For those of you who are new to the neighborhood, the PNA has a free yard waste pickup in the spring. Sunrise Disposal provides trucks and drivers for free and the crew is made up of volunteers from the neighborhood. Last year we finished in record time, about 3 hours. We increased the trucks from two to four, with 4 or 5 volunteers on each one. Two trucks were for brush and two for leaves and grass clippings. This means each truck only had to do half the neighborhood. Most of our volunteers are those who have been doing the clean ups every year. This is where you come in - we hope. We desperately need new volunteers. The work it really quite fun and rewarding. There is a definite satisfaction that comes with hauling tons of yard waste out of our neighborhood. Having four trucks shortens the time it takes, but it also means we need twice the bodies! We need new people to step up and volunteer or we may not be able to continue the project. If you know a neighbor that might be willing, please talk to them. If we can get more than 16 volunteers, some could serve as alternates to cover if a volunteer was unable to work the Clean Up.

We will be putting out door hangers announcing the Clean Up closer to the event. If you are willing to deliver door hangers and/or work the trucks, or be an alternate, please contact one of the following people:

Vicky Trippe - Clean Up Coordinator 865-6333

Nancy Danielsen - Volunteer Coordinator 869-3685

Renee Tyson - PNA President 863-0246

We would like to again thank our volunteers from last year:

As always, when preparing your yard waste for pickup, please remember to bundle it so that it is manageable. The basic rule is: if you have trouble getting it to the curb, the volunteers will have more trouble getting it into the truck!

The PNA Board & Officers had a chance to review 3 options presented by the head of the City’s Traffic Department Earl Newman at a recent PNA/SMSU meeting. The PNA previously requested a scenario that would have right & left turn lights for southbound on Holland to discourage through traffic into the neighborhood. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Holland Street, the portion just south of Grand was widened for the Fire Station but further south, the road is basically wide enough for one car. If people decided to avoid Grand and cut through the neighborhood, they would be surprised by Holland’s narrowness and would start "bailing" onto Normal, Delmar, and Loren. After large events, this could mean a substantial amount of extra traffic on those streets.

It seems the City listened to us. They prepared a good presentation of the options available.

Option B: Makes Holland one way south out of the neighborhood. This will take away our ability to enter the neighborhood via Holland from Grand.

Option C: Close Holland north of the alley. The neighborhood loses yet another street.

Unnamed Option: No restriction on the light and widen Holland all the way to Sunshine. It would cost a fortune, take many homes, and there is no reason to make Holland into a new "collector" street.

The PNA Board & Officers much preferred Option A. We are interested in your opinion. If you have concerns or question, call Renee at 863-0246.

It is time for collection of the PNA membership dues for 2005. We have included a form. If you do not receive a form, that means you have already paid for 2005. Last year we asked for extra contributions from our members and we were pleasantly surprised by our member’s generosity! Thank you! PNA funds were dangerously low and those extra donations helped. Proceeds from the last Home Tour helped bring our balance up to a comfortable level. We do plan to spend some of the Home Tour funds on Neighborhood Identification banners. Hopefully you will start seeing them this summer!

Our membership level could use a boost. Please help us get new members! If you have a neighbor who isn’t a member, please encourage them to join.

Information is available on the PNA’s web site (www.phelpsneighborhood.org) or call PNA Treasurer Nancy Danielsen (869-3685).

Summer Concert Series

Our first 2005 concert will be Sunday May 15^th

6 to 8 pm at the outdoor Amphitheater west of the Art Museum. The band features Dave Painter. Donations for a local charity will be encouraged, but the concert is free. Come, join us!

Some of us have been in the neighborhood since the PNA was formed and we tend to forget that our newer members don’t know the history.

The association was formed initially to monitor SMSU’s growth south of Grand, encourage the City to better enforce its ordinances, and get better police service. Our goal is to be a neighborhood of neighbors working together to improve the quality of life in the Phelps Grove area.

Over the years we have accumulated quite a list of accomplishments. We have worked with the City to get the following things in place for our neighborhood.

• Inclusion of the northern end of the neighborhood for SMSU Police Substation service
• Residential Parking District
• Rental Registration & Inspections
• City/SMSU Agreement setting SMSU’s southern boundary at the Normal/Delmar alley from National to Dollison and Grand the rest of the way to the west
• Urban Conservation District zoning designation
• Urban Conservation District Neighborhood Plan
• Special regulations like restrictions putting trash carts at the curb no sooner than the night before collection and the ordinance that disallows indoor furniture being on porches & in yards.
• We have done many other projects as well:
• Annual Yardwaste Cleanups
• Tree Planting on Dollison
• "Neighbors Night" at the Art Museum
• Summer Concert Series
• Neighborhood Garage Sale events
• Phelps Homes Tour
• We continually stay informed and involved with:
• Semi-annual meetings with SMSU
• Monthly meetings with the SMSU Police Substation officers
• Monthly meetings with other neighborhood association representatives
• Monthly meetings of the PNA’s Board of Directors, Officers, and Executive Committee

We are currently working on obtaining funding and City permission to place neighborhood Identification Banners around our neighborhood.

The banners will be selectively placed at major entrances to the neighborhood. The banners will be like those you see around Walnut Street and the Midtown area. The idea is to identify our "territory" and show our neighborhood pride.

The project involves a Bill that will have to go through City Council but we have the City’s Planning Development staff on our side, so the process should be relatively easy.

Starting April 1^st you can get your advance tickets for our Homes Tour:

Machino’s Home Express, 1715 S Campbell

Country Road Collection, 1929 E Bennett

CITY CONTACTS