Projects

Neighborhood Projects

We foster projects that improve our entire neighborhood and encourage community-building activities whether they are small or large. Please read about our latest projects.

2010 Plant Exchange – Saturday, April 24, 2010

We had a great turnout for our 3rd Annual Plant Exchange. This year, we introduce something new and had a special speaker – Master Gardener Mary Machala. Mary traveled all the way from Seattle to talk with us about making new flower beds inexpensively. She also gave great tips on composting and creating worm bins. Lots of neighbors showed up to drop off plants and pick up new flowers and bulbs for their gardens. We shared some wonderful refreshments and great conversation. Please let us know if you would like to host our next plant exchange. What a great excuse to have a garden tea party and share flowers with your friends. Hosting also has the great benefit of getting to keep all the leftover plants – great for those in search of inexpensive cottage plants for new beds and new gardens.

Neighborhood Yard Sale – Saturday June 12, 2010

This year’s yard sale couldn’t have happened without the hard work and organization of Laura Gorder. Many homes participated in this neighborhood-wide event with houses from Clark Ave N all the way up to Summit Ave N participating. The weather was wonderful for a sunny day of thrifiting for the community. Several of the neighborhood kids put together a lemonade stand for refreshments. This yard sale was held in conjunction with the Kent Historical Museum.

National Night Out – August 3, 2010

Our annual National Night Out event is organized by the Neighborhood Blockwatch which is currently co-captained by Sharon Bersaas and NgocDzung Smith. This unique event allows our neighbors to meet and get to know one another while fostering a sense of community and highlighting our safety efforts and concerns. City of Kent officials and public safety representatives visit to answer questions. This event is held at the Kent Historical Museum. Each year, raffle items were donated by several local businesses. Thank you to the generosity of these local businesses.

Historic House Plaque Program

As one of our first grant projects, we have been researching options for purchasing plaques for the historic homes in our neighborhood. In 2009, our first grant proposal was presented to the City of Kent. With over 40 homeowners interested in purchasing a unique plaque for our neighborhood, our grant has been approved. As part of this project, we will be creating keepsake booklets of exterior photos and year built. We will also be creating a printable walking tour brochure including some of this information for the Kent Historical Society.