Posting to Resume

I have not posted since October? Wow. Posting will resume.

Some catch up. I still hate squirrels. I’m still working on my house. I still think tossing old windows is horribly wrong. I still think living in New Albany rocks. I have some news to report on the Market Street Brewery history I’d done in past years (I went underground).

See you soon.

Growing Power Inc. Community Leadership Institute, the Power of Urban Farming

One day 1 of the CLI (last Thursday) the team visited Growing Power Inc. in Milwaukee. It was amazing. From the Growing Power website:

Growing Power transforms communities by supporting people from diverse backgrounds and the environments in which they live through the development of Community Food Systems. These systems provide high-quality, safe, healthy, affordable food for all residents in the community. Growing Power develops Community Food Centers, as a key component of Community Food Systems, through training, active demonstration, outreach, and technical assistance.

It's hard to describe what we saw. So watch the video instead. The simplicity and common sense of the systems in place left me in awe. The fish blew me away too. The word sustainability means much more to me after this trip.



Check out the Louisville growing initiative, Breaking New Grounds. They turn "waste to wealth". They're composting on a large scale using Heine Brothers' coffee grounds. Field trip anyone?

Enjoy a few more images from the trip by watching this slide show.

Good News for New Albany Neighborhoods

Great news for residents of East Spring Street and S. Ellen Jones neighborhoods. Members from each respective neighborhood have been invited to attend the Community Leadership Institute in Milwaukee, Oct 15-18. This is an invitation only training event that aims to strengthen the voices and skills of community, resident, and volunteer leaders.

The New Albany Team: Ted Fulmore, Susan Kaempfer, Andy Terrell, Pastor Allen Colwell, Mike Ladd, Jeff Gillenwater, Lisa Thompson, and Tom Johnson

Here's a sampling of training courses being taken by team members: Using Art as community building tool, Fundraising for small organizations, How to design successful community workshops, Getting and keeping people involved in urban areas, Strategies for creating great neighborhoods

This team will be responsible for forming an action plan to implement upon completion of the CLI. We'll also receive funding of $2,000 to facilitate the action plan! Additionally, we were notified that Neighborworks awarded us an additional Community Building and Organizing/Community Stabilization grant of $5,000, specifically to help in the image/rebranding campaign our neighborhoods have agreed to pursue. New Directions Housing Corporation, a chartered Neighborworks member, will administer the grant.

The job of team members will be to return, share information, and implement strategies. Even if you don't live in ESNA or SEJ, we want to share our work and training. For anyone interested in learning more please contact me or Lisa Thompson (lisat@ndhc.org).

New Albany is very lucky to have this opportunity. Training like this is important as we all work to make the neighborhoods of New Albany "neighborhoods of choice" in the Metro area.

The CLI is a Neighborworks America sponsored training event. Learn more by visiting thier website or connecting to them on Facebook. Check back here or to my Facebook account between Oct 15 and 18 for on-the-fly updates and news from the team during our training. Get updates in person by attending the monthly meeting of the S. Ellen Jones Association, Tuesday Oct 20, 6:30 pm at the Cardinal Ritter Birthplace, 1218 E. Oak Street.

New Albany a fun place to be? YES it is.

For several weekends in a row, there's been no reason to leave New Albany for entertainment. We're on a roll and I love it. Yesterday we had perfect weather for the Fourth Annual Historic Home Tour. I'm not sure what's up next weekend but I have no doubt there will be something.

In recent Ted news, I've acquired a video camera. I'm not putting away the Nikon quite yet, but you can expect to see more videos of people having fun and doing good stuff in New Albany.

The acquisition was a strategic one. Video is a great way to tell the story of a place. We have great neighborhoods in New Albany. We need to work on telling the positive stories taking place here for prospective homebuyers, renters, and investors.

My first contribution is a short clip of highlights from the Home Tour. Sadly, I couldn't hit all the homes.

The 2009 Celtic Fest in New Albany

It was a magical evening in New Albany last night. As if by magic, it was a damp, cloudy, chilly evening which set the perfect mood for a Celtic Festival. Hard to imagine a more perfect setting. If you missed the event or want to relive it, click this link to view photographs.

Won’t you be my neighbor?

That’s right. You could be my neighbor if you act quickly. The Charles E. Richards House, 844 Cedar Bough Place, is for sale. I’m bummed that my buddy Mary Anne Tonini is moving, but change happens and I’m excited about having a new neighbor.

Mary Anne has worked her butt off bringing this house back to where it is now. The new roof (metal shingles) is amazing. The new paint scheme, landscaping and the refinished hardwood floors are also fantastic. If you are in the market, or just thinking about jumping in the market, you owe it to yourself to come take a look at the house. Remember that the $8,000 federal tax credit is still available.

Additionally, for a nominal contribution to my beer inventory or my humidor, you could have your grass cut regularly. That’s just one of the perks of being a neighbor of Ted.

Check out her listing on Historic New Albany.com. For more information or to arrange a showing, call Mary Anne at 812/941-8887. You can also see the home during the New Albany Historic Home Tour on September 12. Visit Develop New Albany.com for more information on the tour and how to purchase tickets.

The Bough is a pretty special place. It should be your next home.

It’s Home “Tur” Time in New Albany – Saturday, September 12

I took a recent trip deep into the Indiana interior recently. It was a fun trip, with a celebration of historic preservation at the core. The trip included a guided walking tour and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I only dozed off once, so it had to be good.

Locals in the interior kept talking about the “tur” (say the word turn, without the n). I enjoy local dialects bunches. I picked up on the “tur” thing and just can’t let it go.

Y’all can bet we got ourselves the best Home Tur yet this year. This would be the 4th Annual Home Tur. So come to New Albany and Tur it up. Tur until you drop, then Tur some more. Buy your Tur ticket at the Develop New Albany website. Or buy your Tur ticket at the Gallery on Pearl. Just please do buy a Tur ticket cause this here Tur is gonna be a good'in.

View the Home Tur homes at this link or at the Develop New Albany website.