 My name is Maureen Zemrak. I am the President of the North Deer Neighborhood Association. And I want to welcome you on behalf of the Board. Thank you so much for coming. This is our annual meeting. We have it this time every year. The goal is to show our neighbors and those who we want to know are here that we're here. So the intent is to keep it quite informal, welcoming. I thought it would be great if we could kind of do a really general introduction so that that gets everybody kind of warmed up. We know where everybody's coming from tonight, but we can move pretty quick through the meeting, which we always want to do. What we want to do is it is a member annual meeting. We have some business that we do as a board quick. And then what I thought we would do because we've had such a great turnout is after we introduce ourselves really quick, those who would like to stand up specifically for reasons they're here, please do. Just introduce yourself. And the goal is at the end, we mingle, we chat with those. If you have questions for those people who have introduced themselves, that's what we're hoping to do. We want this to be very comfortable and welcoming, and we want everybody to get to know each other. So I think that that's a really great way to do it. So what I wanted to do first is I've introduced myself. I thought maybe we could start Ariel. Would you like to say something and introduce yourself to the group real quick? Sure. My name is Ariel Greenlaw. I am the Vice President of the North Deering Neighborhood Association, and I'm the lead of the crime watch. So if you have any questions about either, feel free to come see me. Very good. This is the important part of this meeting that we do every year is we do re-elections and nominations for Executive Committee and our board. So this year we have a couple of people up for a term. Myself, Ariel, and Tim. Ariel and I are on the Executive Board. Tim is a board member. Mike, rain me in if you don't mind. We do have a slate to present at each of our annual meetings. We do the nominating meetings. We present the slate at the annual meeting. There are others interested in running for position. Two qualifications are you got to be a member of our board. I mean, you got to be a member of our association and you have to live in North Deering. Other than that, the nominated committee will submit a list of candidates. And then if there are any people that would run for their contested positions, we will do that tonight. And again, only members are able to vote. So as the chair of that nominated committee, I would like to put before us that the opposites for our coming year in 2014 is a one-year term. Ariel Greenlaw as our president. Kat Anderson, who we met as our vice president. Our secretary is in open position, which we can either fill if someone is interested. Tonight they can let us know and the board will do that at this next regular meeting in November. And the treasurer is myself, Mike Piesel. The board members up for re-election and it's a three-year staggered term. We elect so many every year. For a three-year term ending in 2016, Ariel Greenlaw. The three-year term ending in 2016, Tim St. Aleik. We met for a term ending in 2016. Madam President, this year, Maureen Zemmerich. So with that, I present that as from the nominated committee. Thank you, Mike. Some follow-up business, just that I would like to get out, just because as we all know now I won't be president at the next meeting. I'm sure the residents here, the gas station down the street on Auburn, 194 Auburn to be exact, used to be a gas station. It was closed. In summation, they missed their grandfathered time to reapply for the conditional zoning that they have. So because they've missed it, they technically don't. They want to reopen, but cannot with the zoning that they currently have. Cian Brown is the company. They were the owners previously. I have attended several planning board meetings with them and their architect, their designer, their attorney. It's been tabled several times. Last meeting was the 8th of October and there's documentation up here if you're interested in attending that meeting at City Hall, the planning board. The next meeting is the 22nd at 6.30. We are not the first topic though. We are maybe the third. So as we or some maybe know, it's lengthy of a meeting. I do have the feeling it will go through. I can't honestly, I can't completely tell you that yet, but the Northeering Neighborhood Association has attended on behalf of its neighbors because when we had our meeting back in July here, we did have neighbors attend to discuss their concerns. We have put our vote behind it reopening the way it was. There's information on that location up here and please feel free to ask anybody on the board about that location if you are concerned. It is the exact location is right across from the schools. It's right at that blinking light if you aren't familiar. The other topic of old business that we have worked and are trying to continue to work for establishing is a very visual location in Northeering for a food donation, receptacle or spot that everybody knows to bring non-perishable food items to for the wayside food pantry. We offered to volunteer, give money to them back during the year and they have said multiple times the best thing they could have is the food. They're just desperate for it, especially as the winter cold months are coming. We do have a box in the back that some very generous folks have donated to and thank you for that. We've thrown out a couple ideas, shaws, obviously it's the grocery store, multiple places, but that is definitely a goal we're working on. Those are the