Jordan Street Garden will be having its first work party of the year next Saturday, 4/16 from 10am-2pm. People can volunteer to do physical work, help the kids with painting the sign, help with accumulating more tools, plants, and seeds, or bring food/snacks for the workers/volunteers during the work party. You can also friend the garden on Facebook (The Jordan Street Garden) or follow us on Twitter (jordanstgarden).
For more info about the garden see the VPNA Jordan Street Garden webpage
From the Idaho Statesman 4/6/2011
BY CYNTHIA SEWELL – cmsewell@idahostatesman.com
By this time next year, river rats should be cavorting in the city’s new whitewater park.
Without the $950,000 infusion from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, the city might have missed the narrow window to do the in-river construction work this fall and winter, which would have delayed the project another year.
“It is very gratifying to see visions like this one become reality,” said J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation executive director Jamie MacMillan.
The donation brings the foundation’s total gift to the city’s Ray Neef MD Boise River Recreation Park to $1.7 million, more than half of the estimated $2.8 million cost for the project’s initial work.
This fall, after river and irrigation canal water levels drop, crews will demolish the aging Thurman Mill diversion dam and replace it with a state-of-the-art computerized diversion dam and two “wave shapers” — features that will provide boaters waves of varying difficulty year-round. Water features also will include in-river drops, chutes and boulder obstacles as well as riverbank seating.
Construction on the first set of planned river features should be complete by spring 2012.
So far, $1.2 million worth of design, engineering and site preparation work has been done. The city of Boise has allocated $850,000.
In addition to the Albertson Foundation’s gifts, the Friends of the Park, an organization of boating enthusiasts and civic leaders, has raised almost $1 million in cash and pledges.
The river recreation park, located upstream of Veterans Memorial Park, is one of the central elements of the city’s new plan for the larger 30th Street area. Other upcoming improvements include a new 30th Street extension and two additional riverside parks — the Esther Simplot and Bernardine Quinn parks.
The new 36th Street footbridge at the whitewater park connects to Garden City’s waterfront district and is already receiving a lot of foot and bike traffic, according to Idaho River Sports co-owner Jo Cassin.
In 2005, Cassin and partner Stan Kolby moved their business from Hyde Park to 3100 W. Pleasanton Ave., to be closer to the Boise River and the river recreation park.
“This section of the city is going to be absolutely beautiful,” said Kolby.
Read more:
This week the Statesman reported a slow down to the 30th Street plan as the City and ACHD disagree over how to handle traffic along a portion of the new road. Read the full article here.
VPNA obtained a copy of the alternative that ACHD is proposing, to see that click here
Willow Lane Athletic Complex is holding COED softball league sign-ups April 4-8. More info here
Also, congrats to Susan Williamson, the Principal at Taft Elementary, who won a national award. More info here.
The Annual Meeting was a big success. Elections were held and 6 new board members were voted in, as were 8 returning members. Board members include:
VPNA also announced that the City of Boise selected our grant proposal to create a Neighborhood Interpretive Walking Trail in the 30th Street neighborhoods. More details about how you can become involved in this project will follow in the future.
Reminder: VPNA’s Annual Meeting is Monday
Location: Whittier Elementary (click here for map )
Date and Time: Monday, March 21, 2011 from 6-8pm
The meeting will start with presentations about VPNA, the 30th Street Steering Committee, the Neighborhood Walking Trail and the election of board members.
This will be followed by an open house with representatives from:
The VPNA Annual Meeting is just around the corner. This year we’ll have a few presentations followed by an open house with a number of interesting booths highlighting the whitewater park, 30th Street area, historic walking trail and more!
Location: Whittier Elementary (click here for map )
Date and Time: Monday, March 21, 2011 from 6-8pm
The time commitment of being a board member is mostly up to the individual. At a minimum we’d like new members to attend most monthly board meetings (held the 3rd Monday of each month at Idaho River Sports from 6:30-8pm). If you choose to get involved outside of board meetings, what you do is also left open to personal choice. Some possibilities and past examples include:
If you are interested in becoming a board member please send us an email at vpnaboise@gmail.com
We wanted to alert you to the Idaho Statesman article “Boise to Retool 30th Street Neighborhood” 1/23/2011. In addition to plans that are well known, such as the 30th Street Extension road, the Whitewater Park and Esther Simplot Park; the article mentions talk of a community center and a baseball stadium as possible additions to the 30th Street plan.
The Statesman article goes on to mention the Capital City Development Corp, the the city’s urban renewal agency, “which has convened a steering committee to figure out how to make the 30th Street master plan a reality.” CCDC’s website states that the steering committee “will be meeting over the course of the next six months to consider issues, alternatives and options.”
Mike Hall, of CCDC, visited the VPNA February Board Meeting on Monday (2/21/2011 – see minutes here). He emphasized that CCDC welcomes questions, concerns, etc… from residents. Mike can be reached at 208-384-4264 or mhall@ccdcboise.com. Mike noted a number of ways that residents can be involved and help shape what our neighborhood will look like in the coming years. One way is to join one of the following CCDC sub-committees:
VPNA’s primary concern with the current plan is pedestrian safety. The board would like to see a separate pedestrian / bicycle crossing, such as an underpass, of the new thoroughfare as an alternative to the proposed traffic light and crosswalk. One critical reason for this is the fact that the greenbelt’s new pedestrian bridge will allow Whittier Elementary students to walk to school, however students also will need to cross the 30th St Extension.
In other news, Henry’s Farmers Market (the organic grocery chain) has withdrawn its interest in the vacant property on the corner of Bannock and 15th Street.
Have an idea for a community building event or celebration? Then why not apply for the new grant program the City of Boise is offering to expand opportunities for performing artists in local community-building events and celebrations. Organizers of such events are encouraged to apply for funds to help pay performing artists as well as any other costs associated with incorporating them into an event (such as stage or equipment rentals).
The following may apply:
The grant is worth between $500-$2000 and closes March 11, 2011.
For more information visit this webpage:
http://artsandhistory.cityofboise.org/Opportunities/Grants/page62590.aspx
Don’t forget Thursday is the…
ACHD 30th Street Extension Open House
Thursday, January 27, 2011 | 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Lowell Elementary School Gym| 1507 N. 28th Street, Boise
The VPNA Website also has a Documents tab on the menu bar where you’ll find:
Rather than making individual posts when these items are updated. We will start including a “New Document” (see below) section at the bottom of each post stating what has been updated.
New Documents:
ACHD 30th Street Extension Open House
Thursday, January 27, 2011 | 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Lowell Elementary School Gym| 1507 N. 28th Street, Boise
Residents will have an opportunity to meet with ACHD and Boise City staff to view the project design progress, ask questions and provide input. For more information about the project or to subscribe for email updates from ACHD please visit this page.
Click here for open house flyer
Click here to read an email from Kathleen Lacy (Boise City Planner) about recent changes to the landscaping on the east side of the 30th Street Extension.
