PNA Food & Toiletries Drive!

The Pinckney Neighborhood Association is holding a food & toiletries drive! Students at Pinckney Elementary School need non-perishable food items & toiletries, and JustFood needs more food donations to help community members as well. See donation lists below. Let’s help out our neighbors in need!

👉A donation bin benefitting students at Pinckney Elem. is located under the pavilion along the pond walk trail at Sandra Shaw Park.
👉A donation bin benefitting JustFood is located under the picnic shelter at Clinton Park.

 

 

 

 

🥫🧴🧼 Students at Pinckney Elementary have requested:
NON-PERISHABLE FOOD, such as:
-kid-friendly cereal
-granola bars
-peanut butter & jelly
-canned soups
-mac-n-cheese
-pasta & sauce
-crackers, Cheez-Its, Goldfish, etc.
-fruit snacks
TOILETRIES, such as:
-shampoo
-soap
-toothpaste & brushes
-hand soap
-deodorant

🥫Many community members in need get their weekly food from JustFood. Please donate shelf-stable, non-perishable food items, such as:
-canned fruits
-canned vegetables
-canned meats (e.g., tuna and chicken)
-boxed dinners

November 6, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

Happy Halloween!!

 

October 31, 2020 · Pinckney admin · No Comments
Posted in: Uncategorized

Volunteers Needed to Help with Temporary Homeless Camp Setup & Donations Needed Too!

The City is looking for volunteers from the neighborhood to help the Parks & Rec Department with setting up tents and other activities for opening the sanctioned homeless encampment at Woody Park. Volunteers are needed on Tues, Nov 3rd, beginning at 10am until approximately 4pm (or until the work is done). Volunteers can work in 1-2 hour shifts as their schedules allow. Wear a mask and dress for the weather!

Donations are also needed; items needed include:
[Note- NEW items only. Please contact David Tucker with the Bert Nash Homeless Outreach Team at dtucker@bertnash.org to coordinate delivery of donated items.]

– first aid supplies
– gallon-size Ziploc bags
– garbage bags
– socks (various sizes)
– underwear (mens/womens, various sizes)
– gloves & hats for cold weather
– feminine hygiene products
– paper towels
– hand sanitizer
– laundry soap
– bleach
– instant coffee, coffee makers, disposable coffee/tea cups
– dry dog food
– dog waste bags
– pet leashes

October 30, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

Recording of PNA’s October meeting available on our YouTube channel

You may view the recording of PNA’s October meeting on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbACqJNLmso&ab_channel=PinckneyNeighborhoodAssn.

Highlights include:

Russ Johnson, CEO of LMH, updated us on:

👉(1) the fact that LMH is still planning to improve the sidewalk in front of the Crisis Center with lights, plantings, and possibly bench seating BUT it won’t be a curvy “promenade” style sidewalk,

👉(2) the hospital’s desire to see Woody Park ball field moved to the grassy area near Sandra Shaw Park so that the hospital can expand. Neighbors brought up the point that the newly-installed storm drain below the Crisis Center construction area causes bad flooding, which would defeat the purpose of moving the ball field to that location. LMH will try to investigate the situation and come back to PNA with more info.

 

The PNA President and VP addressed resident concerns regarding the way that the homeless encampment project at Woody Park moved forward.

👉Note: The project received City Commission approval at the Oct 6th meeting.

👉Watch this recording to get an understanding of the project’s rapid timeline. Communications about the project were made in a good faith effort.

 

Plus LOTS more!

October 17, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

Recording of PNA Virtual Town Hall re: Neighborhood Name on our YouTube Channel

 

If you missed the virtual town hall PNA held regarding our neighborhood’s name, you can watch it on our PNA YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr6MTQqv-YQ&ab_channel=PinckneyNeighborhoodAssn

 

Please be sure to take the name survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/rethinkingpinckneyname

October 16, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

Town Hall Meeting on our Neighborhood Name – October 15th at 7pm via Zoom

The Pinckney Neighborhood Association stands with those seeking to end systemic racism. We join the KU and greater Lawrence communities in reiterating that Black Lives Matter.

