Thursday, June 4, 2015

Northside PRIDE Initiatives

Northside PRIDE has had a busy Spring with its Renaissance Block Challenge Competition, Trash Bash Community Event, The Readying of the Community Gardens and The Updating of Northside PRIDE's Street Assessment Data. A big THANK YOU goes out to all of the neighbors and property investors that participated in these Activities!!!

Meeting Attendance has improved as we launch 2015's new Neighborhood Initiatives.  Two of these initiatives include an updated street assessment within Northside PRIDE's target area. Preliminary findings suggest that our neighborhood has stabilized which indicates that Home Ownership has remained about the same as it was in Spring 2011.  When Data is complete we will post the update here! Another initiative is to increase our membership and there has been lively discussion at the last two meeting to expand the Northside PRIDE Target area. Another way to increase membership is  to "Market Our Neighborhood." SO, we came up with the concept of creating an "EDIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD."

An Edible Neighborhood is a community where the neighbors plant food in their Community Garden Space,  front yards, along the sidewalks, even in the ...sidewalk strip, for participating neighbors to enjoy when it’s ready to pick.

It’s about being an oasis in a food desert. It’s about growing in appreciation of the power and delight of nature, cultivated. We are looking to encourage people to grow food (and community) in any available space they have.

What do you have to do to be considered an Edible Neighborhood?
When you and several of your neighbors plant edible landscaping with the intention of making it available to your neighbors, you are there. Ways to do that is to provide these:

* Fruit Trees
* Nut Trees
* Fruit bearing bushes and vines like blueberries, raspberries and grape vines
* Edible flowers
* Herbs

  And it can also include a community garden.

  Overview
The concept of the Edible Neighborhood floats about a bit. In the Northside PRIDE Neighborhood, we are focused on cultivating edible perennials that are located so participating neighbors have easy access to the plants and trees. In Northside PRIDE's community Garden we already have four three fruit trees, two blueberry bushes, concord Grapes and twelve gardens.

We plan to go further this year with the purchasing and planting of  more blueberries, raspberries and plum trees, as well as  more grapes in The Northside PRIDE community park. We are also planning to reach out to property owners to participate by planting edible themselves or allowing us (Northside PRIDE members and volunteers) to plant edibles in open spaces throughout the target area.

With the participation of about 12 homes thus far, we are excited to add more neighbors to our growing numbers.

Most of our plantings are perennials. But seasonal gardens and other plantings are great too. Who does not love fresh picked plums

It is easy and gratifying. Pick a sunny spot in your yard next to the side walk, and plant an apple, plum, or pear. Maybe a few blueberries.

Please Contact Kurt at 450.7616 OR  northsidepride33@yahoo.com if you are interested in participating! I should also note that the first Sunday of Every Month, We are holding a CAN DRIVE. Please Consider Donating your clean cans or bottles. See Post Below!! Thanks!!!

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Coming Attractions

Three Acquisitions

In the last blog update we featured properties that are scheduled for demolition-homes that will no longer be a blight on our neighborhood. In this blog update we're going to focus on rehabilitation. Both of the single-family homes that are featured below have been acquired by county agencies (in conjunction with PRIDE) and will undergo extensive rehabilitation in the coming year.

The Lincoln Street Property-already in reasonable condition-has been obtained by Chautauqua Opportunities Inc. This redo will feature a remodeled kitchen and bath plus interior and exterior cosmetic changes. PRIDE is looking forward to its completion, when it will go on the market to be sold to an eligible first-time home buyer.

8th Street Youth Build House (CHRIC)
Currently in progress, CHRIC is doing an amazing job restoring this old Arts and Crafts home.

Grant Street: Restored and SOLD!!! This property required serious rehabilitation. Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation. CHRIC has transformed this home-both inside and out. CHRIC has done extensive renovations to the exterior, which included installing a new roof, beefing up the foundation and installing new, state of the art siding. CHRIC likes to say that they "take the worst house on the block and transform it into the best." Northside PRIDE is very appreciative of this partnership and is happy that this old Dutch-colonial home found a homeowner who is proud to live on the Northside.

Acquisition #2

Acquisition #2
404 Lincoln