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Spring has sprung and we hope that this Spotter finds you healthy and raring to go because there are three very important nice weather Plot events that you will be happy to know more about.
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This event is planned for Saturday, May 12, and Tina Versaci is, again, point person. It is open to all members in good standing (meaning you have paid your 2007 your dues - $25 made out to RPA and mailed to Joanne Howard, 1299 Stratford Rd.). Tina is accepting checks for $10 (again, “RPA”) from participating neighbors. They can be mailed to her or dropped off at 8 Douglas Road. We will then get a group permit and take care of advertising. Participants will be provided with signs to put in front of their homes, as in the past. It will run from 9:00-3:00. The rain date will be Sunday, the 13th, same times.
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We have a wonderful line-up of TEN (!!) locations for our tour this year, which will be held on Saturday, May 19, from 10 am to 4 pm. There will be three houses-only, two houses-with-gardens, three other wonderful gardens, the Unitarian Society’s award-winning building (plus grounds), and a plant sale at Geri Kenney’s!! This is our major (well, actually, at this point, ONLY) fundraising event in the Plot so we are anxious that it be well-attended. Tickets are $20, in advance, and $25 “at the door”. From our experience, we know that the greatest number of ticket sales need to be “pre-event” so here’s the challenge:
- Wells Nursery has agreed to provide the committee with gift certificates, at a discount, to be awarded to anyone who will buy a block of ten tickets ($200.), which can then be resold to friends, relatives and colleagues. For each block of ten that you buy, you will receive a $50 gift certificate at Wells Nursery so you can have a ball spiffing up your yard (or whatever!). We feel that we Plotters are our own best advertisers and promoters so buy your block of ten (or 20 or 30!!) and earn landscaping credit. Call Sally Quinn for tickets or contact her at president@realtyplot.org.
- Don’t forget that this is also a wonderful time for non-openers to “puff out” their houses and yards, as we should have over 400 people walking through our neighborhood that day. There will be advertising through Livable Cities, as well as our own promotion, so be on the lookout for a lot of action. As a lifelong (almost) area resident, I am surprised how many fewer people seem to know of the Plot than when I was young. Let’s fix that. We know how amazed people are when they discover it, so let’s make a really (positive!) memorable impression.
Put May 19th on your calendar and buy lots of tickets!!!
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Angela and Frank Calabria have graciously offered their home for our annual Spring Social, to be held on Sunday, May 20 from 3-6 pm (making that weekend a fully Plot weekend!!). They live at 1327 Wendell Avenue, right next to the Steinmetz site. As usual, the association provides the beverages, paper and plastic, and each person/couple attending is asked to bring a goodie to share. It is always a wonderful time so mark it on your calendar to come and see your old friends and meet new ones.
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Gary McCarthy, Council Member, has asked for feedback on the notion of live broadcasting of city council committee meetings on Channel 16. He suggests that that is where most of the work of the council is done and that most people do not have the time to attend meetings but would like to stay informed on projects or legislation being discussed by the mayor and council. He has proposed trial live broadcasts of 8 meetings during May, June, July and August, followed by feedback from viewers. Any comments or suggestions about this proposal should be directed to the city clerk, so they will have additional input when considering the project. Also, any resident may address this topic at the privilege of the floor during any city council meeting.
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Retree Schenectady, which used to supply a list of trees and bushes, from which residents could select items they would like to buy, at deep discount, to plant in city locations, is now operating a little differently. They work with whole neighborhoods, select the trees and identify where they will be planted. You may remember that Joe Slomka headed up this initiative in our own neighborhood a couple of years ago. I spoke with Betsy Henry, who heads up the program, about shrubs we could plant and she said that they don’t have any this year but might be able to order them next year if we decided that we, as a neighborhood, wanted to purchase several of the same “signature shrub”. I think this is a really neat idea but would like feedback. Lilacs would be instantly recognizable, but viburnums and dogwoods are also possibilities. Let any board member know if you’d like to pursue this idea.
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