Agenda SECA meeting Oct 3

The next meeting of the South End Community Association will be held
on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. at Princess Royal School.
Hope to see you there.
New members welcome as always.

Items on the agenda will include:  a presentation by Thomas
Molineaux on his role and his experiences as the Volunteer Park Warden at
Deverill Square Park;  information on the Nanaimo Youth Services project
underway at the “Whitehouse” on Haliburton Street;  plans for some
re-development on Needham Street;  Litter pick-up;  Tea Wagon update;
update on the petition and proposal with regard to the traffic control light
at the intersection of Haliburton Street south and the Island Highway;  and
SECA’s application to the City of Nanaimo for a Community Service Grant to
help fund next year’s picnic.

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Morden Mine 100th Anniversary Planned for Sept 29

You are invited to:

The Friends of Morden Mine Reception

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of start-up work at Morden

Saturday, September 29, 2012, 1:30 P.M.,

At the Nanaimo Museum:

The Friends of the Morden Mine are hosting:

 a buffet style, light lunch.

Honouring the miners in a toast to Morden.

Accomplished author and historian Tom Paterson will deliver a talk titled

“’Coal Was Not Always A Dirty Word”.

A presentation ceremony and exhibit display are planned.

The Friends of Morden Mine are inviting descendants of the Morden Colliery Miners to pay homage to their ancestors by providing information and by adding  to a growing list of Morden miners.

The Morden Mine Exhibit will be displayed at the museum until the 3rd week in November.

Please invite your friends and associates and contribute to making this important celebration a success!

All those who plan to attend are encouraged to send an e-mail to info@mordenmine.com under the heading Celebration

Visit us online at www. mordenmine.com

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Calling all Shopping Carts!

Orphaned shopping carts and happy salmon

When you come across an abandoned shopping cart, do what you can to make sure it gets back home.
Identify which store it’s from, and give them a call.

Tell the store where the cart is, and that you want it picked up.

The stores will do this, but they usually send someone else out to pick it up for them (so it may not happen immediately.)

Some helpful phone numbers:
Quality foods University village -(250) 754-6012
Thrifty foods Port Place -(250) 754-6273
Country Grocer South Gate – (250) 753-7545

What’s the happy salmon got to do with all this?

The carts usually end up in the rivers. But when you do what you can to get them picked up, you are helping keeping the rivers clean enough for the salmon to survive. Because even our city rivers are very important to the yearly cycle of salmon. And don’t we all love to eat those?

Thomas Molineaux

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6 Ideas for Building Community

Seems to me that a sense of belonging is something that many of us want in our lives…it’s so easy to get isolated in the busy-ness of life and the world of technology.  But this neat little article, sent by Madilynn Rotar from R-U Computing, who was one of the initiators of the Lavender Lane project gives some easy ideas for simple ways to get connected with your community.

Some of them we’re already doing in some ways  i.e. by coming together to solve a problem, the Lavender Lane folks have managed to get to know each other, and are now planning monthly potlucks…not just for the people on the lane, but for the neighbours in their area that want to get connected to each other.

In my own block on Irwin Street, Sydney and Pam have organized both Halloween and Canada Day events, where we have blocked the street off, and let the kids and dogs have a great time.  I try to organize the odd event that allows people to stop by, get reconnected/caught up and then go on their way (or at least I talk about doing it…sorry neighbours…:)

The recent block party hosted by the folks over in the 300 block of Kennedy last Saturday is a prime example of what can happen when proactive people get connected.  Pulled together in well under 2 weeks, the full-day event had a street yard sale, street games, live entertainment, a BBQ. And it was capped off  as 100 kids watched movies and ate popcorn in a vacant lot, with a screen made from a wooden frame and a sheet, while their parents got to hang and enjoy the evening.

When I stopped by and talked to one of the organizers, she said that the whole event was  infectious…that while it started simply as a street sale, it grew and grew as neighbours created ways to get involved.  The turnout was huge, but beyond that, the sense of connection that came out of it was…as they say in the credit card commercial…priceless.

And that’s kind of how community works…often someone just needs to plant the seed and it starts to grow.

• Are there any community-building efforts in your little corner of the South End?
• Do you have any community builders that you would like to appreciate?
• Or are you new and looking to get connected to some of the community building “movers and shakers” in the neighbourhood?
• Did you help out at Lavender Lane and want a potluck invite?

If so, I’d like to hear from you!

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From the latest DNBIA City Notes

New Business:  Kismet Theatre Academy
#112-55 Victoria Road
Kismet is a word, possibly derived from Turkish, Urdu or Persian, meaning fate or destiny, a predetermined course of events.
Owner, Bonnie Catterson is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the Theatre C.E.N.T.R.E. and has taught dance and theatre to people of all ages. Local programs include: Arts Alive, Kirkwood Academy, Beat Street Danceworks, and Nanaimo Parks and Recreation.
Kismet Theatre Academy is a community- oriented school offering classes in the craft of acting and performance.  Promoting freedom of creative expression and confidence building through learning the art of storytelling and through voice, movement, theatre, film and television.

Kismet offers a wide range of classes from age 6-adult and welcome all levels of experience.

Encouraging one to think outside the box and never put limitations on your creative expression, or yourself.

Classes are ongoing and registration is open now!  For more information on classes or upcoming events visit www.kismettheatreacademy.yolasite.com

To read the whole DNBIA newsletter, click here.

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Pro D Days at the Nanaimo Museum

Here’s a terrific idea….

