Tag: Neighborhoods

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April 27, 2015 – ALL-IN Block Party at the Delaware County Fair Grounds (Heartland Hall)

The Delaware County Wellness Group hosted the first Muncie – Delaware County ALL-IN Block Party at the Delaware County Fairgrounds’ Heartland Hall. The goal of the block party was to inspire community knowledge and pride. Indiana Humanities awarded The Delaware County Wellness Group a small grant to put on this event, which was described as “A Community wide event where folks complete a series of fun and thought-provoking challenges that build local pride.”  Participants circulated to booths run by different community organizations and at each booth they completed an activity.  The event provided participants 10 challenges that allowed them to  Explore, Discover, Read, Remember, Participate, Connect and Dream about the place where we live, learn, work, and play!

The Muncie Action Plan Task Force 2’s booth asked participants to share a favorite memory of Muncie, a piece of advice, or a family recipe. To view the REMEMBER postcards made during the event, please click here.

All-IN Block Party flier (pdf)

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Muncie GIS Resources Map for Neighborhoods

Kyle Johnson, Director of the Delaware County GIS Department presented at the March 2015 Neighborhood President’s Council meeting. In response to audience interest, Kyle created an online map of Muncie that includes the ability to view the following data:

  • Properties in Multiple Tax Sales (unsold tax delinquent properties)
  • Muncie Street and Park Trees
  • Crime Density (all Crimes 2009-2014)
  • Hardest Hit Funds Demolitions Properties (round 1 & 2)
  • Parcels (links to Beacon for info)
  • Fire Hydrants
  • Bicycle Friendly Roads
  • Bike Lanes
  • Art & Culture Trail
  • Greenways & Trails
  • Muncie Historic Districts
  • Parcels with Homestead Exemptions (owner occupied)
  • Neighborhood Boundaries
  • UBHA properties (all properties brought before the Unsafe Building hearing Authority since 2012)
  • Muncie Sidewalks
  • Zoning

In order to view the above listed layers, please click on “Content” in the left hand side of the browser. You will be able to turn layers on and off by checking the individual boxes.

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Grant Funding Opportunities

Two upcoming opportunities for grant funding for tax-exempt neighborhood organizations include:

  • Indiana Humanities All-IN Block Party funding. This unique program is a creative and fun way to bring together a wide swath of Hoosiers to inspire new ideas, get involved and make Indiana even better. Indiana Humanities is excited to offer program support, available by application, to organizations who want to make a Block Party happen in their community. More information can be found at the Indiana Humanitieswebsite.
  • 2015 CDBG & HOME funding through the City of Muncie’s Community Development Department.
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Importance of Neighborhoods

– Collier’s Article – Why Neighborhoods Still Matter (February 2012)

– Here is an infographic (pdf) of why neighborhoods are important

– AARP created an online index of livability that rates communities across the nation for the services and amenities that impact our lives. Take a look to see how Muncie was rated.

– Place matters, especially for children. The New York Times published an interactive map that compares the potential for a child’s future success depending on where they live. This information is part of a larger studyundertaken by the Equality of Opportunity Project on how we can improve economic opportunities for low-income children. The most recent phase of this project looks at how neighborhoods affect upward mobility.

– The American Planning Association published an Urban Naturalist Guide based on “Genius of Common Sense,” by Glenna Lang and Marjorie Wunsch, which describes Jane Jacobs’s life and her insightful ideas about communities. The guide provides instructions on how to observe the community characteristics that make neighborhoods “vibrant, safe, and interesting places to live and visit.”

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Neighborhood Gardens

Gardens can be a great way to beautify your neighborhood, mitigate small scale flooding and drainage issues, and even produce fresh food for the community.

Gardens in Muncie

The Muncie Urban Garden Initiative (UGI) networks resources and community engagement to encourage more local urban food production. Gardens in the UGI network cover 1.75 acres across Muncie; these do not include hundreds of backyard gardens that are in production as well.

View maps of current UGI garden locations and potential urban garden properties.

UGI has many resources for potential gardeners, including a Facebook page, books, tools, rototiller, straw, compost, seeds, plants, and experienced gardeners to educate. If your neighborhood, church, school, or business.

Muncie also has an Urban Garden Committee.  They have compiled a map of urban garden resources that you can view here.

Local Farmer’s Markets

Flavor Fresh Mobile Market Tree Hill Farms
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays
(Locations, start times, & options vary)		 Landess Farm Market Daleville
Sunday-Friday | 10am-6pm
(WIC/SFMNP)
Minnetrista Farmers Market
Saturdays | 8am-212pm
(WIC/SFMN_ & IU Health Bucks)		 Muncie Makers Market
Saturdays | 4pm-7pm
(SNAP)
Northern Tropics Greenhouse
Monday-Saturday | 12pm-6pm		 Open Door Farmers Market
Tuesday-Thursdays | 11am-2pm
(Open July 18th | WIC/SFMNP)
Yorktown Farmers Market
Wednesdays | 4:30pm-7pm
(SNAP & WIC/SFMNP)

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are shallow landscaped area that collects rain water from roofs, driveways, sidewalks and lawns and filters it through soil and plants before it enters storm drains or streams.

Stormwater Educator Jason Donati from the Muncie Sanitary District created a presentation on creating your own rain garden: “Going Green with Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens.”

Learn more with this Rain Garden brochure from the Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Clear Choices, Clean Water website.

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Western Woods Neighborhood

Western Woods header

Neighborhood Association Meetings

The Western Woods Neighborhood Association meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 pm at Westview Elementary School, 3401 W. Gilbert. All are welcome.

Neighborhood Action Plan

MAP Westerwood Neighborhood Plan

On the Web

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Western-Woods-Neighborhood-Association-Muncie-Indiana-564108787056285/

Neighborhood Map

Western-Woods-map (pdf)

Join the private social network for your neighborhood at Nextdoor.