You may have noticed on the right a new "widget" (it's also on our static page at www.scanames.org) to sign up for our email list. This is one of the advantages of using Google Groups to manage our email list. The biggest problem with the way we had been doing it is that email servers tend to assume you're spamming when you send to more than 100 recipients. As I'm no longer with the university, their listserv application is no longer available to me - and scanames@iastate.edu doesn't establish our nature as an independent neighborhood association very well.
Another advantage is that once you've joined, you can use the web interface in Google Groups to view an archive our our messages. If you aren't comfortable with the web interface, just plugging in your email (and answering my question about your interest in SCAN, designed to protect our group from random strangers) will have it working just like things were before -- emails from the group show up in the usual fashion.
I sent everyone on the old list one last email to let them know about the switch, and the response has been generally positive, although only about a third of the emails have shown up as subscribed. A few past SCAN members took advantage of the switch to let me know that they'd moved and were no longer interested in receiving emails, and there were also a number that had been "bouncing" already. Just to be clear, you are not automatically on the group just because you have received an invitation - you have to click the link in the email to be added. A message went out today about Stash the Trash this weekend, so if you didn't receive that you should either go back to the invite and make sure you accepted, or else just use the widget on the right. Relevant Google policies can be found at http://groups-beta.google.com/googlegroups/terms_of_service.html, http://groups-beta.google.com/googlegroups/privacy.html, and http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy.html.
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
EWWD Hiatus
Should probably have announced this back in November when I made the decision, but I went back over my old posts and saw that really the only interest was being generated by SCAN-business related ones. While entertainment within walking distance is one of the important part of why we live in this neighborhood, I hate to put so much investment in something that has so little return. That said I will of course be continuing with the business related posts -- there just hasn't been any during these cold dark winter months. There will be a great deal in the next week thanks to VEISHEA, the Campustown Students Association, historic preservation, and an art-related announcement. All of this will also be covered in the newsletter, which will be arriving at paid members' mailboxes in the coming week.
On a related topic, the loss of the Varsity is a big blow to our neighborhood and the potential for independent movies coming to Ames. I hope something as worthwhile as the software company that went in to the Ames Theater location will find a home in the Varsity location - or that it might continue as an independent theater.
On a related topic, the loss of the Varsity is a big blow to our neighborhood and the potential for independent movies coming to Ames. I hope something as worthwhile as the software company that went in to the Ames Theater location will find a home in the Varsity location - or that it might continue as an independent theater.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ames Coalition for Effective Schools Petition
David Gradwhol brought to our attention a petition to include neighborhood schools in the planning of the Ames Community School District’s “World-Class Education Philosophy”. The closure of Crawford had a negative impact on our neighborhood and we encourage our members to support this petition. Below is the message he forwarded – if interested, you can contact him at gradwohl@iastate.edu or David Putz, chair of the Ames Coalition for Effective Schools, at amesces@gmail.com.
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If you support the inclusion of either neighborhood schools, smaller elementary class size, or both, in the Ames Community School District's Comprehensive and World-Class Education philosophy, please respond as follows:
Address:AMESCES@gmail.com
Subject: Response to Petition
Along with your name and home address to document your response, include one of the following statements of your support:
1) I support the inclusion of neighborhood schools in the ACSD's philosophy on Comprehensive and World-Class education.
2) I support the inclusion of smaller elementary class size in the ACSD's philosophy on Comprehensive and World-Class education.
3) I support the inclusion of both neighborhood schools and smaller elementary class size in the ACSD's philosophy on Comprehensive and World-Class education.
Thank you for your support of schools and kids in Ames!
PETITION TO INCLUDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS & SMALLER ELEMENTARY CLASS SIZE IN THE AMES COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE AND WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY
In the community survey conducted this spring by the Ames Community School District (ACSD), both neighborhood schools and smaller elementary class size were left off the survey.
