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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.

March Neighborhood Council Meeting Recap

March Neighborhood Council Meeting Recap

[Ed. note: This is a condensed version of the official minutes, which are available for download here.]

The March Edition of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council came in like a lion at a couple of minutes after 7pm on March 13.

Chair Liorah Wichser started the meeting with a vote for a new logo for the Neighborhood Council. Three submissions had been submitted by three submittees, all of whom were present. A silent vote was taken and the winning logo was submitted by Liorah Wichser. It was a very fair vote and totally a coincidence that the Chair of the Committee has a name very similar to that of the the winning artist.

Thanks to Joe Snodgrass and Stan Burke for their artistic submissions. [Ed. note: All three logos will be featured in an upcoming post.]

Garbage Czar Karl Boldt spoke next and gave a report on the Neighborhood Clean-Up Day scheduled for Saturday, April 27 from 9am to 12:30pm. It will again be held in the parking lot of Faith Bible Church at 600 W Cora. There will be bins for garbage and clean green, just as in the past. In addition, there will be a recycling bin for metals of all kinds (other than radioactive) and an area for household hazardous waste. That means paint, chemicals and radioactive iridium 358. The Salvation Army will also be there to accept resellable items you would like to donate. [Ed. note: An upcoming post will have more information about Neighborhood Clean-Up Day.]

There will be a large furniture pick up scheduled for later in June. You need to register with Karl at (509) 325-3031.

Next was a brief update on the status of registering the group as a 501(c)(3) organization. Bylaws are being written up and a board of directors is going to be needed. The board will probably consist of 5 to 7 people and you can be one of them. Contact Liorah if you so desire.

Elections of new officers will be scheduled for next month. Liorah, E.J. and Stan are the nominating/railroading committee. Liorah has announced she is stepping down. E.J. has said he would like to become chair if no one else is so inclined, and Stan, your humble writer of minutes, will stay on for a fourth year if no one else wants the job, but he would also happily step aside. That means the vice chair and/or co-chair job is open and ready for someone like you. Contact anyone of the officers to submit yourself for electoral consideration.

The Corbin Senior Center has been buzzing with activity. The Luau was a great event. The 9th Movin’ & Groovin’ Fair was a happening event with 70 vendors, lots of great food and lots of people attending.

There will be a Pancake Breakfast on April 27 from 8:30 to 11am. Tickets are $7 per person and are available at the front desk or at the door the day of the event — so get some breakfast and then dump your garbage at the aforementioned Neighborhood Clean-Up.

Corbin and Emerson-Garfield will be holding a yard sale on May 11. The Corbin Golf Scramble will be at Indian Canyon on June 21 and sponsored by Pine Ridge Alzheimer’s Care Center.

The Neighborhood Planning Committee is still suffering from a woeful lack of attendance. Committee Chair Jay Cousins and one other person were at the last meeting. If you want a say in the future of how the neighborhood looks, the meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at Corbin Senior Center. The next meeting is Thursday April 4 at 6pm. You should go.

Lt. Dean Sprague informed the group of the latest trends in crime in the neighborhood over the last month. There is all kinds of information available at www.spokanecops.org.

The Community Assembly met recently and discussed the stormwater/sewer project and heard a speech from the mayor.

In neighborhood news, Eline Helm is spearheading a Concert in the Park Series. Nothing is scheduled yet but this effort is underway and Eline would love more involvement.

Community Development rep Sara Kimball was not available but sent an update on sidewalks. Priorities are being organized for the 29 areas of concern. Not all areas will be addressed this year as funds (as always) are limited. The new swings in Corbin Park are in and two new horseshoe pits will be installed in the area of the old swing set. The new play equipment for Emerson Park has arrived and will be installed in late April.

The committee chose to recommend cross walks in the area of the Safeway store as the priority for our traffic calming projects.

With that, the meeting was adjourned at 9:12pm.

Corbin Book Club (April 9)

Corbin Book Club (April 9)

FYI, there’s an all-ages book club that meets every second Tuesday of each month at Corbin Senior Center [map]. The event always starts at 1:30pm and is held in the dining room.

For the next meeting on April 9, they’ll be discussing The Orchardist, a historical novel set in Wenatchee by Portland-based author Amanda Coplin. Next month they’ll be discussing The Daughter’s Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick.

Questions? Contact Kitty Johnston at (509) 936-5033 for more info.

3rd District Town Hall Meetings (Mar 16)

3rd District Town Hall Meetings (Mar 16)

Washington Community Action Network has sent out an e-mail to notify residents that the 3rd District legislators (namely, State Senator Andy Billig and Reps. Marcus Riccelli and Timm Ormsby) will be returning to Spokane to hold two Town Hall Meetings on Saturday, March 16:

  • 10am to noon at Shadle Park High School Auditorium, 4327 N. Ash Street
  • 2 to 4pm at Emmanuel Family Life Center, 631 S. Richard Allen Ct

WA State Community Action Network

If you live in Emerson-Garfield (here’s a handy neighborhood map), you’re in the 3rd District.

Some issues and talking points WA CAN highlights include:

  • Since 2009, $10.5 billion in state budget cuts have torn billion-dollar-sized holes in education, healthcare and other essential services. The proposed all-cuts approach to the budget would pit funding for education against other essential community services.
  • There are over 500 special tax expenditures in WA State’s tax code that have never been reviewed. Most of them have no sunset date. Many tax expenditures are simply outdated or didn’t accomplish their goal like keeping jobs in Washington, therefore they should be subject to a cost/benefit analysis.
  • Washington is one of only 8 states that do not charge state taxes on the sale of stocks, bonds and other speculative investments. The result is that middle class families pay up to six times higher state tax rates then millionaires.

These aren’t the only important talking points, though, so bone up on some of the pressing issues and make sure your voice is heard by your legislators.