Neighborhood Picnic at Butler Park – Sunday May 6th

Hi Neighbors!

You’re invited to a neighborhood picnic this coming Sunday, May 6th,
from 4-7pm in Butler Park! The Near West Side Neighborhood Association
will provide drinks and you should bring tableware and a dish to
share. Also, if you’d like, bring an instrument, bring your kids, and
get to know your neighbors. In case of bad weather, the picnic will be
held at 1210 W 8th St.

In the next few days you should receive a flyer, too. In case you
don’t, here is an electronic copy:
http://nearwestside.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/spring_picnic_flyer_2012_nwsna.pdf

The NWSNA will have its monthly meeting at the beginning of the
picnic, so it’s a dual-purpose event. Hope to see you on Sunday!

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NWSNA Garden Walk on Saturday, May 19th, starts at 3pm

The NWSN Association is organizing a GARDEN WALK Tour on Saturday, May 19th , starting at 3pm.

We need to know how many people are interested in participating in this tour.

If you are gardening (vegetables or flowers or both) or if you are keeping chickens or bees or implementing any sustainable practices (such as rain water catchment etc..) you want us to know about, we would like to learn from your practices and enrich our lives.

Could you please be kind enough to let us know, if you are interested in participating in such a Walk and/or are willing to show your garden or yard to visitors from our neighborhood?

If so, please send your name and email address to:

 

Burhan Elturan

belturan@indiana.edu

 

Once we know how many people want to participate in this walk, or are willing to show their gardens to us, we will draw up a plan or a path of walk in the neighborhood from the nearest to the farthest location and walk all together from one garden to another.

We will consider emails in this regard till Thursday May 17th and let people know via email where we will meet to start the walk.

 

Thank you very much!

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April 17 2012 meeting

Tonight we met at Vernon and Cheryl Sweeney’s house (702 W 7th St). Present: Bill Baus, Vernon Sweeney, Cheryl Sweeney, Isabel Vernaza, Dave Ferrand, Barry Wallock, Steven Janowiecki, Burhan Elturan, Diane Dallis, and Sophia Hausermann

Meeting called to order at 7:06pm, with introductions.

 

First item: homeless presence in the woods by the park.

There is a set of photos to demonstrate the scale of the problem here. Two examples:

 

Barry took before and after photos of woods north of the park from the end of last Fall and again today. Notable is a giant pile of trash bags from last Fall, which is now scattered all around the woods, and is spreading out throughout the park and onto the B-line trail. Barry called the police once but they did not come. He is asking for support from the association to help make our voices heard. (He also asks what the status of the Habitat for Humanity project by the park as well. Isabel thinks their plan is not to build for a few years.) (He also also asks why the grass is so tall in the 9th St park, and hasn’t been mowed yet. **UPDATE: the City came to mow the grass the morning after our meeting!**) Are we being neglected by the city? Vernon asks how many people are staying in the woods. Barry says up to 20 people at times, but that there has never been harassment or other incidents. Diane mentions that they leave a mess on the B-line and the Parks dept has to clean it up. It’s a bad situation and there isn’t a clear solution. Barry says there’s already one tent in the woods as of today. Cheryl asks whether it’s a problem for law enforcement. Bill says he’s called the police multiple times and they have come and removed the homeless people. It is private property back there. We next discussed the seasonal migrations and movements of the homeless population around this city and the surrounding area.

Bill’s suggestion is to officially, as the NWSNA, contact the police, follow up on it and make sure that they actually come and take care of the problem. If the problem is not solved, then we can contact the city about it and make it clear that we care! If we ignore the problem, the city will ignore the problem, too. Bill suggest taking turns checking the park fairly often, and staying organized and keeping on top of it. Bill also says it would also be great to organize a big cleanup in the woods some time, with resources (bags/etc) from the city, and volunteer help from any number of groups in town. Maybe by getting the trash out, we can keep up with the new incoming presence. Contacting the Herald-Times was discussed, but going to the police first, then the city, then the H-T after that. Working hard to clean it up only makes sense if we know it’s going to stay clean, through enforcement. Bill says he cleans out any trash/debris whenever he finds it in the woods he owns, and that prevents people from staying around. Bill thinks that the railroad and Habitat would be happy if we cleaned up their property, too. Burhan emphasises the importance of knowing who owns the properties and to hear from the property owners about what is OK to do. Maybe we could work with Maple Heights, too.