Neighborhood schools are located in areas where children can safely walk to school, are small enough so children don't get lost in the crowd and allow teachers, families and the surrounding community to work together to educate children. Neighborhood schools:
- Promote family involvement with students and schools.
- Improve community support and volunteerism.
- Provide a welcoming and safe environment.
- Reduce the need for busing, making more money available to educate kids.
- And, as a result, improve academic performance.
Smaller elementary class size:
- Gives teachers more time to teach by spending less time on classroom management.
- Increases teacher morale and reduces burnout.
- Lets teachers identify educational issues sooner and deliver individualized instruction.
- And, as a result, improves learning - especially for students who have challenges.
Because of this, neighborhood schools and smaller elementary class size are important aspects of a comprehensive and world-class education!
This petition is sponsored by the Ames Coalition for Effective Schools (AmesCES), a group of parents and community members interested in providing the best possible education for kids!
----
If you support the inclusion of either neighborhood schools, smaller elementary class size, or both, in the Ames Community School District's Comprehensive and World-Class Education philosophy, please respond as follows:
Address:
Subject: Response to Petition
Along with your name and home address to document your response, include one of the following statements of your support:
1) I support the inclusion of neighborhood schools in the ACSD's philosophy on Comprehensive and World-Class education.
2) I support the inclusion of smaller elementary class size in the ACSD's philosophy on Comprehensive and World-Class education.
3) I support the inclusion of both neighborhood schools and smaller elementary class size in the ACSD's philosophy on Comprehensive and World-Class education.
Thank you for your support of schools and kids in Ames!
PETITION TO INCLUDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS & SMALLER ELEMENTARY CLASS SIZE IN THE AMES COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE AND WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY
In the community survey conducted this spring by the Ames Community School District (ACSD), both neighborhood schools and smaller elementary class size were left off the survey.
Neighborhood schools are located in areas where children can safely walk to school, are small enough so children don't get lost in the crowd and allow teachers, families and the surrounding community to work together to educate children. Neighborhood schools:
- Promote family involvement with students and schools.
- Improve community support and volunteerism.
- Provide a welcoming and safe environment.
- Reduce the need for busing, making more money available to educate kids.
- And, as a result, improve academic performance.
Smaller elementary class size:
- Gives teachers more time to teach by spending less time on classroom management.
- Increases teacher morale and reduces burnout.
- Lets teachers identify educational issues sooner and deliver individualized instruction.
- And, as a result, improves learning - especially for students who have challenges.
Because of this, neighborhood schools and smaller elementary class size are important aspects of a comprehensive and world-class education!
This petition is sponsored by the Ames Coalition for Effective Schools (AmesCES), a group of parents and community members interested in providing the best possible education for kids!
VEISHEA Advisory Council
A request arrived from ISU’s Office of VP for Student Affairs for a member to represent SCAN on the VEISHEA Advisory Council. If you’re interested, email Fern Kupfer, flkupger@iastate.edu.
I figured I'd post about this here in case anybody wanted to share any experiences they've had being on an ISU committee.
I figured I'd post about this here in case anybody wanted to share any experiences they've had being on an ISU committee.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Neighborhood Business: meeting and letter
So, attendance was pretty good at the meeting. I'm especially pleased with the signups I got for the welcome committee. At this point I only know of a couple of houses for sale -- none sale pending -- so if you know of any let me know. I know Barbara and Leslie didn't get what they were hoping for with signups for the home tour (they need people to check tickets at the door of each home). You get to do the tour free, assuming there are enough volunteers to relieve you from your duties for half the time. It's October 12, a Sunday of a weekend with no home football game.
From the APD reports, it sounds like the Crime-Free Housing initiative is going fairly well, although it's still just getting started. We also heard about the Campustown Safety Walk tentatively set for the evening of October 6 -- if you'd like to walk around the neighborhood one of 8 or so groups consisting of APD officers, city council members, Greek community members and other relevant individuals, they'd love to have more residents volunteer -- just email Adi Johnson, ajohnson@city.ames.ia.us.
