Did you know that Eliot has a beautification committee? The group, loosely an extension of the Neighborhood Livability Partnership, is exploring projects to plant street trees, personalize intersections and street signs, and reduce visible trash and litter. Broad goals of the committee, which includes local residents, businesses and nonprofits, are to build on the vitality of Eliot, and recognize and act on major opportunities to make sure the identity of Eliot is recognizable to those who live in the neighborhood, or who are just passing through. We want to take a collaborative approach, so if you are interested in sharing your ideas or lending a hand, we would love to hear from you.

Next steps for the committee are to meet one more time, on April 3, to provide updates on current projects and prepare for presenting the 2013 work plan to the Neighborhood Association on April 15. The work plan presentation will include a spring tree planting with help from Friends of Trees, and one of the visions from this partnership includes lining Broadway with trees that will help re-scale the street and create a distinctive entry to Eliot Neighborhood. Nancy Zimmerman, Angela Kremer and other neighbors are also working with City Repair to paint the intersection of Rodney and Tillamook. Their design invokes the history of the area, infuses natural elements, and incorporates the neighbor’s artistic flair. These projects will come up fast, so please feel free to contact us, to talk about your ideas, and learn about ways to become involved.

Contact Angela Kremer at angelahkremer@gmail.com or Alexa Heidrich at amheidrich@gmail.com.