MESSAGE FROM THE NAC CHAIR: DAVE WEIDENHAMMER 

The Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) is busy, busy, busy. Too busy for me to write my monthly pep talk so this will have to do, it sums up what I want to say. 

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
 
Theodore Roosevelt-
"Citizenship in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

2010 COMMUNITY GARDEN BY BECCA KELLER 

As Spring approaches, here are a few basic gardening tips. To prepare your plot for the season, you will want to turn the soil. When you do this, remove all weeds, rocks, etc and amend soil with compost if you have it. Remember our gardens can grow many crops in succession and you will get more bang out of your little spot. So, start early! The first crops that can be planted from seed as soon as the soil can be worked are peas (snow and sugar), lettuces, carrots, beets and radishes. I will have a planting schedule guideline posted in info box so we can all be picking crops Spring, Summer and Fall.

Opening of the Community Garden was moved from April to March 20^th from 12-2PM to process forms, accept fees and answer question for the 2010 growing season.  

WEST READING CLEAN UP

Join your friends and neighbors in the effort to restore the natural beauty, wonder and vibrancy of our community during our big Earth Day Clean Up and Beautification event on April 17^th. We will rendezvous at South 2^nd Avenue and Chestnut Street in West Reading. 10AM-2PM. Volunteers will be assigned to one of several teams to accomplish tasks in the areas of:
 

	Apply completed murals to walls as part of Kline Street Mural Corridor Project.
	Clean trash & litter along west shore of Schuylkill River and install new Fishtail Bike Rack at Bertolet Fishing Dock.
	Apply fresh compost soil to garden beds and mulch to pathways in the Ten Points Community Garden.
	Clean trash & litter along By-Pass and install West Shore Trail signage.
	Plant flowers & shrubs in various locations.

Free lunch and refreshments provided courtesy of Third & Spruce Cafe. All gloves, tools, trash bags, etc. will be provided. Ten Points residents please wear your yellow t-shirts.

ELM STREET: SUMMER PROJECTS, SOME ARE PROGRAMS

Here are some of the things we are working on that may affect you and your property this year:

KLINE STREET MURAL CORRIDOR PROJECT
Wyomissing High School art teacher Michael Miller and his Public Arts Class are currently working on two murals. One design is based on a work by artist Marc Chagall painted when he was feeling nostalgic about the Russian village of his birth. Our version modernizes that theme and adds local landmarks from West Reading such as the Reading Hospital and VF Outlet clock towers. The second mural is a combination mural/mosaic incorporating inspirational quotes. A third mural has been commissioned with local artist Michele Byrne and will reflect an outdoor café scene as part of her ‘Art of Conversation’ series and to reflect its proximity to the Third & Spruce Café. The three murals are being worked on over the winter on canvas that will be then be applied to the walls during Elm Street’s Earth Day event.

DEER ALLEY SURVEY
The Deer Alley survey study is now complete. Numerous properties in the 300 block of Chestnut Street have encroached upon the public right-of-way and are creating a safety hazard for fire truck access. The resulting map showing property lines, rights-of-way and property ownership has been submitted to borough council for their action.

2010 FAÇADE PROGRAM
We have rewritten our Façade Improvement Grant program guidelines. We now require 10% matching funds but homeowners can elect to provide volunteer community service in lieu of the 10%match. Other changes include: charging an application fee of $20 and allowing rental and commercial properties grants at a dollar-for-dollar match.

YARNELL & GRAPE IMPROVEMENTS
The new water main supply line work is now complete.  We will piggy-back the with other borough projects to save costs. The bidding process is now underway for sidewalk replacement, sewer relining and street trees. Bids are due in early May, construction should begin shortly thereafter.

SPRUCE STREET RETAINING WALL
This wall is in danger of collapse and represents a safety hazard. Last fall, West Reading Elm Street’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) voted to approve the demolition and replacement of the wall. A Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) system is the most practical and cost effective method.  The design, drawings and specifications are now complete. A meeting with property owners was held on March 10^th so they could learn what we intend to do and how they will be affected. Our plan is to proceed with a segmented block wall design and put it out to bid in March with a June start date for construction.

EXPANSION NEIGHBORHOOD STUDY
Derck & Edson Associates will perform the various studies, surveys, focus groups, etc. required for our application to expand the Elm Street program into a new neighborhood. Resident support & participation are important elements in the state approving our application. The first meeting will be March 15^th, 6PM at Borough Hall to determine what residents like and don’t like about your neighborhood and what improvements and programs they want.

UPCOMING EVENTS
 

MARCH
18th	NAC Meeting at Borough Hall, 7PM
20th	Community Garden Opens, 12-2PM, Registration & Fees
APRIL
1st	Thursday on Penn 5-8PM
5th	Main Street Authority meeting, 7PM
15th	NAC Meeting at Borough Hall, 7PM
17th	Earth Day Clean Up and Beautification Event, Rendezvous South Second Avenue and Chestnut Street in West Reading, 10AM-2PM
West Reading Farmers' Market - Sundays 9AM-1PM. Click here for Weekly Specials. Don’t Forget Thursday on Penn . . . Take a ride (or a walk) the first Thursday of every month 5PM-Midnight.  Visit cool shops, go to great restaurants, and explore arts and entertainment venues along the Penn Corridor.  For details visit www.penncorridor.com.

Brought to you through a generous gift
from your neighbors at

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ELM STREET HAPPENINGS ARCHIVE
 

The Elm Street Happenings Newsletter may be downloaded from our archives, click any month below.  Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to download newsletters.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer click here.
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If you would like to receive West Reading Elm Street's monthly newsletter by email please send an email to elmstreet@westreadingmainstreet.org or call 610.685.8854.  For more information about the West Reading Elm Street program click here.