WHAT'S NEW IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AUGUST, 2022

 

 

Hello Neighbors...Welcome to the latest

RATTLESNAKE  CREEK  GARDEN CLUB        NEWSLETTER                August 22, 2022

     As you well know, It's been too hot to grow anything but okra so I've been holding off the garden news. I do want to say though,

VOTE TOMORROW AS IF YOUR CITY DEPENDED ON IT!

       Many of you have cast you ballots already but if you have not, vote tomorrow for the candidates that have promised to do their best to roll-back the city's ban on single- family zoning. If you need advice on this, call or write. 

     Our University Park Neighborhood Association sponsored a zoom gathering recently featuring most of the local candidates.  You can view it on their website. Also we had two candidate gatherings in Florida Park. Brenda and Dan had a meet 'n greet in their back yard and our last garden club meeting featured a two candidates discussing the

zoning issue.

   Our neighbor, Christian Newman, is hoping to represent us on the city commission. I suggested that he use this in his campaign. He thought I was kidding. I know that once elected "Super Chris" will do a great job and all he can to rectify the commission's terrible zoning decision last month.

 

HONORING OUR PANDEMIC HEROES

   I'm working on a project to thank G'ville's essential workers, The folks who put themselves at risk to get us through the "worst of times" since March of 2020.  We have asked the Mayor to declare October "Essential Worker Appreciation Month". "EWs" will get concert tickets, restaurant discount coupons, and other cool stuff.

Essential workers include educators, retail employees, anyone providing medical services, the GRU guys, police, firemen, retail people, sanitation workers, nursing home staff, and so forth.

If you'd like to be a part of this project, or, to offer something to show "EWs" our gratitude, let me know.

BIG NEWS! Sweet Dreams of Gainesville has moved to the former Starbucks location on Southwest 13th Street

YES, Florida Park finally has a place we can walk to and hang out.  Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Shop moved to the corner of 13th and 16th Ave. last month. Owner Mike Manfredi took me on a tour and it is impressive.

He is also serving coffee now and may create a beer garden out back next year. Hooray!

 

 

THE A. QUINN JONES CENTER,  A Local

Treasure

     We have an amazing place three blocks east of Florida Park, a historic site where you can learn about our city's history, and, take in an occasional concert.

    The A. Quinn Jones Cultural Center is open most days at at 1017 NW 7 Ave.

 Why not walk over?  They have a terrific art exhibition up through September 30th., "Blues Pioneers". Many of these musical giants passed through

 

 

Gainesville at one time or another. Bo Diddley lived nearby y'know...

     Saturday night we took out-of-town guests to one of their outstanding outdoor concerts on the back patio. "Sheba the Mississippi Queen" and her accompanist, took us through blues  favorites like "Hound Dog" and "No Good Ugly Man". 

The shows are free and fun. Our guests were amazed.  Check out their website, Aquinnjones@cityofgainesville.org.

 

 UPNA'S PARKS INITIATIVE

      Florida Park has no parks.  University Park only has the Parker Park on weekends. Your neighborhood association is trying to do something about that.

PARKER PARK 

    UPNA'S Parks committee met with school board representatives last month. They own the five acres of public land (mostly woods) west of Parker Park.

We want them to allow the City to turn it into a passive nature park that all of us can enjoy every day.  We expect to hear from them next month. 

    UPNA retained a graphic designer to create materials for our school board presentation. 

 

 

 

 

RATTLESNAKE WOODS

     Have you noticed the wide swath of vegetation cleared out in Rattlesnake Woods (on the west end of NW 14 Ave.)?

That's 75,000 sq. feet of public land (a "right of way") that belongs to the city. One portion of it is 55' wide and it runs from the end of 12 Rd. all the way to the creek. We have asked the city to make that this public land a park as well. It's a great idea but seeing something like this though will take considerable work and perhaps many years. 

 Here's sketch to show you our public land in "the woods" (X'd out).  Our property there (technically a "right-of-way") is almost as large as a football field.

Why don't we at least put in some benches and replace exotic plants with natives?

 

FLORIDA PARK'S THIRD ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PARADE will be marching again on Monday, Oct. 31st, at 5:30 p.m.

This year we'll have two marching bands, one for actual musicians and one for the rest of us.  Let me know which one you'd like to join.

I will direct you to the appropriate band rehearsal site. 

Tony went pirate last year.

 

RAINBOW BRIDGE WILL BE LOOKING GOOD AGAIN  We thank the neighbors who have volunteered to give it a new, colorful coat of paint. Eddie and his family were there last weekend making the green steps as bright as the surrounding foliage.

 

FINALLY, THE GARDEN PART

      Have you ever noticed the pineapples growing by our driveway?  It takes two years, y'know, but after that you can

harvest one and save  three dollars. 

Our first Hawaiian gem finally ripened   and it was delicious. It's one of the few things we grow that the squirrels don't eat first.

 That's it from NW 12th Rd,

Glenn, 

for the RCG Club

305 299 5607