What's up in Goss-Grove: Notes from last gathering

On January 10, we had our first social hour at Jenny and Stephen’s. It was super fun – 12 adults and 2 kids.  Over beer, wine and chocolate, we got to know each other better as neighbors and friends.  Then some of us walked a couple doors down to the neighborhood meeting. 

Full house at the neighborhood meeting!  So great to see so many familiar and new faces!  A summary of what was discussed:

We are now on FaceBook! Please follow us! Search for Goss Grove Neighborhood or use this link:  https://www.facebook.com/GossGroveNA/#.  Information will be posted on both NextDoor.com and FaceBook. Please join one or both!

Setting notifications on NextDoor.com.  Our neighborhood uses NextDoor.com and we currently have 220 members! That’s great, but in order for it to be effective, users have to set their notifications properly.  Not much point in joining if you never get notified of a posting. Turn off posts from all other neighborhoods for starters.  Then set notification to daily or weekly digest at the minimum. There are not many posts, but this is where meeting notices get posted – very important!

Goss-Grove Community Garden: The growing season is beginning soon!  There are plots available.  This year, pea gravel will be renewed.  Michele will be following up on repair of the Dragonfly sculpture.   Irrigation needs to be checked on flower beds.

Little Free Library and Community Bulletin Board:  The Little Free Library is well loved!  It was repaired a few months ago and is going strong.  The Community Bulletin Board was vandalized and Stephen is in the process of fixing it.  Jenny will be posting meeting and social hour notices at least two weeks ahead of events.

Crime and Safety:  Most brazen crime award to theft of an expensive bike off a second story deck!  Otherwise, a light mix of residence burglaries, car break-ins and vandalism.  If you’d like to know more details and get to know Mike and Keith (the other long time neighborhood cop), come to the next meeting!  We have had friendly neighborhood police support for many years.  As usual, they attended this meeting.  Mike Heath is the new sergeant for Goss-Grove.  He’s experienced and super nice.

Homeless/Transient:  We wondered what to do to help the homeless in our neighborhood.  Police said to refer them to churches and shelters.  If they are sleeping in your yard or front porch (which happens), feel free to call the police and they will transport them to where they need to go, whether it’s shelter or detox.  If you’d like to volunteer your time, donate money, and get involved – Bridge House is a great resource for this population.  I was glad to hear that this year, two officers have been designated to homeless outreach, helping them to get jobs, housing, etc.  They are part of the HOT Team (Homeless Outreach Team).  This is part of a nationwide program, and is integrated with other agencies in the city of Boulder. This last year, I have seen people sleeping under the benches in the park – first time.

Community Issues Team: Pilot program out of City Manager’s office to deal with issues that don’t fit neatly into current policy.  Parks and Recreation Parks in Boulder are smoke-free, but our pocket parks are administered under the Dept of Transportation.  At the neighborhood meeting, we agreed that the large no smoking zones at Boulder High/creek/downtown pushes (mostly) students to our neighborhood to smoke in the parks. They are there all the time, including weekends.  This neighborhood seems to have been identified as a great place to smoke and deal drugs, close to downtown, but out of the zone of no-smoking.  Unfortunately, this is often accompanied by lots of trash left behind.  On the more serious side, there are kids who are really in trouble, clearly strung out at 10 am, not just smoking.  Ongoing reports of drug dealing in the alleys (not just kids, either).  It was suggested that a couple of neighborhood residents (renters or owners) get on this team as volunteers.  Jenny will follow up to find out more.  Boulder High School has no interest in addressing issues of what their students do outside school grounds, while fully cognizant that this neighborhood bears the brunt of their policies. 

Effect of co-op ordinance:  A new co-op ordinance has been passed allowing for 10 coops to be established around the city/year.  The minimum house size is 2000 square feet and there are only 3 houses that are that size or greater.   Limited effect on neighborhood.

Grant money is available:  We don’t need to be a 501c(3), but we need some mechanism to accept the money (like a business). We can discuss this more next meeting.  The Little Free Library and Community Bulletin Board have been great assets.  Perhaps it’s time to come up with another neighborhood enhancing project.  $1k - $20k grants available.

Neighborhood Block Party Trailers:  A “pop-up potluck” is how it’s been described. Neighborhoods can get it for a day. City delivers it and picks it up. All we do is clean it up.  Only available for neighborhood block parties.  This would be fun to do this summer.  Reservations for Friday/Saturday/Sunday start in April.

Budget report on request.