two things that I have as old business, future president. That we will be hopefully following up on. Year in review, this is the meeting to kind of toot our own horns if you will. We've had a really good year inside of your bags. There's a folder that has the highlights from the year. We're very proud of. They have included school events that we've helped donate crafts for and attend. We have pictures right behind the video camera over there of lovely members taking the time to help volunteer at. It was at Lyce at the elementary school. The focus was on French culture all over the world and we helped bring a craft. It was very cool. Kids had a great time. Crime watch, that is a topic we have been bringing year to year. Aerial is the head of that again. If you have any questions or would like to find out more information, please see Aerial. During parts of the year, it has been shown statistically here. There are different parts of the year where crime is a little higher, a little lower. And it's a good thing. It's an organization and a little facet of ours. I guess you could say that we're trying to focus on and get a little stronger. Ideally we'd love to have people throughout the neighborhood who are a connective information for one another. Spread the word about simple ways to prevent issues in your own house personally. Say for when you're on vacation. During different times of the year, such as summer when the windows tend to be open. Things of nature like that. We had some really great guest speakers, like I said, keeping kids safe, Michael Mercer. About awareness to children and parents about anti-bullying. We have attended multiple city at large council meetings with fellow neighborhoods. We kind of get together quarterly to discuss concerns throughout the city as a whole. It's very interesting. North Deering compared to Bayside compared to the West End. We have different concerns, different issues at hand. So it's really cool. There's easily 25, 30 people in that room to hear. Not everybody's worried about keeping sidewalks clear because it's not so much of a pressing concern elsewhere where there's kids walking and others. Or drugs, for example, are more prevalent in certain parts of the city. And that's becoming a big issue with neighborhood associations in particular. It's just good to get to know each other, get to know the topics at hand that are priorities and concerns to our neighbors. Councilor Dusson, what role do these neighborhoods associations play in the city council's deliberations? Well, the neighborhoods associations have been very helpful to me as a at-large counselor because we meet with them, their leaders, about once a quarter. And it's an opportunity to do a round robin and hear from all the neighborhoods what issues are particularly important and of a priority to them. For example, at our last two meetings, the neighborhood leaders actually ran the meeting. They did the newsprint and put up their priority issues and then put them in order. And then we, the at-large counselors who were present, made specific commitments around how we would help them move forward on some of the issues. They included things that you hear about in the news. They included the panhandling on the median issue. That was a major issue for neighborhoods, for neighborhood leadership. They also talked about snow clearing and all those kind of things. Our adoptive spot we're quite proud of, that is outside of Lib's ice cream back here. I don't know if everybody knows where it is. We try to keep it seasonally up to date. In the spring we have the pink main counselor foundation tulips planted there. And this season we do mums and a lot of local businesses help donate the mulch. Our members are there on their hands and knees mulching, weeding, planting. So when you're in the neighborhood next time, that is our adoptive spot. During the summer, it takes a lot of water and maintenance and love. We're proud of it. It's pretty and it's in the main central spot that our neighborhood can see it. Let's see, I think we're good. There's some things on here that it is good to see help from the city. If you ever have something you specifically want to mention, there is a website link here. Another thing for specific emergencies, it's important to know that 911 is always who you want to call. But there is a all other matter or non-emergency number also. It is on there. Good to know. Expenses in review. Income from dues, $1,400. And expenses from various things with $765 upcoming meeting obviously to be determined. And our annual maintenance of our website is $275. So again, our year in review, big part of why we're here tonight. We're very proud of it every year. We hope to have more and more. We can't do that without members. We want more and more of those two. We're here to act on behalf of our neighbors, our family, our friends, our children. We put a lot of work into that. So if you have folks you know or you yourself who have those, no matter how important you think they are or are not, we want to hear them. That's what we're here for and we're proud to be here. We love our neighborhood and we want to keep it that way. So that is our year in review. And again, yes, Peter. I know over the last few years, I know you've been very actively involved in the Facebook page. Yes. And I don't see me in, have we grown in terms of the number of people that like us or are friends with us? I'm not even sure what the right term is. It is like us. We're a page of the Northern neighborhood. And I'm not sure everybody in here is on Facebook or is, has either liked us or... Well, if you don't, if you haven't, it is an option to like us. For those of