Accomplishments

2008

The Parks Area Neighborhoods – TPAN
A  historic meeting between Union Park, Highland Park, Oak Park and the Kiwanis took place on June 21st at Chucks to discuss strategy for meeting with city and county staff and officials and discuss how to join together to help the people who suffered in the flooding.  The following goals were identified.  1.  Immediate Relief and rebuilding for the flooded residents and businesses 2.  Permanent repair/rebuilding of the levee 3.  Focusing on improvements (not just repairs) in the whole Parks area.

On June 25th the Parks Area Neighbors met with city and county officials and staffs at the North Side Library to hear reports on how  the they were responding to the flood and recovery efforts. Met with city and county staff and officials again on Thursday July 10 at 6:30 at the North Side Library.  It was basically an update from the same staff and officials as the June meeting.  Final meeting was Thursday, August 14th at North Side Library at 6:30 pm.

1. Organized volunteers to sandbag in Union Park on 06/12 & 06/13
    
2. In response to a request from volunteer coordinators, brought medical supplies and gloves to Union Park to distribute to sandbag volunteers
    
   
3. Helped organize a volunteer day in conjunction with Des Moines neighbors and State Senator Jack Hatch to clean up yards of neighbors in Birdland on July 12th.
    
4. Coordinated with the Lions Club to distribute $50 vouchers for food, medical supplies and cleaning supplies to neighbors in Birdland on 07/01
    
5. Benefit concert in Union Park on July 20th.  Our Jazz-in-the-Park event, featuring the Roxi Copeland Trio, became a flood relief concert for the flood victims and as a thank you to all the people who volunteered during the response.  Free will donations were taken.  About 160 concert goers enjoyed the free food.  A special thank-you to: HyVee and Fareway for donating hamburgers, hotdogs, buns, chips and cookies; Anderson Erickson for the lemonade; Highland Park Neighborhood for providing hot buttered sweet corn; and to the person who came and set up a cotton candy machine!  A mental health specialist from Broadlawns was on hand to help people with their critical stress and Mid-American was there to provide information on billing, assistance in buying new appliances and other special programs.  Many county and city officials were in attendance at the concert: Frank Cownie, Angela Conley,  Mahaffey, Broadlawns, Mid American, Skip Moore, Grimes Sweet corn, Oak and Highland and Kiwanis.  About $1500 was raised for Flood Relief.
    
6. Coordinated with Kiwanis, Highland Park, Oak Park, West Des Moines United Methodist Church and other groups, including Union Park Health Care and individuals to raise $42,000 to distribute to 44 households in Birdland.  Checks were distributed starting 12/22.  There was an article in the Des Moines Register. 
    
7. Posted info on website and sent out mass e-mails with useful flood info so we could help keep our neighbors informed.  Our website had more visitors in June than ever before.
    
8. Talked with neighbors to see what they needed most then went out and secured donations of beds, tables, chairs, etc. to replace items lost in the flood.
    
9. Secured a donation of 400 pounds of chemical sanitizer and distributed it to neighbors in Birdland to help with clean up.
    
10. Organized meetings with government & neighbors to give a forum for neighbors to be updated as well as voice their concerns
     
11. Continue to work with the city to push for reconstruction of the levee to bring an acceptable level of protection to our neighborhood.
     
12. Working w/ Parks & Rec. now to develop a conceptual master plan for redevelopment of recreation areas along Birdland Drive
     
13. Secured the commitment of the city to work with us to determine the best method of redeveloping residential housing in Birdland after the levee is reconstructed
     
14. Coordinated with other groups to help facilitate them making donations directly to individual families in Birdland
     
15. In response to resident's concerns about the newly installed central delivery point box, worked with Des Moines Postmaster to secure a commitment that door-to-door delivery would resume at an appropriate time and the central boxes will not become permanent
     
16. We were instrumental in the planting of the memorial tree for Bill Ritchie.  We worked with the Union Park United Methodist Church, with Trees Forever who provided a premium tree and with the City Forestry Department staff who select an appropriate location and plant the tree.  Bill and Nellie Ritchie were founding officers of UPNA and were responsible for the planting of over 500 trees in the Union Park Neighborhood.  Nellie passed away in 2005 and in 2006, a tree was planted in her honor in Union Park.  In 2007, Bill Ritchie also passed away and in the spring of 2008, a tree was planted near Nellie’s tree and dedicated to his memory in a ceremony that included about 50 of Bill and Nellie’s friends, family and neighbors as well as city officials.
     