Discussion went in a lot of directions, touching on rail history, real estate law, and how the city acquired the land for the B-line from CSX. In the end, we discussed that a neighborhood voice would be an effective way to start dealing with this, contacting law enforcement when the people are actually there, and trying to be consistent and keep it up. Cheryl moves that Bill calls the police. Diane seconds. Bill amends the motion and suggests forming a committee of 2-4 people to frequently check on the homeless presence and call the police. Barry says we don’t need a committee, but that individuals could just report back if they notice the presence. So, let Bill know if you see homeless people in the woods and he will call the police and ask for a report on what happens. Diane suggests also writing to the city about the problem on the whole so that we don’t just waste the police’s time. Bill says if the same people keep coming back that we could deal with that. If we are consistent with this, the homeless population will spread the word that this isn’t a place to live. Cheryl states that the biggest problem is the trash, not any actual problems with the people.  She says that a lot of the trash and waste we picked up along the B-Line is electronic.  Bill states that most of the trash in the woods is clothing.  Both Cheryl and Bill state that most of the trash is stolen from the Salvation Army [and Opportunity House] drop off areas and dumpster. It’s really the trash and litter that we don’t want in the woods.

Bill asks for a volunteer to organize a cleanup in the woods here. He offers to help if someone else will lead the effort. No volunteers… anyone want to help organize a cleanup?? [I will send out an email to the list serve asking for help.]

At 7:55pm, Burhan asks for more specific plans and what will we actually do. Bill says we can run the people out, but if the trash and items remain, they will just come back. We need to both have the people removed consistently (perhaps reported via a neighborhood patrol/watch) and keep everything cleaned everything out. We discuss possible health hazards of removing the trash. For now, Bill will call the police, and we should let him know if we ever see people living in the woods.

 

Adams St bridge painting:

We have some street barricades now, have some paint around and funds to buy more. Discussing possible dates to do it… Saturday May 5th. Barry would like a few days notice to get materials from the city and to let emergency services know about it. May 5th at noon will be the time, subject to good weather.

 

Traffic calming on W 7th:

No progress from the city. At one point neighbor Wayne Young had talked with Justin Wykoff, who said that it was going to happen, but nothing has happened. There’s a half-complete traffic calming island on 7th St that hasn’t made any progress. They were waiting until the school construction was over but now it’s the time to do it. So all we really all we need to do here is to pass a resolution to send a letter to the city to ask what the date for the construction to start on this project! Burhan moves, Isabel seconds, all say aye. Cheryl wants to know where it is and what good it will do. It is at the corner of Rogers and 7th St, and will deter people from driving fast and from coming into 7th St, similar to the one on 6th and Rogers. [I will draft a letter to the city with this resolution, asking for the construction dates.]

Cheryl points out that there isn’t even a speed limit sign near the school, and thinks an electronic “your speed is”-type sign might help. The city was going to put new signs up in all the neighborhoods. We can request an additional speed limit sign be put up sooner, though. Bill thinks we should also talk to the school about it, since the school-crossing 20mph (“with children present” sign) really relates to the school not to the neighborhood. There is some confusion about what we would like out there. Cheryl wants a speed limit sign at the minimum, or more ideally an electronic sign. Bill says the “20 mph with children present” sign would be more effective than just a 30mph neighborhood speed limit sign. (This is a separate issue from the traffic calming, and would be a separate letter to the city.) Cheryl moves to request a “school children present” speed limit sign, seconded, ayes. **UPDATE: Bill just informed me that there is in fact a 20 MPH sign on 7th. It’s about a half a block away from the Sweeneys, so we’re going to hold off on writing any letter about this at this time.**

 

Social committee report about the picnic planning.