One way to fulfill this commitment is to reconsider the name of our neighborhood. The Pinckney Neighborhood bears the former name of 6th Street. Until 1912, 6th Street was named Pinckney Street — although this was not likely the original spelling. Early records from the abolitionist town founders of Lawrence point to the street being named for William Pinkney, the author of an influential anti-slavery document. However, in the late 1800s, maps and newspapers began to use the spelling “Pinckney” (with a ‘c’), and by the 1920s for reasons that are still unclear, Lawrence school authorities were formally claiming that the school was named for Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. And so, in circular fashion, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney is now associated with the neighborhood.

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney has no connection to the City of Lawrence or even to the state of Kansas. While he was a Revolutionary War general and a signer of the Constitution, he was also a South Carolina plantation slave-owner who cowrote the Fugitive Slaves Clause. Our neighborhood being associated with someone so profoundly tied to slavery and racism is troubling. Thus, the Neighborhood Association has formed a committee to assess interest in changing the name of our neighborhood. Note: This effort is independent of the elementary school. The Lawrence School Board and USD 497 leadership are conducting their own review of the school’s name.

Learn more by visiting our webpage at http://www.pinckneyneighborhood.org/reconsidering-our-neighborhood-name/.

We want YOUR input! Your opinion matters.

Are you in favor of changing the name of our neighborhood?  Why or why not? Please submit your response before October 15th by:

-emailing us at pinckney.neighborhood@gmail.com OR

-voicing your opinion within our neighborhood Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/117029931007/) OR

-mailing a letter to: Pinckney Neighborhood Association, PO Box 125, Lawrence, KS 66044 OR

-calling us at 785-864-2380 (Eleanor Gardner; Neighborhood Coordinator)

 

 

 

 

➤ And join us for a Zoom Town Hall Meeting on this topic on Thursday, October 15, at 7pm! 

Zoom Meeting link: http://bit.ly/ZoomTownHall

password: 2020

 

September 24, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

September 2020 PNA Meeting Recording on our YouTube Channel

The video recording of our PNA meeting that took place this morning is now available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

We heard a presentation from Jill Jolicoeur (Assistant Administrator, Douglas County); Derek Rogers (City of Lawrence Parks & Rec); and David Tucker (Bert Nash Homeless Outreach Team case manager).  To review the proposed map for the homeless camp, a draft Code of Conduct, and the RFP for homeless encampment services, please go to http://www.pinckneyneighborhood.org/news-info/.  You may contact the presenters at: jjolicoeur@douglascountyks.org (Jill), drogers@lawrenceks.org (Derek), and dtucker@bertnash.org (David).

Please note that starting this month, there will not be any closed captions on the video, nor a document with the transcribed conversation. Correcting the auto-generated captions/transcription is a hugely time intensive task. Due to severely limited grant funds PNA received this year, the executive committee made a decision last month to remove that duty from the coordinator’s responsibilities. Additionally, the video recording will only be available for viewing until the next meeting – after which point it will be removed.

September 19, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

September 2020 E-News & Next Meeting 9/19 @ 10am!

The September 2020 e-newsletter is available to read at:

https://mailchi.mp/597044d72710/pna-september-2020-enews

 

Our next PNA meeting is Sept 19th at 10am via Zoom.  Please view the e-newsletter linked above for Zoom meeting details and password.

 

Important topics of conversations at this meeting will include:

–City’s proposal to temporarily use Woody Park as a homeless camp starting Nov 2020

–LMH’s proposal for sidewalk & landscaping improvements

–Update from the neighborhood name committee

 

Also, the first public input opportunity for Lawrence Transit’s Route Redesign Study #1 is open now through October 4th, and aims to understand travel patterns. Pinckney residents are encouraged to take the survey at https://lawrenceks.org/listens/surveys/ so that our neighborhood is well-represented in the City’s outreach efforts. The scope of work for Route Redesign Study #1 can be found at www.lawrencetransit.org/transfer-facility.

