The July River Bend Neighborhood membership meeting is being moved up one week to Monday, July 6, in order to hold a City Council candidate forum.
The meeting will be at the Salvation Army offices, Sixth and Forest Avenues, 7 pm.
Attending will be our councilman Tom Vlassis and his opponent Halley Griess. Please attend and bring your questions and concerns to discuss with the candidates.
From Aaron Todd, Brian Douglas, & Laura Graham, River Bend Neighborhood residents who are working with local government officials on the Sixth Avenue revitalization project:
Thank you all for a great visit with Main Street Iowa on [June 16]! We had a great turnout. And we need to keep up the momentum!
Our next meeting will be a visioning session to detail how we wish for the Corridor to look in 5, 10, and 20 years. This will be different than last summer’s visioning session regarding the streetscape project - this session will be more comprehensive and consider more than just physical improvements. Every action we take in the coming years will be measured against the vision we set. It’s very important that we have a good turnout so that everyone’s voice is heard. We need you to share your vision for 6th Avenue!
The visioning meeting will be in July. We’ll send out an email update by the end of next week with the exact date, time, and location.
Regarding the streetscape proposal: the City is finalizing a streetscape process, which should be adopted by the Council within a few weeks. Once this passes, the City Manager’s Office and Council will consider our request. Our proposal has already been approved by the Community Development and Economic Development Departments.
Thanks - and let us know if you have any questions!
We will be sure to pass along details of upcoming meetings as information becomes available.
Rendezvous on the River, a free summer concert series, will begin this Friday, June 19, at the Kiwanis Riverview Nature Island. Formerly the site of the longtime popular Riverview Amusement Park, the park will feature live music weekly through July 3.
Bands are Brother Trucker on Friday, 35 South on June 19, The Blue Band on June 26 and SPAM on July 3. No food, coolers or outside beverages are allowed. Pets on a leash are welcome.
WHERE: Kiwanis Riverview Nature Island, 6th and Corning.
WHEN: Festivities will run 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Fridays through July 3.
FIREWORKS: Kiwanis Riverview Nature Island is looking for sponsors for a fireworks display to be held July 3 in conjunction with the event. Contact Ed Linebach at 229 - 4456.
MEMENTOS: Riverview historical calendars, featuring old photos and postcards of the amusement park, cost $10 and are available at Hiland Park Hardware, 3613 Sixth Ave.
River Bend Neighborhood Social
Wednesday, June 17th
Le’s Chinese Bar-B-Que
1600 2nd Avenue
515 244-6111
serving chicken, pork and duck.
6:00PM sharp! (They stop serving at 7:00PM).
Bring your own chair, as they have limited seating.
RSVP to d k r e z a c [at] m s n [dot] c o m by today, Monday, June 15.
From River Bend neighbor Mike Hildebrand:
“I wanted to give you all a heads up and an opportunity to participate in what I think will prove to be a very positive event for our neighborhood. The event committee has taken a very successful event from the neighborhoods past (The Cop Feed) and developed it into what we are calling our “River Bend Neighborhood Association Public Official 24-Hour Appreciation Breakfasts & Dinner” on July 10th beginning at noon and going through until noon on July 11th in the Salvation Army parking lot at the corner of 6th Avenue and Forest Avenue.
“We would like to show our appreciation to the different departments that continue to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood through their diligence of enforcing the law and regulations, protecting us and our neighbors, and partnering with us on neighborhood improvements such as rezoning and the 6th Avenue Revitalization Project.”
Invitations have gone out to Mayor Frank Cownie and members of the Des Moines City Council, along with employees from the Des Moines Police Department, the local Fire Station #4, appointed members of the Des Moines Planning and Zoning Board, officials from the city’s Office of Community Development, Office of Economic Development, our neighborhood’s City Inspector, Bob Reynolds, and Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly.
Event organizers need help with staffing the event and providing some food supplies. Please contact Mike Hildebrand [ Hildebrand [dot] Mike [at] principal [dot] com ] if you might be available to help out with the event.
Volunteers are needed to set up the event, July 10, between 10 am and noon, as well as for staffing the event in two-hour shifts between noon July 10, and noon July 11. Help is also needed for cleaning up afterward.
Help is also needed to make big batches of picnic-style side dishes: baked beans (total of 20 servings), potato salad (total of 40 servings) and pasta salad (total of 40 servings.
As you have all heard, the 6th Avenue Corridor has been named an Urban Neighborhood Main Street by the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
Join your fellow business owners, River Bend and Cheatom Park neighbors, and city and elected leaders to learn what this means for:
-business organization & assistance
-historic preservation
-branding and marketing
-aesthetic improvements
-and more!
When: Tuesday, June 16, 8am-9:30am
Location: Holiday Inn - Top of the Tower - 1050 6th Avenue
BREAKFAST INCLUDED!
The 6th Avenue Corridor through River Bend and Cheatom Park has been designated an Urban Neighborhood Main Street District by the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Businesses, nonprofits, and residents in the River Bend Neighborhood will work with the state over the next two years to organize a business association, connect property owners to historic preservation resources, brand and market the corridor and its businesses, and push the streetscape project forward.
The first major meeting regarding the program will occur on June 16. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the program and how neighbors and business owners can get involved to ensure that the Corridor continues to improve and local businesses prosper.
More information about the “Urban Main Street District” designation, and the Sixth Avenue Corridor in particular, are found in this Business Record article.
The City of Des Moines’ greenhouse, which grows most of the flowering plants which beautify public spaces around the city, has put out the call for volunteers to help prepare and organize the flowers for distribution.
Individuals and groups who can work May 13 or 14, from 8:00 - 11:00 am or 1:00 - 3:00 pm, are invited to the greenhouse, which is housed in the Chesterfield Community Center, at 2501 SE Maury on the city’s southeast side.
Each year the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, with the help of many volunteers, grows and distributes over 350,000 annuals for city parks, streetscapes, schools and throughout downtown. Volunteers need to be able to bend, lift and carry flats & flowers to prepare them for pick-up by community organizations, schools & non-profits who will arrive this weekend to pick them up. These groups then use community volunteers to beautify our public spaces.
For more information, please call the Parks and Recreation Department — Julie at (515)248-6384 or Callie at (515)248-6380.
River Bend Regular Monthly Meeting:
Monday, May 11, 7:00 PM
Salvation Army at 6th Avenue and Forest Avenue
Enter via north door (facing Forest Avenue).
The speakers are Jordan Homer from the Des Moines Human Rights Commission, who will discuss volunteering for the fair housing project. Shallee Keenan from the Des Moines Neighborhood Resource office will talk about the services they offer.
The River Bend Neighborhood meets the second Monday of each month.
Rowers and crew fans from all over the country will converge on the River Bend Neighborhood this weekend for the Head of the Des Moines Regatta, hosted by the Des Moines Rowing Club. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the regatta, slated for Saturday, September 27. The event runs all day, from 8:30 am - 5 pm.
Races on the Des Moines River run between Prospect Park (entrance on north side of Hickman Road, around 1100 block), and and the Botanical Center downtown. A map of the course is here. More than fifty races will be rowed throughout the day.
Admission is free for all spectators, and there will be children’s activities in addition to the races. Live music will be provided by local favorite, Mr. Babers’ Neighbors.
The Des Moines Rowing Club (DMRC) was founded in 1983 and hosted its first regatta that year. It now consists of around 200 members and draws participants from throughout central Iowa. The club boasts several River Bend residents among its membership, including Julia Martinusen and novice rower Jacob Lewin.
