Great Occasions

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Food brings people together. Food marks great occasions. History and literature are replete with stories of feasting as pivotal points of legend and story. Belshazzar’s feast, Nero’s banquets on Palatine Hill, freewheeling medeival feasts at the legendary Round Table, coronations and royal weddings. And hot dogs, of course, at the Southern Gables Neighborhood Night Out. Yes… 

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Neighborhood Night Out

Legendary. We’ll do that in August this year on the 23rd at Green Gables Elementary, on the campus out by the garden. But this past week, for the second year running, we’ve had another Southern Gables dining extravaganza that has brought neighbors together in a social event featuring fine dining. We had a taco bar at… 

The Southern Gables Neighborhood Association Annual Business Meeting

The annual meeting of the Association was held this past Tuesday at Green Gables Elementary School. Cooks from the big red taco truck, El Fogon Lagunero, at the corner of Wadsworth and Evans catered the event, bringing in food for a taco bar that was arranged for by Sustainable Southern Gables. The annual business meeting is a requirement of the Association bylaws, and it has become a social occasion as well as an opportunity to share information with our neighbors. Here is a summary, and the complete meeting notes will be posted soon to our public records folder. 

The first speaker was Mayor Wendi Strom. She mentioned her approach to getting used to the responsibilities of the new office, which involved a lot of working on policy. She made recommendations to us for getting involved with City government – Lakewood Together is a good avenue for staying connected and having input – and for taking advantage of some of Lakewood’s local events such as the upcoming concert series at the Heritage Center. 

Lakewood PD Agent Chris Alfano gave a presentation on the Community Action Team, which is a key part of Lakewood’s effort to address quality of life issues having to do with homelessness, mental health, domestic issues, and neighbor disputes. They work with licensed clinical social workers and try to address root causes. In response to questions he spoke about car thefts. He noted that for car models that are vulnerable – some Hondas and Kias – Lakewood will provide steering wheel locks and Air Tags at no cost. He also answered a question about the “squeegee guys” – the window washers at intersections. Panhandling is protected by a court decision. Officers cannot arrest them as long as they are not blocking traffic. They sometimes scatter when they see the police, but they always come back. 

Christy Cerrone and Robert Young presented information on the Sustainable Southern Gables program. Southern Gables has qualified as a “sustainable neighborhood” for 11 years. Volunteers in the neighborhood host events and activities to educate residents about various programs related to health, environmemtal protection, and conservation, such as gardiening, biking, tree care, and water management. Upcoming classes were noted, and shown on a blackboard (picture).

Neighborhood Association Business

Bruce McDonald gave a recap of the past year’s activities and what to expect for the summer. These were covered in the recent Spring Newsletter but were mentioned “in case you missed it.”

Community Garage Sale Weekend June 7-8.

To get your garage sale entered on a map that will be given to buyers, call, text or email Marci DeMott 303-319-3177, [email protected]

Block Parties

The Association will again sponsor block parties, $100 stipend for any good-sized party bringing people together. 

Neighborhood Night Out Friday August 23, 5 to 8 PM

Yes, hot dogs! And chips, lemonade, music, booths with games, a bouncy house, a free raffle, face-painting. Big attraction: visiting with neighbors, seeing old friends and making new ones. 

Treasury Report

Association Treasurer Bruce Loftis reported the Association’s starting cash position, income, expenses, and ending position for the year ended May 31 2024. His report will be posted in the online public records folder with the full meeting notes, and then the annual audit report will be posted shortly after. 

Election of Officers

Elections are for a one-year period according to the bylaws. No new nominations were received and the incumbents were re-elected: Bruce McDonald President, Lisa Huntington-Kinn VP, Liza Patty Secretary, Bruce Loftis Treasurer. Other Board members are appointed. They are: Marci DeMott, Carolyn Wolfrum, Erwin Bunzli, Sam Sotiros, Marnie Crowe, Joe Woelkers, Marcel Guajardo, Ken Fischer, and Doug Whitten. 

Tote Bags

The Southern Gables Tote Bags were packed up and delivered by the Scouts of our local Troop 537 this past weekend. I brought several extra bags to the meeting, but no one spoke up when I asked if anybody didn’t get one. Judging by that as a sample, the Scouts did a good job! I will stand by my offer, if you live in the Southern Gables neighborhood and didn’t get a Southern Gables Tote Bag, email us at [email protected] and I’ll bring it to you. 

      — Bruce McDonald

 

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