Good News from West Park Neighbor Night
By Neighbor Up member Melanie Sklarz
West Park Neighbor Night is a lively and interactive monthly gathering that brings neighbors together to plan action in the community. The group typically meets the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at West Park United Church of Christ, 3809 Rocky River Drive.
Connect with the all-volunteer West Park Neighbor Night on Facebook @westparkneighbornight or contact Danielle Doza at Danielle.Doza@gmail.com or 216-536-6122.
I write a column for the West Park Magazine about Neighbor Night and what makes it a special gathering place for our community. Check out some of my columns:
WEST PARK NEIGHBOR NIGHT GOES VIRTUAL As most in-person events went on hiatus this spring, so did West Park Neighbor Night. The group, which meets monthly at West Park United Church of Christ and brings residents together to create change, was unable to meet due to COVID-19. By June, the core team that puts on the monthly gathering began strategizing how to create and build community during a pandemic. Watching Cleveland-based nonprofit Neighborhood Connections and their Neighbor Up network turn to Zoom meetings to hold similar gatherings, the team was inspired to try it for themselves. Read more here…
NEIGHBOR NIGHT PROFILE | Valerie Jerome
Slavic Village native Valerie Jerome went to Ohio University, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Dominica, and lived in San Antonio, Texas before returning to Cleveland. In 2014, she and her husband along with their two daughters settled in West Park. Valerie enjoys living in West Park with its green spaces, coffee shops, quality healthcare facilities, sense of community, and easy access to major modes of transportation, including the rapid transit system, highways, and airport. One of her favorite parts of living here is Neighbor Night.
Last fall, after she completed writing and publishing her own children’s book, Q Goes to Curly Land, Valerie turned to the Network for ideas on how to promote it locally. One of the suggestions led her to host a reading and book signing at 5 Points Coffee & Tea. Q Goes to Curly Land tells the endearing story of Q, who is self-conscious of her curls. She does everything she can to hide them, while her sister wants her to enjoy and have fun with her curly hair. Together they imagine a place where they care for and celebrate their curls. Along the way, they build their own self-confidence. The book is for sale online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Target. You can also purchase copies directly from Valerie by sending her an email at curlylandbooks@gmail.com. Read more here…
WEST PARK NEIGHBOR NIGHT | Master Recyclers
West Park is home to several Master Recyclers. Through the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, residents can earn this distinguished title by participating in 20 hours of training and 20 hours of volunteer work with a focus on reducing, reusing, recycling. Last fall, a discussion at West Park Neighbor Night sparked an idea among participants and Master Recyclers, Danielle Doza and Emily Roll. With several residents asking how they could reduce waste, the two decided to offer a waste reduction workshop to the wider West Park community. Read more here…
WEST PARK NEIGHBOR NIGHT | Puritas Avenue Mural
Megan Rindfleisch, also known as Mimi, of Creations by Mimi, attended a West Park Neighbor Night last year to talk with residents about a potential community mural. Neighbors were in full support! From there, Mimi held an Idea Board Event at 5 Points Coffee & Tea Cafe back in January. At the Idea Board Event neighbors were encouraged to share what they wanted to see in the Puritas Avenue mural. The ideas were recorded and made into one collaborative design…Next year, Mimi and her volunteers hope to continue the mural with a lovely quote from Nathan Alger, one of the first settlers of West Park: “My friends, I’m here, the first that’s come, in this place for you, there’s room.”
