The Near Westside Neighborhood Association had a busy winter. Our Holiday Home Tour was a great success, many thanks to all of the generous homeowners who opened their doors to us, and to all the volunteers who spent their afternoons greeting our guests. It is so inspiring to see the beautiful homes of the area from the inside as well as the outside, and very exciting to see some of the works-in-progress. We hope to see you all again next year!
The Near Westside Neighborhood Association's One House at a Time project on West Henry Street is finally complete. We hosted an open house on April 17th that was well attended. We are receiving applications for the purchase of the home and are very encouraged for its eminent sale.
Our fundraiser in conjunction with the Elmira Jackals finished up in March, after a long and fun-filled season. Again, we relied on the generous time and energy of our tireless volunteers to man the concession stand for every game, and their efforts had fantastic results for our organization! Thank you to all of the Jackal's fans who made an effort to patronize our booth at every event.
This winter the Near Westside Neighborhood Association was able to obtain a sizeable grant to restore 355 Davis Street, adjacent to our office building. This project will be ongoing throughout 2013 so stay tuned for more information as our vision unfolds.
On the subject of "vision", our members with horticultural vision are invited to join us as we continue to cultivate our Victorian Row Park on the 300 block of Church Street. Thanks in no small part to the boundless dedication of board member Shane Searfos, VRP has come so far. From an empty lot at the site of a burned-down home, the beginnings of a beautiful garden have begun to spring. Fruit trees and berry bushes have been planted, spring-time upkeep has begun in earnest, and the warmer weather will offer ample opportunities to get our hands dirty creating a blooming oasis on our city streets. Gardening enthusiasts, feel free to join us! And bring your green thumb!
Across the street from Victorian Row Park our most exciting project, in conjunction with Historic Elmira, is the restoration of the Richardson-Kennedy House (formerly known as "The Ritz"). A gem of a building, the Richardson-Kennedy house has endured a storied history, one interwoven with the lives of some of Elmira's greatest citizens. In its final years as a residence, the home had been converted into several apartments and suffered a near devastating fire, resulting in its closure. Both the Near Westside Neighborhood Association and Historic Elmira aim to restore this handsome structure to it's former glory. Walter Sedovic Architects, an architectural firm based in Irvington, NY dedicated to historical preservation, visited the site on May 7th to conduct a building survey. As we knew they would be, the architects were smitten with the home and were positively effusive about the "eye-popping building" that is certain to be a "highlight of the community" --a "jewel that will surprise even those of you with great vision" once the restoration is complete, according to Mr. Sedovic. We were encouraged to have met with a group who understands both the value of historic preservation, as well as the crucial need to look to the future in our efforts. We look forward to reading his formal conclusions and recommendations in the coming months and sharing them with the community once we know more. In the meantime, our organization has planned a community clean-up of the Richardson-Kennedy property for Saturday May 18th. We plan to clean and brighten up the lawn parking area around the home, as well as clean up any debris left over from the removal of 160 feet of the deteriorated, non-historic additions of either side of the building. Community support means everything when working on something this big, so please consider joining us as we kick-off this amazing project!
Lastly, our biggest outdoor event of the year, River Fest, will be held at the Grove Street boat launch on June 8th, starting at noon. This is our ninth year hosting River Fest, and the attendance and participation increases every year! We are excited to be able to offer this community event once again, featuring live music, great food as well as a “beer garden”, vendors, activities, exhibits, the Cornell Raptor Program, a bounce house, on-water demonstrations with Route 96 Power & Paddle, water safety and beginner kayak rides with Friends of the Chemung River Watershed & Ahwaga Canoe & Kayak Club, as well as a self-guided paddle from the Grove Street launch to Rorick's Glen and back. Bring your canoe or kayak and enjoy the scenery! There will even be an opportunity for students and interested members of the community to identify specimens and conduct chemical and biological tests which will be used to create a water study for the Chemung River. With their teacher’s permission, students may receive lab credit for their participation. The program is open to all ages. Younger students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All participants must sign and agree to follow directions provided by NYSDEC License #51. For more information, call Rich Hurley at 607-368-6292 or e-mail rhurley@richardkevinhurley.com. We will hold a raffle for a kayak as well, and tickets can be purchased for $5 or 5 for $20 at River Fest or the NWNA building at 353 Davis Street in Elmira. We look forward to this event every year as an opportunity to enjoy and showcase our beautiful surroundings and our fantastic community. Can't wait to see you all there!
Be sure to follow the NWNA, the progress of the Richardson-Kennedy house, and River Fest on Facebook!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Welcome!
Welcome to the Near Westside Neighborhood Association's blog! Our group has been a part of the Elmira, NY community since 1977, when a group of citizens became concerned with the deterioration of some of the homes in their neighborhood. Since that time, the organization has grown and changed, becoming a local fixture in our beautiful city. We see ourselves as caretakers of our unique area, using a combination of grassroots volunteer efforts, state and federal grants, relationships with local businesses, property owners and residents, to build a strong sense of community and revitalize Elmira NY. At the close of 2012, our Board of Directors are ready to move the Near Westside Neighborhood Association in some exciting directions, drawing on some ideas from the past, as well as a few new ideas that will broaden our community outreach. We invite you to join us in our exciting journey to bring Elmira's rich history to life on a daily basis, and to help us keep that history alive as we move into a new year, and beyond.
