june 2011 oevca newsletter
TRANSCRIPT
Keeping it
Green: New Trees
for Boyle.
OEVCA Block Party: P1Boyle Activity Council Update: P1New Trees for Boyle: P2 Presidents Corner: P2Carson Book Review: P4Front Lot Parking: P5
Boulevard Gardening Tips: P6Top 3 Risks to your House: P6What’s on in Old East: P7-8 Yard Sale: P8 Green Day: P9Entertainment in Old East: P10
Old
Eas
t Vill
age
New
sYo
ur A
dver
tisem
ent He
re....
Co
ntac
t oe
vca[
at]
gmai
l.com
for
prici
ng!
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [2]
OEVCA NEWSJune 2011
OEV BLOCK PARTYDate: July 16 2011Time: 2 pm – 7pmLocation: On the Street -- Lorne Avenue --- Between English and Ontario
Plans for the OEV Block Party are well underway and a committee of neighbourhood volunteers has been working hard to get this party started! We have received a tremendous amount of support (especially from the residents of Lorne Ave -- thanks again!) but we are always looking for more input. The main purpose of this event is to encourage residents of the neighbourhood to get to know each other and have fun while doing it. As
we all know, a friendlier neighbourhood is a safer neighbourhood. There are planned children’s events including: the Library Road Show, Engine 81 (fire engine), face painting, crafts for a variety of ages, bubbles and an
obstacle course. There is the possibility of a dunk tank,
jumping castle, and free cotton candy. Neighbourhood arts and culture will be displayed throughout
the event, including visual art displays and live
musical entertainment from village musicians. We are also planning to have a street hockey tournament running throughout the day and will possibly have a display of classic cars from the neighbourhood. The food arrangements are still in motion, but
Cont pg. 4
B.A.C. UPDATERecipe for a successful Soccer Season
Ingredients:
• 170 enthusiastic children ages 3-11 looking for some fun and exercise
• 20+ Volunteer Coaches• 14!Community sponsors (LIHC 2,
Subway 2, North Pole Trim & Supply 2, OEVCA, McHardy Vacuum, Attica Manufacturing, Precision Auto, Kellogg's,!Forest!City Model & Pattern, State Farm Insurance, & Dillon!Consulting.)
• Support from the LIHC-Flyer distribution, obtaining community sponsors, covering a variety of expenses, major contributions to the BBQ
• Support from the city of!London-Creating flyers, supplying medals for the children, helping with the BBQ, providing the facility
Sign up via
facebook! http://tiny.cc/
3umsn
Cont pg 5
New Trees at Boyle!The Old East Village Community Association secured two trees that were planted in Boyle Park, with ReForest London, and the cooperation of the City of London: Area Services & Parks Planning.
The planting took place on June 4th, with help from the 45th (East London) Scouts Troop. A big thanks also to Gabriele Sanio, Oisin O Neill, Tracy Drenth, Leane Bonello, and all the other volunteers!
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [3]
Presidents Cornerby Greg ThompsonPresident, OEVCA
Spring is finally here!!
For me, it’s “front
porch time” after a
very long winter.
The Association has
committed to planting
225 trees in our
neighbourhood over the next few years.!
This is the number, it has been
estimated, that will be required to restore
us to our historical tree coverage ratio.!
It’s a challenge, but we have made a
good start.! With funding from the
Urban League of London, we have
already planted large-caliper trees and
shrubs at Carson Library, installed a
well-treed reading circle at Lorne Avenue
P.S., and planted our tree nursery with
71 smaller-caliper Carolinian trees that
we intend to grow on and make available
to residents here in the Spring of 2012.!
Scheduled, but not as yet completed, are
tree plantings at the Boyle Community
Centre and Queen’s Park.
Plans are ongoing for our Block Party in
July, where we will have a chance to
gather together for a neighbourhood
social.! Our appreciation goes out to the
hard-working volunteers who are
making this happen.
