CHNA NEWSLETTER AND ANNUAL REPORT:

CHNA ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH!

This is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments  of YOUR association over the past several months, as well as your chance to voice your opinion on what is or can be going on.  We will also elect board members for the 2003-2004.


The meeting will be held at

St. Stephen Catholic Student Center

1019 W. 23 Street  CF.

Social time  6:30 p.m. Business meeting at 7:00 p.m.
 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Clean Up Days

Brush Pick-Up:

1.  Brush will be picked up by CHNA volunteers on Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25.   Place the brush at the curb or in the alley by Wednesday, April 23.
Brush must be stacked and in 4 ft. (or shorter) lengths.

2.    You must call a volunteer at 268-1344 (Sue) or 266-5677 (Kate) to schedule a pick-up.  This is BY RESERVATION ONLY.  If you are elderly or disabled and need help moving your brush to the curb or  alley, indicate this at the time of your call.

3. If you have a truck and can help us take yard waste to the Transfer Station on April 24 or 25 between 7am-5:30pm, please call Tom at 266-1900.

AVOID CODE ENFORCEMENT SANCTIONS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS FREE, ONE TIME OPPORTUNITY TO DO A SPRING CLEAN UP OF YOUR YARD!!!

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE:   www.chna.org

Member Ben Schafer has given of his time and talents to get us into the electronic age....We hope this will provide our members and our local community another means to communicate and find out what is going on!!!  Thank you Ben!  and Loree for her consulting services!!
 

WANT TREES?

Two city-sponsored programs which assist residents with the cost of planting new trees are available.  The first is the city's "Tree Replacement Program".  Upon
request, and as funds permit, the city will plant trees on right-of-ways, providing conditions allow it.  Contact the City Arborist, Brad DeHoff, at 273-8624 to request a tree for your property.

The second is "Cedar Falls TREES" which a Utilities-sponsored program.  The program pays for 40% of the cost of a new tree (up to a maximum of $100).  See the
newsletter enclosed with the most recent utilities bill, call CFU at 266-1761, or inquire at Earl May or Jordan's Nursery for more information.

WHAT HAVE THE CHNA COMMITTEES BEEN UP TO?

When reorganizing last summer, CHNA established committees to deal with certain priority matters.  One priority, Initiative A, is to take action to reverse the
trend of property sales from owner occupied to multiple unit rental.  The hope of this initiative is to stabilize the neighborhood with more permanent residents and fewer transient residents.   The committee working to address this issue has accomplished several things this year.  Contacts have been made to increase
relationships with area realtors.  Sue Doody (representing CHNA) and Nadine Davidson (representing PLS) spoke to the realtors' professional association in March.  Sue also spoke to the Kiwanis.  At the same time, committee members made contact with neighborhood landlords regarding the city tree planting program and the junk/trash pick-up that was held in March.    Through further work of this committee, Habitat for Humanity is considering the possibility of beginning a project in the College Hill neighborhood.  If Habitat follows through with a project in our neighborhood, it would mean another single-family residence in the neighborhood.

Another committee, Initiative C was set up to promote a more esthetically pleasing appearance properties, has been very active.  Following last fall, a "walking tour" of distressed properties in violation of the nuisance code, the city has begun to take action.  Some of the properties are now cleaned up.  Pending resolution  is the petition submitted to the city asking for clean-up action to be mandated on the orange house on the corner of 22nd and Olive Streets.   In cooperation with the city, a junk and trash pick up day.  This was very well received by homeowners and landlords.  Over 40 volunteers have helped with this project so far.  A brush pick up is April 25-25 and pick up is by reservation only (call 266-5677 for more information).   Work is progressing on a model agreement landlords could use with leases to educate tenants on property maintenance and social behavior issues which impinge upon their neighbors.  We have been adopted for a class project with Kamyar Enshayan's Capstone Class.  The project centers around beautification of the commercial district on College St.   Two students, Kelly Klopfenstein and Crissa Stephens are working on this project.

Initiative B  strengthens the working relationship between UNI and CHNA .   Activities reinforce positive behaviors of our student residents, advocates UNI's
involvement to encourage faculty and staff to locate in our neighborhood.  These efforts help  to stabilize and to provide a diverse neighborhood.  Meetings held confirmed UNI's commitment to a better community including the neighborhood but  much more work needs to be done.

Initiative D promotes political advocacy on issues that effect our neighborhood.   A number of issues have been drafted to present to  this fall's council and mayoral candidates  for their  opinions and to ask their support.   The board continues to monitor council and planning &  zoning meetings and takes action on issues where appropriate.    A  College Hill Neighborhood Association Vision and Plan of Action document is currently being drafted to be distributed to CHNA members and to the city officials.

All of the initiatives:  The board adopted a six block area around Seerley Park  to apply our initiatives.   By doing this, we can show the community the positive
impact this area has.  This will be our  model that will drive the rest of our neighborhood's improvements.

THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!!!

The CHNA Board would like to recognize and thank the many volunteers who helped with the March trash/junk pick up in the overlay:
 

• Those who helped with folding flyers and addressing envelopes:  PLS students: Ellen Hills, Ben Strever, Rob Williams, Joe Traw, Sam Backstrom, Joannie Anderson, and Kate & Erin McElligatt
• Those terrific Boy Scouts, and their friends and family members, who leafleted  during the blizzard: Kevin Engels, Sam Lankford, Jill Lankford, Jesse Lankford, Jordan Lankford, Kenton Engels, Andy Tallakson, Stuart Steffy, Matt Schoon, Jay Miller, Amy Bower, Josh Bower, Rhys Talbot, Ian Campbell, Andrew Mallon, Dave Tallakson, Ellie Tallakson, Ana Tallakson, and Karen Engels.
• Those who helped elderly residents move their trash to the curb: Greg Miller, Kathy Miller, Sandy Sutton, David Hilgemann, Tony McAdams, and Anson Poe.
• Others who lent support: Sue Hummel, Doyle Smith and his staff at Public Works, Sheila Rudin & Radhi Al Mabuk, Lou Weber, Jim Miller, Tom Romanin, and Margaret Corson.