South End Family Earth Day

Saturday, April 28, 2012

12:00 Noon – Kickoff at 61 Elizabeth Street Park

12:30 – Work on lot projects

3 – Walk around clean-up

4 – Community Dinner

5 – Music

Projects for the Day

1. Youth Organics Garden, 3^rd and Hawk: Plant more trees, install shade awning, prepare new growing beds, and prepare existing beds for planting.

2. Capital District Permaculture Guild Gardens on Catherine Street at Eagle Street. Pending soil tests, we will begin planting in remediated soil and neighbors will be encouraged to select vegetables and tend to the garden. The native perennials will be weeded and mulched, and new perennials planted. One the grassy section, neighborhood children will be given the materials to make art with an Earth Day theme, and at the end of the day their art will be installed at the site.

3. Catherine Street slope and Eagle Stairs: The slope below the Permaculture Garden down toward Osborn Street is overgrown and full of trash. A major cleanup will be started before Earth Day, but work will continue on the day with trash pickup, raking and tree pruning. The Eagle Stairs, which connect Catherine Street to Osborn, Delaware and Alexander streets, are also overgrown and littered. We will plant flowers at strategic locations.

4. Our Children’s Garden, 43 Catherine Street. The raised beds need to be emptied, leveled, the bottoms protected from rodents and then refilled with soil and compost. The rear fence needs repairs. A tool shed will be constructed on the left rear corner. The raised bed project will proceed one or two at a time, starting before Earth Day and continuing until done.

5. African American Cultural Park, 155 Fourth Ave. A new landscaping scheme for this lot will require new flowerbeds and other landscaping. The fence on the east side need repair and a gate will be built.

6. South End Welcome, Green Street triangle. This site opposite the entrance to the Port of Albany will get more landscaping and flowers.

7. Lower Morton bus stop and garden, opposite Union Missionary Baptist Church. Landscaping, install a bench.

8. Rainbow Playground, Clinton and Alexander. General cleanup and continue painting the timbers. Repair the swings and put up the sign.

9. Giffen Elementary School yard, South Pearl at Morton Avenue. Dig and plant a new flowerbed along the low front wall.

10. 35, 37 and 39 Osborn Street, cleanup and community service space.

April Meeting

South End Neighborhood Association Meeting
When: Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Time: 6pm – 8pm Eastern Time
Where: John A. Howe Library, 105 Schuyler Street

AGENDA

6:00-6:10
Opening and Prayer .....

6:15-6:30

Updates on Capital South Campus Center Community Forum, National Night Out (8/7/12), Earth Day(4/28)

6:30 - 7:30

South End Phase III .......................................... Kevin Grinwis,

Project Manager, Omni Housing Development

Albany Public Library

Proposed Budget Presentation .................... Stephanie Simon

Earth Day South End Cleanup .....................

Capital District Community Gardens....................... Mary Vickerman

7:45-8:00

• Issues, concerns, questions from residents
• Updates from Community Partners, Community Issues

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Guest or Topics for future meetings:

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South End Neighborhood Association Meeting Schedule
When: Always on the fourth Tuesday of the month
Time: 6pm – 8pm Eastern Time
Location: John A. Howe Library, 105 Schuyler Street

Tuesday - April 24, 2012

Tuesday - May 22, 2012
Tuesday - June 26, 2012
Tuesday - July 3, 2012
Tuesday - August 28, 2012
Tuesday - September 25, 2012
Tuesday - October 23, 2012
Tuesday - November 27, 2012
December meeting - date to be determined

Bike Expo

Albany Bicycle Coalition Announces Second Annual Bike EXPO

Group Kicks Off National Bike Month with May 6^th Community Event

Albany, NY – The Albany Bicycle Coalition is proud to announce the Second Annual Bike EXPO to kick off National Bike Month and promote cycling across the Capital Region. The community event will take place on May 6, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Washington Park Lakehouse in the heart of Albany.

The Bike EXPO will feature a family-friendly ride on car-free park roadways, a guided tour of Albany’s bicycle amenities, exhibitions, free tech advice, refreshments, raffles and prizes. Vendors and tables will include bike shops, bicycle clubs, and advocacy organizations. The event is free and open to the public.

“We are trying to bring together cyclists regardless of their individual riding skills or their motivation for riding. We are using bicycles as a central focus for sustainable and healthy living in the Capital District. Our secondary goal is to highlight the many cycling improvements in the city – shared lanes, hundreds of bicycle racks, bicycle signage, and bicycle lanes,” states John Vendetti, event coordinator.

This event is sponsored in part by the New York Bicycling Coalition, the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association, the Delaware Avenue Neighborhood Association, and the Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations.

ABOUT THE ALBANY BICYCLE COALITION

The Albany Bicycle Coalition (ABC) is made up of a group of dedicated cyclists whose goal is to promote bicycling for transportation and recreation throughout the Capital Region. ABC meets at 7:00 p.m. on the last Thursday of every month at the LaSalle School Chapel and Cultural Center at 391 Madison Ave. in Albany.

Sign up for updates at http://www.albanybicyclecoalition.com or call (518) 444-2142 to learn more about this and other Bike Month events.

Community Forums

Capital South Campus Center Community Forum

Date: Wednesday, April 4

Time: 6PM - 7PM

(Light dinner will be provided at 5:30PM)

Location: 200 South Pearl Street, Albany Housing Authority Atrium

The Honorable Carolyn McLaughlin and the Honorable Lester

Freeman ask you to join them at a public forum to present the

Capital South Campus Center.

The Albany Housing Authority, Trinity Alliance, architecture firm

CSArch, HVCC and SCCC representatives, will all be available

to provide details on the development of this South End

community project.

The public is invited to learn more and continue to provide

input about this exciting project that will allow South End

residents / neighbors to attend college close to home at the

new CSCC which will be constructed on Warren Street behind

Lincoln Towers.

Carolyn McLaughlin, President, Albany Common Council

Lester Freeman, Albany Common Council Member – 2nd Ward

Public Meetings

Sheridan Hollow Charrette- You’re Invited!

Something exciting is happening and we want you to be part of it!

On April 2nd, 2012 and running through April 5th, 2012 a Design Charrette focused exclusively on the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood will take place at the Hampton Inn, 25 Chapel Street in Albany, at the foot of Sheridan Avenue. Our goal is to have real-time working sessions running morning, afternoon and into the evening, supported by your input and ideas, that will enable us to bring forth an implementable development plan for this neighborhood. The Charrette will be open to the public from 1pm to 8pm each day. Come for an hour, a day, or more! Free parking at the hotel – just bring your ticket to the front desk.