Greetings Neighbors!
It’s another great day in the ol’ West End Neighborhood.
We had another great turnout for the April WCNA meeting this week! So many we had to quickly add lots of additional chairs. This is so great to see and thanks to all of you for taking the time to come to the meeting and participating in productive conversations. We are such a better association when we have robust membership and participation.
New Members
Speaking of robust membership, I’m so proud to announce that we have surpassed 200 for the first in recorded history – or at least the history I can find!! Thanks to the entire board for working hard on this goal and a special shout-out to Anita Kuker for her diligence. The welcome packets she has created and making sure every new member gets contacted has made a big difference. Now we’re on to 300!! We welcomed several new members to the WCNA on Monday night. Welcome and we look forward to seeing you at porch parties, WCNA events and at future meetings for years to come!
Yesterday’s West Central: Thieme Overlook
Charlotte Weybright gave a fabulous presentation on the Thieme Overlook. She took us through the history of this hidden gem that sits at the north end of Rockhill right at the corner of Thieme and Main Street.
In the early part of the 20th century, Theodore Thieme lived nearby (1026 W Berry St.) and walked by this location every day on his way to work at the Wayne knitting Mills west on Main Street. At the time this low area was used as a dump and didn’t look or smell good! Seeing the potential and wanting to bring a “civic awaking” to beautify the rivers Mr. Thieme donated the money to build the beautiful overlook you see in the photo and still today. He then engaged the renowned talents of landscape architect, George Kessler, who also designed a master parks and boulevard system for the city.
While the Overlook has gotten a bit overgrown and is showing signs of its age, it’s still worth a trip (stroll) to see and appreciate it. Your WCNA is working with city to cut back some of the overgrowth and just generally spruce it up. In addition, Charlotte talked about a dream to build a seating and boat landing at the bottom, ala what you see at Promenade Park. Drawings were created by neighbor Tom Cain years ago and now the challenge is finding the money – likely around $2 million in total.
We need another Theodore Thieme!!
Guest Speaker: Michael Galbraith, ARCH
Our guest for April was Michael Galbraith, the returning Executive Director of ARCH, the historic preservation organization. “ARCH celebrates, protects and preserves architecture and community heritage in Allen County and Northeast Indiana,” according to its mission. Michael noted that this year ARCH is celebrating its 50th anniversary – a big milestone.
He further noted that ARCH shares a long history with West Central and he personally lived in the neighborhood for over a decade early in his tenure in Fort Wayne. Several homes were relocated to West Central and saved from demolition through ARCH’s ongoing efforts. In fact, it was the destruction of nearly an entire West Central block of homes that was the impetus for ARCH’s creation. Last, ARCH was also a co-organizer on the very first Home & Garden Tour, now an annual staple of the community and our association’s major funding source.
The above are just samples of many efforts by ARCH within West Central and a big part of the reason we invited Michael to speak is to strengthen the connection between our two organizations. Look for regular updates on this relationship in the future. ARCH operates entirely on donor generosity and gets no taxpayer funds. If you want to give, please visit https://archfw.org/ Make sure you save the date for ARCH’s annual home tour on June 21. This year, they’ll be featuring Forest Park Boulevard.
Announcements
Kelly Benton provided a quick recap for the annual Egg Hunt which took place at Moody Park this past Sunday. More than 900 eggs were “hidden” around the park in three different sections for three different age groups – giving the younger kids a sporting chance! They had over 40 children attend and it took all of four minutes to gather up all the eggs. Kudos to Kelly and the entire Benton family for filling all those eggs with candy and for organizing another great event.
West Central will again participate in the Great American Cleanup effort, holding our own event from 9 am – 11 am on Saturday, May 3rd. Those willing to volunteer should meet at the dumpster that will be placed in the public parking lot located at the southeast corner of Wilt and Van Buren. Tyler Bowers is again organizing this event and can be contacted at tyler.bowers713@gmail.com.
Speaking of cleanup, Mike Rogers updated the association on the progress of the Green Team. This was Mike’s brainchild to help keep West Central clean throughout the year. Volunteers “adopt” a section of streets and perform regular litter pickups. For those who need it, the WCNA will provide gloves, quality grabbers, trash bags and a 5 gallon bucket. Contact Mike for details at GreenTeam@westcentralneighborhood.org. Go, Mike!
April Gift Direction
At each WCNA meeting, those in attendance get to choose a charity that touches West Central and provide them with a $250 donation. Audience members suggested either ARCH or Wellspring and the choice was nearly unanimous in favor of ARCH. A check for $250 will be sent to ARCH on behalf of the neighborhood. This is the second time Wellspring has come in second so it will be considered in May as well.
May Association Meeting
At next month’s meeting, we’ll have a presentation by neighbors Dodd Kattman and Craig Leonard on unlocking valuable tax credits available for home investments in the Local Historic District (LHD). This is just one of many ways being part of an LHD adds value to the neighborhood. They’ll discuss the rules and provide a real-live case example of how it’s done. There’s real money available!
Warmer weather is now – mostly – upon us, so I hope to see you on the front porch soon. If you have a friend or neighbor who isn’t yet a member, please encourage them to join. Our strength is in our numbers and our engagement. The advocacy of associations really makes a difference so thanks to all of you for your support.
Joel Sauer, President
(260) 433-3672
2025 Board Officers
- Membership: Anita Kuker membership@westcentralneighborhood.org
- President: Joel Sauer president@westcentralneighborhood.org
- Secretary: Bethany Pruitt secretary@westcentralneighborhood.org
- Treasurer: George Taylor treasurer@westcentralneighborhood.org
- Vice President: Kelly Benton VP@westcentralneighborhood.org