If you’re interested in helping start a friends group for 9th street park to improve maintenance, make improvements, and increase community involvement, please contact Thomas Brendler at tbrendler@igc.org or 401-272-7383.
Neighbors
Container Gardening on May 4
Save the date for our next SNA Event!
“Trash to Treasure” Container Gardening Workship
Sunday, May 4th
12 noon to 3 pm
at East Side Eden, Alfred Stone Road.
More details to follow!
Events
Head of Bay workshop April 7
Making a Special Place at the Head of the Bay
Placemaking Workshop
Monday, April 7, 2008
3 -7 pm
Radisson Hotel (foot of Gano St.)
Please join an interactive workshop led by the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) to imagine a future for the last expanse of shoreline open to the public in Providence, at the head of Narragansett Bay. Join planners, stakeholders, and citizens concerned about the fate of the former Shooters nightclub for a presentation of what makes waterfront public spaces work in other cities, a placemaking exercise, and a brainstorming session to create a vision that makes the most of India Point’s unique geography and panoramic views and ensures public access to our most distinctive natural and historic asset.
Free and open to the public. Pre-registration required. Space limited to 100.
Please call 831-5995 x712 with your name & phone number.
Sponsored by Head of the Bay Gateway and Friends of India Point Park. Led by Ethan Kent from PPS.
Click “more” for workshop schedule and more information. (more…)
SNA Events
Meet Your Neighbors at a Wine Tasting
The SNA events committee invites you to join us at Pizzico on Hope Street for a wine tasting event on Tuesday, March 25th at 6pm. We will be tasting unique wines from Italy paired with fabulous food. Sample new and exciting varietals while meeting your Summit Neighbors.
The event cost is $20 per person. Please RSVP by March 20 to events@sna.providence.ri.us.
We look forward to seeing you there!
This is the Summit Neighborhood Association’s Events Committee’s first event to further SNA’s initiative to build social capital. This idea to build connections among neighbors was introduced at the February 25 Annual Meeting.
Here’s an extra challenge from the SNA: print this announcement out and put it through the mailslot of a Summit Neighbor you don’t know. Let them know you are inviting them and hope to see them there!
City Government
Neighborhood charette outcomes shared
The city Department of Planning and Development (DPD) issued A “Draft Action Plan” for the Summit, Mt. Hope and Blackstone neighborhoods at a public meeting this past November 14th. The plan summarizes work done at our four-day neighborhood charette held in September. It’s neither final nor official yet, so it’s a good time for neighbors, whether you participated in the charette or not, to take a look.
The plan presents six objectives, each with two to four projects. For each project, a number of actions are proposed along with those responsible and a target date. The plan reflects the strength – open dialog – and the weakness – the need to attend workday sessions – of the charette process. (more…)
Environment
Neighbors organize to Save the Fountain
Jesse Polhemus, from Langham Road, has stepped forward to champion the long-dry Henry Bowen Anthony fountain, a lovely Art Deco structure given to the city in 1940. Jesse has formed a committee to explore the methods and costs of restoration and to raise private pledges toward the cost. (more…)
North Main Street
North Main study ready for look – Feb. 20
The North Main Street project will share results from a base plan analysis of problematic North Main Street at a meeting next Wednesday, Feb. 20 7PM at the new offices of Jewish Famiy Services, 959 North Main Street (between Rochambeau and Colonial). Parking is in the back, enter in front. (more…)
General News
Build your social capital at SNA meeting Feb 25
Join us for the biggest neighborhood meeting of the year, the Annual Meeting of SNA members on Monday, Feb. 25 at 7PM at the Rochambeau Branch Library, 708 Hope Street.
We’ll review SNA activities, elect our new 2008 board and explore ways to build your non-monetary portfolio – your social capital account. The idea of social capital was popularized in Robert Putnam’s 1999 book Bowling Alone. (more…)
Local Businesses
Jewish Family Service moving to North Main St
In another sign of life on long-dormant North Main Street, Jewish Family Services shared the following announcement:
On December 27, 2007, Jewish Family Service is moving from its Waterman Street location to 959 North Main Street. The Jewish Family Service programs which will be housed at the new location include Adoption Options, Home Care, the Counseling Center, Lifeline RI and AgeWell, the senior information and referral service.
This new location will make it easier to provide a comfortable space for both clients and staff, as well as being conveniently located with easy highway and public transportation access. Erin Minior, Interim Executive Director, says that, “The professionals at JFS are so pleased to be moving to a location that will enable us to better serve our clients. This space will also be more conducive to community programs and family life education.”
All contact information for JFS will remain the same. The phone number is 401-331-1244 and the email is info@jfsri.org. The move will not cause any stoppage in services.
Jewish Family Service is an organization whose mission is to sustain, nurture and strengthen the emotional and general well-being and stability of families and individuals throughout the life cycle. JFS offers counseling, Family Life Education, Home care Services for sick, elderly or disabled individuals, Lifeline Rhode Island, Adoption Options, a Kosher Congregate Mealsite, Meals on Wheels and Nutrition programs.
Neighbors
Service for Maryanne Flanagan Wednesday morning
On Friday, our dear friend and long-time Summit Neighborhood Association board colleague Maryanne Flanagan of Fourth Street passed away. A service of remembrance will be held this Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Swan Point Cemetery’s Redwood Chapel. Notice of Maryanne’s death appeared in this mornings Sunday Journal (Local News). You may send email condolences via the Russel Boyle Funeral Home.
Maryanne was a lifelong student and teacher, and a woman of gentle, deeply persistent courage. While her passing leaves us poorer, our entire community is richer for her life among us.
Maryanne’s commitment to community found expression in her faithful, never-failing service as Secretary to our board, as a thoughtful governor of the organization and strategist in our campaigns and as a hands-on activist always ready to make calls, write letters, knock on doors and speak at hearings.
Maryanne’s faith in her power as a citizen continued to the very end. Just last week, Maryanne considered with me whether she should sit in outside the door of our city building inspector, who has failed to respond to her numerous calls and letters on a certain neighborhood matter. (For all I know, Maryanne may have done just that.) Last Saturday, Maryanne submitted her Minutes for our November Board meeting.
Maryanne’s steadiness in the face of her illness perhaps lulled us into believing what we hoped: that she would overcome and remain our friend and colleague here forever. That could not be, but Maryanne’s memory and spirit will always strengthen those of us who knew her.
I hope that those of you who also knew Maryanne will respond to this post with your own remembrances and tributes.