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WBNA 2012 ANNUAL MEETING

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Created on Wednesday, 04 January 2012 17:20
Written by Kari Nel Lang

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Urban Grocery Celebrates Full Store Hours, Unveils Mural

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Created on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 16:30
Written by Kari Nel Lang
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fertile Underground Grocery, 1577 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02909
Contact: Dauna Noble at 401.480.6782 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Community grocery celebrates launch of full store hours, unveils mural 
Large scale agricultural mural honors start-up backers, kicks off soft opening

Providence, Rhode Island – January 3, 2012 – Fertile Underground Grocery will host a “Soft-Boiled Opening Celebration” this Friday, January 6th, to mark its 2012 expansion of hours and inventory, and to commemorate the completion of a large scale agricultural mural gracing the store’s light-filled interior on Providence’s west side.
The vibrant mural, designed by lead artist and Fertile Underground co-founder Dauna Jean Noble, depicts a vision of agriculture flourishing around Providence, and represents the values of Fertile Underground and urban locavores who uphold a world where greenlife overcomes concrete. The sprawling painting also playfully pays tribute to the Kickstarter backers who helped raise seed funds last spring to support the store’s opening.
“This mural is not just a decoration to our store, but a community generated statement about living in better accord with nature,” said Noble. “Fertile Underground and the people of the west side can hold a vision for a better way to feed ourselves, and be proactive about creating a lifestyle by which we can all live more sustainably.”
Having reached phase one of its inventory plan, this Community Supported Grocery launches its “Soft-Boiled Opening” on Friday to show off a wide variety of local staples, produce, household goods and treats, all chosen with a conscience and with a sustainable lifestyle as the bottom line. Also featured will be breakfast, lunch and dinner specials in the Fertile Café and produce specials in the Grocery.
This event rings in the store’s new hours of operation for 2012. Fertile Underground Grocery and Café are now open 7 days a week: 8am to 7pm Monday through Saturday, and 8am to 3pm on Sunday.
Fertile Underground is a worker-cooperative that functions as a traditional grocery, and is focused on the distribution of real food, produced without the use of chemicals and excess packaging. It was conceived by a group of artists conversing about ways to directly address issues of food access in urban communities, personal health in modern life, connection to nature and creative processes.
Watch for a future announcement of the store’s Grand Opening Celebration, slated for February, when key features will be in place such as the capability to accept SNAP benefits and more local herbs and bulk items on the shelves.
Fertile Underground Grocery’s “Soft-Boiled Opening Celebration” takes place all day on Friday, January 6, but enjoys a special honoring of the mural between 4pm and 7pm. Fertile Underground Grocery is located at 1577 Westminster Street, Providence. MEDIA WELCOME – event features GREAT VISUALS.
Fertile Underground Grocery is dedicated to making fresh, local and organic produce available to the West End community year round. Our goal is to be a full service, small-scale grocery serving the needs of the neighborhood. We are focused on providing foods that are healthy, grown in cooperation with the Earth, and realistic in regards to perpetual food systems, fair food access and affordability.
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WBNA Enews 12.17.2011 --West Side Caroling TOMORROW

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Created on Saturday, 17 December 2011 20:26
Written by Kari Nel Lang

WBNA Enews 12.17.2011

 The WBNA would like to wish everyone

“A Happy & Safe Holiday Season”

 4th Annual West Side Caroling – Sunday December 18th 5pm:  Spread warmth and merriment during one of the coldest times of the year. Join us as we joyfully carol through historic streets surrounded by beautiful Victorian architecture in Providence's Armory District. Annually, the Sunday before Christmas!

Meet up at Loie Fuller's restaurant from 5-6 p.m. before heading out at 6 p.m. to bring holiday cheer to the neighborhood through festive holiday songs. They have planned stops with neighbors along the way for warm drinks and bathroom breaks, before ending at 8 p.m. for milk & cookies at Leadership Rhode Island headquarters -- one block from Loie Fuller's, the original starting point. 

Playground News - Great News, a new toddler gate will be installed at the toddler area of the playground on Tuesday December 20th.  Funds for this gate were donated to the WBNA by employees of Citizens Bank.  The gate was designed by youth participating in an afterschool program of Downcity Design.  The Steel Yard fabricated and will be installing the gate.  Thanks to all of these groups and individuals who worked towards this unique addition to our park.

P.S.   The Parks Department has also installed swings at the playground for the older kids to enjoy for as long as the weather permits. Thanks Parks Department!

 Westminster Street Improvement Program News – Drive by Westminster and Barton Streets and notice the new traffic signal that is replacing pressure treated poles that have stood there for over a decade!  The WBNA secured funding for these signals from then Senator Frank Caprio and it became part of the Westminster Street Improvement program scope of work. 

 Grove Street School – Sad news for our neighborhood! The tear down will take place on Monday December 19th. The WBNA’s worked hard with the Providence Preservation Society, lawyer Deming Sherman and the City to save this building from the wrecking ball. Even after a second round of illegal demolition in August, the building remains structurally sound.  Yet after several appeals by the WBNA and PPS,  the City issued the final blow to this once majestic building.

