Hi Neighbors,
This is a reminder that The Annual Neighborhood Cleanup Day & Cookout, in conjunction with the City of Methuen, will be held this Sat., May 7th. The Cleanup is from 10:00am-12:00pm in our neighborhood, followed by the post-cleanup cookout at the Tenney Grammar School from 12:30pm-2:00pm. We will meet at 10am in front of 21 Cypress Ave. to hand out Free T-Shirts, trash bags, and gloves.
Join in this effort to clean up after a rough and messy winter.
Thanks. See you then.
–Chris
Neighborhood Cleanup this Saturday, May 7th
May 4, 2011
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Notes from 3/24/11 Annual Meeting
April 2, 2011Hi Neighbors,
We were fortunate to have a good turnout for our recent Neighborhood Annual Meeting. In addition to neighborhood residents, several Methuen leaders also attended, including: City Councilors Jeanne Pappalardo & Jim Hajjar, School Committee member Bob Vogler, Methuen Police Sergeant Gunter & Officer Torrisi, and Methuen Charter Commission Member Joe Pappalardo.
Here are some notes from the Annual Meeting held on 3/24/11…
-Methuen High School Renovation: Bob Vogler, Methuen School Committee member, updated us on the status of the Methuen High School renovation plan. The Central School will be used for 9th graders for the next 3 years while renovation takes place at the high school. 10th-12th graders will remain at the high school during the renovation process. Construction ought to take 28 months from start to finish. Current 5th graders will be the first freshman class to attend the renovated high school.
-Neighborhood Safety: Methuen Police Officers’ Sgt. Gunter (978-983-8792, jgunter@ci.methuen.ma.us) & Officer Torrisi reiterated several key points to residents. These include:
- Call Methuen Police at 978-983-8677 for any suspicious activity. Save this number in your cell phone right now. As always, call 911 for emergencies.
- Make yourself less likely to be a victim of crime by informing neighbors when you will be away from your house. You can also inform the police of when you will be away and request them to make periodic rounds to check on your house. You can request this by filling out a form at the police station.
- Be watchful of suspicious activity in the neighborhood.
- Do not show all your money in the grocery store at the checkout aisle. Only take out of your purse/wallet the money that you will need to pay.
- Take regular walks in your neighborhood to demonstrate that this is a safe neighborhood and that there are lots of eyes watching.
-Neighborhood Cleanliness:
- It was suggested that residents bring a little trash bag on their walks around the neighborhood to pick up trash along their route to help keep the neighborhood clean. This helps to show that ours is a neighborhood that is cared for by its residents. A clean and cared for neighborhood with residents who take walks in their neighborhood is a crime deterrent.
- Street sweeping by the City is scheduled to take place on May 23rd.
- The Annual Neighborhood Cleanup Day & Cookout, in conjunction with the City of Methuen, will be held on Sat., May 7th. Cleanup is from 10:00 am-12:00 pm in Cypress Area, followed by the post cleanup cookout at the Tenney Grammar School from 12:30 pm-2:00 pm
-Getting the word out: A concern was expressed that there are still many neighbors in the area who are unaware of our Neighborhood Group. Residents are encouraged to take responsibility to inform their neighbors and encourage them to visit our website, http://www.CypressMethuen.org and to sign up for our neighborhood e-News via YahooGroups found under the “Subscribe” tab on our website.
Upcoming Neighborhood Events: Our annual calendar of our 6 neighborhood events can always be found under the “Calendar” tab on our website. Here are our next several events. Please mark your calendars.
- May 7 2011: Annual Neighborhood Cleanup Day & Cookout, in conjunction with the City of Methuen. Cleanup is from 10:00 am-12:00 pm in Cypress Area, followed by the post cleanup cookout at the Tenney Grammar School from 12:30 pm-2:00 pm
- May 29, 2011 (Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend): Neighborhood Block Party, Caswell Ave. 4pm-7pm, with a brief neighborhood meeting at 5pm.
