Free Neighborhood Concert
Sunday, 9/12, 3:30pm – 6:00pm
2011 Drake Neighborhood Activities Cards Coming Soon!
Be on the lookout for your 2011 Neighborhood Activities Card! Drake University will be mailing these cards (see sample of the mailing here) to all households in the Drake neighborhood in the next couple of weeks. With one of these cards, you can enjoy FREE admission to select Drake athletic events, fine arts performances and exhibitions.
The card contains most of the details on how to use it (e.g., when to present it at the ticket office, etc.). But as is also explained on the card, it is only valid for select events and the availability of tickets for an event is not guaranteed. So, it’s a good idea to call the appropriate ticket office (listed on the card) ahead of time to ask if the activities card can be used for a particular event. To find the most current listing of events at Drake University, go to: www.drake.edu/calendar.
To learn about special promotions or receive updates on events directly from Drake, please contact them at: community.relations@drake.edu.
Neighborhood Weatherization Day
The cooler temperatures remind us that winter is only a few months away. And, Iowans for Oxfam and Iowa Interfaith Power and Light would like to help people prepare for winter by weatherizing 10-20 homes in the Drake neighborhood on Sunday, October 10th (see flyer).
If you would like to help with weatherizing homes, or would like to register your own home for the weatherization project, please contact Stephen Lauer at iowa.actioncorps@gmail.com or 515-343-0553
Annual National Night Out Cookout
The DNA's annual National Night Out Cookout was held on August 3rd in Drake Park. More than 100 people came out to enjoy the food and to spend the evening visiting with their neighbors, as well as with several City staff and elected officials who attended. Thanks to the many neighbors who helped to make this annual event a big success.
And, thanks to Drake University for allowing us to use their (BIG) gas barbecue to cook the hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs served at the event.
Neighborhood Resident Leadership Program
Do you want to be involved in community/neighborhood organizations, but are hesitant because you are not confident in your leadership skills? If so, consider taking classes in the Neighborhood Resident Leadership Program. These short-term, affordable classes were developed through a partnership between Des Moines Area Community College, Des Moines Neighborhood Resources Office and Making Connections Des Moines.
The Core Leadership Classes will help you develop key skills such as handling conflicts, motivating others and communicating effectively. Elective Classes focus on a specific question or issue with which your organization may be grappling: such as creating a plan of action, navigating county government and managing landlord & tenant issues.
Classes start in September and run through the end of November. Classes cost $65 per session. However, Drake neighborhood residents may be eligible for scholarships. To register or check your eligibility for a scholarship, call the Des Moines Neighborhood Resource Office at 280-1807 (Mon. – Fri., 8:00AM – 5:00PM). To apply for a scholarship you must call at least 2-weeks before the class starts. Non-scholarship participants can register through DMACC at 964-6800.
To learn more about the other services are provided by the Neighborhood Resource Office, visit their website at: www.dmneighborhoodresources.org/
The Drake Neighborhood Farmers’ Market is open every Wednesday, 4 – 7 p.m., through September 29 in the parking lot of First Christian Church, 25th and University in Des Moines . Shoppers can park free across the street from the Market.
More than 20 vendors will have Iowa-grown produce, baked goods, snacks, meals, sandwiches, and crafts. Some vendors have wireless equipment that accepts bank debit cards, VISA, Discover, and MasterCard credit cards, and Electronic Benefit Transfer cards. Eight vendors welcome Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition checks and IFMNP/WIC checks/vouchers.
Entertainment is provided weekly, as well as educational/informative guests. The Market has a health tent, where free blood pressure checks and blood sugar tests are available every week.
The Market is a non-profit, community project sponsored by First Christian Church, the Drake Neighborhood Association, and Drake University . For more information call Ginny Gieseke, 515-277-6951 or visit www.drakefarmersmarket.com.
Reporting Unmowed Properties to the Polk County Weed Commissioner
The frequent spring rains have made it difficult for many to keep up with the mowing of their lawns. But, there are some lots and lawns that have been completely ignored by their owners. If there are unmowed properties on your street where the grass and weeds are at least 12” tall, you can submit a complaint to the Polk County Weed Commissioner. Complaints can be submitted either by phone (515-286-3005) or through the Polk County web complaint form.
