CSNA meeting minutes (March)

[Nathalie Bonafe]

 

Minutes

March 18, 2015 ~ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

The Mary Wade Home 

• Welcome & Introductions:

MaryAnn, Rob, Catherine, Lee, Sally, Tim, Lt Siclari, Marianne, Nick, Melissa, Tom, Pat, Ken, Carlos and Kathleen, Shannon, Susan, Nathalie

• CARE: Yale School Public Health Report
  • Yoga Class: next class Sat. March 21, 11-1pm Fair Haven Library; Community Volunteer: Tim Burnes

• Urban Walking Trail. Kathleen had a successful meeting with Doug Hausladen about trail signs.  The project is moving forward smoothly.  Volunteers: Kathleen, Tim – We still need more volunteers.

 Interested in working with CARE: Contact Alycia Santilli

• Economic & Community Development – Lee
  • Riverfest 2015. Sunday May 3, 2015. The project is moving forward smoothly.  Bands were secured by Tambira, Lisa is working to secure the beer companies, Diane and Christel are working on the website. Fun activities for kids were identified. New sponsors were secured, including Brewery Square.  Nathalie and Diane are working on securing more sponsors. Don working on the poster. Stay tuned.
  • Community Dining out Night: Tuesday 3/24/15 6-8pm @ Park Place restaurant at corner of East and Humphrey. 
  • Chatham Park Clean up in April – Joan\Lee.  Sat April 11 10am-12pm.  We need as many volunteers as possible – April 11 is also the Land Trust Community garden tour day so we may get more volunteers from the Land Trust and dispatch teams toward the Clinton Ave School and Grand Acres community gardens as well.  We will meet at the Chatham Square Park at 10am.  Teams will be made there.
  • CT Main Street Project: Nathalie and Diane are taking the lead, calling the project Fair Haven Forward, and have been building relationships.  After River Fest, the Economic Development team will start meeting at Cheney and Co @ 20 Grand.  Stay tuned. 

          Interested in this work on Economic & Community Development group? Contact Christel Manning

 

• Youth, Children & Families– Mary Ann\Sally:
  • Art in the Park, Joan and Beth Pellegrino may take over.

• Homework Club at Q Terrace Homework club.
• Easter Egg Hunt:  Sat April 4^th 1pm.  Bunny will be there!!  Join us.  There is a request for donations: candy, apples, clementine oranges. No candy with nuts. Drop off at Mary Ann’s House, 50 Downing St.  There will be a meeting to help packaging the candy etc the night before at MA and Sally’s house 4pm.  Request for volunteers on both Friday and Saturday.
• Clinton School garden:  teachers and children are getting excited and started their seeds. 

      Interested in this work group? Contact Mary Ann Moran

• Announcements/Report back on other activities:
  • Letter to Housing Authority – Diane and Rob drafted, signed and sent the letter on behalf of the entire CSNA.
  • Strong School building Project (SPaCe): in progress, working with Yale law students.  We are welcoming letters of support from any entity interested to rent space in the school. 
  • Fair Haven Family Stroll: Sat May 2 11-2pm.  Tim and Diane will table CSNA there.  Mayor Harp will lead the walk this year. 
  • Mary Wade Home parade: Last Friday of May. Meeting at 10:30 am at the Chatham Sq Park. 
  • Exchange St Block party:  scheduled for the first weekend of summer vacation (TBD)
  • City Seed Farmers’ market: will start 1^st Thursday after July 4^th.  More activities are being planned by Tom at the Q. park. Stay tuned.
  • April 12 12-2 : Dover’s park clean up.

 

This week:

• An Evening of Story with Donald Davis: Wednesday March 25, 2015, 7-8:30 pm at New Haven Friends Meeting House 225 East Grand Avenue, Fair Haven Heights. 
• Gun Violence and the Media: community Conversation: Thursday March 26, 2015, 6-7pm Fair Haven Library Branch: about Brownsville Song Plat at Long Warf Theater on Gun violence and its portrayal in the media. 
• Get information about the Brownsville Song play from Mary Ann and Sally or call Long Warf in for discounted tickets $5. 

• Police\Safety & Traffic: Lt Darcia Siclari (203-668-2218).  There were a few incidents, some reported to the Police, some not.  Be aware of the electric company scam going around the city.  Do not let anyone pretending to be with the electric company in. Burglary on Front street, incidents on Grand Ave.  Report any suspicious activity to city police for non-emergency problems @ 203-946-6316 or to Lt Siclary (203-668-2218). 

 

• Meeting with Doug Hausladen about Clinton Avenue traffic improvements. 

Doug arrived at 7:40 after a lot of the participants had left unfortunately.  Attending were Tom, MaryAnn, Sally, Rob, Lt Siclari, Carlos and Kathleen, Catherine. 

Below is what Tom reported to the secretary:

"7:40pm and on. Doug apologized for being late, saying he was being held up at another team management meeting. Doug presented 5 artistic/computer drafted renderings of what Clinton Ave is set to look like after traffic improvements are made. Approx $129,000 is set aside for this project which is scheduled to take place over this coming Summer. Improvements will include "bump-outs" at nearly all side street intersections, several "round-abouts" to be placed along the avenue, a new two way bike lane, increased angled parking, pedestrian crosswalks and more. The project will cover the entire length of Clinton Ave, from Middletown Ave to Grand Ave. Residents had input in regards to toning down the look of "racing stripes", there was input on virtually every aspect of the design after that. Ultimately the group was very pleased."