Westcott East Neighborhood Association April 11, 2011 DRAFT Meeting minutes NEXT MEETING: Monday, May 9, 2011 Persons registering as in attendance: WENA Board: Lori Brown, Starke Donnally, Alice Honig, Barbara Humphrey, Doug Roth, Charles Tremper, Damian Vallelonga, Marilyn Zaleon WENA members and guests: Khalid Bey; Officer Bruno Daniele, SPD; Julius Edwards; Kate Hammer, SU; Sam Laguzza, Onondaga County Legislature; Harry Lewis, Jeditha (Joe) Lovima, Nader Maroun, Syracuse Common Council; Corrie Palmieri; Lindsay Speicher, Mayor's Office; Mallory Wright 1. Welcome and introductions (no news please) Barbara called the meeting to order at 6:30. 2. Presentation of February 14 minutes for approval: Barbara Humphrey Alice moved and Barbara seconded their approval; passed unanimously. 3. Financial Report: Barbara Humphrey Barbara announced that all money had been moved to the SUMMIT credit union to avoid fees; $5 in checking; $1,962.99 in savings. 4. Program/Outreach Initiatives: maybe hold discussion a. Networking with Other Neighborhood Organizations and the City i. WCC Newsletter Insert: Not enough news for a May insert ii. Eastside TNT: next meeting Apr. 12 (focus on 5-yer plan) iii. University Neighborhood Partnership: next meeting Apr. 18. iv. Westcott Leadership Roundtable (WLR): next meeting Apr. 28; see events below. v. UNPA housing plan: Survey to determined housing needs; data currently being collected and manipulated. Needs include both affordable and accessible housing. Vision statement to be formulated. 5. Police Storefront Update: Officer Bruno Daniele raised the following: a. Arrest made in case of white male (from Allen St.) asking women for directions and then exposing himself. Woman called police; husband had heard about the situation at WENA b. Graffiti “artist” who had marked Dominoe’s with white paint arrested; citizen involvement facilitated both arrests. c. Officer Daniele will keep watch out for graffiti especially on S. Beech behind Framing Studio. Grant money is possible to have Michael Moody extend his mural around corner to Beech. d. Damian reported vandalism at his house, 758 Euclid: railing from outside steps removed and found acouple doors away. e. Panhandling at Westcott and Fayette: difficult to prosecute this since right to do so has been recognized. Reminder: To contact Officer Daniele on his cell phone: (315) 454-2575 6. Old/New Business a. Earth Day, Apr. 30: goal to cover Westcott from E. Genesee to Euclid. WENA Board members will meet at Mom’s at 9, work for an hour and have breakfast at WCC. To register, go to earthday@syr.edu. b. Jane’s walk: to illustrate need for walkable neighborhoods; last year walk took off from the Center of Excellence. c. Retreat follow-up: Damian offered to design WCC newsletter inserts; grants include fencing for community garden and for merchants’ association; possible fund raisers include central location for garage sale to benefit WENA and people paying WENA for work done by a volunteer. d. Public Spaces Project: Damien will take design options for the “knoll” and for artistic bike racks to TNT. Work anticipated to be done on Westcott/S. Beech intersection. e. Quality of life—noise issues. f. Gifford Foundation “What if” mini grants: source of funding for the Moody mural extension. g. WENA/Petit Library Tile Project: 2 grades at Ed Smith have produced more tiles which will be added to the ones in hand to create a panel to be installed on the wall of Petit over the summer. h. Westcott business updates: construction continues on the Dell St. Building; hopefully, Taste of India will locate there; serious damage came to light in former 7-rays building, but negotiations underway with a restaurant to relocate there; Better Brittle will move into space next to the Framing Studio (owner is part of Slow food movement) i. Daffodil days—Alice urged folks to take the time to thank Peter Wirth for all his bulb project efforts which are paying off right now. j. Westcott Winter happening: scheduled for Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend to kick off holiday shopping season; goal to develop maps with ads, addresses, and coupons. k. Paul Walsh and ride sharing: proposal to invite him to WENA to discuss Cuse cars, etc. 7. I-81 challenge: defer discussion until May 9 when Jill can be present. 8. Items from Sam Laguzza: a. Off track betting: Sam shifted from a supporter to a non-supporter as the financial benefits have declined. So far, measure to allow a vote has been blocked. Possible sites include the former Sibley’s building, the Hotel Syracuse, Carousel Mall. b. Redistricting: city likely to lose clout when new boundaries are drawn. 9. Julius Edwards and Kalid introduced themselves as running for counselor at large. Edwards emphasized interest in family friendly communities, Kalid stress small business support and need to change social dynamics in the public schools; both are Syracuse natives. 10. Upcoming Events: a. Eastside TNT: Tuesday, Apr. 12, 7 pm, Levy School b. Health implications of hydrofracking, Wednesday, Apr. 13, 6:30 p.m. Weiskotten Hall. c. Poetry Bash, Saturday, Apr. 16, 2:30 p.m., Petit Library. d. Westcott Community garden clean-up, Saturday, Apr. 16, 1-3 p.m., Harvard Pl. e. I-81 challenge public forums: May 3&4 4-7 p.m.; May 7, 9 a.m.-12 noon, Oncenter Ballroom.