Usually when October comes around, I pay special attention to those things in my life that I am thankful for. This October is no exception although I have to say, based on the emails I’ve received, I’m taking a bit of a different view.
Fences. The first things I’m thankful for are those residents who take special care to maintain their fences. If you take a drive along Sarcee Trail, for example, you see residents who have carefully painted and those who haven’t. I suspect that one of the reasons some residents haven’t is they don’t realize that the part of the fence that faces the street is on their property and as a result, its care, and maintenance is the property owner’s responsibility. The overall look of the neighbourhood is downgraded by those unpainted fences, not to mention, the value of the property is less because maintenance hasn’t been undertaken. If you were buying a home in Edgemont, which would you want? The one with the pristine fence or the one that needs work. Cloverdale Paints in Silver Springs offers a significant discount to Edgemont residents and that location can also advise on the recommended colours for Edgemont fences.
Playgrounds. Note that playgrounds are the responsibility of the City of Calgary. If you find playgrounds in disrepair, call 3-1-1. A picture is helpful to support your concern. If you are not getting results, you can escalate your concerns to our City Councillor, Sean Chu. ECA can advocate for repairs, but we cannot undertake that work ourselves.
Graffiti. ECA has had to deal with those people who think that defacing community property somehow gets a message across to those who view it. The message to most of us is who has the time and energy to create such a mess. Why not put those resources into something that would benefit our sub-division? Graffiti has been spotted at the community centre on more than one occasion and at the disc golf course. We are fortunate to have Rick who is our “superhero” when it comes to graffiti removal. We strive to keep our community looking its best and Rick has several tricks to get that job done, not the least of which is a simple paint can and paintbrush. If you see a person creating graffiti, please call the police.
Community builders. Most of you know that ECA relies on grants and donations to offer its programs. One of the programs that has come under some stress is the food security program. Unfortunately, we lost our sponsor, so this leaves a big hole in our revenue stream. The accumulated funds go to purchasing Good Food Boxes for distribution to those who need them. We are looking for a new sponsor, corporate, individual or a combination, that can provide $800 a month to purchase food for those Edgemont residents experiencing food insecurity. Yes… we have residents who need a hand up, so children aren’t going to school with empty tummies and babies have wholesome nutrition that promotes healthy bodies and minds. If you can help, please contact Barb at [email protected] and she will get the process rolling. Purchasing a few boxes each month does a lot of good. If you are an individual or business who can step up to the whole amount, that would be amazing.
Community assets. ECA is beginning a community asset mapping initiative that will extend over the next several months. You can get involved as a volunteer on an organizing committee, help identify neighbourhood strengths, build an interactive map, and participate in an upcoming community Jane’s Walk in October in Edgemont. Stay tuned for details as we get to know our neighbourhoods, and each other better, and work together to make our communities even stronger. Want to learn more? Contact Joey Nowak ([email protected]).
Volunteers. We continue to look for volunteers for our Casino Nights (October 31 and November 1). Contact Tina at [email protected] if you can offer some time.
Until next month, enjoy the colours of fall and Happy Thanksgiving.
Pamela Wilson
President
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