No social committee has been quite formed yet, but we do have a flyer ready to distribute. We discussed assignments for delivery. (Ask Steven (sjanowie@astro.indiana.edu) for flyers if you need them, and bring me your extras if I gave you too many.) Bill can bring a 5 gallon drink dispenser and plenty of ice. Someone needs to get some lemonade mix and be ready. Bill may have leftover paper plates and cups from the last picnic, just to bring extras just in case. Flyers should be delivered 1 or 2 weeks before the picnic, so next week or so! (Perhaps we’ll even take a walk through the woods during the picnic…)

 

Bill asks if there is any other business:

Sophia asks when we will next have a meeting. It will be held at the picnic on May 6th.

Burhan asks if we’d like to do garden walks again this year. The people say yes! But when to do it? Earlier than last year so it’s not as hot as last year. Burhan will organize the garden walk, where we walk around as a group and visit each others’ gardens. A Saturday early afternoon (3 or 5pm) around the end of May? May 19th OK? May 19th at 3pm will be the garden walk! Burhan will coordinate who wants to be part of the garden walk. Glorianne made signs last year, and may be willing to do it again. Maybe we could also invite Prospect Hill and Maple Heights? Invite your friends. We should have a poster ready and information up at the picnic, and maybe have a sign-up.

Finally, we pick a June meeting date: Tuesday 12th June. Meet at Sophia’s (625 W 7th) at 7pm.

 

We’re done at 8:47pm. Meeting adjourned, and a good time was had by all.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Steven Janowiecki

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Butler Park Fall 2011 and 17 April 2012

Some photos from the woods north of Butler Park last fall and again yesterday:

 

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1221 W. Sixth St.

$110,000

Lovely 980 sq ft 1-2 Bedroom 1 bath house on Bloomington’s Near West Side neighborhood. This turn of the century bungalow was renovated and fully updated in 2003 and features large rooms, high ceilings, and a great fenced backyard. Central Air, gas for heating and cooking, stainless steel refrigerator and stove, and updated electrical with an outlet on every wall! All appliances (stove/oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and stackable washer and dryer) stay! The house is in good shape, but could use some cosmetic updates such as new paint. The house is in good shape, but must be sold as-is. This would make a great first home or investment. Check out the comps in this up-and-coming neighborhood! This gem is a steal at $110,000!

Serious inquiries only, please!

Also, we have a young baby and three dogs, so PLEASE no pop-ins!

Listing on craigslist

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March 13 2012 meeting

Meeting of the Near West Side Neighborhood Association – 13 March 2012

Tonight we met at Veda’s house (627 W 7th St). Present were: Veda Stanfield, Cheryl Sweeney, Vernon Sweeney, Steven Janowiecki, Dave Ferrand, Sophia Hauserman, Bill Baus, Barry Wallock, and Isabel Vernaza. Veda provided lemonade and iced tea and many people wore sandals.

Veda called the meeting to order at 7:08pm, and led the beginning of the meeting.

Veda first mentioned that Bill (as new president) needs to take tonight’s minutes and sign over the signature card at Peoples Bank for the NWSNA.

Next, she drew our attention to the BEAD (Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District - http://bloomington.in.gov/bead) organizational meeting to discuss plans to create an art space at the fire station on Rogers. The meeting is March 26th and more information is on the flyer: BEAD_flyer_26Mar2012.

Finally, she emphasized the importance of the Growth Policies Plan (GPP – Growth_Policies_Plan) “Imagine Bloomington” workshops which are currently underway around the city. The dates are listed on the GPP flyer (Imagine_Bloomington) for an interactive workshop that you can attend and give feedback and input to the process. All of the workshops will be the same so you only have to attend one, but you can go as often as you like if you really want to make your point. Veda plans to go to the workshop at Tri-North on March 27th (all workshops are from 7-8:30pm) and encourages everyone to attend if possible. Sophia also mentioned that there is a meeting on April 28th at Bell Trace during the daytime hours if you prefer. Contact her for more details.

