Leeds Civic Association's March, 2008 Newsletter!
Litter Pick-Up
Well, spring is in the air, the snow is rapidly disappearing and once again our thoughts turn to---litter.
As the snowdrops slowly push up into the Spring sunshine, so too do the long discarded MacDonald's boxes, the everlasting styrofoam cups, and our old favorite the impossible-to-eradicate new invasive species----The Nip Bottle!!
Saturday, April 26th (rain date 5/3)
In celebration of Earth Day, a hardy group of LCA members will, once again, meet to stem the tide of trash in our village. We will meet at the Post Office at 9 am to pick up trash bags and sign up for a street.
No experience necessary----All hands welcome!
Leeds Pizza Party
by John Daniel
The much-anticipated Leeds Beat-the-Winter-Blues Pizza Party was held on Saturday, March 8 at the Northampton Country Club.
On a cold, rainy afternoon, as the swollen Mill River churned past the picture windows, the citizens of Leeds gathered to celebrate winter's loosening grip and life in Leeds in general. The room was teeming with life, from the daffodils blooming on every table to the small army of toddlers patrolling the aisles.
After the throng wrestled with the question of which items to bid on in the Yankee Auction, the official festivities began with a number puzzle, won by Lisa Goldsmith of Grove Ave. in a Rainman-like feat of mental prowess. This was followed by the pizza dinner, featuring a delightful array of unusual and classic toppings. Then it was down to the serious business of determining all the winners of the Yankee Auction. As always, DJ Dana Collins and Jim Mias, dressed in his best used-car-salesman getup, handled this with aplomb.
The auction had something for everyone, from street chalk to a pet tent. As Dana and Jim entertained the crowd dispensing the prizes, Jim demonstrated the fact that he seems to know everyone in Leeds, where they live and what their interests are. Among the more coveted prizes, Heidi Stevens of Upland Ave. won the garden toolset, and Leslie Skantz, also of Upland, scored with the gift certificate to the Side Street Cafe.
Major thanks go to Jim and Robin Mias and Sue Carbin, who did much of the organizing and hard work to pull the event off, Seth Mias, who provided the impressive food spread and arranged for the venue, as well as many other people who helped out in many ways. The evening was yet another reminder of why we all love living in Leeds.
Mayor
To Speak
Mayor Higgins will hold a public information session for the residents of Ward 7 B to address the concerns about the school budget being prepared for the next fiscal year.
Arch Railing Design
The LCA has applied to MassHighway for approval of a bike/pedestrian railing design for the top of the Keystone Arch on Arch Street and for the open crossing between the stone walls at the Look Park emergency exit on Florence Street.
The design is based on the old iron bridge railings that were prevalent in Leeds in the late 1800's and early1900's. We feel this design compliments the historic stone Arch and gives the feel of the long-gone trains that moved over the arch. It also blends in well with the historic Hotel Bridge between Water and Main Streets.
Above Arch:
Park exit crossing:
Comments can be emailed to: leedscivic3@aol.com
Answers to your questions:
Q: Could you post some info about the scale of the drawings? And explain why the two are different? (from L. Butler on Grove Ave)
A: The railing has to cover the "sheer-drop" area to a height of 5 ft. Which means that the end poles, marking the "sheer-drop" area, have to be 5 ft high.
railing #1 (Park Emer. exit)---scale is 1" = 5'
The sheer drop here we are est. at 15 feet.
railing #2 (Arch St arch)---scale is 1" = 4'
The sheer drop here we are est. at 40 feet.
(please also note that these images might appear on your screen exactly to scale...everyone's web settings a vary a little)
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Main Street Park
The dedication of the new "pocket park" on Main Street will take place on
Sunday, May 18th, at 2 pm
call----Beth
at 586-3812
or
email---leedscivic3@aol.com
Leeds Civic Meetings
LCA meetings take place on the
Second Tuesday of every month
September through June
April
8th.