September 16, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

LMH Seeking Neighborhood Input on Sidewalk & Landscaping Plans

 

LMH is seeking immediate neighborhood input on their proposal to improve sidewalks & landscaping (see proposal below). LMH hopes to begin work later this month.

Please respond by Sept. 10 by any of the following methods:
-email pinckney.neighborhood@gmail.com OR
-make a post in our neighborhood Facebook group OR
-mail a letter to P.O. Box 125, Lawrence, KS 66044 OR
-call Eleanor (Neighborhood Coordinator) at 785-864-two three eight zero

 

 

LMH Proposal: New Streetscape

Introduction
As development of the mental/behavioral health facilities on the north side of Second St. progress, LMH wishes to upgrade a typical sidewalk to a more pedestrian-friendly walkway that could have landscaping, seating areas, and lighting.  This could potentially tie into a future development whereby the walkway would continue west along the LMH Health campus, connecting all the way to Arkansas St.  The sidewalk in front of the Crisis Center is the most immediate project, and LMH is seeking neighborhood input on the proposed routes.

Immediate Opportunity
Timing on these efforts is important because there are some immediate opportunities that coincide with potential site work that could facilitate the proposed walkway. The urgency for this is associated with rapidly pending site work and sidewalk development for the behavioral health campus. The immediate chance of completing a pedestrian walkway along Second St. is compelling for the long term and, LMH believes, should be seized upon.
 
Considerations
Discussions are ongoing with the architects for the behavioral health campus regarding the anticipated sidewalk along the north side of Second St.  Graphic representation of proposal:

Close up along proposed walkway:

This project would involve converting a typical straight sidewalk to a pedestrian-friendly promenade.  This version will have greater expense associated with it and LMH is awaiting what that premium cost is.  LMH plans to work with the city, county (responsible for developing the behavioral health campus), and others to consider the added cost.  LMH does not want to miss this immediate opportunity to create a long-term improvement in the neighborhood that would encourage pedestrian traffic, enhance the use of parks, and improve the hospital campus within the community.
 
Future Options for an Extended Sidewalk from Maine St. to Arkansas St.
Further development west across Woody Park or the LMH Health campus has some flexibility that can be considered over time.  Below are two ways LMH could consider this aspect of the walkway.  In either case, LMH would like to continue the design, style, and look of the walkway along Second St.  This would help create a compelling pedestrian corridor.

Option 1: Short-term solution for west side of walkway

  • Complete the sidewalk enhancement along the east side of Second St., according to the plans above.
  • Develop an improved sidewalk along the north side of LMH and the Second St. drive (cutting through campus).
  • Tie these improvements (shown in purple) to the pending projects already planned by LMH.
  • The two areas circled in blue are projects where site work and minor construction may be done soon.

Option 2: Solution for west portion of walkway being integrated with Woody Park planning

  • Complete the sidewalk enhancement along the east side of Second St. according to the plans above.
  • Develop an improved sidewalk to the west from the point directly across the street going west through Woody Park and along the north side of the LMH campus.
  • This option represents a long-term solution that would enable pedestrian traffic to avoid hospital parking, helipad landing and take-off, and other truck support traffic to the campus.
  • LMH anticipates this option being part of a solution that would include a Woody Park Memorial recognition, enhancement of playground and ball field facilities with Sandra Shaw Park, and other considerations.

September 4, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements

August PNA Zoom Recording & Meeting Transcribed

The Zoom recording of the August PNA monthly meeting is available to watch/listen on the PNA YouTube channel.  You can also read the conversation by downloading a PDF of the discussion.

August 22, 2020 · Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements