Local artist Doug Gorrell, who has his studio at 1st Presbyterian Church in Argenta will be having a frame sale on Friday, October  19th and Saturday October 20th.  The sale will be held in the parking lot behind the church on 4th & Main Streets from 10:00 am untill 2:00 pm each day.  

These are very nice frames, the kind you would get from a showroom.  The largest frames are 26"x48" and will be going for around $125 each.  Smaller frames will be less.  I have seen these frames and they are beautiful.  Much better than any price you will get at Hobby Lobby. If you need a frame, make sure you stop by and see Doug. Cash and check only.  No credit cards.  

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Dont forget the Race for the Cure this Saturday morning.  The Main Street Bridge, Broadway Bridge and West Broadway Street will be closed Saturday morning until probably around lunchtime.  This is a great event and one of the largest races in the entire U.S.  If you haven't seen the race, walk down to West Broadway around 8:00 am and watch the over 30,000 women running and walking to support breast cancer research.  It IS an impressive sight.  Click here for the link to the Race for the Cure web site.  

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This is the rear of the house at 304 West 7th Street before the City cleaned it up.  Notice the broken out windows and damaged siding. The City has tried to deal with Mr. Eller on this property for over four years, during which time he has ignored numerous citations and not shown up for many court appearances.You HAVE to click here to read the handwritten letter from the property owner to the City Attorney, then you will get the title of this post.

This letter is incredible for its arrogance and creative presentation of the "facts" .  It deserves a point by point rebuttal, so here we go

1. "the insurance would not pay when the house was burned"  How is that the City or neighborhoods problem and does that give Mr. Eller the right to not maintain the property?
   
2. "sold the property for 30,000 and the City would not let my builder tear the house down"  First the house is in the historic district and Mr. Eller should have known that.  The sale was to Peter Gunn who was a problem contractor, not pulling permits and backing out of several other sales in Argenta after not complying with the historic district rules and running out of money. Mr. Eller does not report he had a offer for $30,000 for the property before his last court hearing about a month ago.  Mr. Eller did not show up for that hearing either. Mr. Eller does not report that he shopped that offer to other people for a higher offer
3. "the city has put warrants out for my arrest and suspended my drivers license"  Of course the court did. The court put out warrants and suspended his license when Mr. Eller did not show up for numerous court hearings on this property.
4. "I boarded up the downstairs and cleaned the yard. I thought you would be happy" No the City and neighborhood will be happy when the property is brought up to code and properly maintained on a regular basis.  Also we will be happy when you start showing up for your court hearings.
5. "the city will not loan me the money to repair the house"  Is the City a bank?  What planet is Mr. Eller living on?
6. "I hope you are proud of yourself because God is not"  What can you say abouth this statement?

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This from the Argenta Branch Library

Volunteers Needed for Fall Carnival on October 23rd
 
The Argenta branch library is having a Fall Carnival on October 23rd from 4 to 6 pm.  Volunteers are needed to help with food and games.  Contact the branch at 687-1061 if you would like to volunteer.

.Please help the library and volunteer a couple hours of your time to help.  The Fall Carnival was great last year with dozens of kids attending.  The librayr is effectively Argenta's mini community center and all the library staff is great.  We are blessed with this great branch library and staff. 

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Sometime in the early hours of Wedneday there was brutal assullt on Main Street.  The perpetrator apparenlty ran from the scene leaving the victim mortally wounded.  Later the victim was euthanized as the damage was too severe.

If anyone saw who hit this tree, please let us know or let someone with the City know.  We love our trees in Argenta.  I hope the City replaces this tree as soon as possible.

 P.S. Looking good Louis

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The next regularly scheduled meeting of the NLR City Council will be helpd on Monday October 22, 2007 at 7:00 pm at City Hall.  There are several items on the agenda which direclty affect Argenta and WILL require our attendance.

These items include (not in any order)

1. Public hearing on 304 West 7th Street Clean Up Lien (Burnt out blue house).  We need to be there and speak on this
2. Resolution authorizing the Mayor and City Attorney to initiate condemnation of Checkmate parking spots along alley
3. Application for Sunday alcohol beverage sales at Cregeens
4. Application for restaurant beer and wine on premises for Fat Boys
5. Public hearing on Nuisance Abatement and Property Maintenance Ordinance

The public hearing on 304 West 7th is the next step in the City's first use of a new state law which allows the City to make repairs to a property and then lien the property for the repair costs.  Unlike previous laws, this new law allows the City to force the sale of the property to collect thier money.  If this works, it will set a precedent to be used througout the City forcing owners to clean up or sell their property.  This new law could make a REAL difference in our neighborhoods.  Click here for a pdf link to the full lien ordinace, letters to the property owner and his response.  It is good reading.  More on this later.

Click here for the condemnation resolution with the appraisal on the parkign lot spaces off the alley.  More on this later  too! 

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Above is a picture of the banners put up along Main Street  recently when the Big Dam Bridge Race banners were taken down.  There have been questions raised on the street as to why the only business plugged repeatedly on the banners has been The Art Scene?  Not that the Art Scene isn't worthy but don't other businesses deserve promotion too?  I am sure Reno's, Cornerstone, Cregeens, Baker House and Fat Boys and others that would all love to have their business plugged on the banners. The City has other generic banners with the Owens Building on them with Fall colors.  No one would confuse me with anyone having a sense of style but wouldn't they be more appropriate?  Or perhaps those banners are an embarrasment since the banners reportedly have the wrong year on them for the Owens building.

The banners are reportedly coordinated by the Executive Director of Main Street Argenta and Main Street Argenta is listed in small print on the bottom of the banners.  How about Main Street Argenta market ALL the businesses along Main Street and Argenta?.

So why not a generic banner that promotes Main Street in general?  How about a banner that reads "Shop, Dine, Stay. Argenta the Place to Be!"  Lets support ALL our businesses!

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This is a picture of plastic in front of the church of 6th & Maple that the building owner put out over three weeks ago and is not picked up by the City since it isn't bagged.  Unsightly trash on the trolley line for all the trolley patrons to admire as they ride through NLR.  Thanks Mr. Lloyd  (owner of the church) for caring about Argenta, NLR or for that matter what visitors think of our City. 

Are you tired of the trash put out in front of the church at 6th & Maple Streets?  Are you tired of the owner using the church for an apparent warehouse which is an illegal use?  Are you tired of tractor trailer trucks in the blocking the alley and residential streets unloading boxes into the church?  And most important, are you tired of no updates or information on the status of this property for nearly six months from the NLR Community Planning Dept. despite verbal and written requests?

Let's try something new.  People in City Hall do read this site and the comments.  They don't like to admit it, because we are kind of like of TV wrestling.  Everyone has watched it at least once, but no one likes to admit it.   So everyone please e-mail Robert Voyles the NLR Community Planning Director with a simple message "PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHURCH ON 6TH STREET"  You can click on Mr. Voyles e-mail address This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and an e-mail box will open up.  After you send the e-mail please put a comment up here, that you sent in you e-mail. You don't have to say who you are.  This way City Hall will see how many people want action and are being ignored.  Lets see how many e-mails we can get sent in and see if we can show City Hall that time is LONG past due for resolving this issue.

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This update from our fearless Garden Committee Chairperson Monty Richards on the first neighborhood community garden in NLR started and organized by the Argenta Neighborhood Boosters in partnership with the Junior League

 1. Contract with the Junior League
We are ironing out some details. The changes we talked about last week have been submitted to the League, and we're waiting to hear back from them.  I will keep you posted.

2. Project Budget
Kandy will work with Monty to finalize the budget this week.  We have to finish the budget this week to meet the City Beautiful grant deadline.  I met with the City Beautiful Commission last night to go over the project.  They are interested in our project, but we have to submit a budget by Monday to be eligible for grant funds in 2007.

 (Click on the read more button below and to the right for more of the update)

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This post came as request ftom Margaret Powell in the Mayor's office via Alderwoman Debi Ross

Noted author and historian Ken Hechler will be presenting a lecture and book signing at the main Laman Library on October 26th from noon to 1:00 pm. The lecture is titled Truman, the Rhine and Iwo Jima.  Refreshments will be served.  For more information on the event click here . 

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