River Bend Neighborhood

The River Bend Neighborhood Association has announced its officers and board members for the year 2010:

Lee Barber, President
asaman53@aol.com

Mike Hildebrand, Vice President
hildebrand_m@msn.com

Laura Hansen, Secretary
hansen.laura.a@gmail.com

Brian Douglas, Treasurer
bjdouglas@me.com

Izaah Knox
izaahjbknox@gmail.com

Janelle Mueller
mueller_blonde1@yahoo.com

Roger Thompson
rthompsk@msn.com

Angela Thorne
urbantaekwondo@mchsi.com

Aaron Todd
aatodd@gmail.com

This information can also be found on this page: Board Members and Officers.

The Forest Avenue Library and book drop will be closed November 30 to December 13 due to replacement of the heating and cooling system.

The library will re-open Monday, December 14.

Items on hold will be available for pickup at the North Side Library. Please note that items checked out at Forest will have an extended due date.

Watch Des Moines Public Library’s website, www.dmpl.org, for further updates.

From the Des Moines Public Library:

Early Literacy Stations are now available at Forest Avenue Library. The special computers are set up specially to help kids and toddlers increase and improve their educational skills.

Each Early Literacy Station is a self-contained computer filled with programs specially designed for children ages 2-10, but are also available for older children wishing to improve on their literacy skills.

Each station features computer games that help kids learn as they play. Children are drawn into a variety of adventures with well-known mass media characters such as Sponge Bob Square Pants, Dr. Seuss, and Between the Lions.

The Early Literacy Station has been used at the Forest Avenue Library for over a year now and is funded by the David Kruidenier Funding. They have two stations available and are expecting two more within the next year.

The North Side Library also has two stations which were funded by the Gates Foundation. These two libraries are the only libraries in the Des Moines area that have the Early Literacy Stations. The North Side Library has a bilingual version and Forest Avenue Library will be getting a new bilingual version soon.

For more information about literacy stations stop by the Forest Avenue Library and the North Side Library.

From Michael Baldus, via River Bend neighbor Laura Hansen:

Wednesday, November 18, at 7 pm, the local radio program “The Fallon Forum,” discusses the proposed North-South Metro Parkway. This project was formerly known as the NW 26th St. Interchange/MLK Extension.

As currently laid out, the roadway plan proposes to extend Martin Luther King, Jr. [MLK] Parkway north from Euclid Avenue to the Interstate 80/35 interchange.

The prospective project would also involve major roadway changes to MLK from Euclid south to I-235 near downtown.

Baldus, who will be a guest on the Wednesday evening show, says:

“The north section [of the proposed North-South Metro Parkway] would be destructive environmentally to recreational areas, the south section destructive to neighborhoods and homes. The entire thing would be destructive to Des Moines tax base and quality of life…

I’m writing also to ask that you pass this on…. A broad and much-needed public discussion about this project is about to begin, and the [Wednesday radio show] is the place where it will start. Please call in during the show…, and encourage others to do so.”

The next River Bend Neighborhood Meeting will be this coming Monday, September 14 at 7:00 PM.

We will meet at the Salvation Army offices at 6th and Forest Avenues.  Please enter through the north door.

Monday, August 10
7:00 pm
Salvation Army on 6th Avenue
North Door
From Diana Rezac: “This is the time to hear about the positive steps are neighborhood is taking.”

River Bend Social
 
Thursday, July 30th
 
6:00 PM
 
Lucky Dragon
1452 2 Avenue
288-3936

City Councilman Tom Vlassis, who is running for re-election, will be in attendance. 

Please RSVP to Diana Rezac d k r e z a c [atSign] m s n [dot] c o m

River Bend residents are invited to join their neighbors for the annual National Night Out. This year’s gathering will be Tuesday, August 4, at Moulton Elementary school, 1541 Eighth Street, 6 – 8 p.m.

National Night Out is an event, started 26 years ago, to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness at the neighborhood and community level. The movement also strives to generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

The River Bend Neighborhood event at Moulton School will feature food, music, clowns, and games. Pictured above: Carolyn Jenison, left,  and Mayor Frank Cownie, at the 2007 National Night Out.

Contact Laura Hansen at 707-8125 for more information.

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.