November 2006
Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter President’s Message By Carol Walker, CPN President
The Fall of the year is always an exciting time. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing and it’s a time for planting and renewal. Have you seen our park lately? (PARK DEDICATION IS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2006 FROM 12-1P.M.) The new renovation is inviting and serene. In addition, you will want to bring your children and friends to play, sit and have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, play a little chess, or just take moment to enjoy the view. With the new lighting coming any day, you will be able to appreciate the Park from dusk to dawn. I would like to thank all of our Cedar Park Neighbors for coming out to our Fall Community Meeting on Wednesday, October 11, 2006, held at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community. We will have another in Winter and Spring. It was very well attended and everyone got a chance to hear the latest updates from businesses and organizations working to beautify and revitalize our Baltimore Avenue corridor. And …a separate thank you from the CEDAR PARK NEIGHBORS BOARD to our members. Whenever a need arises, we can count on you to work with us and together continue to make this area a great place to live and raise our families. There is a lot that CPN is doing. The renovations in the Park are something that we all can see. But quite often what you don’t see is Cedar Park behind the scenes bringing about positive change for our neighborhood. Our Zoning Committee and Property/Housing Task Force meets monthly but members are on the phones daily, calling various agencies to report and to resolve issues of concern. We work very closely with our Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s office and her two dedicated staffers - Marty Cabry and Anjali Chainani. Resolution of concerns about The Wine and Spirit Shoppe is another positive example of our efforts, as well as attracting new businesses such as the new Yoga Studio coming to the old UC Pets location. Now that we have succeeded in bringing needed improvements to Cedar Park we are looking down the Avenue and continue to have great concern about conditions on the 5000 Block of Baltimore Avenue. CPN would like to contribute to needed improvements on this block by encouraging stable businesses, as well as supporting good residential rehab up to and including 52nd and Baltimore. An outreach to the faith based community has already been extended to our churches. We continue to welcome further conversation with the Baltimore Avenue Redevelopment Corporation (BARC) that has proposed some plans for this block and hope to facilitate input from our neighbors regarding improving and revitalizing this corridor. Dialog is needed with Councilwoman Blackwell, Pastor Hart and Hickman Temple, People’s Baptist Church, Wayland Memorial SATURD Baptist, residents, businesses, and Cedar Park Neighbors to see AY, NOV how we can move forward, and move forward together to bring E Noon– MBER 18 about revitalization that we all can be proud of.
WE’RE CELEBR ATING!! Cedar
Park Op ening
Let us hear from you—The Harvest is Plentiful, but the Laborers are few. We need your help on this and other issues regarding Cedar Park. Perhaps you have always wanted to volunteer, but just did not know how to go about it. You can do it with Cedar Park Neighbors. ...And remember THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING
GOOD GOING ON IN CEDAR PARK!
1pm Come a n our new d help us re ope ly Park!! Rrenovated Ce n da e Speake freshments! r rs! Para de!