Have you been to our Farmers’ Market at Fargnoli Park on Sundays 11am-2pm? If not, you’re missing out on freshly picked fruits and veggies from our RI farmers! Other goodies include all sorts of specialty sausages, baked goods, plants and flowers, vegan sweets, home-made granola, jams, pickles, relish…and more!

Each week at the Market we have activities for the kids. This Sunday 8/14, our member Jen will work with the children to make a mural. Stop by our ‘Kids Corner’ and join the fun!

So we hope to see you tomorrow at the Market – Fargnoli Park, Smith St. between Academy and River Aves., Sundays from 11am-2pm through October 30.

Topics of discussion will include:

Update on Davis Park projects

Recap on farmers markets

Discuss future tree planting initiatives

Information re: recycling event with City

Update on forming a merchant’s association

Update on Eaton Island project

Miscellaneous/new business (time allowing)

Hope to see you there!

A quick reminder that on Saturday, October 24th, we will be working in conjunction with PC’s Student Environmental Action Coalition on our first Neighborhood Improvement Day. There are a few projects going on that day and if you are interested in helping out, please let me know the time that you are available from 9am-11am, 10am-12pm or 11am-1pm. If you already signed up at one of the markets, you don’t have to respond. Thank you all!

Also, on Sunday the 25th, in addition to our final farmers market for the season, we are working with the folks representing the Neighborhood Day organization on planning an event at Davis Park. Many community organizations have been invited to attend to present valuable information to the public. There will be special children’s activities as well. We may need a couple volunteers to help out with the kids as well. We hope to see you there!

Our next Elmhurst Clean & Green meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 20th at PC’s Feinstein Center, Room 405, 4th floor at 7pm.

Lt. Daniel Gannon will be at the meeting to answer questions and provide updates from the police department. Also attending will be representatives from three of our local schools – Providence College, Rhode Island College, and Johnson & Wales.

As many of you know, one of the reasons that we started EC&G was to address the amount of trash generated in the neighborhood, particularly by the students. As a matter of fact, this was an agenda item for our last meeting but we decided to hold the discussion until October. We have held numerous clean ups in the past two years, several of which were in conjunction with a great group of students from PC. We have also approached two of the colleges to ask for their support by providing trash barrels, dealing with specific ‘problem’ tenants, etc.

So it is fantastic to hear that Councilman Michael Solomon, the police, and the colleges are working together on ways to control the “party zone”, from adding police foot patrols to having the three colleges take responsibility for weekly neighborhood cleanups. In addition, Councilman Solomon is drafting an ordinance focusing on landlords who rent to troublesome tenants.

I just had the pleasure of speaking with Lt. Daniel Gannon, the district commander for the area, who is responsible for this “Operation Red Cup”. He has already met with representatives from Providence College and some of the landlords in the area and is next meeting with officials from Johnson & Wales and Rhode Island College. The Lieutenant is pro-active in his approach to crime prevention and has implemented several programs in an effort to curb crime and make our community a better place to live. I am very pleased that Lt. Gannon will be joining us at our next EC&G meeting on October 20.