When a complaint is received, the Weed Commissioner’s office will inspect the property and mail a notice to the owner. If the owner does not correct the problem, the lot will be mowed by public works crews. Because of the rainy spring, the crews are running several weeks behind. So, it may take as much as a month for crews to get to your complaint. However, the more neighbors that complain about a specific property, the sooner it will likely be mowed.
To look up the address for a vacant lot or other property, you can use the Polk County Assessor’s property search database at: http://www.assess.co.polk.ia.us/index.html.
Drake Announces Ray Society Scholarship Program
The Ray Society is a nonprofit educational organization associated with Drake University designed to provide university level noncredit educational opportunities for its members. It also offers members community and social events that bring people together to add to the social fabric of the group.
The Ray Society Instructor Recognition Scholarship Program has been developed to provide a scholarship to persons of retirement age, who might not otherwise belong to the Ray Society, the opportunity to attend one Ray Society class during the fall or spring semester. No person would be eligible for more than one scholarship. The scholarships would be offered to members of neighborhood groups in the Drake Neighborhood. For more information, contact Dolph Pulliam at dolph.pulliam@drake.edu or 271-3084.
Grace Free Medical Clinic
Grace United Methodist Church and freeClinics of Iowa are providing a Free Medical Clinic every Tuesday from 5:30-7:30PM at 3700 Cottage Grove Avenue. Among other things, the Clinic can provide school physicals for summer camps and referral services as needed. And, starting in August, they will also be operating a Mobile Clinic.
They are also in need of interpreters and drivers with a chauffeur's license who can drive the Mobile Clinic from DMU to Grace Church on Tuesday evenings. If you would like to get involved with the Grace Free Clinic Ministry, please contact Tammy Andrews at andrewstam@mchsi.com.
Be a Neighborhood Sleuth
As part of the upcoming Drake Neighborhood historic survey, the neighborhood association will be creating an online library of photographs, documents, and stories from years gone by. People with a current or past Drake Neighborhood connection are encouraged to dig through their attics and sort through their sock drawers for clues to our shared history.
Among the items that will be helpful to the historic survey are:
* Old photos showing homes and streets
* Old photos of people, families, and children
* Historic documents like marriage certificates, diplomas, and birth announcements
* Original drawings of Drake homes
* Old maps (streetcar maps, neighborhood maps)
* Newspaper articles about neighborhood residents or events
If you have historic Drake Neighborhood items that could be scanned or documented for use in the historic survey, please contact Jennifer James at jenjames123@gmail.com or Steve Wilke-Shapiro at swilkeshapiro@gmail.com.
Drake University Head Start/Early Head Start Program
Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs which serve children from birth to age five and their families. The programs are child-focused and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.
The Drake University Head Start Program offers a variety of program options to address each family's needs. These programs are free* and include:
- Preschool classrooms for 3 and 4 year olds
- Full-day/Full-year preschool classrooms with childcare
- Home based preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds
- Toddler center-based program for 2-year olds
- Home visiting program for infants and toddlers
All services available through the Drake University Head Start program are also provided to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Bi-lingual services are also available to all families. The staff also works with families to identify transportation resources.
For more information, call 515-271-1854 or visit www.drakeheadstart.org.
*(Children from birth to age 5 who meet federal poverty guidelines may be eligible for Head Start services. Drake University Head Start has established priorities for enrolling children based upon child and family circumstances, community needs and available funds. Drake University Head Start may accept children whose family income exceeds federal poverty guidelines.)
Drake Neighborhood Association Logo Contest Winner Announced
The winner of the Drake Neighborhood Association’s logo contest is Andrew Maahs of Des Moines. The logo contest, which was open to the public from October 2009 – February 2010, attracted 19 entries. The winning design, seen above, was chosen by a committee of neighborhood residents and local marketing and design professionals. Maahs received $750 for his winning entry.