New officer elections

Veda read the proposed slate:
–President: Bill Baus (baus@alumni.indiana.edu)
–Vice President: Sophia Hauserman (sofyhaus@sbcglobal.net)
–Secretary: Steven Janowiecki (sjanowie@astro.indiana.edu)
–Treasurer:Burhan Elturan (belturan@indiana.edu)
Bill asked for additional nominations and there were none. Bill proposed that the slate be elected by acclamation. Cheryl moved and Vernon (and others) seconded. Everyone said “aye”.

Cheryl asked if the officers’ emails could be provided, and they are included them after our names on the slate. These minutes will also be updated on the website.

It was suggested that we contact the committees which were formed last spring to see if they still want to exist. At the least, the social committee should be re-formed quite soon (see picnic discussion later).

Newly elected president Bill continues on the agenda. He also discusses the importance of contributing to the GPP and the effects it can have on the neighborhood.

Spring Picnic:

The social committee will plan a spring pitch-in picnic on May 6 in Butler park with Bill’s house as a backup location in case of bad weather. Steven is sending an email right now to last year’s social committee to get re-organized and plan it.

Graffiti on the Indiana Railroad overpass on Adams St:

Bill briefly summarized the history of the painting on the bridge. Originally the neighborhood just west of us worked together with NWSNA to paint the mural on the bridge, and of the Stardust melody (since Hoagie Carmichael spent some time growing up quite close to the bridge). The mural went for many years of no graffiti (and just minor touchups from Bill), although some trucks hit it and knocked pieces off here and there. More recently, graffiti has become prolific and it is in need of repainting. Bill wants to repaint it but needs a couple helpers to direct traffic while standing on a ladder to do some of the painting. Veda wonders if we need to contact the city about it but Bill says we should just do it and no one will notice. Barry said he would check with the city and suspects the city will support it and maybe even help out since they are keen to remove graffiti. Bill thinks it will take 2 or 3 hours to complete some weekend afternoon. Dave offered to help and bring orange vests and maybe a lift truck. Vernon also offered to help and also has a vest and even a stop sign that he can bring.

Access to future-I69 via Vernal Pike:

Bill explained that he noticed after the recent construction on Vernal Pike (for underground pipe work) that it significantly affected the amount of time it took to reach SR37 northbound. The current tentative I-69 plans call for no access at Vernal Pike, but instead for Vernal Pike to be an underpass under the new highway. Bill worries that not only will our travel time to northbound I-69 be much longer, but more importantly that a lot of the folks who currently come into town on Vernal Pike and take 37 S or N to other streets will instead come into through our neighborhood. That could mean extra traffic on 6th and 7th Streets, and long backups at the light at Kirkwood and Adams. Bill wants us to actively lobby for access to I-69 on Vernal Pike. Barry says that he was out near the site recently and that the current plan is to have the underpass further north of the current intersection with Vernal Pike, but will check on those details and get back to us. It’s the MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization – http://bloomington.in.gov/mpo) working on these plans, although we still need to find out who to contact and how to make our input  heard. There was much support and interest tonight from people willing to help.

New Business:

Barry asked what was the purpose of the NWSNA. Veda and Bill described our mission statement (The constitution is here: NWSNA_Constitution ) which is to defend and represent our neighborhood as single family residences and a core neighborhood in the city. Barry is worried that “private dormitories” (apartments designed for students) will spread to the NWS and had heard that the city tried to encourage something like that. Veda and Bill said the city values us as a core neighborhood and feels strongly about keeping it single family residences, and referred again to the GPP (Growth_Policies_Plan) for more details about this. You should read it if you haven’t!

Finally, Bill asked when we would like to meet next. Second Tuesdays seemed good, and  we decided to meet on Tuesday April 10th at 7pm at Cheryl and Vernon Sweeney’s house  at 702 W 7th St (the corner with Fairview). [CORRECTION: this meeting will be held Tuesday April 17th!]

Before we adjourned, the officers (3 / 4 present) discussed selecting the 4 at-large board members. Three were selected tonight and are:

Isabel Vernaza (isabelvernaza@juno.com)
Dave Ferrand (davidferrand@mac.com)
Cheryl Sweeney (chersween@gmail.com)

Bill called the motion to approve these at-large members, Sophia moved, and Steven seconded. The officers will discuss who the 4th at-large member will be. These at-large members serve 1-year terms and vote on the board like officers. They often chair committees, but are not required to do so. The board usually meets monthly, although anyone is welcome to attend the board meetings. There are also general meetings quarterly which include the whole neighborhood, and may often be connected with parties or social gatherings.

