 |
| Spring blooms on Buckingham Street. |
Well, March started with a bang! Our 9th Annual Progressive Dinner (check out some photos here) was sold out, and the wonderful locations for the opening and dessert receptions were surpassed only by our gracious hosts who opened their homes and generously fed everyone. Sadly, a week later we've had a devastating fire just a block from our neighborhood, with one fatality, one firefighter and multiple residents injured, and dozens of families displaced for the foreseeable future. If you'd like to do something to help, consider donating to the toiletry drive highlighted below, or giving to the Red Cross. And kudos to our amazing Hartford Fire Department, who -- just days before such a busy fire weekend -- had earned International Accreditation, the first fire department in New England to do so. And finally, the disappointing news that this year's Greater Hartford St Patrick's Day Parade, which marches through a good portion of our neighborhood, is canceled this year due to Coronovirus concerns. See below for more info on the City's pandemic preparedness.
Barring a city-wide quarantine, or our host, South Church, abstaining from public meetings as a precaution, the next meeting for the 2019-20 year for the South Downtown NRZ is Wednesday, March 18, at 6 pm at South Church (enter on John Street.)
Our meetings typically include reports from Hartford NEXT, Community Garden, and the Outreach and Social Committees, reports on fire and police activity in the neighborhood, and updates from various City offices such as Community Engagement, Planning & Development Services, and Sustainability. We occasionally have special guests who share information relevant to quality of life in the city or the neighborhood. Presenters at the March meeting will include Kenny Beardsley on the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. We will also discuss potential SoDo entries in the City's Love Your Block program.
If you are a SoDo resident, property owner or business owner and would like to get involved in the NRZ, please come to any of our meetings. If you are not sure if your home or business lies within the NRZ boundaries, please check out this map. If you have questions, email SoDoNRZ@gmail.com.