Our famous garden crawls have been
scheduled for the summer and fall, and
work is ongoing on the street art
component of our Walk to Shop
program, with funding from the City of
London’s Strengthening Neighbourhood
initiative.! Old East was one of just three
neighbourhoods in the city selected for
this funding.
We continue to monitor goings-on at
City Hall that may have an effect,
positive or negative, on our lives in Old
East.! Thanks go out to all of the people
who help to make this possible year after
year.
FOR AN EVEN BETTER OLD EAST !We support the work of the Old East Village Community Association, making our neighbourhood an even better place to live. Please enroll our household as a member for the year 2011. Our membership fee of $10 is enclosed.
Name ............................................................. E-mail address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .
Address ..........................................................London ON ................. Telephone (optional ) 519- .................................
� I am/we are willing to take on volunteer tasks
Mail to OEVCA, 817 Lorne Ave., London N5W 3K9
Boyle Grand Opening
Soonby Lewis Seale
The contents of a 30-year-old time capsule are to be revealed at the grand opening of the “new” Boyle Memorial Community Centre this summer.
Dating from the building’s transformation in 1981 from its first incarnation as an elementary school, the capsule was found in a wall during Boyle’s $1.2-million redevelopment in 2010-11.
At press time, the date of the grand opening was still uncertain. It depends on when dignitaries from all three levels of government, which financed the redevelopment with infrastructure dollars, can be got together.
As soon as it’s firmed up, the date will be posted on the electronic sign on the Charlotte Street side of the community centre.
Boyle has been back in operation since April with programming by the Boyle Activity Council; the London InterCommunity Health Centre’s after-school SHAC program; Beaver, Cubs and Scouts; the seniors’ card group; and City recreation programs. The Girl Guides will be back at Boyle in September.
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [4]
we expect to do an informal barbecue made up of donated hotdogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers/dogs. What we need from you:
Food/BBQ volunteers. This job will require the organization of getting barbecues to Lorne Ave on the day of the party and working with Mike Courey to secure the barbecuing items. Some funding is available for this section of the block party. Please email [email protected] if you are interested.
Pop, Juice, and chip donations for the day of the party. Email [email protected] to make a donation commitment of what you will bring for the day. Donation receipts available for cash donations.
Children’s event donations. We need any donations of craft supplies, bubble solution, colouring books, and sidewalk chalk. As well we need day of volunteers to help run children’s activities. If you have any donations or would like to volunteer with the children’s events please email Catherine Tansley at [email protected]
Children’s entertainers and coordinator. We are looking for musicians, story tellers, or any other form of child oriented performances (magic shows, clowns etc.). If interested email [email protected].
Musicians – We are looking for neighbourhood musicians
who are willing to show off their talents.
We are looking for a wide variety in music styles. Let us know if you are interested in performing. Sets will range from 30 to 45 minutes.
Booths are available - Neighbourhood visual artists, residential businesses, or artisans of any kind, are welcome to apply to have a booth set up at the block party. The purpose of these booths is to raise awareness of the variety of talents and services present in our community. Email [email protected] with the details of what you would like to set up.
‘Day-of ’ Volunteers – from security to clean up, whether for a few hours or all day, we need more volunteers to help run the event on the day of the party. Please email [email protected] and let us know how long and from what time between 12:30 and 8pm you can volunteer on the day of the event.
Hockey team sign up – If you have a street hockey team that you would like to sign up or just want to get on a team yourself please contact us. The street hockey event is contingent upon how many people show interest. To sign up email [email protected]. We look forward to working with all of you and hope that we can pull off a great community
party on July 16th. If there are any questions or concerns please contact Mike Courey at 519-851-2677 or [email protected]
BLOCK PARTY! (from pg 1)The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hillreviewed by Paul Seale
Perhaps not as light as typical summer reading, The Book of Negroes (at Carson, F Hil) is a page-turner that could help pass many hours at the beach
or few rainy days. The story is told by Aminata Diallo, taken
from West Africa as an eleven-year-old girl and sold into slavery. In her story, Hill achieves a striking balance between engrossing fiction and instructive history.