Eventually dues will need to be collected this year once we decide if they should change from what is written in the bylaws.

Veda motioned to adjourn the meeting, all say “aye”, and the meeting ends just after 8pm, and a good time was had by all.

Respectfully submitted,
Steven Janowiecki

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Meeting Tonight on Neighborhood Communication @ Bloomingfoods

I want to invite you to a meeting of the NWSNA Communications Team – a working group that will discuss ways to share information between community members about local news, issues, and events. We’ll be meeting at 5pm at the west Bloomingfoods, at 316 W 6th St, on Monday, October 24.

We’d like to have a robust group that can help with finding relevant information and creating content to share. Do you have a great story of the pet you adopted at the local shelter? Is there an issue at the local elementary school (Fairview) that you’d like more people to know about? Are you performing a local music concert or does your organization need volunteers for a special event? This is a place to share that kind of info!

On the agenda:

  1. Discussion of survey results on how we communicate with the neighborhood, as well as input from attendees.
  2. How can we reach members who are not online? Monthly newsletter?
  3. Who can regularly (once a month) contribute to the blog/newsletter? I think 4 people per month would be a healthy start. VERY open to different topics and ideas. Photos are desired!
  4. Brainstorm ideas of what to share on the website, twitter, email list. Some ideas:

Hope to see you there! Please post a comment or email us if you’re interested and have specific skills or thoughts you’d like to share.

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Updates From Last Night’s October Meeting

Thank you to Veda for taking these meeting notes!

We spent most of the meeting time discussing the Habitat Project. There are a variety of opinions about this. There does seem to be a consensus that at least saving a contiguous strip of undisturbed green space would be great. It remains to be seen how infrastructure and the site itself will support construction on the property. Until we have more information about what Habitat is able to do, we will wait and see. There is a contingent of people who still believe that if the site turns out to be undevelopable, the City might yet be pressured into buying the land. Other people feel that the City has no interest in this land, that this development will precede and it would behoove us to cooperate with Habitat and have some input into how the development proceeds. It was a spirited discussion in the democratic tradition of people forcefully sharing their opinions. We are grateful for democracy.

We discussed the need to recruit more participants into the NWNSA. We also need to form a committee to nominate a slate of officers for the spring election. Sophia Hauserman has offered to chair the Nominating Committee (which we hope will also serve as a recruitment tool!) Current officers are not allowed to be on the nominating committee, so we are asking people to volunteer to help Sophia with this task. Please contact Sophia at 332-5556 to support her.

Veda asked people what they thought about amending the NWSNA Constitution to create an executive committee to run the association, instead of the officers that we currently have. Bill Baus made a convincing argument in favor of keeping the current system and there was consensus that Bill was right about this. (The Constitution will be posted on the Near West Side website sometime in the next few days.)

We decided that it would be a good idea to have a party in place of the November meeting. We will post a flyer about this in the next week. All are welcome, regardless of how involved you want to be in the neighborhood – the idea is to build our sense of community and togetherness, and it will be a family-friendly event.

The party will be Monday, November 21st at 7:00 at Bill Baus’ house at the west end of 8th Street. It will be a pitch-in for snacks, with the NWNSA providing drinks. Mark your calendar!

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Updates from Last Night’s August Meeting

We had a great meeting last night with a wonderful turnout of new and old members. Thank you to Sandi Clothier for hosting and sharing some delightful strawberries, cookies, and guac! And thanks to everyone who came and shared their thoughts on how to improve our community. Here are the notes from last night, typed up by Veda.

Elder Issues

Sophia Hauserman invited elders to a breakfast meeting at the Kirkwood Café on Wednesday, September 14th  at 8:30am.  She also informed us about an upcoming workshop on Community Development for Enhancing the Lives of Older Hoosiers to be held in Indy on September 6&7.

