Sunday, December 14, 2008

December 2008 / Meeting Notes

First Creek Neighborhood December Meeting Recap

What a ggggggggrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaatttttttt meeting!!!
Over 70 people poured in for the potluck but seemed more interested in what the various speakers had to say! We had our usual supporters such as T.E.A.M, Tribal Planner David Whited, Tacoma Police, Tribal Police, Audubon Society, Department of Corrections, Code Enforcement, Tacoma Housing Authority, Tribal Housing Authority, Tacoma Community College, Safe Streets, and many of our neighbors! Among our first-time visitors were from Jeff Thomas, from Tribal Cultural and Historical Resource Management, Nathan from KUOW Radio, Kevin Jones from Bank of America, etc. Many other folks could not make it but sent their greetings via email and phone calls prior to the meeting.

Some of the highlights were Chris Ott’s update on the First Creek Community Stewardship Plan which was approved this past month by Tacoma City Council. This means we have agreement between the community, the tribe, and the city!!! Chris brought celebratory cake which was delicious. I need to get his recipe!

We will be giving a tour of the creek area for the Council Members very soon! You are welcome to join us if you like.

Jeanie Peterson, Hilltop Block Leader, fielded questions from the audience again and gave us renditions of her unique ways of dealing with knuckleheads. She asked everyone to give one hour a month in support of our neighborhood Did you know Tacoma was in the Top Ten for Most Litter? Yikes!!! So why not take charge of your block and pick up litter on your block?

Also in attendance and fielding questions was our much-respected and appreciated Community Liaison Officer, Bert Hayes who told us about the last tag and tow day. They tagged 80 cars and towed 6 so people are getting the message that we are raising the bar and anything sub-standard will not be tolerated….We thought you should know something about Bert--despite being so very busy, the day after the meeting he went out and had two couches hauled away that a knucklehead left out in front of her house on the side walk for over a month. He didn’t have to do that, but he cares about our neighborhood!! Thanks Bert!!

Guy and Martin, Citizen Patrol Leaders, gave us an update on our recent descent on Portland Avenue. We had an overwhelming response from the public that took the form of people coming out to walk with us and carry a sign, honking horns, thumbs up, shouts of “Thank You!!!”, and even hot chocolate! We were like the postal service…neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor hail, stopped us in our pursuit of criminal activity. We were safe and non-confrontational and had kids from 2 to 92 out there making the point that the streets and this neighborhood belong to us and not to the criminal element! We have taken a big bite out of their illegal businesses and we are unrelenting. Just when they think they have us figured out they see us out at the odd hour of the day or night on foot or in our vehicles. And just when they think they can relax and go back to business as “usual” they find one of OUR TWO police departments pulling up to arrest them! Yes, we have had some great successes! By the way, if you don’t see us walking out there, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a citizens’ patrol vehicle parked down the street watching with binoculars.

Yes, We have the unique privilege of having two police departments at our disposal and they have both been extremely responsive and supportive. They care! Just as much as we care!!!

Bob Wistoski, Forester, told us about the upcoming opportunity for us all to get Free Trees from the city for our planting strips. There are many beautiful choices of mature trees. Volunteers can plant them and D.O.C. can provide the hole-diggers. All it takes to water them is about 5 gallons a month…..that’s ONE flush of the toilet!!! If you are worried about leaves know that we are looking at getting our own equipment and/or resources for dealing with that so let’s beautify our neighborhood and bring up our property values and make First Creek Beautiful!

Next Meeting January 7th. Hope to see you there!

Submitted by Lena

First Creek Middle School - Neighborhood School

New Tacoma school will be called First Creek,
KRIS SHERMAN; THE NEWS TRIBUNE Published: December 12th, 2008

When students enter Tacoma’s newest school next fall, they’ll walk through the doors of history. And – School Board members hope – they’ll be invigorated with a new sense of community.

The board unanimously picked the name First Creek Middle School on Thursday night for the $50 million, 850-student building rising along Portland Avenue near East 56th Street. It will combine the students of McIlvaigh and Gault middle schools when it opens in September.

The name derives from the salmon-bearing stream that was the first creek on the Puyallup River and home to a tribal village, according to information from a committee that submitted suggestions. Community members have been working with the city, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and the Tacoma Housing Authority to clean up the once waste-strewn T Street Gulch, drive out crack houses and renew pride in a wide swath of the East Side.

The message in naming a multimillion-dollar school First Creek “is that our community is worth working on,” said Natalie Dam, a member of a number of neighborhood action groups who also served on the naming committee.

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To read the full article please visit the following Tacoma News Tribune link:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/education/story/565336.html

It can also be read in the newpaper dated: Sat 12/12/2008

Logo Design for First Creek Neighbors

First Creek Neighbors logo ideas. This is also a chance for you to voice your opions and let us know which you like best. To see a larger version click on the image, then click back to return to this page.

Logo Design 1


Logo Design 2


Logo Design 3

Leave a comment below and let us know which is your favorite.
Also, if anyone has an idea for one line community slogan, let us know by leaving a comment.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

On Sunday morning November 31st, a small group of First Creek Neighbors got together to help another neighbor clean-up some out of control blackberry bushes. Four pick-up loads of brush was removed and taken to the transfer station. In addision one truck full of garbage was picked up around the neighborhood and along Portland Avenue. Neighbors helping to make our neighborhood better. Here're a few before and after pictures of the clean-up













Our next community clean-up day is scheduled for Saturday, December 13th. If you would like to help out, join us at 9:00 am at the Portland Avenue Community Center.


First Creek - Fairbanks to Emerald Queen Casino

Photographs of First Creek Watershed, between Fairbanks and Emerald Queen Casino, December 1st, 2008