By fortunate circumstance, Aminata learns to read and write and, though her enslavement denies her any authority, she repeatedly achieves a certain power over her owners and becomes a powerful witness to the lives of slaves and slavers alike. The actual “Book of Negroes” that lends its name to the novel is the ledger listing the names of the Black Loyalists who earned their freedom and passage to what is now Canada by siding with the British during the American Revolution. In an acknowledged liberty with history, Hill has Aminata enlisted to help record the names of other slaves in the “Book of Negroes,” allowing her to note that hers is not the only extraordinary tale.Nonetheless, Hill takes Aminata through a remarkable series of historical settings including the American plantation, the American Revolution, the black settlement of Eastern Canada, and the back-to-Africa movement that sees her return to Africa in a failed attempt to find her home. Her power as witness takes her eventually to England where she testifies at the request of abolition politicians. It is in England, in later life, that Aminata writes her story, a tale of trying to enjoy a life as wife, mother, and neighbour, sadly and repeatedly disrupted by the cruelty of people or events.
Like much historical fiction, The Book of Negroes is a fat book, with many pages between its covers, but Hill has done all the heavy lifting. The historical detail – no doubt representing untold hours of research – never steals the spotlight from Aminata’s story, and the book is a page-turner from front to back." The Book of Negroes was a recent selection of the Carson Community Book Club. The club meets the last Thursday of every month at 7pm at the Carson Branch Library, and is now on summer hiatus. To join in time for the fall, email [email protected].
On
the Shelves
at Carson
Library
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [5]
B.A.C. Update (from pg 1)Front Lot Parking in Old East:
Finding a solution to our tight spaces.by Guido MulderEditor, OEVCA Newsletter
Many of the lot layouts for Old East were designed in an era when cars did not exist, and parking for more than one vehicle considered to be an unnecessary luxury. Because of insufficient space between properties, shared lots or short one car parking areas are more the
norm than the exception.
Some of the residents have been resorting to using space on their lawn to either temporarily or permanently accommodate space. Some of us, including this author, make winter parking spaces on their lawn once the ground freezes to accommodate holiday guests, and do so on a yearly basis without ever being ticketed.
But lawn parking is a ticket-able offense in London - there is no current provision to
accommodate this type of use of our properties. In a recent crack down, a number of parking tickets were issued along Lorne Ave to cars parked in front yards and boulevards.
The Old East Village Community Association has recently been informed that the City of London is interested in consulting with the neighbourhood to find a way to resolve this longstanding issue. We believe that the neighbourhood has a vital interest in having the situation resolved in a manner that recognizes the unique parking challenges faced by many residents
while balancing the need to protect the unique character of heritage streetscapes. This is a matter of protecting the value of our homes.
There was some groundwork laid for a solution to the issue in 2006, and that may be a starting point in finding a way to “regularize” parking that are sympathetic to the character and also to the legitimate needs of its residents.
• Hours of time from the Executive-Planning the season, covering 3 registrations, answering dozens!and dozens of emails, organizing 14 teams over 3 nights!for around 170 children, organizing a BBQ,!coaches meeting, picture nights and all kinds of one offs.
• Parents-Being supportive and encouraging to their children. Being thankful and appreciative to the volunteers who put in their time to make this happen. Being patient when problems arise as they realize that those who run the league are extremely busy and doing the best they can.
• Weather-As good as we can hope for over a 10 week period.
• BBQ- A great way to celebrate a successful season, loads of fun for families, with no shortage of entertainment all free of charge.
!The Boyle Activity Council is thrilled with how the 2011 Soccer season is shaping up. We have had more children register than ever before, more community sponsors, more volunteers than ever and although the weather hasn't been the best for the start of the season, we're hopeful that it will improve as we move along.
We want to invite everyone to come to our Public Meeting that will be held on Wednesday, June 15th at 8 PM at the Boyle Community Centre. This is when we discuss what we have done over the last year, gather ideas for future programs and events and elect our new executive from any of our volunteers in good standing.
