Kevin E

A Message to the Community:
In mid-February, Supervalu Inc. announced that it was pulling all Shaw's supermarkets out of CT. Immediately upon hearing the news, the Greater Dwight Community Investment Corporation and its partners began examining options and seeking a replacement. No one is willing to accept a "food desert" in this neighborhood, and GDCIC is working initially with Yale University Properties, which has both extensive experience in supermarket real estate and a strong desire to avert this possibility.

It is of critical importance that the community remains engaged on this issue. Attached to this sheet we have included a brief survey, the data from which may be valuable in assisting the GDCIC and its partners secure a new, full-service supermarket for the Dwight location. In addition to distributing the survey, here are things you can do to help:

1. Once Shaw's goes dark at the end of March, help us ensure that the Plaza remains a safe place. Visit the site often and shop at the other stores in the center to that it remains a financially healthy community asset. Also, consider creating a formal block watch.

2. Collect the names and signatures of people committed to having a full-service supermarket in central New Haven, and have them complete the survey attached.

3. Make it known in conversations with friends, elected officials, and inquiring journalists that the community deserves a full-service supermarket in this space. If you have a moment, submit a comment to Supervalu, the owners of Shaw's, at http://www.supervalu.com/sv-webapp/contact/contact.jsp. Let them know how important it is to the community that they assist us in obtaining a full-service replacement store (please keep the messages civil, as we continue to work with Supervalu to reach a mutually-acceptable resolution).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED AS THIS PROCESS UNFOLDS. WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

What can we do as neighbors? We can go door to door and bring this survey to your neighbors! Instructions for returning the survey are on the bottom of the page: http://tinyurl.com/newhavengrocer

This is where you cross Route 34 with no pedestrian crossing signals to guide you. A life or death situation every time. Due to be fixed eventually, but it would be nice if it happened sooner.

Shaw's is closing all CT stores but has not found a buyer for the Whalley Ave. location. The New Haven region could really benefit from the opening of a year-round market inside and around the Shaw's shopping center (there is an enormous, underutilized parking lot there also). I'm not sure about the zoning so I'm hoping someone could check on that.

The market could potentially provide year-round access to fresh produce and crafts, it could serve the city as a public space, and simultaneously help to sustain the local economy in these uncertain times.

This building is a landmark historical treasure and needs to be preserved.

Please add your comments, stories about the Shul, and reasons why you feel that it is significant on the comments here.

Please forward the issue to individuals you know who are interested.

The more people who "vote" to have this fixed, the more likely this building can be restored to its former glory as a community space for all -- instead of an abandoned building.

Excellent photographs of the Shul may be found here:

http://www.orchardstreetshul.org/photo.html

On West side of park between frontage roads.
Assume that developer has responsibility to city keep trees alive for 1 yr. Lci?

The dumpster that Mandy Management has provided for the apartment building at the corner of Edgewood and Sherman is far too small for the number of units in the building. As a result, trash is often overflowing, and ends up littering the block.

A larger dumpster (or a second dumpster, or more frequent emptying of the dumpster) needs to be provided.

Now until May 31, Help bring a Fruit Trees Orchard in Edgewood Park, New Haven CT! A mix of apple, pear, plum, sweet cherry and, (if possible at all), apricot. A total of 45+ trees plus fruit bearing shrubs!

When we win this grant, The City of New Haven will match the award by planting the same number of fruit trees in other parks land in the city!

How to vote:

(1) goto http://www.communitiestakeroot.com/
(2) select your state to enter site, (1st time on computer only)
(3) Click on the vote "VOTE NOW" button
(4) On the "List by State" TAB under "CT" (Connecticut) choose
"Friends of Edgewood Park" in New Haven
(5) Register, (1st time), or log in (don't need to opt in for e-mails) (6) Click on "PLANT MY VOTE"

(7) Please do this every day until May 31, so that we can have
fruits daily in the near future.

Thank you!

While riding in the bike lane eastbound on Edgewood Blvd this morning at 8:25, a CT Transit Bus Driver (Q3, Bus#347) tried to run me down by veering into the bikelane I was in and running me into parked cars. He WAS NOT pulling up to a busstop at the time. At the next redlight, I pulled up to the left of the bus (now stopped at a busstop) and told(his window was open) the driver to allow more room when passing cyclists. He laughed and told me to get off the road. This is actually an ongoing issue with this particular driver. I've been on his bus before when he has done the same thing to other cyclists. I've asked him directly to be more courteous to cyclists, and called the incidents into CT Transit, but have never had anyone follow up.

There are loud, unlicensed, not street-legal dirt bikes going up and down Boulevard doing wheelies. This happens all the time!!! It is dangerous and loud and I wish something could be done about it!!!