Halloween Block Party!

Mark your calendar for the annual Halloween Block Party on Friday, October 30, from 3-11ish, on Madison Street (between Dodds and 907 S. Madison).

There will be fun activities for both kids & grown-ups.

It's a potluck, so feel free to bring a dish....
& it's a Halloween party, so wear a costume..... 


(Don't like cooking, don't have a costume?  Please come & hang out anyway!) 

dog picture from HalloweenJoys.com

Bringing Out the Character of Our Neighborhood as a Permanent Culture

Please join us at our next neighborhood meeting, on Thursday  November 5 at 6:30 at the McDoel Gardens Baptist Church.  We will have a special guest, Rhonda Baird, who will address 
how we, as a neighborhood, can draw out a permanent sense of place and enhance it with things that really work for individuals -- like edible landscaping and home retrofits, but also communal centers for exchanging information/food/celebration/games, etc.  She will also talk about resources and also how individuals can build resilient, sustainable homes that contribute to that neighborhood health we all want when we are invested in a place. 

We will have the opportunity to brainstorm our own ideas for enhancing our community.  Some neighbors have discussed the possibility of a community garden (we are McDoel Gardens, after all), and one of our next guest speakers will be from the Green Acres Neighborhood Garden.

Bring your ideas, along with your friends & neighbors to the meeting.  We want to hear what you want to learn about in the upcoming workshops.  From your input we will schedule the next speakers.

Rhonda Baird is a permaculture designer and teacher.  She will be helping to teach a full permaculture design course over five weekends this fall and winter (beginning October 15-17).  Contact Rhonda for more info:   river_bird_1@yahoo.com

Home For Sale/ Open House--more dates

Open House at 1409 S Rogers Street, Sunday, November 1st & Sunday November 8th, from 2-4 pm.


This house was the home of Eathel Elkins, a longtime McDoel resident.  Eathel lived in the house for more than 55 years and lived well beyond her 100th birthday.  Eathel was originally from Elkinsville, which was one of the towns flooded to create Lake Monroe.

The house has been lovingly restored by Bloomington Restorations, Inc. with a new kitchen and bath and new appliances.  Stop by the Open house for information, punch and cookies.

Living With Urban Wildlife Seminars

The Indiana DNR Urban Wildlife Project will host 3 seminars on Living With Urban Wildlife.  The free seminars will cover vairous aspects of wildlife management, including relevant laws, basic biology and methods to control wildlife damage.  All seminars run 6-8 p.m.  The first seminar will be Oct. 8 at the Monoe County Library auditorium, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave., in Bloomington.  No registration is required.  Call 812-334-1137 or email swinks@dnr.in.gov.

(copied from the H-T Outdoor Calendar)

Kroger Reno & New Proposed Construction: 10/5/09 Plan Meeting

The Seminary Square Kroger is going to be remodeled and updated.  This means Kroger will remain in its current location.  Kroger will most likely add gas pumps, which will greatly change the flow of traffic in that area.  The upcoming changes will be discussed at the next City of Bloomington Plan Commission Meeting, on October 5. 

Another PC meeting topic relevant to McDoel Gardens is the Bryan White project proposed for 223 W. Dodds St.  It would involve a rezoning of 1.6 acres from commercial limited to a PUD, where the developers would build up to 20 single-family homes.  This has been discussed on the blog in previous entries.  For the report from the last Plan Commission meeting regarding the development, go to: http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=187. 
Look in the right hand task bar, under 'Attachments,'  & click on  '8-31-2009.'  Your plan commissioners will vote on this project at the October 5 meeting, so make your opinion heard.  Currently Jack Baker and Isabel Piedmont-Smith sit on the commission, are your neighbors, and want to know what you think.

Tenth Street Mobility Study Workshops

From City of Bloomington HAND (Housing and Neighborhood Development)

This message is to inform you that there will be two public workshops to discuss the 10^th Street Mobility Study (also referred to as the North Campus Area Study):

• Thursday September 10, 2009 from 11:30am-1:30pm in the auditorium of the Monroe County Public Library (303 E. Kirkwood Ave.);
• Getting there by bus:  Bloomington Transit routes 1, 3, 4, or 5
• Parking:  parking is available at the library or the adjacent streets
• Thursday September 10, 2009 from 5:00pm-7:00pm in Room CG2061 of the Kelley School of Business Graduate and Executive Education Center (NW corner of N. Fee Ln. and E. 10^th St).  Room CG2061 is on the second floor in the NW corner of the building.
• Getting there by bus:  Bloomington Transit routes 1, 6, or 9; IU Campus Bus routes A, B, D, or E
• Parking:  paid parking is available in the Fee Lane Parking garage (attached to the northern side of the Kelley School of Business)

 

The information presented at both workshops is intended to be identical.  The anticipated format of the workshop will be a brief open house, followed by a presentation, and then group discussions about the study area.

 

Stay Connected

You can get information about the 10^th Street Mobility Study online:  http://bloomington.in.gov/10th_Street_Mobility_Study

 

 

 

The Hand Update (Housing and Neighborhood Development)

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT GRANTS (link to website)  Meeting tonight!

 

These grants provide funds for neighborhood physical improvement projects that require $2,000 or more – click here to see neighborhood projects.

§         Neighborhood Signs

§         Restoration of brick and WPA sidewalks

§         Landscaping, benches and trash receptacles on public right of way

§         Historical markers

 

Overview and Distribution of Applications: Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 6:00 p.m. John Hooker Room

 

Letter of Intent: Friday, Sept.25, 2009, by 4:00 pm.

 

Applications Due: Friday, November 6, 2009, by 4 pm.

 

For more information about this program, contact Vickie Provine at provinev@bloomington.in.gov or 349-3505