Aren’t you glad you live in the city?

Gas is going up and this is one of the few moments when I’m happy not to be dependent on a car. Of course the high price of gas makes everything that has to get shipped here via truck & plane higher, but I don’t fret over the daily changes in the price of gas.
I am thankful that there is a grocery store blocks from the house to complain about. Thankful that there is a bus system that can get me from various parts of the city streaming through the hood. Even more thankful for a subway system. Basically, thankful for all the things here that make it so I haven’t needed to own a car for over 10 years.

Help neighborhood school kids

From Jim

Neighbors,

A series of initiatives are being contemplated for implementation this year by the BACA on behalf of the elementary-aged children who attend John F. Cook School. In the past, you have been asked to donate book bags and other school supplies to give to neighborhood children for use at the beginning of the school year. However, this year we thought it might be useful to take another approach to this situation.

Specifically, we ask that you purchase a number of composition books, some three hole ruled paper, and boxes of pencils to donate to John F. Cook School for use by the children throughout the course of the academic year.
All too often, book bags and other materials are made available to needy children at the beginning of the year, but these essential resources become in short supply as the semester and the year wears on.

So, we will accept donations of these items (again, composition books, three hole ruled paper and boxes of pencils) at every monthly meeting of the Bates Area Civic Association, Inc. throughout the year. For those of you who don’t have children, now is a good time to purchase these items fairly cheaply because of the annual sales that normally accompany the opening of school each year.

It is our hope that this admittedly small, yet signficant, gesture of support for our neighborhood kids will eventually translate into a closer relationship between community residents and the school as well as an enhanced belief on the part of the students that we are seriously interested and invested in their productive educational growth and development.

So, please remember to bring your donations to the next BACA meeting on 9/12/2005!

Best,

Jim Berry
BACA