you who do Facebook, Peter and I, there's a couple other people who are the maintainers of the webpage. We're proud of it. And yes, we have... I forget how many likes we have, but a lot. Pretty cool from when we started, yeah. We like to post pictures of anybody's driving through the neighborhood and see something you just want to show. Fresh snowfall, really cool leaf color, trees, animals, trails. We like to post those things. We like to chat on there, so feel free to do that too. And please like us. And even just for me, it was a reminder about when they'll do curbside leaf pickup and those kinds of things. If you're not in tune with that stuff or you're new, all of a sudden it's like, oh, they're picking up the leaves on these days. I mean, the information that's out there is just... It can be very helpful. Yes, when we get things straight from the wall, when I specifically or whoever gets them from the board, when we get specific information from the city, we do put it straight on the website, like leaf pickup, holiday trash, days, specific meetings, things that relate to our neighborhood. We, of course, want to get it out there. Facebook's a great way to do that. We do have a general website. It is not on our... Right here from the board. Oh, it's on here. Not hearing. It's not on here though, but that's okay. It's on the bottom of our agenda sheet, and it is also on here. Please check us out. If you are a member, we'd love to have you, and we have room on our board. Talk to any of us if you'd like more information on that. We have 109 likes. 109. Thank you. You're welcome. Not bad. Yes, Beth? I'd like to say I've been on the board for quite a few years, and up until this year, or closer this year, it was pretty much a masculine, all-out man. Now we have women that come on board, and we've seen a lot of energy here. So a lot of what's going on here, we have to give credit to women. Thanks, Bill. Now I might be blushing. That goes, it is true. I have been on the board for three years, and my term's up. And I obviously have been president the whole time. We've had great presidents. We have great everything, and we work hard, and it's deserving people know that. Let's see if we did that. So I guess on that note, new business as I leave my threshold and graciously give it to Ariel. Reminder to everybody, there is an annual district meeting for our specific sector on November 19th. Counselor John Coyne will be there. It is a perfect opportunity to discuss with him anything you do want to tell him, point out about our neighborhood. There is a printout here for all the district dates. If you don't live here, it's highlighted where ours specifically is. It's up here if you would like it. We in the past have discussed as an association. We would like to focus on areas such as school improvement in our neighborhood specifically, green space and lack thereof, and safe walks for children to school. During snow specifically, we have a lot of walkers to school. I'm sorry. Crime Watch. Thank you. Crime Watch again. And if you have specific questions, Ariel is the person who will be manning Crime Watch. It's a work in progress. We're hoping to get it pretty cool the next couple of years. And it's been cool and fun and best. Where is the district meeting? I'm sorry. Where is the district meeting? It's at Riverton Community Center. Thank you. You're very welcome. And it is at six, I'm sorry, seven o'clock. So the address, the physical address is 1600 Horace Avenue. Again, there's a printout. If you're interested in going to other locations other than our neighborhoods, time date and the councilman is there, the woman. And on that note, I am done talking. Again, yep. Want to just let you know food is here. Information board members have these fancy things on area. Would you like to come up? I just had a couple of things to note. One was we have a new senior lead patrol officer. We had officer Knapp. Some of you guys met him. He came in to speak a couple of times. We don't know the new one yet. She became our senior lead patrol officer today. Today-ish. So we'll learn a little bit more about her. Hopefully we'll get her to come in and speak. It's nice when you recognize who's driving through the neighborhood. The other thing is there's a survey in your folders. I'd really appreciate it if you filled it out. Kind of just really quick and simple. I just want to know what you guys want to see next year. How we can help you. You know, what you envision this organization doing. And the only other thing I wanted to note was to let the fire chief speak. So you got a chance to just chat about a couple of things. And also there's suggestions over here. A write-in too with anything you would like. Thank you for extending the invitation. It's an honor to be here. The few announcements I'll make is October is fire prevention month. We're getting out into all of our neighborhood fire stations are sponsoring open houses. On Sunday the 20th, Northgate Station here on Allen Avenue will be open from 9 to noon with an open house. There'll be fire prevention literature there. This year's theme is on kitchen fire safety. And the members have built a kitchen prop to illustrate some dangers and some methods of extinguishing kitchen fires while they're small. So please come out to that. There's fire prevention literature. There's some refreshments. Visit with a fireman. Take a look at the equipment that we have there and there's some interactive games for children. I hope to see you there. Again coming up is on November 3rd is daylight savings time. And I want to remind everybody that it's the time of year to check your clock and check your battery. There's