Finally, my letter was published by the Daily -- 2 days after they published a similar one (although in my opinion more intrusive in its advice on students' personal lives), giving them nearly identical titles. The previous one has already gotten some negative online feedback, and shows up on the sidebar on every page of the Daily's website as one of the most read stories; I'll have to keep an eye on mine to see if there's any either in print or online. I worry that with 2 letters on similar topics, as well as feedback on people not picking up after their dogs, there will be backlash against all of it. Speaking of which, it appears I have my first comment -- and it's my first flame. I don't see any need to respond to it: if the person who left it is as apathetic about our organization as they claim they won't be back to benefit from a reasoned response. Then again if they were as truly apathetic as they claim they wouldn't have bothered to go online to complain about us in the first place.
From the APD reports, it sounds like the Crime-Free Housing initiative is going fairly well, although it's still just getting started. We also heard about the Campustown Safety Walk tentatively set for the evening of October 6 -- if you'd like to walk around the neighborhood one of 8 or so groups consisting of APD officers, city council members, Greek community members and other relevant individuals, they'd love to have more residents volunteer -- just email Adi Johnson, ajohnson@city.ames.ia.us.
Finally, my letter was published by the Daily -- 2 days after they published a similar one (although in my opinion more intrusive in its advice on students' personal lives), giving them nearly identical titles. The previous one has already gotten some negative online feedback, and shows up on the sidebar on every page of the Daily's website as one of the most read stories; I'll have to keep an eye on mine to see if there's any either in print or online. I worry that with 2 letters on similar topics, as well as feedback on people not picking up after their dogs, there will be backlash against all of it. Speaking of which, it appears I have my first comment -- and it's my first flame. I don't see any need to respond to it: if the person who left it is as apathetic about our organization as they claim they won't be back to benefit from a reasoned response. Then again if they were as truly apathetic as they claim they wouldn't have bothered to go online to complain about us in the first place.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Neighborhood Business: The Upcoming Meeting
Now that I and some board members have distributed several hundred fliers with this blog's address, there are probably new readers interested in the association itself, as well as this meeting that the flier was advertising. Well, here's an article I originally wrote up for the member newsletter, which won't be ready until after the meeting (it'll make it easier to figure out who's a member anyway).
The board of directors of the South Campus Area Neighborhood invite you to the annual meeting, to be held Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 7:00 PM at the Crawford School.
Officer Harry Samms, our Community Resource Officer from the Ames Police Department will be speaking on the Certified Crime-Free Housing initiative that his department has been working on, as well as general policing and crime prevention in our area.
We encourage all residents and interested parties to attend, including owner-occupants, renters, landlords, and business owners.
As at all our annual meetings, we will enroll members for the 08-09 year and elect people to our board of directors. Voting and holding office are the only meeting activities limited to our paid members.
Gloria Betcher of the Historic Preservation Committee will update us on all of their activities. We will also have reports from our president, Fern Kupfer; treasurer, Steve Ringlee; and new public relations director, Helen Colvin.
Yep, that's me there at the end. For more about SCAN check out this blog's very first post.
The board of directors of the South Campus Area Neighborhood invite you to the annual meeting, to be held Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 7:00 PM at the Crawford School.
Officer Harry Samms, our Community Resource Officer from the Ames Police Department will be speaking on the Certified Crime-Free Housing initiative that his department has been working on, as well as general policing and crime prevention in our area.
We encourage all residents and interested parties to attend, including owner-occupants, renters, landlords, and business owners.
As at all our annual meetings, we will enroll members for the 08-09 year and elect people to our board of directors. Voting and holding office are the only meeting activities limited to our paid members.
Gloria Betcher of the Historic Preservation Committee will update us on all of their activities. We will also have reports from our president, Fern Kupfer; treasurer, Steve Ringlee; and new public relations director, Helen Colvin.
Yep, that's me there at the end. For more about SCAN check out this blog's very first post.
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