A million thanks for Paige for taking such meticulous notes during the meeting!  We currently do not have a secretary.  Please volunteer.   It feels good to contribute.  Really.

Building Community one glass of wine at a time, Social Hour January 10, 2017 at Jenny and Stephen's house

Fellow neighbors,
On some warm weekend morning this Spring, you can expect Stephen and me (your new co-chairs) to be sitting at a table in a pocket park offering fresh pancakes to passersby.  The bulletin board at 19th and Grove will have bright announcements of neighborhood social hour and meetings so you can plan well ahead to come meet your neighbors.  We would like to:
• Work towards better and safer access for pedestrians and bicycles in and out of our     neighborhood.  
• Beautify the pocket parks – consider redesign around current or new benches
• Start a neighborhood group where members can commit to one hour per month of service in our community.  There are many small things to do that can add up to making big differences in quality of life here.
• Create a Goss-Grove neighborhood Facebook page to enhance neighborhood communication.

This election cycle highlighted how divided our country is.  Our wish is that we, in Goss-Grove, work to build more community, not less.  We strive to provide opportunities for interaction between all of us.

All of this can only happen in baby steps.   One small step is for Stephen and me to open our home (1935 Grove St) for a social hour from 6-7 p.m., January 10, 2017, immediately preceding the neighborhood meeting at 7 p.m. at 1919 Grove St.  (You don't have to go to the meeting, btw, unless you want to).  We invite you to join us for a glass of wine, beer, crackers and cheese.  I’ll be reaching out to some of you in the neighborhood.  Please join us.

P.S.  We have met many of you on our many strolls around the neighborhood with Bella. She's like to meet you too.

Jenny and Stephen
Co-chairs, Goss-Grove Neighborhood Association

Painting the Posts - Artistic endeavors in Goss-Grove!

 

After painting the street mandala at the very center of Boulder (according to Google Maps), we took the same colors and transformed the black and rusty posts between Grove St and Grove Circle (at 21st) into whimsical works of art.  We have been steadily spreading artistic expression in Goss-Grove, from the mandala to the metal bulletin board at the 19th Street pocket park, to the Little Free Library in our community garden.  And don't forget the stone benches and sculpture, and the 20' high spinning dragonfly smack in the middle of the garden plots.  Thanks to all the artists who have participated in these projects:  Jan Burch (mandala and posts), Chris Schutze (library) and Garrett Aulabaugh (neighborhood bulletin board), and all those who wrote grants, volunteered time and effort and made this all happen!

Goss-Grove Neighborhood Meeting Minutes: January 14, 2015

Goss Grove Neighborhood Meeting 1/14/2015  at 1919 Grove St.

Number of attendees: 17

**Special thanks to Jerrie/Jon and Jenny/Stephen for their two years as leaders of our neighborhood!!

1.    Treasurer's Report:

a.     Funds as of today $1,147.84

b.    Reimbursements since last meeting: $243.20 to Garret for our awesome bulletin board

c.     Funds collected since the last meeting: $170 for Garden fees

d.    Expected funds from rental of garden plots : $840 (total $1987.84)

2.    Postings on Next Door: from this point forward all pertinent info will be posted on Next Door, including these minutes (look for menu on left side).

3.    Garden

a.     Michelle: New contract has been drafted and will be distributed by end of January

b.    Deadline for renewals is Feb 16 and to be submitted to Rachael (info will be in garden agreement)

c.     New openings will be posted on Next Door

d.    Jenny will step down and Michele, Terill, Rachael will be the new committee

e.    There was no compost last year and the team is still problem-solving whether to pay for a garden compost or use a different strategy

4.    Possible grant money for GGNA projects:  Jerry

a.     We can’t get a grant if we’re not a 501C3 organization: right now we can’t receive $$ from the city either for this reason: Michele and Jerry will investigate 50C3 application

b.    Michele received info from the Awesome Foundation with regards to grant opportunities through them ($1000)  WE ARE an AWESOME neighborhood so there’s plenty of GGNA projects that we think would be attractive to the grantors.

c.     Jerry would love to see post painting project completed and the street mural needs to be done next summer. 

5.    Boulder Livability Forum (Stephen) is trying to control high-density issues in Boulder (such as traffic, increased service providers) and limits on building heights

a.     Stephen is on the forum w/some x-city councilmen

b.    They are working on a petition to set limits on growth (to put on a ballot) and strengthen the review process

6.    Flood update:

a.     Our slough is part of the Boulder Creek master plan which is almost complete (could be updated in May w/plans for mitigation)

b.    WRAB- Water Research Advisory Board has meetings with regards to flood mitigation.  Diane and Susan are attending meetings and will give us a heads up when they need neighborhood member support.  Meetings are the 3^rd Monday of the month. 

