On Monday, May 24, our team and some new friends gathered to lay out our work for 2017. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, May 30, 6:30pm at Kathy's house (1502 S. 32nd Ave.) Come join us to help out with the following teams! Events & Activities Some suggested focuses for the coming months are a ribbon cutting/celebration for the new playground, and continuing with Saturday events like yoga and family fitness. Maintenance This team would like to keep the very successful monthly cleanups going and coordinate with Parks Maintenance to focus especially on making the NE corner more safe and inviting. NE Corner/Fundraising Due to the changes to the city's plans, which mostly affect the NE corner, initial plans for this area will have to shift, so focus this year will be on coordinating and fundraising to implement several low-infrastructure projects to create more active uses for that corner (e.g. kids' mountainbike trail, nature play, nature walk, frisbee golf, etc.). We'll also be advocating for sidewalk updates and moving the corner patio towards implementation. There will be a pretty big focus on fundraising in this group. History Working on historical and interpretive signage, as well as fixing up the NW corner (repainting sign and landscaping). Come join us! |
0 Comments
We've now been working for about 2 years with the city to plan and carry out improvements to Hanscom Park. In 2016 we hosted input meetings, worked with the city to create designs, and did fundraising, as well as hosting weekly yoga and family play days in the park, and monthly park and lagoon cleanups.
PRESENT The new playground broke ground in the fall, and - after a long winter pause - should (crossing fingers) be complete in the next month! See our last blog post for the design drawings and info on how your input was included. Coming later this year should be a collection of new walking paths to get folks off the roadways and increase access from the north edge and to the soccer area, along with improvements to the picnic area. FUTURE We're also working now with a group of high school boys to fundraise for a better soccer field area. (Check them out on Facebook!) We hope that will be done in 2018 when the city also deepens the pond to addresses rainwater issues and improve fishing. A lot going on! We are still working on the north edge ravine and northeast corner. We've hit snags there because of delays to the city's plans and changes in funding, so we're going to be coming back to you - neighbors - over the next few months to help us decide how we can still respond to neighborhood hopes and concerns in that area in creative ways. Stay tuned! STAY IN TOUCH As always, we invite you to join our small but mighty crew working hard to make the neighborhood even more awesome! Check out the many ways to stay connect in the panel at right... HELP OUT! *** We also have one special request! Good communication is the lifeblood of this project, and we have not done a great job of it since our King of Communications had to step out. We are looking for someone who can help us post to Nextdoor and our blog, and send out emails as we have news to share! If this sounds like a gift you have, we need you! Email [email protected] if you'd be interested in helping with this! At long last, Hanscom Park is finally getting its new playground!
Construction should begin Wednesday, October 26, and should go on approximately 6-8 weeks. (If the warm weather holds and you’re in need of a play spot in the meantime, this might be a great chance to check out Harrison Heights playground!) Our volunteer team of neighbors has been hard at work on this for months, and the design was developed through a lot of input and revisions from neighbors – both adults and kiddos. We are excited to share it with you! Read on to see the final design and how your input was included... The Hanscom Park Renewal all-volunteer group will meet this Sunday, April 24th from 3pm to 5pm at the Park Ave. Commons (1340 Park Ave.) to celebrate recent HPR successes, to share updates from all HPR teams on what's happening/planned with the park, and to plan for the road ahead. YOU can join us to learn what HPR has been up to, and if you like, to find a team where you can share your talents and ideas with to help shape the future of Hanscom Park.
We have much to celebrate and prepare for. Our first-ever Park Clean-up on April 3rd, led by Kathy Dworak, was not only a ton of fun, but a huge success! And, Erin, Megan, Karen, and Rhiannon have an incredible upcoming kick-off event - Family Fitness & Fun in the Park - scheduled for May 7th! Plus, we’ll have our usual updates on each team’s progress. This is a great time to hear what the various teams are up to, learn how you can be involved, and connect with some pretty spectacular folks who are passionate about our historic park and neighborhoods. (For further information on Hanscom Park Renewal, visit http://hanscom.weebly.com/) Plus, there will be snacks! Please invite anyone else you think might be interested in joining us. We can touch-base as a group and, if your team likes, there will be time after for you to meet and discuss whatever you’d like. Looking forward to seeing you all!! Your Hanscom Park Renewal volunteer group is thrilled to announce that your SATURDAYS have just been SUPER-SIZED in Hanscom Park! Beginning Saturday, May 7th, every Saturday morning throughout the Spring and Summer will include Family Fitness & Fun in the Park! A variety of activities will take place each Saturday -- activities and games for the kiddos, activities for adults, and activities families can do together! See the flyer below for the SUPER-SIZED details of our May 7th kick-off event:
