Hello Neighbors!
It’s another grand day in the ol’ West End Neighborhood.
Connected Neighborhoods Grant Update
This is such a big deal that even though we’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: West Central, as part of the Northwest Central Collaborative, has been awarded $1 million as part of Mayor Sharon Tucker’s Connected Neighborhoods Initiative. The Northwest Central Collaborative is a group of neighborhoods (West Central, Bloomingdale, Hamilton, Nebraska and North Highlands) working together toward a joint goal. Neighborhood representatives were on hand to hear the announcement from the Mayor as seen in this photo. The winning project focus is on improving both pedestrian and bicycle safety in our five collective neighborhoods.
The next phase is community engagement. This is where you come in. There will be a mail-in survey, an online survey and several public gatherings in each of the five neighborhoods. There will be a booth at ArtsFest (September 6 or 7, TBD) where you can give your input in person. Watch our website and Facebook page for announcements around of the other public input vehicles as we’ll try our best to keep you updated. This is a critical phase and we want to hear from as many neighbors as possible.
Hemphill Smith Sculpture
Progress continues on the Hemphill Smith Sculpture near the intersection of W. Jefferson and Garden. You can now see the sidewalks and base in place. The sculpture itself is set to be installed some time this week and soon the “Historic West Central” sign will be installed. A formal dedication will be held in October. Unfortunately, a tree was accidentally destroyed by a piece of heavy equipment, but the WCNA has been assured it will be replaced once construction is complete.
Home & Garden Tour Update
The next big event on the WCNA calendar is the granddaddy of them all, the Home & Garden Tour and ArtsFest! We’re less than two weeks away from the big event. We’ve looked ahead and are told it’s going to be bright and sunny both days! We only have 2 volunteer docent slots left to fill, so if you’re able, you can sign up here. If you’re a West Central resident and mildly phone/app-savvy, we’d love to have you sell tickets – we only have 1 or 2 slots left for that. Reach out to tour@westcentralneighborhood.org and we’ll get you plugged in.
August Gift Direction
The Thirteen Step House program currently has five homes located in West Central. This organization provides safe and secure homes for individuals recovering from alcohol and/or drug addictions. From the last meeting, it was determined they do indeed accept donations, so the August gift of $250 will be sent in support.
I’m sure your summer is going as fast as mine, so enjoy what’s left of it. Kids are returning to school and cicadas are loudly announcing that fall is just around the corner.
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