been two fire fatalities in the city of Portland this year. One of them in North Deering in early January. And another one off of West commercial street in a homeless person in the tent. So please, please, please remember to change your battery. When you get home tonight, check your smoke detector. That is the number one safety related thing you can do to make sure that you wake up in the morning. So there's two very, very important things. Yeah, I just curious as to the two people who died in the fire. Were they battery connected? Yeah, the one on Burnside, which happened in the end of January, maybe early February, I don't recall the date, I'm sorry, did have a smoke detector and it was an interconnected smoke detector. So there were some other extenuating circumstances with that fire. But there have been two fatalities in the city of Portland, which is certainly outside of the norm. So please be careful. With the cold weather coming on in heating season starting, please make sure that if you have any wood fired pellet stoves or wood stoves that you have them cleaned appropriately by a professional and that any of your heating appliances are inspected and up to date. So with that, thank you very much. Thanks for having me. I'm glad to be a member of the community and look forward to seeing you. Thank you. Maureen, give us a little history of the North Daring Neighborhood Association. That's a good one. We are an association that has been around for approximately 13 years. Board has some of the original founders on it over the years they've changed. We currently are a membership of 14 board members, four of which are on the executive committee. We're comprised of all sorts of neighbors all over the neighborhood, age. We're a great combo of people. We work hard. We're not the biggest, but we work hard and we're proud of what we do. North Daring in Portland is sort of an amorphous area. What area does the association really cover? It goes from Main Avenue, let's say if you're looking at Main Avenue to Plymouth, and then it goes to the Falmouth line and then halfway down Ray Street. It is a big area, square footage wise, mileage wise. That's why I think for the amount of people plus the square footage, we are quite a force. That's why it's really important to us that we get kind of that inertia going with some names and some recognition with the city. Different neighborhoods have different needs and different concerns. What are some of the key concerns of this neighborhood? Traffic, the speeding of it in certain parts. We are that final destination in between Portland and wherever it is you're going, whether that be Falmouth, Gray, Washington Avenue extension, Auburn, Allen Avenue. Green space, believe it or not, compared to a lot of spots in Portland, we don't have any. We don't have that park. We don't have that landmark spot that you can go to play, hang out, other than maybe the school playgrounds. The final one that we have discussed during my presidency anyway is the issue we have during the winter time of our kids walking to school. They're little, they have those huge backpacks, and a lot of them do walk, which is so cool that kids can still do that, but during the winter time, it's really, really disturbing to watch sometimes. Granted, snow comes quick, a lot of it comes quick, but a lot of times they're swerving out into very main streets to avoid the big banks. Sidewalk's not plowed. The plow trucks have just not gotten to it yet. For the amount of kids that we have walking with all that weight, the shoes, and the traffic, it's unnerving sometimes. So we're trying to figure out how to keep up with that better. You work with a lot of the other neighborhood associations as well. How does that relationship work? Working on it, we're working on trying to get more integrated with one another. Quarterly, we meet as a city of neighborhoods to discuss our issues. We prioritize them by city concern, and we just try to communicate with ideas of how to make it work in each neighborhood, because if a number of neighborhoods have common issues, sometimes they're different effects and different percentages, or the issue is greater in one versus the other. So it's great to hear different ideas, just different personalities, just approach things different. It's just great to know who else is living in your city. You've been president of the Association for the past year. What are some of the accomplishments that have been achieved this year? I think awareness, publicly. This is the biggest and best turnout in the 13 years. We've existed as a neighborhood association that we've had as an annual meeting. That is wonderful. We're a large area, square footage-wise area to cover membership-wise. It's hard to get the word out. We have, for the square, the size of our neighborhood. We don't have as many businesses, let's say, just because of more residential areas. So it's harder to kind of have those permanent spots to make us more visible. I think our visibility has been huge. The excitement within the neighborhood association. Members have joined. We've had a lot more events, and this is really a good demonstration of that. A lot of people here have been here for the first time. What are the things that the neighborhood association offers them? Well, the dream is to just have regular events that build our community so that they know they have those people that are their voices, recognizing it with the city. We want to be that front man for them. We love where we live. We want to fight for it, and we want to do everything to increase its desirability in terms of a neighborhood. The safety, the health of our neighborhood, we want that.