We also want to remind people that our BBQ will be held on Saturday, June 25th at Boyle, the times have yet to be determined, but we are hoping for our best event ever and we could use some volunteer help, if you can give up 30 minutes of your time, please email us at [email protected]!Thank youJason AhrensVice-ChairBoyle Activity Council
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [6]
Ma Top 3 Risks to your House: A Landlord/Tenant Perspective
" by Linda Wayne
Our main risks are everyday things that can turn into major catastrophes. Because these things are all around us, we tend to pay less attention than if the hazard was an approaching tornado. I have listed the top three risks to your house, from both a Landlord and
Tenant perspective, along with suggestions for risk reduction.
Water is the biggest culprit in this list. Discolouration in the corner of a ceiling can turn into a sudden collapse and basement seepage can
destroy all stored goods. And behind every soggy wall is another dire health risk,
black mold. What to do if you see misbehaving water? Tell the Landlord in writing and expect Landlords to outline their solution. Many water problems don’t have an instant fix, so don’t run to the City unless the Landlord fails to respond. And Landlords, you might tend a tight budget but replacing a leaking toilet tank is cheaper than rebuilding a bathroom floor.
Our second risk is fire, which ignites more easily than people think. This is why there are hefty fines and criminal charges if bodily harm occurs and the Fire Department finds disarmed fire alarms. Landlords, spell out these penalties and put alarm maintenance in your lease. Add a proviso banning the multiple extension cord connections that frequently cause fires. Better yet, an electrician can instal an outlet in under an hour which can offset a Tenant’s need to spawn an electrical octopus. Cigarette damages are in this category, spanning the range from toxic smoke circulating through the ducts to fires.
Risk three is neglect. This seems like a Landlord issue but they may not know that a hand rail is falling off if
they aren’t informed. Neglect is a downward spiral where one failure can spark a series of others until
an apartment is dilapidated. As with the other two risks, the main solution is simply caring.
Contact Information:Linda Wayne
785 Dundas St., London519-266-7584
Boulevard Gardening: Tips and Tricks
by Rhonda Perishilli
London Middlesex Master
" Gardener
Want to add some pizzazz to your boulevard? It’s true that a
boulevard garden can create a nice welcome feeling in your neighbourhood, but it takes some planning in advance. First of all you need check with your municipality to ensure you are aware of any related bylaws. Next, in order to get the most of your boulevard garden, you need study the location so you can choose plants that will thrive. Does your boulevard get lots of sun? Is it shaded by trees? Is the soil sandy, or clay?
Boulevards can be harsh locations for a garden, and require lots of thought as to what plants will grow well there. Take into consideration boulevards are subject to pedestrians, exhaust from the traffic, road salt and snow piles from winter ploughing, so require some hardy plants. And as with any garden, before planting anything, amend the soil by adding some compost.
The soil should be about an inch below the sidewalk surface in order to prevent it from spilling out onto the sidewalk or driveway. Mulching or planting a ground cover will help prevent
weeds and soil erosion as well as preserve moisture. Maybe consider using river rock as mulch.
Getting a full season of bloom is one consideration. A great way to achieve this is to avoid planting solid blocks of seasonal plants, but instead arrange them in thin ribbons that weave and blend through the garden.
Spring bulbs, like tulips and daffodils will provide some spring colour. Popular picks for a sunny boulevard could include dwarf spirea, sedium, daylilies for colour, or ornamental and native grasses to add texture all summer long. You will want to avoid any tall, bushy plants that may impede a driver’s view, so choose plants that will grow to be less than a meter tall.
If planting under trees, woodland plants or shade tolerant ground covers are a good bet. Ajuga or hostas are popular and easy to grow plants for shade. When planting under trees, take care not to cut or disturb the tree roots. There are lots of plants available for sale these days, so take some time to see what is available in local nurseries, pick out some that suit your taste and ask questions about their tolerance and care.
Student Volunteers Wanted! Contact
[email protected] if you are interested in helping out with
watering the new garden at Carson.