 

 Poirier’s Diner -  rolled down Westminster Street on Tuesday December 13th in grand fashion to its new home located at 1380 Westminster Street. Check out this video of the move from the Providence Journal http://bcove.me/euqj90qy.  Read more about this historic diner here http://www.pbn.com/Historic-diner-to-reopen-on-West-Side,63213

Annual Meeting –  Mark your calendar January 10, 2012 at the Providence Hmong Church, 46 Dexter Street. Renew your 2012 Membership at the membership table at the “Meet & Mingle Reception” so you can cast your vote for the 2012 board members. There will also be a special slide show presentation on the history of Dexter Training Ground by Sarah Zurier of the RIHPHC plus awards and a slide show of our wins and losses in 2012.  Come out and join us!

 Apply by January 15 for Spring 2012 Street Trees from PNPP- Providence lost 616 street trees (trees planted along public sidewalks) during two extreme weather events in 2011.  In June, an extremely strong wind storm struck down or damaged 206 street trees in southern Providence neighborhoods.  Hurricane Irene took down an additional 410 street trees in late August. 

 To address this major loss of tree canopy, Providence Neighborhood Planting Program (PNPP) is adding an extra planting day to its regular spring street tree planting.  The program is hoping to assist in the planting of 280 street trees over the course of four Saturdays in spring 2012. 

To receive street trees through the Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Award, neighborhoods should have: at least five properties that each need at least one tree (minimum request is 5 trees) within an area of one city block, permission from each property owner to plant each tree requested, a promise from each property owner or tenant to help plant their tree on planting day, water weekly and weed regularly.  Applications are due by January 15 for spring 2012 street tree plantings and are available at www.pnpp.org or contact us directly at 401-368-5380 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 PNPP considers Elmwood, Federal Hill, Lower and Upper South Providence, Olneyville, Reservoir, Smith Hill, Valley, Washington Park and West End neighborhoods high priority planting areas and encourages applications from these neighborhoods especially.  However, all Providence neighborhoods are eligible for this award.

 Trees 2020 (Trees2020.org) offers low cost trees for private property planting. When PNPP applicants order a minimum of 5 trees for private property through Trees 2020, PNPP will deliver all the trees together, saving homeowners the normal delivery fee of Trees 2020 trees and helping the neighborhood to plant as many trees as possible.

Community Play Space - Planning Underway

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Created on Friday, 16 December 2011 09:37
Written by Kari Nel Lang

Community Play Space – Planning Underway

A group of parents and caregivers on the west side is working to create an indoor play space in our neighborhood for families to enjoy during the cold months ahead. We are currently looking at spaces with no/low overhead and discussing a possible co-op model.
To learn more and join this conversation, please join the West Side Parents google group at http://groups.google.com/group/WestSideParents.
To help us with planning for the community play space, we'd like to gather a little more information from anyone who is potentially interested in using the space. Please also forward this email to anyone you know who may be interested.
* Number of kids in your family, and ages of kids
* What times would you like to use the space (estimates ok)? Weekends/weekdays? What time of day on weekends/weekdays?
Thanks for getting this info to us as soon as possible. We are trying to gauge scope and interest right now to inform us as we move forward, and to keep the ball rolling so that we can start making it happen in January!
Thanks for your help.
Jessica

Community Play Space - Planning Underway

  • Print
Details
Created on Friday, 16 December 2011 09:37
Written by Kari Nel Lang

Community Play Space – Planning Underway

A group of parents and caregivers on the west side is working to create an indoor play space in our neighborhood for families to enjoy during the cold months ahead. We are currently looking at spaces with no/low overhead and discussing a possible co-op model.
To learn more and join this conversation, please join the West Side Parents google group at http://groups.google.com/group/WestSideParents.
To help us with planning for the community play space, we'd like to gather a little more information from anyone who is potentially interested in using the space. Please also forward this email to anyone you know who may be interested.
* Number of kids in your family, and ages of kids
* What times would you like to use the space (estimates ok)? Weekends/weekdays? What time of day on weekends/weekdays?
Thanks for getting this info to us as soon as possible. We are trying to gauge scope and interest right now to inform us as we move forward, and to keep the ball rolling so that we can start making it happen in January!
Thanks for your help.
Jessica

More Articles...

  1. Fertile Underground Grocery news
  2. Public Meeting on Luongo Square, TOMORROW at 7pm at the WBNA
  3. WBNA Enews 11.29.2011
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Join the WBNA!

The WBNA organizes neighbors and businesses on the West Side of Providence to preserve and promote our diverse, historic, urban community as a safe, vibrant, and sustainable place to live, work, and play.

WBNA Business Hours
Mon – Thurs: 8:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Closed Friday, Saturday, Sunday
(P): 401.831.9344
(F): 401.831.0388

E-mail: wbna@wbna.org