First Creek NeighborsFebruary 2011 Meeting

First Creek Neighbors
Invites You to Attend Our Monthly Meeting

6:00pm, Wednesday February 2
at The Portland Ave. Community Center
3513 Portland Ave.

Fund Raiser for the Green Thumb Garden
6:00pm, Chili Feed, $2.00 per person, $5.00 per family. Proceeds from the fund raiser will be used to sponsor the $15.00 garden plots fee for needy gardeners.


Regular Meeting starts at 6:30

Main Topic of the evening:

Economic Development Plans of the Puyallup Tribe
It's always nice to hear from the Puyallup Tribe and to learn about the wonderful things they are doing for Tacoma.

Please join us for this important meeting.
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Building Healthy Communities from the Ground Up

Cascade Land Conservancy and the City of Tacoma invite you to a free evening workshop:

Building Healthy Communities from the Ground Up:
How to make your neighborhoods safer, cleaner and greener!

Join us at the Portland Ave community center, Wednesday at 6pm to 8:30.

Share in a potluck meal and gathering (bring something to share with four if you can).

Hear from a panel of community members from South Tacoma and the Eastside who have made their neighborhoods healthier:

o Dan Fear & David Whited, First Creek Neighbors & Puyallup Tribe – neighborhood restoration and crime reduction
o Carol Ramm-Gramenz & students, McCarver Elementary – safe routes to school and the Zina Linnik Park
o Octavia Hathaway, Caffeteria Octavia – starting a local business

Learn from Cascade Land Conservancy and Tacoma’s Community-Based Services about how you can effectively make change.

Brainstorm and plan concrete actions in your neighborhoods.

WHEN: 6-8:30pm, Wednesday January 26th
WHERE: Portland Ave Community Center (3513 East Portland Ave)

More information? Skye Schell at (206) 905-6891

RSVP Online:
http://www.cascadeland.org/events/healthy
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Martin Luther King Day - Day of Service

First Creek Watershed Cleanup, January 17, Tacoma, WA., Martin Luther King Day of Service - Participates: First Creek Middle School, University of Washington Tacoma (Environmental Sciences Dept), University of Puget Sound (Football Team), First Creek Church, Grace Methodist Church, TEAM (Tacoma Eastside Action Membership), First Creek Neighbors, Green Tacoma Partnership and Pierce County Stream Team, and other friends. This is a yearly event, join us next year and help make our environment better.

More than 125 volunteers participated on this Day of Service. Thank you everyone who helped make this day a success.

You'll find additional pictures on our First Creek Watershed Blog:
http://firstcreekwatershed.blogspot.com/

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First Creek Neighbors - January Meeting

First Creek Neighbors

Monthly meeting
6:30 - 8:00 pm, Wednesday January 5th
The Portland Avenue Community Center
3513 Portland Avenue

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Agenda for January 5, 2011

* Welcome and Introductions

* News from the Puyallup Tribe

* First Creek Restoration Work Party in celebration of MLK day which is planned for January 17th at Fairbanks and First Creek, from 10:00 - 1:00.

* New boards for the garden painted by First Creek Middle School Students

* News from the City

* News from the Community Garden and Garden Fund Raiser

* Other community business: Pot Holes and Swan Creek Library

* Announcements
Next Garden meeting will be February 4 at 6:30 at the Portland Ave. Community Center. A $15.00 fee to rent a plot is due on or before February 4th.

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Find information about our neighborhood as well as community resources by visiting our blog. This is the primary information site for our community garden.
http://firstcreek.blogspot.com/

First Creek Watershed blog features additional information primarily about the creek and habitat area. Contact Dan Fear at 253 304-2808 if you have any questions.
http://firstcreekwatershed.blogspot.com/

Green Thumb Community Garden now on Facebook, information and pictures.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129893867033700

For more information call Edwina at 474-7083
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Swan Creek Library to CloseHow you Can Help

The Tacoma Public Library Board voted to close the Swan Creek Library, located on Portland Avenue near Salishan. They (the board) feels that since we have Mottet Library located near McKinley Avenue and Division that we have enough.

Here's a link to the full article in the TNT:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/15/1466934/tacoma-board-votes-to-close-2.html

What do you think? How can we prevent public resource on the Eastside from being cut? Do you want to help? Can you Help? Do you have a library card? Just some thoughts to think about, because budgets are going through a tough times and services are getting cut.

Your voice does count. Be involved in your community and get your neighbors and friends involved too. You can send emails and or call board members and city council members to let them know your thoughts. You can send letters to the editors of the Tacoma News Tribune or other papers. You can speak up and attend community and city meetings.

Have you called recently about the POTHOLES on your street or in your neighborhood? Call them in: Street repair and Potholes, 591-5495 and have your neighbors call too.

If you want a safer neighborhood, you can add an alley light for less than $15.00
a month. You might also ask your neighbors to chip in, they probably will because it will be better for everyone around you. Call Alley Lighting at 502-8618 for additional information.
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