Mak
e
a Tr
ee R
eque
st:
Con
tact
City
of
Lond
on
Fore
stry
Insp
ecto
r, R
ick P
ostm
a,
rpos
tma@
lond
on.ca
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [7]
Community Events:
Boyle Mini Soccer Year End and Community
BBQ. Saturday, June 25. BAC (details pending)
OEVCA Community Yard Sale: July 16th,
8am-2pm. See P8.
Side-Walk Sale: July 16th. Dundas Merchants
Association. Contact: Michelle De Veau,
519-679-0310
Block Party: July 16th. See details P1.
Family/All AgesVentriloquism with Sue! July 7, 2:30 -3:30 pm.
Sue’s show is lively, upbeat, and full of humour.. CL.
Children - London Hydro Electrical Safety
Awarenes Program. July 28, 2:30 - 3:30 pm. Learn
awareness of the hazards of electricity. CL.
Toddlers/Pre-schoolers Ballet Babies, Saturdays: June 11-Aug 06. 1:00 -
1:30pm. An introductory ballet program for
preschoolers emphasizing fun while learning. Course
224574. BAC.
Family Storytime. July 6- Aug 10, 10:30-11:15
am. Free drop in with stories, songs, playtime. Children
under age 3 must be accompanied by an adult. CL.
The Three Sisters. July 12, 2:30 - 3:30 pm.
Learn about the origins of ‘three sisters’ Iroquois
gardening. CL.
Children - Fire Safety with Sparky the Fire
Dog Robot (3-7 years with caregiver) Aug 12, 10:00-
11:00 am. CL.
School AgePocket Sized Farms- Children’s Day Camp
Program. July 4 to August 26. (Children aged 7-10) LS.
Georgia O’Keefe Art Workshop (6-10 years),
August 19th, 10:00 - 11:00 am. Stories, games, creation
of artwork in the style of Georgia O’Keefe. CL
Kiragami: The Art of Folding and Cutting
Paper (8-12 years), August 26th, 10:00 - 11:00 am.
Discover beauty of Kiragami. CL Hip Hop: 13-17
Years. An hour of fun and fitness, set against the beats
of urban hip hop. June 11- August 06. 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Course 224586. Spectrum
BAC: Boyle Activity Council, www.boylecouncil.caCL: Carson Library, 465 Quebec, 519-438-4287EVC: East Village Coffeehouse, 785 Dundas, 519-438-7878. Twitter @evcoffeehouse. Newcomers welcome at all events.LIHC: London InterCommunity Health Centre, 659 Dundas, 519-660-0874.LS: LifeSpin, 866 Dundas at Ontario, www.lifespin.orgOES: Old East Studios, 755 Dundas, 519-434-5499, www.oldeaststudios.caSpectrum: City of London recreational programs, at Boyle except as indicated. Prices quoted are for London residents. Register at 519-661-5575, or at www.london.ca (click Spectrum Link)
WHAT’S ON IN OLD EAST: EVENTS AND DATES
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [8]
Adults Open Art - “bring your own art (any medium)
to work on” 6-8 pm Thursdays. 519-204-8543
OES
Coffee Tasting, check
www.fireroastedcoffee.com for any
upcoming dates at London Farmers Market
(confederation building)
Garden Crawl: June 12th Contact
Heather Phillips: [email protected]
Garden Crawl: Aug. 27th Contact Heather
Phillips: [email protected]
LearningHigh Five Principles of Healthy Child
Development. For people who provide services to
children. June 15 - 16. 6:00 - 9:30 pm
Course 222901. Spectrum
Union Gas Presentation. June
21, 1:00 pm. Presentation will discuss
energy conservation around the home.
Snacks and refreshments provided. LS.
Pain Management Workshop.
June 28th, 2:00 pm. Presentation by the
Arthritis society will cover pain
management strategies. LS.
For Music MakersRuby Tuesdays. 8-10 pm. Ruby
Tuesdays is a participatory musical
group. Pay-what-you-can. OES
Southern Ontario Ukulele
Players. Mondays, 7:30-10pm. All
levels and newcomers welcome. Pay-
what-you-can. OES.