17. 2008 LAWN OF THE WEEK.  Since 1992, the UPNA Steering Committee has sponsored the Lawn of the Week Award to honor outstanding front yards that exhibit good landscape design and consistent quality of yard maintenance.  These people work to keep our neighborhood looking beautiful and inspire their neighbors.  Each winner was honored at the UPNA Fall General meeting and received an award certificate and a $10 gift coupon to Goodes Greenhouse.
    05/18   Pauline Sydness                      411 E Sheridan               
    05/25   Clark Betts                              603 E. Sheridan
    06/01   Carolyn & Dan Rogers             1710 E. Ninth
    06/09   Shawn & Anne Johnson           1901 E. Ninth
    06/15   Lyle Spilman & Randa Wieck   1534 Wilson
    06/29   Tony Maro Auto Body Shop      2321 Second Ave.
    07/06   Chuck & Jean Clark                 1515 Guthrie
    07/26   Walt & Bonnie Bennett             1629 Milton
    08/06   Dennis & Christine                     2607 Sampson
    08/17   Joe & Betty Graziano               225 E. Sheridan
    08/24   Merlie Crowley                         2300 E. 12th
    09/04   John & Coleen Brommel           2614 Columbia
    10/02   Dale & Alberta Danks               1700 Arthur
     
18. Our Home Tour was June 21st and was open to the public for the first time and featuring four homes and two gardens.  Much behind the scene work starts a year in advance to talk to people willing to open their homes to the public and publicize this event.  We worked with Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association, which has much experience with home tours, and they offered their advice and sent information out to their mailing lists.  We worked with the NFC (Neighborhood Finance Corporation) who offered financial assistance to do printing and publicity.  This event demonstrates to people outside the Union Park area the advantages of living in an established neighborhood and an opportunity to view a range of fine homes.  The Des Moines Register covered our Home Tour and wrote an article which appears the next day. Despite the ongoing flooding event and competing attractions, over $500 was netted. Profits from the Home Tour were donated to Flood Relief. 
     
19. 2008 Calendars - over 100 high quality calendars, featuring reproductions of old postcards depicting Union Park from by-gone days were printed and sold during the year as a fund raiser.  Some were provided to public officials, guest speakers and as publicity to highlight our efforts.  As a cooperative endeavor with neighboring groups, the 2009 calendars feature scenes from River View Park.
     
20. Third Annual Neighborhood-wide Garage Sale was held May 17th this year, a month earlier than in the past.  It was a success and continues to grow each year exponentially.
     
21. Newsletters - We distributed 2 newsletters and one flyer to UPNA members and city and county officials.  The newsletters tell our activities story to a broad audience and are also posted on our website.
     
22. Movies in the Park - A new event this year was the Movies in the Park, sponsored by the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department.  Each Saturday evening in September, movies were shown in Union Park.  We were thrilled to have our park chosen as the location and hope to have the movies back next year.
     
23. Spring General Meeting (May 20th) featured Guest Speaker Jerri Scott, who is a Money Management Credit and Home Ownership counselor.  Her topic was “Home Ownership in Tough Financial Times - Avoid Being a Foreclosure Statistic”. 
     
24. Fall General Meeting (October 28th) featured two guest speakers.  Bill Stowe, with Des Moines Public Works Department discussed rebuilding the levees that failed this summer, the construction on East 14th near Grand View College, snow removal, and the new blue toter recycling program.  Scott Bach, from Grandview College, was on hand to discuss the exciting changes that are taking place at the College including the new building, the new football team and the proposal to change to a University. 
     
25. Rollin' Relics show in Union Park.  Each year this group comes back to Union Park to compete and show their antique cars and vehicles.  This year UPNA provided $55 to sponsor a trophy.
     
26. National Night Out Event at McHenry Park with Oak/Highland Parks.  About 20 attended, including Bob Mahaffey, Angela Scott Dreyer and Ed Linebach.