- August 2, 2011 (1st Tues. of August): National Night Out Dessert Social, 6-7:30pm
- Oct. 9, 2011 (Sunday of Columbus Day Weekend): Neighborhood Block Party. Caswell Ave.
Leave a Comment » | Events, neighborhood issues, Neighborhood Services, Safety | Tagged: Cypress Ave, Methuen | Permalink
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Our very own 1-mile walking route
November 29, 2009Now that we have sidewalks, let’s be sure to use them! I have included below a couple of “1-mile walking routes” throughout our neighborhood. Feel free to get out and walk. The more pedestrians walking in the neighborhood, the better. Walking in the neighborhood can reduce crime, can slow drivers down, can encourage neighbors to get to know each other better, and can improve your health (mental & physical!). Feel free to share your own favorite walking route by submitting a comment below.
Happy & safe walking!
–Chris
This is a 1.0-mile route
View Larger Map
This is a 1.1-mile route
View Larger Map
Leave a Comment » | Going Green, neighborhood issues, Safety | Tagged: Cypress Avenue, Methuen, sidewalks, walking | Permalink
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We’ve got sidewalks!
November 11, 2009As you know, the much anticipated Cypress Ave. sidewalks have now been installed. The City of Methuen recently finished installing new curbing & sidewalks on the east shoulder of Cypress Ave. continuing from the intersection of Haverhill St./Cypress Ave. down to the Methuen/Lawrence line. In addition, the City installed new curbing and sidewalks on the west shoulder of Cypress Ave. from the Haverhill St./Cypress Ave. intersection down to the top of the steep hill going towards Meadow Street.
The steep hill on Cypress Ave. was a significant safety issue since there is no sight visibility for cars and there were no sidewalks for pedestrians. Importantly, children can now walk more safely on sidewalks to their bus stop at the top of Cypress Ave. Thanks to the City, this safety issue has been resolved. The next step is for the City to put in crosswalks at the top of Cypress, just prior to the QuickStop Convenience Store, and another one at the bottom of Cypress near Moisen Ave.
This is a great example of how a group of citizens can come together as one voice to identify a neighborhood safety issue and bring that issue forward to local government for help. In this case, Methuen’s City Council heard the concerns, studied various options, and moved forward with a plan to resolve the concerns. I am proud of our neighbors and proud of our local government for demonstrating how local government can work with its citizens to improve quality of life issues.
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Recycling? Now’s a great time to start!
October 21, 2009Hello neighbors (and friends!),
I wanted to pass on some information on recycling. Recycling benefits us in two ways….1 – it saves on resources and therefore is better for the environment, and 2 – it saves money and is better for our tax rate. The city pays for the waste disposal contractor to pick up trash. The cost is based on a dollar figure per ton taken. When it comes to recycling, the city receives money based on a dollar figure per ton. So, by recycling, not only are we paying for less trash to be disposed of, but the city receives more money back! It’s a WIN-WIN. Recyle bins are emptied every other week. The next time our neighborhood has recycle pick up is next Tuesday, Oct 27.
Reducing your trash by a few pounds a week is easy:
• Recycle ALL clean paper (e.g.mail, catalogues) and cardboard—if it RIPS, you can Recycle it! Recycling all paper and cardboard saves $.
-Flatten/cut cardboard boxes to 3′x 3′ x 3′or smaller (to fit in truck) and
mix with other paper products (e.g. newspapers, magazines)
-Pizza boxes are not allowed due to food/grease contamination
-Do not use boxes as containers for either trash or recycling.
• Turn spoils into soils — compost organic food scraps.
• Include ALL #1 – #7 plastic, metal and glass containers in your bin (please
rinse/no lids)
• Give unwanted stuff away: go to www.freecycle.org
• Reduce Trash! Buy products with less packaging.
Recycling bins are available at the DPW Yard on Lindberg Ave off of Mystic St. (978-983-8865). You can also make your own recycling bin by reusing a container that you already have. Clearly mark it in water-proof ink as a recycling container, or pick up colorful recycling decals at the DPW Yard or DPW office in City Hall.