7.     What are the goals to be pursued by GGNA in 2015? 

a.     Neighborhood presence in the potential “development” of the “civic center”.

8.    What are GGNA residents' concerns?

a.     Snow Removal has been bad.  If you’re frustrated please call and report (can’t submit on line).  The rule is 24 hours after the snowfall sidewalks must be clear.

b.    Trash on 18^th street: suggested strategy is to contact property manager to comply w/ordinance (Mary Hey is the go to person on this)

9.    Of special interest:

a.     Make a pledge not to use pesticides!  Go to the bee safe website at www.beesafeboulder.com

10.  Ecocycle News:  Deb handed out recycling guides and answered common recycling questions. She will send out a message to all neighbors when she goes the CHARM center and people can put things on her porch for her to take.  She is the block leader for the hood and always available via Next Door for recycle questions. 

11.  Next Meeting is Wednesday April 15^th- see you then!

Goss-Grove Neighborhood Meeting Minutes October 9, 2014

Goss-Grove Neighborhood Meeting Minutes

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(You can also find these by signing up at www.NextDoor.com, our neighborhood community electronic bulletin board.

October 9, 2014

The meeting was opened by co-chairs Jenny and Stephen at 7 PM.

▪      Elections—The following neighbors were elected for GGNA offices.

o     Jeffery P.—co-chair

o     Michele B.—co-chair

o     Rachael T.—treasurer

o     Deb C.—secretary

Thanks to Jenny and Stephen, co-chairs, Jerrie, treasurer, and Michele, secretary for their work in 2014.

▪      Meeting schedule—2015

o     January 14

o     April 15

o     July 15

o     October 14

▪      Review of neighborhood accomplishments

o     The kiosk or bulletin board was installed last week in the 19^th street pocket park.  The structure was designed and built by neighbor Garrett.  Thanks to Carey Sager of the city transportation department for approval and helping with the installation.   Half of the posting space will be for the GGNA and half for public posts.  The GGNA will keep posting updated neighborhood information.

o     The second public art project was accomplished in September with the painting of the posts (bollards) at the street division at Grove and 21th.  Jan and Jerrie took the lead with this project.  Numerous neighbors came over the two days to help paint the posts with designs developed by Jan.  Jan also designed and organized the previous public art project, the compass rose on the street at Grove and 19^th.  Plans are for other post painting projects.  Next should be the posts at the 19^th street pocket park.  Thanks again to Carey Sager and other city of boulder departments for approval.

o     The little library was installed last year in the 20^th street pocket park and has been a great feature of the neighborhood.  People are interested in the concept, borrow books, add books, and sit at the park and read selections from the little library.

o     The Garden at the 20^th street pocket park was administered successfully by GGNA.  Co leader Jenny will step down for 2015. Co leader Michele is recruiting gardeners who would like to help administer and organize the garden for 2015.  Maintenance of the plots is planned for November after growing season comes to a close.

o     There are now 83 neighbors registered at the GGNA Next Door site.

▪      Flooding—Mary is on the city list serve for information and future planning as a result of the devastating flooding of September 2013.  Many homes in the Goss Grove neighborhood sustained flood damage.  The GGNA continues to provide input to the city and other interested officials regarding the flooding pattern in Goss Grove.

▪      LONA—Stephen updated news about the League of Neighborhoods Associations, BoulderLONA.org.  This is an effort to unite the neighborhood organizations in Boulder.  Primary goal of this group is to have input into development projects.  Maria and Stephen will continue to keep GGNA informed about this group.

▪      City of Boulder—The Neighborhood liaison position in the city managers office has been reinstated, according to the city.  It is hoped that this position will improve communication between GGNA and the city government as it did before budget constraints eliminated the position.

o     The no smoking ordinance was expanded by City Council to include the additional area bounded by 17^th on the east, University on the south, Broadway on the west and Arapahoe on the north.  Further expansion of the no smoking area is under discussion.

o     Concerns about hostile behavior of homeless people along Boulder Creek and disturbances in Goss Grove were discussed.