 

Pro D Days at the Nanaimo Museum
October 1 and 19
Children’s Activities at the Nanaimo Museum for Pro D Days
The hallways in local Nanaimo schools may be quiet during teacher professional development days in October but the museum will be bustling with activity. The Nanaimo Museum is offering two new drop-in workshops for children and their families on Oct. 1 and 19 from 1pm-4pm. The first workshop includes hands-on activities with a train theme and the second workshop is inspired by the museum’s feature exhibit on fabric art.
The new workshops build on the success of similar workshops during spring break. The workshops have fun activities that will keep children engaged with the added bonus of teaching them about their community. The activities are designed for children ages 5-12 years. Caregivers must be present to supervise children at all times.
The Coal Trains workshop on Monday, October 1 provides the unique opportunity for children to have an up-close look at the steam locomotive in Piper Park. Activities such as making engineer hats will take place inside the museum’s gallery, just a two minute walk away from the park. The Fabric Art for Kids workshop on Friday, October 19 features no-sew projects like making a letter wall hanging or a Halloween treat bag.
For more information please contact Aimee Greenaway at program@nanaimomuseum.ca or  250 753-1821 .

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No. 1 Esplanade Mine Disaster Sign Updated

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South End House featured in Green Building Open House on Sunday

Ok for you greenies….which there appear to be quite a few here, RDN is holding a series of Open Houses on Sunday to allow you to explore some of the latest green building trends.  And one of the homes is here in the South End…surprise, surprise!

Here’s a link to the event in Harbour Living.

And more info on their site.

You need to register in advance…all the contact info is there, on both sites.

 

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SECA Meeting Notes Sept. 6

Lavender Lane Project. The second round saw about 50 people involved and many donations of plants. Many of the people who helped out did not even live there but liked the idea. The signs are now up on the lane. There was good media coverage, including CHEK TV – A monthly pot luck for the neighbors is in the offing. For the future, there is another lane nearby that needs a similar sprucing up. Perhaps after the apartment building on Nichol is finished Cinderella Lane can be touched up as it is looking a wee bit shabby now.

Newport Pub – owner Floyd Becker was at the meeting. He is committed to putting in a commercial building with residences. No strip bars ever. The Patricia has joined Bar Watch and the smoking area has been moved away from the front.

White House. Nanaimo Youth Services have purchased it and plan 12-14 units for working young people. This program is called Blade Runner and is an employment readiness program involving subsidized work for youth. Some questions – difficulties to manage, will there be an on-site manager?, a vulnerable demographic, so what support services planned?

Neighborhood issues – Dave Laberge of the RCMP – No new issues at the Newport. Bar Watch keeps problem people out of the Patricia. 13 Gillespie a problem house, but being dealt with as a nuisance property. Biggest problem right now is 621 Nichol, the crack house that had the drive-by shooting. Problem house near Crace St will be looked at. Neighbors have to help out. A question about derelict houses – building must be 70% destroyed for City to demand demolition. Simply being unsightly is not sufficient grounds. Lavender Lane a testament to how a community can solve its problems. It is a pleasure to help neighborhoods who help themselves in this manner. Good idea for neighbors to search for suitable tenants for properties with absentee landlords.

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Lavender Lane Work Party Aug 25

Oh what a day it was!  Over 50 people showed up over the course of the day to work on Phase 2 of Lavender Lane.

But the work wasn’t just the day of…it started before, with much preparation.

The night before, a bunch of neighbours got out into the laneway and watered everything down so we’d be ready to lift sod in the morning.
Then, the next day, we pulled up sod, painted fences,  dug holes (and more holes), and ultimately got everything planted.

Took a break for lunch in the middle.

And then capped the day off by hanging signs on each end of the lane.

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We couldn’t have taken on this effort without the generous donations from:

The local businesses who provided both product and advice

Hazelwood Herb Farm… lots of lavender and a variety of herb and medicinal plants

Longlake Nursery..20 large lavender plants

VIU Horticulture Program…. variety of plants

Cinnabar Valley Garden Centre Supplies….bark mulch, top soil and bone meal (and a lot of invaluable advice)

Buckerfield’s ….Lavender Plants

ABC Restaurant / Days Inn….Sprigs of lavender for the invitation envelopes.

Art Knapp….$50.00 gift certificate

Home Depot….$50.00 gift certificate

Sharecost Rentals….sod lifter

Dulux Paints …5 gallons red solid hide stain (doesn’t it look terrific?)

Rona…Paint brushes

And the local businesses who provided sustenance for the day:

Thrifty Foods …$100.00 gift certificate

Starbucks….coffee

Dairy Queen…Dilly Bars and ice

Tim Hortons…Donuts and coffee

Country Grocer …$25.00 gift certificate

To the creative folks who helped us put our mark on the lane:

Graham Eyford...Lavender Lane sign

Sidney Robertson…Lavender Lane sign

The Haven Society….24 Bird Houses

And to Tom Grauman…$10.00 cash donation.

Thanks to the media:

To CHEK TV for their feature on the evening news

And to Rachel from the NanaimoNews Bulletin for coming out and covering the day.

Whew! And finally….

Thanks as well to R-U Computing ….printing all the news stories, invitations and providing all of the envelopes.

And……Barbara Densmore ….for designing the awesome professional invites, creating awareness of the Lavender Lane Project on the South End website, inviting the news and providing tons of encouragement to carry us through!

And to everyone who showed up.  More than thank you…how inspiring it was to have people who don’t even live on the lane to come and help us.  This is community at its very best.

Angie Eyford

[Editor’s Note: huge huge kudos to Angie Eyford, for her tireless determination and effort.  Angie found donations, picked up plants, door-knocked, pulled together all the invites, and made everything come together. Angie, you have an invisible halo over your head.]

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Stayed tuned for follow-ups.

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