How long have you lived in the Grant Beach neighborhood?
I have lived in Grant Beach since 1992.
What sports do you follow?
I attend as many Springfield Rugby games as I can.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I like to take trips, go to the lake and go camping.
What made you decide to get involved in the neighborhood association?
I got involved in the neighborhood association because my daughter went to Fairbanks and Weaver elementary schools. I met several parents in the PTA who were members of the neighborhood association and they suggested I join.
[pullquote]I want to remind everyone that we’ll be doing sign-ups for baseball in late April for our baseball season that starts in June. The cost is $15 per child. Watch Facebook and NextDoor for signup dates. And volunteer coaches are always needed. Just come by 800 Hovey St. to fill out a form for a background check.[/pullquote]
Name an interesting fact about yourself.
I’ve never met a hot pepper that got the better of me.
What’s an easy way for neighbors to improve their neighborhood?
Donate. Just joining the neighborhood association keeps our garden watered and helps in a lot of other ways. If you don’t have money, donate time. Some of our neighbors clean up trash on their block and we always need help in our garden.
Our garden has been a great addition. Ours was the first community garden in Springfield and it has grown into Springfield Community Gardens. It is also the reason we are able to have a weekly produce distribution. It’s not a hand out, but an empowerment; people have to put in volunteer hours to participate. The success of our produce distribution has resulted in an expansion to a few other gardens in the city. But there still aren’t very many, so we have participants and volunteers from around the city. We have some great people who come every week. It is hard work unloading the truck and setting up and taking down, but they do it cheerfully and have a good time.
The Springfield Greene County Health Department is usually here during our produce distribution to offer free blood pressure checks.
What’s another thing that the neighborhood association does to make life better in Grant Beach?
We run a low-cost, recreational sports league for pre-k through grade school. There aren’t many opportunities in Springfield for those age groups to participate in team sports. Sports have been shown to be so important in the development of self-esteem and confidence in children, as well as offering the benefits of exercise and fresh air. Through the league, we offer spring and fall soccer, and summer baseball, all in Grant Beach Park. For a low fee, they get aT-shirt, play for six weeks, and receive a participation medal at the end. It’s the best sports deal in town! All of our coaches and referees have to pass background checks through the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.
If the name of our park isn’t familiar, Grant Beach Park is the park with the train. Thanks to the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, we now have a sign for our park on Grant Avenue at Lynn Street.
We also participate in the Adopt-a-Street Program, we have annual neighborhood cleanups (we add a second one if we have money), and we have a National Night Out event in the park every August that is one of the best attended in the city.
We hold monthly association meetings which are preceded by a potluck dinner. It’s the third Monday of every month at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Parish Hall. Sometimes our local Fire Department crew attends, and our PAR officer tries to come as often as he can. Come and meet some of your neighbors. All are welcome.
Grant Beach Neighborhood Association has a Facebook page and we post on Nextdoor. If anyone needs information, they can call us at 417- 942-2456.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your neighborhood, what would it be?
Erase poverty.