Upcoming Events:
On December 2, 2012, we will be holding our 28th Annual "Homes for the Holidays" Self Guided Home Tour. This year's tour will feature eight homes in and around the city of Elmira, including both homes decorated in full holiday form, as well as a few "restoration in progress" homes! This event is a wonderful way to get to know some of your favorite homes in the city, as well as their current owners. With the addition of a few "works in progress", you will have a chance to see, first hand, some of the wonderful ways the Near Westside is moving forward and revitalizing our historic buildings. Come and scratch your curiosity's itch, and when you're finished, join us at Charlie's Cafe on Hoffman Street for a meet-and-greet reception.
Concurrent with our annual tour is a new and exciting endeavor aimed at helping to kick off a permanent fixture in our organization. As we launch our tour, we will be opening, for the first time, the doors on our Salvage Sale at Brackets & Door Knobs, at 355 Davis Street. Brackets and Door Knobs, will start off as an afternoon-long sale where we resell donated household and salvage items as a fund raiser. We are aware that often, residents in the area have a desire to outfit their historic homes in period pieces. We hope, that with community donations, we will be able to help furnish and complete some of these homes, while helping to strengthen our organization at the same time. Please stop by and browse before, during and after the Holiday Home Tour-- you may just find that deal you've been looking for! If you, or anyone you know is interested in donating any items, contact the Near Westside Neighborhood Association at 607-7334924, to arrange a drop-off time.
As Thanksgiving 2012 draws closer, we at the Near Westside Association are thankful for so much. We a eternally grateful, as ever, for our dedicated and hard-working volunteer base. So many individuals have continuously shown their support for our organization with their elbow grease and weekend hours. Our Victorian Row Garden Park, located on the 300 block of West Church St., is finally underway. Thanks to all of those who came our with their shovels and work gloves to lend a hand. Already, stories of how the "fruits" (and berries!) of your labors are effecting the lives of those in the community are starting to be told. Hopefully, with the spring, many more opportunities and stories will present themselves and our garden will bloom along with the community which it adorns.
We would be remiss not to mention just how thoroughly fortunate it is that the immediate area in which our building is located was not seriously effected by either the July 26th tornado that tore through much of the city and surrounding area, nor by Super Storm Sandy that devastatedparts of the East Coast. As we receive much of our funding to help the restoration of local homes from monies provided by the State of New York, our hearts go out to those who sustained substantial damage and must await funding to begin their own restorations and rebuilds.
We look forward to so much in the coming moths and are excited to share our developments with you. We hope that you enjoy following our news as much as we love delivering it to you, and that you will Like our Facebook page, Follow our blog and join our organization (if you haven't already)!
Upcoming Events:
On December 2, 2012, we will be holding our 28th Annual "Homes for the Holidays" Self Guided Home Tour. This year's tour will feature eight homes in and around the city of Elmira, including both homes decorated in full holiday form, as well as a few "restoration in progress" homes! This event is a wonderful way to get to know some of your favorite homes in the city, as well as their current owners. With the addition of a few "works in progress", you will have a chance to see, first hand, some of the wonderful ways the Near Westside is moving forward and revitalizing our historic buildings. Come and scratch your curiosity's itch, and when you're finished, join us at Charlie's Cafe on Hoffman Street for a meet-and-greet reception.
Concurrent with our annual tour is a new and exciting endeavor aimed at helping to kick off a permanent fixture in our organization. As we launch our tour, we will be opening, for the first time, the doors on our Salvage Sale at Brackets & Door Knobs, at 355 Davis Street. Brackets and Door Knobs, will start off as an afternoon-long sale where we resell donated household and salvage items as a fund raiser. We are aware that often, residents in the area have a desire to outfit their historic homes in period pieces. We hope, that with community donations, we will be able to help furnish and complete some of these homes, while helping to strengthen our organization at the same time. Please stop by and browse before, during and after the Holiday Home Tour-- you may just find that deal you've been looking for! If you, or anyone you know is interested in donating any items, contact the Near Westside Neighborhood Association at 607-7334924, to arrange a drop-off time.
As Thanksgiving 2012 draws closer, we at the Near Westside Association are thankful for so much. We a eternally grateful, as ever, for our dedicated and hard-working volunteer base. So many individuals have continuously shown their support for our organization with their elbow grease and weekend hours. Our Victorian Row Garden Park, located on the 300 block of West Church St., is finally underway. Thanks to all of those who came our with their shovels and work gloves to lend a hand. Already, stories of how the "fruits" (and berries!) of your labors are effecting the lives of those in the community are starting to be told. Hopefully, with the spring, many more opportunities and stories will present themselves and our garden will bloom along with the community which it adorns.
We would be remiss not to mention just how thoroughly fortunate it is that the immediate area in which our building is located was not seriously effected by either the July 26th tornado that tore through much of the city and surrounding area, nor by Super Storm Sandy that devastatedparts of the East Coast. As we receive much of our funding to help the restoration of local homes from monies provided by the State of New York, our hearts go out to those who sustained substantial damage and must await funding to begin their own restorations and rebuilds.
We look forward to so much in the coming moths and are excited to share our developments with you. We hope that you enjoy following our news as much as we love delivering it to you, and that you will Like our Facebook page, Follow our blog and join our organization (if you haven't already)!
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