’re interested in participating or would like to know more, send us an e-mail. Booth fees are just $15, and there’s no application.
What follows is a condensed version of the minutes from the short meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council that followed the annual Summer Potluck on August 13, 2014 in Emerson Park.
The next generation of Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood planners (courtesy Bri Musser)
Prior to the meeting, during the barbeque, some neighbors brainstormed with Joe Cannon, a restoration ecologist from the Lands Council, about what trees would be ideal to plant throughout the neighborhood as part of the current Greening Neighborhoods grants.
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm, and a quorum of 18 voting members was present, along with 10 guests. The June minutes were approved without any changes. There were no additions or changes to the agenda, and there were no guest speakers.
The Greening Neighborhood grants were discussed first. There are three projects in the works, each of which is a volunteer project. These projects include the east side of Mansfield near Washington, Cora east of Monroe, and a continuation of the previous planting project on N. Maple.
A draft of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Project Hope Spokane and the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council was presented in order to identify the roles and responsibilities of each party regarding the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market. It was requested that the EGNC arrive with feedback and be prepared to vote on the MoU at the next meeting. The market saw $3,200 in total sales on Friday, August 8, and there is now a permanent street sign on Monroe.
Safe Routes to School is looking for interviewers for Garfield and Audubon Elementary who will help determine priorities for things like sidewalks and crosswalks. There is an interview outline you can follow — but keep in mind that the deadline for interviews is the end of August. Get in touch if you’re interested.
The traffic circles on Montgomery/Madison and Montgomery/Cedar are out to bid, and they will be installed by the end of autumn. The funding is done with Photo Red dollars, not tax dollars. Emerson-Garfield will also get sidewalks on Adams and Madison, filling in gaps.
For Corbin Senior Activity Center, there is still no arrival date for the van that they ordered in the spring, and they are hoping for September. The center’s biggest fundraiser, the annual auction, will be held there on Saturday, September 27. This year it’s called “Athenian Nights.” They would appreciate donations and attendance, as the fundraiser helps keep their doors open. So please donate!
Also, a mere $24 will get anyone over the age of 18 an annual membership to the Corbin Senior Activity Center. Membership entitles you to use of their facilities (like the Wii) and discounts to businesses all along N. Monroe.
The CSAC also installed cameras throughout the building in order to improve safety and discourage vandalism. The money for the cameras came from a donation by a former board member. There is still a separate cost for the installation.
If you are interested in being a board member for the CSAC, a three-year term will be starting in January, 2015. You can find out more information by calling Christa at (509) 327-1584 (x10).
Megan Kennedy led a toast (of sparkling cider) in celebration of the Neighborhood Plan, which is now complete. The City Council unanimously adopted the plan by resolution on July 28.
Eline Helm reported on Concerts in the Park. The feedback has been very positive; Sarah Brown and her husband clearly did a wonderful job. There were approximately 100 people in attendance, and $55 in donations was gathered in the collection during the event. Donors from the previous year gave larger amounts this year.
The event ties in with National Farmers Market Week and will feature recipes provided by the Washington State Farmers Market Association using fresh market-sourced ingredients. It’s actually a “no-cook” cooking demo that will showcase kitchen knife skills and amazing low-cost dishes that are possible without even turning on the oven.
Even if the demo isn’t up your alley, there are plenty of reasons to make the market today. Fannie’s Ice Pops will be back — they were a huge hit last week — and new this week are Spokane Family Farm (with fresh, local milk) alongside Mama Torres Salsa.
The permanent sign for the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market (check out the market’s new Facebook page, by the way) went up on N. Monroe yesterday, with a big thanks to the intrepid souls who were willing to risk their necks on ladders as traffic whizzed past. The sign was provided by one of the vendors, Pleasant Prairie Farms, who was able to work within our slender budget while still finding time to bake amazing bread before last Friday’s market.
This means one less disused signpost along the North Monroe business corridor and a little publicity bump for the market when the sandwich boards aren’t out. And before anyone spots it: Yes, the address should be 806 W Knox instead of 608 W Knox. That will get fixed soon.
Also: The market is hosting a free cooking demo this Friday, August 8 with local chef Adam Hegsted (The Yards, Wandering Table) in celebration of National Farmers Market Week. He’ll be preparing low-cost delicious seasonal recipes using market ingredients. Find out more about the event here.