Respectfully submitted, Michele B., secretary

Minutes from Last Neighborhood Gathering

Goss-Grove Neighborhood Meeting

July 16, 2014

The meeting was opened by co-chair Jenny at 7 PM.  Wine and chocolate were offered, as usual. The meeting was hosted by Jenny and Stephen and their puppy, Bella.  A toddler also attended!  ;  )   If you missed the meeting, we  hope you will join us next time!

Seventeen neighbors were present.

§  Bulletin board project—Garrett will build a bulletin board from metal and antique pieces that Jenny has donated.  It was decided to place it in the 19^th Street pocket park facing the compass rose at that intersection.  Funding for materials was voted on and approved. 

§  Flooding—Diane and Michele reported on city meetings they have attended about updates of the flood plain maps and flood mitigation plans as a result of the September floods.  Action includes attending the WRAB (Water Resources Advisory   Board) meetings starting, July 21, to present individual stories of flood impact.  It is hoped that at each future meeting of this board one or more neighbors will tell the story of their experience. GGNA will reach out to surrounding businesses to combine efforts to convey flood impacts to city officials.  Diane and Jeffery will lead this effort.

§  Crime—Officer Keith Steinman told of continuing bicycle theft problems, the shift into our neighborhood of transients from other congregating locations, and arrests in a major LSD drug dealing ring at the Snow Lion Naropa dormitory.

§  Neighborhood garden—Jenny will be stepping down as co-garden leader at the end of the season.  Michele will continue.

§  Public art projects—The latest public art project is in the planning stages.  Jan, our neighbor who designed the compass rose, is creating designs to paint on the bollards (posts) at each traffic diversions and pocket park in the neighborhood.  These include robots, bugs, geometrics, tracks, and a welcome sign for the posts facing the compass rose.  Jan, Jerri, and Michele have been coordinating with the city about this project.  First painting will be the weekend of September 6 and 7.  Designs will be ready to be filled in with paint, similar to the process with the compass rose.  Paint and supplies will be provided. Please come and paint and meet your neighbors. 

§  New business—Maria and Stephen attended the kickoff meeting of the League of Neighborhoods Associations, BoulderLONA.org.  This is an effort to unite the neighborhood organizations in Boulder.

Another suggestion to improve communication between neighborhoods and the city is to restore the Neighborhood liaison position in the city managers office.  This person was responsible for communication between the city and the neighborhood organizations. The position was eliminated several years ago due to budget constraints.

Respectfully submitted by Michele Bishop

What's happening in Goss-Grove!

Goss-Grove Neighborhood Gathering Minutes from April 15, 2014

Next meeting!  Wednesday, July 16, 7 p.m. 1919 Grove Street.  Mark your calendar today!

Fourteen of us gathered to have a glass of wine and chocolate at Mary and Maria’s while talking through neighborhood concerns. Stephen reminded us to start with introductions and Jenny added in the request for everyone to say a sentence about themselves. I love this part!  When Mary moved in to her house, a neighbor came over thanking her for moving in..she was replacing the 14 people who had been living there. Jenny is an amateur flutist and can be heard practicing on summer evenings when the windows are open; Jerrie participates in noise music where everyone plays whatever they want, all at that same time.   The idea came up that we could have a marching band amongst us since Jon plays the trumpet, Stephen the saxophone and Derrick the drums.  (That would be fun, actually!!)  Don just built a green house.  Loren and Andrea’s daughter is getting married and they have moved back to the neighborhood.  A young couple has bought the house just east of 17^th; we will be happy to welcome some new residents.  

Paige has finished the neighborhood door hanger!  The goal of this project was to remind people that they are part of a vibrant community and how to find out more by going to NextDoor.  Deb suggested we add a line at the bottom for a neighbor to drop off a hanger and leave their name at the bottom as a way to personalize it..better yet to ring the doorbell and say hello.  [To that note, Andrea had a nice story about talking with neighbors about garbage problems and finding that they wanted the help and to learn how to garden.  One to one contact is always best, if possible.  (Sometimes it’s not for safety or comfort reasons, so don’t do it unless you feel comfortable.   Repeat offenders are also a separate problem….)]  The door hangers will go out as a soft copy for review and comments to the neighborhood.  Once finalized, the idea is to print a bunch of them using ExpressCopy, and distribute by using block leaders. Deb will spearhead distribution.  Stay tuned.  Thanks, Paige (and Dave,who I think also worked on this)!