For more information contact Sophia at sofyhaus@sbcglobal.net.

Yard Sale

The NWSNA yard sale is set for this coming Saturday, August 27 from 8-1.  Brennan, the owner of Time Flies Antique Gallery at 729 W. Kirkwood and Chris and Carol from Sublime Design attended the meeting and they want to participate in the yard sale as well.  We will add them to the 9 homes that will be in the yard sale.  Look for signs and flyers and an ad in the H.T,

Veda will handle the publicity and Steven Janowiecki will help place signs.

Grants Available

Sandi Clothier talked about grants that are available for businesses along the West Kirkwood corridor and the need for our neighborhood to support our local businesses.

Downtown Businesses

Barry Wallock spoke about an opportunity to have Talisha Coppock to attend our next NWSNA meeting to get our ideas about the kinds of businesses our neighborhood would like to see downtown.  Veda will invite reps from both the Prospect Hill NA and Maple Heights NA to attend our next meeting and share in the discussion with Talisha.

 

Welcome New Neighbors

Sophia Hauserman is going to contact Vickie Provine at HAND and order “welcome” magnets for neighbors to give to new people moving into our neighborhood this fall.  Sophie will coordinate with neighbors to deliver the magnets.

Neighborhood Planning

Our Councilman, Chris Sturbaum, attended the meeting and updated us on the EcoVillage.  He also inspired a great discussion about creating a “neighborhood plan” to define our vision for our neighborhood and identify issues to be handled.  This is a lengthy process and we will be meeting in a small group to plan for how to organize the larger process.  Barry, Brennan, Veda and Sandi will meet soon to begin the discussion.

Chris also told us that the Growth Policies Plan will be updated soon and this is an important process that neighborhoods can be involved with.  We will need to make sure to have NWS neighbors in on these discussions about our vision for the growth of our city.

By Law Updates

Bill Baus will head a committee to look at needed by law revisions.  He will convene a committee soon.

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Sustainability News from Jacqui Bauer, Sustainability Coord, City of Bloomington

The recent heat means lots of people are running the A/C, which means peak loads for local power plants. You can help reduce peak loads by participating in Duke Energy’s Power Manager program–they pay you a one-time fee of $25-35 for the ability to notch the energy use of your air conditioner down during peak times, and pay you an additional credit every time they do so. I’ve used this service for a couple of years and have never noticed a difference in performance, so it can be done with minimal impact on comfort. See here for more information: http://www.duke-energy.com/indiana/savings/power-manager.asp

Upcoming events

Bloomington Food Policy Council Meeting July 14 – Help finalize the mission of the BFPC and hear what the working groups have been up to. Thursday, July 14th at 6:30 in City Hall’s McCloskey Room.For more information contact Stephanie Solomon at stephanie@mhcfoodpantry.org or Michael Simmons at simmonsm@bloomington.in.gov.

USGBC webinar on energy efficiency July 14 – This webinar series gives an introductory look at LEED and its uses for achieving green buildings and the processes involved. This is for anyone with an interest in the LEED process, wanting to achieve LEED certification, or concerned citizens looking to improve efficiencies globally. For 1.5 GBCI or AIA/CES hours. 4-6pm, at 908 W 8th St, in Bloomington’s only Platinum-certified home! For more info see the calendar here: http://www.gnnbloomington.com/?page_id=82

WIndiana and the Indiana Renewable Energy Conference July 20-21 -This conference will feature workshops on renewable energy possibilities at both small and large scales. See http://www.in.gov/oed/2629.htm for more information.

Bloomington Sierra Club monthly meeting July 25th – The next monthly meeting of the local Sierra Club will take place on Monday July 25 in Monroe County Public Library – Room #1B from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Contact thomas.mooradian@att.net for more information.

Film screening: Bicycle Dreams, July 31 – Bicycle Dreams, the award-winning film about Race Across America, will be shown at the Buskirk-Chumley theater on Sunday, July 31 at 7 p.m.. The film was recently named by two cycling mags as the greatest cycling film since Breaking Away. http://www.bicycledreamsmovie.com/ for more information.

