Last June’s neighborhood cleanup was a great success. In all, 10.5 tons of trash were hauled off along with two dumpsters of brush. Over a ton of metals were recycled along with numerous refrigerators, TVs and other electronics. We had 17 volunteers who, among other things made 30 curbside pickups, and in all about 80 households participated. Between metal recycling and donations, BNA garnered over $500 which goes to support our other activities throughout the year. Our thanks go out to the City of Springfield for providing the funding that pays for the dumpsters and landfill fees. Thanks also to Community Partnership for coordinating efforts, and to our business members Complete Electronics Recycling and Daylight Donuts for their participation.
Our neighborhood-wide yard sale in July was also a big success. Over 35 households participated by holding their sales, and hundreds of buyers came out from both within Bissett and elsewhere. Sure, stuff was sold and money made, but there were also a great many conversations between residents getting to know one another better, and also quite a few from outside our neighborhood who made many compliments about how nice our neighborhood is.
In early August, we participated in the National Night Out event held at Nichols Park. With over 1,500 in attendance, it was great fun for all. BNA had a tent there where folks could learn more about our neighborhood and for us to learn about top concerns from those neighbors. In addition, BNA helped out by wrapping about 1,800 hot dogs that were given out to all attendees. Thanks so much to all from Bissett who volunteered to make this a success for us!
On Sept. 11, we celebrated the construction of the new Pavilion in L.A. Wise Park. This pavilion was made possible through a competitive grant award via a proposal from BNA. Unfortunately, shortly after construction, the brand-new picnic tables were vandalized. Thanks to the efforts of some caring neighbors and the law enforcement officials from the Park Board and SPD, arrests have been made, and the Park Board will replace the picnic tables very soon.
There has been other vandalism and littering in the park and while they have subsided, they haven’t stopped. If you see something, please say something. If you frequent the park and see some litter, please take a moment and place it in the trash barrels. Together we can make the park better and better. We’re also happy to report that BNA has been able to garner a new $68,000 grant that will make more park improvements possible.
Taken as a whole, between the various events and our regular monthly meetings, we connected with many in our neighborhood who have not previously participated in BNA activities. If you’re interested in learning more about our growing organization and think you might enjoy participating, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.