National Night Out Dessert Social, Aug. 2nd

July 29, 2011

Hi Neighbors,

It’s that time of the year again.  We will be gathering on Tues. evening (6pm-7:30pm), August 2nd for our National Night Out Dessert Social.  We are still looking for someone to host us in their yard.  Please let me know ASAP if you’d be willing to host us in your yard this year.  All we need is a place to be…there is no set-up needed.  Click here to view photos from last year’s gathering.

Please bring a dessert to share and a chair.  The Methuen Police will be present accompanied by some characters in costume for the kids (maybe McGruff the Crime Dog).

National Night Out is a national effort to “promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships in our fight for a safer nation”.

Thanks.
–Chris

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Notes from 3/24/11 Annual Meeting

April 2, 2011

Hi 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.

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Community policing personnel change

February 27, 2010

Hi Neighbors,

I wanted to inform you all that I just learned that our contact for Methuen Community Policing, Lt. Kevin Martin (Kmartin@ci.methuen.ma.us), has recently been reassigned out of Community Policing and is now the swing shift Commanding Officer.  Lt. Martin has been a supporter of our neighborhood group by always being willing to listen to us, attend our meetings (or sending a representative), and working to address our concerns.  We thank Lt. Martin for his efforts on our behalf and wish him well in his new post.  He will be missed.

Replacing Lt. Martin in Community Policing is Lt. Jim Jajuga (jjajuga@ci.methuen.ma.us).  We welcome Lt. Jajuga to his new position and look forward to working closely with him as we work together to improve the quality of life of our neighborhood’s residents.  Welcome aboard Lt. Jajuga!

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Thanks to the City Council and Mayor

December 5, 2009

A bunch of us are planning on attending Methuen’s City Council mtg. this coming Monday night (Dec. 7, 6:45pm) to publicly thank the City Councilors and the Mayor for their support in installing sidewalks on Cypress Ave.  Please post a comment to let me know if you are able to meet us in the Council Chambers (Searles Building, 41 Pleasant Street) at 6:45pm.

Let’s do our part and show the City our appreciation!

–Chris

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Our very own 1-mile walking route

November 29, 2009

Now 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

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We’ve got sidewalks!

November 11, 2009

As 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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Drivers’ License Info.

October 21, 2009

For those of you that drive…

As you may know, the Registry of Motor Vehicles has stopped sending written reminders for license renewals. This has caused quite a bit of difficulty for many people who have let their licenses expire, expecting advance warning from the RMV.

Below is a link that will put you on an email reminder system. This will notify you when your license is set to expire.  Please take a moment to fill out the form and possibly avoid the aggravation and problems of an expired license.

Feel free to forward this on to friends and family with Mass licenses.

https://secure.rmv.state.ma.us/RMVReminder/intro.aspx

Stay Safe,

Chuck

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Which police number do I call?

October 20, 2009

Now 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.

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Neighborhood priorities

September 22, 2009

I 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, 2009

On 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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