Welcome to our neighborhood's corner of the internet

As this is the first post, I'm going to keep things brief and just take care of a little business. First off, for those who've wondered in off the internet, I want to cover who we are. If you're from the neighborhood, you're probably wondering "Why a blog?" and I'll get to that too. What I'm hoping will be "regular" content will wait for another post.

The South Campus Area Neighborhood Association began in 2002 when neighbors and the city began to work together toward an improved enforcement of over-occupancy, trash, parking, noise and other city ordinances. We welcome participation by all interested parties. We are not anti-renter; it is just as important to us to make sure that a student renter’s landlord complies with ordinances that benefit the renter as it is to remind the student that excessively loud late night parties, underage drinking, and public urination are not acceptable, especially in a low-density neighborhood with the mix of families, retirees, and working adults that we have living in SCAN

Since 2002, we’ve had success with our historic preservation committee and home tour; legal victories regarding the over-occupancy zoning ordinances and “couch ordinance”; had many meetings with city and university officials, and had an intern to assist in organizational issues.

Now in 2008, SCAN continues these efforts through guest speakers at the annual meeting, and the hiring of a Public Relations Director (me!).

Why a blog? Well, our mission is to work with the city of Ames and Iowa State University to maintain and revitalize a healthy, diverse, family-friendly neighborhood that reflects the best of a true "university community”. One of the things I'd like to do in this blog is help reflect that community: specifically, to talk about what's going on not just with the association and in city government as it affects us, but the diverse cultural and entertainment events available. Part community calendar, part review (and what would a blog be if it didn't have reviews of something?) these posts will be all about what's within walking distance - not to slight the great things that happen in Old Town, Downtown, Somerset, West Campus, or the other parts of Ames, but this is about our vitality here, south of campus.