Sunday, April 3rd turned out to be a beautiful day, and for Hanscom Park Renewal, it was also an exciting, fun, and successful day! Neighborhood volunteers from Field Club, Ford Birthsite, and Hanscom Park gathered at the Hanscom Park gazebo for our inaugural Park Clean-Up Day. Having not done this before (in recent memory), we didn't know if anyone would show up -- but they did! Roughly 35 people joined together to begin tackling the trash that had accumulated over the winter months. By the end, over 50 bags of trash had been collected by this awesome and determined volunteer army! And, because of the enthusiasm displayed and success of this event, our newly formed HPR Park Maintenance and Clean-Up Team, led by Kathy Dworak, has decided to make this a recurring monthly event! Mark your calendars now for every first Sunday of the month! Volunteers will gather each month on the first Sunday, beginning at noon (but you can join the effort whenever your schedule permits) at the Hanscom Park gazebo where further instructions will be provided on where clean-up activities will take place for that day. The initial focus of the park clean-up efforts will remain on trash pick-up. However, as that issue fades, the focus will turn to other park "maintenance" issues such as raking excess pine needles, pulling weeds, mulching trees, etc. So, you may be asking yourself: "Why doesn't the Parks Department do all this for us?" The answer is simple. Budget. Or, lack thereof, to be more precise. The Omaha Parks Department manages over 200 parks in our city. There simply isn't enough money in the city's budget to provide non-stop trash pick-up and other needed park maintenance tasks. So, if we want to keep our neighborhoods' crown jewel looking pristine and inviting to all, we're all going to have to pitch in to make that happen. We hope you'll consider getting outdoors with us from time-to-time and joining us for a great park and social activity! For more information about upcoming park clean-up and/or maintenance tasks, or to get involved with the planning of these events, please contact Kathy Dworak. Here are some photos from our inaugural event: There's a new flurry (thankfully, not snow flurries!) of action with Hanscom Park Renewal -- and you can jump right in anywhere to help us bring the best outcome for Hanscom Park's upcoming makeover! Here's what's happening:
Tue March 29 - Fundraising Team Meeting, 5:30pm Location: at Corkscrew (3908 Farnam St.) Meeting purpose: To strategize upcoming grant opportunities and prioritize them by focus area and application deadlines. We welcome interested helpers! For more information, please contact Jody (402-312-3239). Wed March 30 - Communications and Neighbor Engagement Team Meeting, 11:00am Location: at Albelardo’s (3540 Center St.) Meeting purpose: To review status updates from all HPR teams to determine what information to post on the HPR website and/or to communicate out to our neighbors via our various communication tools, and to review those communication tools and our processes for using them to determine the best course to keep neighbors informed and HPR teams communicating We’ll also strategize our communication and publicity plan for the next few months. We welcome interested helpers! For more information, please contact Kim ([email protected]). Wed March 30 - Events Team Meeting, 7:00pm Location: at Megan Van Alstine’s home (contact us for address) Meeting Purpose: To finalize details for the April 3rd park clean-up event, and the May 7th Family Fitness in the Park kickoff event. Also, to outline plans for the next several Spring/Summer park events. I'm copying Rhiannon, but I believe the purpose of the next meeting is to finalize details for the May 7 family kickoff event and then outline the plan(s) for the next 1-2 spring/summer events. We welcome interested helpers! For more information, please contact Rhiannon ([email protected]). Sun April 3 – Hanscom Park (the *park*) Spring Clean-Up, noon-4:00pm Join us as we pick up the trash that has accumulated in the park over the winter. Meet us any time between noon and 3:00pm (i.e., join us when you can; depart whenever you need to) at the park gazebo (just south of the intersection of Woolworth and 32nd Ave.). There, you’ll get gloves, trash bags, trash pinchers, etc. More fun details coming later this week! Seeking volunteers to serve as additional event coordinators – if you can assist, please contact Kathy ([email protected]). Tue April 12 - Northeast Corner Team Meeting, 5:30pm Location: at Eddith Buis’ home (contact us for address) Meeting purpose: To further discuss the corner design and 30% green infrastructure set done by the City Parks and Public Works Departments, and to determine how we might be able to incorporate an amphitheater design into these pieces. We welcome interested helpers! For more information, please contact Nicole 402-968-3349 or [email protected]. Sun April 17 - New Team: History & Preservation Team Meeting, 11:00am Location: at Abelardo's (3544 Center St.) Meeting purpose: To discuss the streetcar display, historical signage using QR Codes, historic status, and funding sources. We welcome interested helpers! For more information, please contact Scott ([email protected]). Sat May 7 - Family Fitness in the Park [details coming!] Save-the-Date: Sunday, April 3rd, Park Spring Clean Up
Click on the image below to print our Save-The-Date flyer with preliminary details.
A couple highlights...
1. Hanscom Park Renewal Presentation (slides 3-10)
2. Pat's Park Design Presentation (slides 11-20)
Finally, attendees were asked to provide feedback to the city on this form and to vote on their preferred path system on this map. We encourage you to submit any feedback you have to Pat at [email protected] or leave a comment here and we'll make sure it gets to her! Hello friends, neighbors, and neighborfriends! Thanks for coming to the public meeting on October 13! Our park is already truly wonderful, but we hope it was exciting to consider how it might be an even more functional, beautiful, and thriving feature of our community. Now that you've seen some of the initial ideas, we have some work to do as neighbors! This will be a very quick, casual opportunity to meet some of the neighbors on the Hanscom Park Renewal crew, learn what the various teams are working on now, and see if there's a way to use your ideas, skills, interests, and connections to move things forward.
A couple highlights of the agenda for fall and winter that you could be a part of...
If you're just getting in the loop or you've been wondering how you can help, but concerned about limited time or skills, come chat with us... there are a million ways to be involved both small and large! If you're really excited (or really worried!) about any aspect of the renovation, come help shape what happens. To build the best plan possible and then turn it into reality, we need you! (Plus, there will be homemade chocolate chip cookies.) : ) Kim Howe Hanscom Park Renewal www.hanscom.weebly.com (402) 819-8177 Oh! Two more things: 1) If you have kiddos that you'd like to bring with you, please let us know so we can be prepared with some fun stuff for them too! 2) If you can't make it but would still like to find where you can best contribute, email or call me (Kim: (402) 819-8177) and we'll help you figure out how to plug in. |
There are lots of ways to stay connected...
Archives
May 2017
Chrome users will need to install the RSS extension to follow the blog.
|