Maahs, a Des Moines native and a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, has more than eight years of professional experience as a graphic designer. He currently works at Trilix and has also started a screen printing business focused on music posters and apparel, called BASEMINT. Previous to Trilix, Maahs worked as a graphic designer for Drake University Marketing and Communications department and VIVAMEDIA as an art director.
“We were thrilled by the quality of the entries and the thought that went into the designs. We think Andrew did an outstanding job capturing the history and diversity of the neighborhood with his logo,” says Trisha Eslick-Davis, the DNA board member who chaired the selection committee.
The logo contest was created to solicit high quality logo designs to help with the neighborhood association’s branding and awareness efforts. The first use of the logo is 13 welcome signs that were installed at neighborhood entry points in April.
Drake Neighborhood Beautification Committee 2010 Schedule
The DNA Beautification Committee has a number of projects scheduled for this year. The entire schedule is listed here. If you would like to help out with any of these projects, please contact Kevin Venhaus at 277-1833 or kcvenhaus@mchsi.com.
Successful Workshop: "Discover the History of Your Home"
The Drake Neighborhood Association sponsored a free workshop on Saturday, February 13th on how to research the history of your home. Approximately 70 people showed up at First Christian Church for this presentation provided by local historian Jennifer Irsfeld James and Des Moines Rehabbers Club founder Steve Wilke-Shapiro. If you missed this workshop, you can download the 2-handouts that were provided here. You can also download the complete PowerPoint presentation for the workshop here .
Thank you to our friends at First Christian for providing space for this event and to Mars Cafe for supplying free coffee.
New Drake Neighborhood Historical Resources Survey
The Drake Neighborhood Association (DNA) has won two grants that will underwrite a historical and architectural resources survey, a powerful economic development tool.
Together with the State Historic Preservation Office and City of Des Moines Community Development staff, DNA members have charted the $41,000 historical and architectural survey of the entire Drake Neighborhood funded through a combination of grants and volunteer labor.
The project will begin in March, allowing the City and Drake Neighborhood to hire a certified consultant to survey and document the history and architecture of the neighborhood using information culled by volunteers. The survey will identify potential historic districts and properties, which will give property owners the opportunity to tap into generous state and federal historic tax credits.
“Sleuthing the past is something of a treasure hunt,” says James, who has gleaned tidbits of history from city directories, old maps, yearbooks, and even things found in the walls. Discoveries can include old photographs of house and former owners, clues to architectural changes, and even celebrity connections.”
GET INVOLVED:
* To volunteer for the historical survey, please contact Steve Wilke-Shapiro, swilkeshapiro@gmail.com, (515) 710-3484.
Neighborhood Revitalization Planning Subcommittee Updates
The “Parks, Open Spaces & Trails”, “Infrastructure/Streetscape”, "Housing" and “Neighborhood Identity & Partnership with Drake” planning subcommittees have finished meeting and submitted draft goals and recommendations to the DNA Board. The “Crime & Safety” and “Commercial Areas” subcommittees will continue to meet for several months. If you are interested in participating in any of the active planning subcommittees, please contact us at info@drakeneighborhood.org
Two New Ways to Stay In Touch With the DNA
Would you like to have the latest information on things that are happening in the Drake Neighborhood? Then be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter!
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Recent Site Updates
| 08/3 | Events: National Night Out Cookout |
| 07/21 | Events: Jazz In July |
| 06/5 &06/6 | Events: Historic House Tour |
| 04/16 | Events: Quarterly Meeting |
| 04/15 | Events: Perennial Flower Sale |
| 2/5 | Events: Drake Sustainability Fair |
| 1/23 | Events: Free Workshop |
| 11/22 | Events: Annual Meeting & Potluck |
| 09/20 | Events: Des Moines Marathon |
| 09/19 | Events: Dogtown Fest |
| 09/05 | Events: Drake Neighborhood Concert | 08/01 | Events: National Night Out |
| 07/30 | Newsletter: July / August |
| 07/17 | Events: Quarterly Meeting |
| 07/12 | Events: Jazz in July |
| 06/09 | Newsletter: May / June |
| 05/15 | Home: Home Tour |
| 05/15 | Events: Farmers Market |