Garden dues have been collected and we have $800.  Jerrie made the pitch that we need those funds for Garden repairs, and that the compost bin is even higher cost this year for rental than last year. $300 is a lot of pay for a single compost bin!  She proposes that we use paper bags and neighbor compost bins to collect green material to have it picked up at people’s houses.  WE support that move and will see how it goes.  Jenny will bring her compost bin over on Saturday for the first weed-a-thon.  Jerrie will buy bags and keep them in the tool bin.

Jenny still has a bee in her bonnet to get a kiosk/entrance structure installed in the Garden this season.  Dave S. suggests we take our field trip and get some ideas, then have a separate smaller meeting to discuss design and construction.  WE have talked about this for many years and it would be great to accomplish this (Jenny writing this!)  Jenny, Dave and Carmela are willing to discuss off line. Hope to get a couple other handy people to chime in, and have their names in mind….

The Garden has been administered through the efforts of Jenny and Michele for some years, and more involvement from the Gardeners or neighborhood is needed to prevent burn-out.  Maria pointed out that a proposal for GGNA Officers to serve on a committee is a no-go.  Jerrie pointed out that required meetings are a no-go. The only way to divide responsibilities is to have them included in the Garden Agreement somehow.   Since this year’s agreement was the first one ever written, and everyone has signed it, it’s too late for this year, but next year we’ll have to do something a little different.  Not sure what exactly that will look like.  There was a suggestion that there be a social event such as a Fall Party.  Previous attempts to organize and get participation were mixed.

Mary brought a fabulous map of the actual flood areas of the City to the meeting, including a blow-up of our neighborhood. Don pointed out that it did not fully capture all the flooding and was advised to contact the city to let them know more detail.  I thought the map was pretty accurate in capturing the large lake of water that resulted from the ditch overflow. Inquire Boulder is a site where you can submit feedback to the city:  http://user.govoutreach.com/boulder/faq.php.  Mary established contact with the ditch rider (a term I was not familiar with, but is the person who, I think I understood to be the person who keeps track of the condition of the ditches and is employed by the company that owns the ditch).  This person, Danny Armsted, is now in contact with the City…maybe we’ll see some action.  Mary will keep us informed.  Dave S. has contacted the City about the alley between Snow Lion and Grove Street to get it graded/paved so that water actually drains into the storm drains at 20^th and Grove.  That would be an improvement!  

There will be a van tour of several  locations around Boulder to spark our imagination of what we might do here.  Join us!!  6 – 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 23.  Meet at 1945 Grove.  We plan to stop at several locations and treat ourselves to some wine/crackers/cheese/chocolate along the way. Sure to be a fun event!   In general, there was strong consensus that neighborhood art makes this part of Boulder quite unique and lovely. 

To that point, Jerrie has been working on a project to paint the ballasts (?...the posts) around the neighborhood but has been held up by who is responsible for repairing them (before they can be painted).  Jenny will contact Peter Rosato of the Transportation Dept.  Peter has been an incredible support to this neighborhood.  He has volunteered gravel for the Garden as well.  

Those who want to have art in the neighborhood make a plan and execute.  We have talked about doing  “something” in the 19^th Street pocket park for years with Naropa, but unless we have definite plans, nothing will happen (we know from experience).  Jenny has a bee in her bonnet to get an entrance structure/kiosk in the Garden this year after 15 years or more of talking about it.  

The Little Library needs your books!  Jenny raised the question of whether we should be buying used books to stock it, but the response was that everyone has books they can put into it.  Jenny has been putting stickers on the books that say, “ Goss Grove Community Library..Always a Gift , never for Sale” to discourage theft (and selling at the local bookstore).  You can leave books on her porch at 1935 Grove Street if there are no stickers in the Library, and she’ll take care of them. 

Want to opt out of reading posts on NextDoor.com from other neighborhoods?  It can be done!  There is a pull-down menu called “settings” under your name when you log in.  That’s where you can select what posts you want to read, whether you want emails, etc.

And finally, a note from the co-chairs:  Do you love living here?  Isn’t the Garden lovely?  Have you ever thought how the flowers that are blooming add a nice feel to your walk down the street? Have you checked out the Little Free Library?  Isn’t it neat that you know your neighbors?  Isn’t it a relief that we have a Neighborhood Parking Zone?  All this happens not only because people care, but because people DO. Everyone is busy but everyone can pitch in a little bit and make this neighborhood a better place.  Please help keep those who DO a lot from burning out.  Don’t look the other way when there’s a chance to make a difference.  Thanks.  You can do a world of good in just a few minutes!