Belong to Song. Thursdays, 5:00 -
8:00 pm. Open to participants with a
lived experience of mental illness. OES
WHAT’S ON IN OLD EAST: EVENTS AND DATES SIGN UP FOR JULY 16 YARD SALE
!! Announcing the Old!East!Village!community yard sale,
to be held Saturday, July 16 from!8am-2pm.!!All
participants will get the benefit of media advertising and
neighbourhood signage, we encourage participants to
register their sales with the community
association for more perks.!!Any household that
takes advantage of the free registration will
receive a yard sale support package and will be
included on a sale-day map for bargain hunters.!
If we reach our goal of 100 households, this will be
a really big draw for the whole city. !In the meantime, yard
sale day has already become one of the neighbourhood's
most social days, and we hope everyone will either hold a
sale or visit the sales around them."
To register your sale, email [email protected].
SALE
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [9]
Green Day a big hit!Old East residents were out in numbers for Green day,
May 7th. Compost was picked up in the bucket, barrel,
bag, and trunk-load. Also a big hit was the plant
exchange where bargain hunters could pick up a
little something for their boulevard or backyard.
On the same day, Carson Library received a
beautiful makeover with help from many
volunteers. Two new trees were planted, a tulip
tree, and a northern hackberry. Other new entrants were
red bud, service berry, and red twig dogwood. The design
was done by Gabriele Sanio. As part of the planting, the
gardens were given a clean up, with many plants
split and relocated. The volunteers made short
work of all the digging, weeding, mulching and
watering that was required. A hearty thank you
to the seventeen volunteers that made this garden
rejuvenation a reality!
New
Trees for our
Library!
OEVCA Newsletter June 2011 [10]
*OLD EAST ENTERTAINMENT!*Theatre
June 10-18th, The Solid Gold Cadillac, a Broadway classic that
takes “a cheeky look at Main Street versus Wall Street”, PT
June 16, Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long, 7:00 pm, AH
June 24,25th, Ceilidh for Haiti, a fundraising Ceilidh (kaylee) for
LifePaths Global Alliance to raise money for their work in Haiti.
MusicJune 11, Melanie Doane,, LCMT
June 11, An Evening for Ecuador, 6:30 pm, AH
June 16, A Night of drums with Brian McHugh &Friends.6:30 pm AH
June 18, John Denver & Patsy Cline Tribute, LCMT
June 19, Harry Chapin Tribute Concert, 6:30 pm, AH
July 2, American Songbook Classics, LCMT
July 9, Petter Appleyard & Group, LCMT
July 9, Barefoot for Orphans: Love is the Answer, 6:00 pm, AH
July 15, An Evening with the Stars (A Tribute), 6:00 pm, AH
July 16, The Pointer Sisters and Gladys Knight Tribute, LCMT
July 23, Memories of the Summer of Love, LCMT
August 6, Donna Summer & Motown Music with Martha Reeves
Tribute, LCMT
August 13, An Evening with Greg Godovitz, 6:30 pm, AH
OtherJune 7, Love's Labour's Lost, (Film) LCMT
June 8, Le Nozze di Figaro., (Film), LCMT
June 13, La Boheme, (Film), LCMT" "
June 14, Last Night of the Proms, (Film), LCMT
June 15, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Film), LCMT
June 20, La Traviata, (Film), LCMT
June 21, Twin Spirits, (Film), LCMT
June 22, Aida, (Film), LCMT
June 27, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, (Film), LCMT
June 28, Falstaff, (Film), LCMT
June 29th, Othello, (Film), LCMT
AH: Aeolian Hall, 795 Dundas, www.aeolianhall.ca, 519-672-7950. Times are doors open times. Tickets for most events available at Grooves and the Village Idiot as well as online and at the box office.LCMT: London City Music Theatre, Western Fair, www.londoncitymusictheatre.com, 519-432-0888: Film Times at 1:00 PM, Show Times at 8:00 PMPT: Palace Theatre, 712 Dundas,