For additional questions, contact the
Methuen DPW at 978-983-8545 or visit
http://www.ci.methuen.ma.us/DPW/DPW.htm
Stay Safe,
Chuck
3 Comments | Going Green, neighborhood issues | Tagged: Cypress, Methuen, recycling | Permalink
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Which police number do I call?
October 20, 2009Now that the Cypress Area is an organized neighborhood group looking out for each other, it’s important that we realize that battling crime demands combined efforts of citizens and police. Because the police can’t be everywhere at all times, the Police Department is dependent on citizen cooperation to fight crime.
How do I call the Methuen Police?
1. Dial 9-1-1 for emergencies, (978) 983-8677 for non-emergencies or to ask questions, or (978) 983-8794 to reach the Drug Hotline where you can leave a voicemail message to give anonymous tips and information.
2. Quickly describe why you are calling.
3. Give your name, address, and phone number (unless you are calling the anonymous Drug Hotline).
4. Give detailed suspect or vehicle description and last known location or direction of travel.
5. Stay calm. Remain on the phone to give any additional information.
When should I call the police?
If you observe suspicious activity, take the initiative to call the police. Don’t assume someone else is going to do it. If you are not sure if you should call, just go ahead and make the call and let the police make the decision how to address it.
What is suspicious activity?
• A stranger around your neighbor’s house or a strange vehicle parked near your neighbor’s home.
• The sound of breaking glass.
• Anyone peering into vehicles or removing tags, gasoline, or auto parts.
• An improperly parked car, or a parked car with someone in it who seems out of place.
• Someone carrying property such as TVs, stereos, or tools that can be used to break into homes.
• Apparent business transactions conducted from a vehicle or street corner.
• A constant flow of strangers to and from a particular house on a regular basis, especially during late evening hours.
• Persons involved in a fight or any explosion or scream.
• Door-to-door solicitations without a solicitor’s permit, or any stranger knocking on doors (burglars sometimes knock at the door first to see if anyone is at home).
• Recurring appearances of a strange vehicle in the neighborhood.
• Persons standing around, possibly acting as lookouts.
1 Comment | neighborhood issues, Safety | Tagged: Cypress Avenue, Methuen, Neighborhood Watch, police | Permalink
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Neighborhood priorities
September 22, 2009I thought I would post the results of our voting from May 2009 where we prioritized the most pressing issues that residents felt our neighborhood faces. Drug issues topped the list with 26% percent of respondents stating that was a top priority. The rest of the results are…
26%: Drug issues in neighborhood
16%: Create a community playground within walking distance of neighborhood
15%: Address speeding/signs on Cypress, Hemenway, Madison, Caswell
14%: Create a list of skills & needs of neighbors so we can support each other
11%: Clean up neighborhood – ongoing ideas for curbside appeal
10%: Potholes
8%: Increase recycling in neighborhood among neighbors
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Sidewalks are coming to Cypress Ave.
August 8, 2009On Wednesday, August 5th, residents of the Cypress Ave. Area Neighborhood Group met with city officials, including: Director of Engineering, Frank Russo; DPW Director, Ray DiFiore; Chief of Staff, Mattthew Kraunelis; West District City Councilor, Jeanne Pappalardo; and Councilor-at-Large, Jennifer Kannan. Dicussions took place regarding the study that had been done by the city’s engineering department. It was determined that installing a sidewalk on the west shoulder of Cypress Ave. would be cost prohibitive due to the need for a retaining wall. Therefore, it was agreed that a sidewalk could be installed on the east shoulder of Cypress Ave. and be a continuous sidewalk from the intersection of Cypress/Haverhill St. down to the end of the Methuen/Lawrence line on Cypress Ave. As well, a crosswalk would be painted just prior to the QuickStop’s parking lot for children to safely cross the street to get to the bus stop which is at the west corner of Cypress and Haverhill.
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