Hub Ride for the Hungry, August 13 - The Hub Ride for the Hungry is a bike ride you don’t want to miss! Starting in Karst Farm Park the various rides take you through the rolling hills of southern Indiana and offer spectacular views. The event offers rides for bikers of all levels from novice to nuts. All rides start and finish at Karst Farm Park. Proceeds from the ride go to support MHC’s pantry and education programs. 8am – 2pm. For more info, visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=tc4e7sdab&oeidk=a07e3t4c637b1526936

Training

Solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) program at the Brown County Career Resource Center August 8-13, 2011

The Brown County Career Resource Center, located in Nashville, IN is offering a week long solar electric workshop. The course is designed for people looking to gain basic knowledge with solar PV technology and provide participants to sit for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) PV Entry Level Exam. Students attending the workshop will learn solar PV electricity basics, solar energy fundamentals, PV module fundamentals, PV site assessment, PV system components, PV system sizing, PV system design, working safely with PV and PV markets and applications. The last day 8/13, will be a 1/2 day review to help students prepare for the exam, then the exam will be administered that afternoon. The workshop is taught by NABCEP certified PV installer, Alex Jarvis, solarindiana@yahoo.com.

2011 Citizens Academy accepting applications until July 18 -This free, nine-week program that gives you the opportunity to learn about the challenges of city government, budget limitations, day-to-day operations and mandates in this fun and educational class. The 2011 Citizens’ Academy will meet weekly from August 18 through October 13. The session will be limited to a total of 30 participants to ensure a quality experience for all participants.The deadline for 2011 Citizens’ Academy applications is Monday, July 18, 2011. For an application and further information about Citizens’ Academy contact Vickie Provine at provinev@bloomington.in.gov or 349-3505.

Other Stuff

Simply Living Fair seeking sponsors – The Center for Sustainable Living is pleased to announce that the 2011 Simply Living Fair will be held on Saturday, September 10th in Third Street Park (also known as the Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Park). They are seeking sponsors and exhibitors, with a goal of raising $1,500 to cover expenses. This is a great chance to showcase your green business or organization to a crowd of eco-minded folks who are willing to spend their dollars where their values are. Booths are available for $25 for businesses and $15 for non-profits, with sponsorship opportunities starting at $80. Please visit http://www.simplylivingfair.org for more information or contact the Center for Sustainable Living at (812) 332-8796.

Help Indiana get more trees with just a few clicks – It’s quick, easy, and free to help get more trees for Indiana by voting online. Each vote results in a $1 donation from Odwalla to the Indiana DNR for planting trees in Hoosier state parks. Last year around $3,400 was raised through this program. With the Emerald Ash Borer killing trees throughout the state, more trees will be needed this year to offset the damage and grow our forests. Visit http://www.odwalla.com/plantatree/ to vote. More information at the DNR site: http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2923.htm

Show tornadoes that they aren’t welcome here!! Donate to the City of Bloomington Tree Fund - During the storms last month, the campus and community lost an estimated 500-700 trees, some of which were 150 years old or more. Help replace these monuments in our green city! Anything you contribute will help send a signal to tornadoes to dissipate into refreshing spring breezes. http://bloomington.in.gov/parkfoundation

ROOMS AVAILABLE IN NEW BLOOMINGTON ECOVILLAGE beginning August 1. – Walking distance to campus. If you are interested in intentional community and sustainable living you may find this to be a very good fit for you! Contact Doug (hanvey@gmail.com) for info.

The City’s Deer Task Force wants to hear from you! - The Deer Task Force is conducting a survey of the community regarding deer in the city. Visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/CDWLSJS to complete the survey.

To Contact the City’s Sustainability Coordinator, Jacqui Bauer, call 812.349.3418, or email bauerj@bloomington.in.gov

Like the Sustainable Bloomington Facebook page! www.facebook.com/pages/Bloomington-Sustainable-City/145658892126390

Join us for the Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale and the Bloomington Resale Trail! – August 20, 2011, Gladstein Fieldhouse (next to IU Assembly Hall), http://www.indiana.edu/~h2h

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