Historic Meridian Park Neighborhood

Welcome to Historic Meridian Park,
an urban neighborhood with personality!!

As we begin 2007, I must acknowledge the amazing year 2006 turned out to be for Historic Meridian Park (HMP):

• We started 2006 with the creation of our neighborhood Beautification Blueprint with assistance from the Ball State University’s Center for Architecture and Planning.
• We fought against the Winona facility being used as a drug rehab center for ex-convicts.
• At our spring Cajun Brunch, neighbors Lee Smith and Mark Webb were recognized by Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson for their outstanding contributions to HMP.
• In early June Steven Stolen presented “A Sunday in the Park with Steven” as our first Centennial event followed by a reception at the Colby home.
• The 20+ person Centennial Home Tour Committee successfully coordinated an outstanding tour which attracted 1,500 participants and netted more than $17,000 for the Neighborhood. At the conclusion of the home tour, neighborhood alumni joined us for a homecoming celebration and shared thoughts about the neighborhood from days gone by.
• The Centennial brought several neighbors the opportunity to meet former residents and to hear tales of yester year. Jimmy Webb produced an outstanding video entitled, “A Tale of Two Houses,” which tied in old photos and videos from Peggy Hornbrook Fisher who lived in the neighborhood from 1921-1940s.
• Our final Centennial event coincided with our Fall Festival in September. Firestation #14 judged our chili & cornbread competitions and solidified the reign of Dr. Towns as the chef supreme 2 years running. We watched the "Money Pit" and enjoyed ice cream purchased through the efforts of neighborhood children selling water at the home tour.
• At the end of the year we began identifying and prioritizing our beautification initiatives and looking for neighbors interested in working on these initiatives.
• Our final event was a holiday party pitch-in with homemade lasagna and bread among other delicious items neighbors brought to share.
• And we must not forget our alley clean up efforts lead by Dick Luchtman nor the invaluable services provided by Ora Triplet and Anne Gautier, who delivered food and personal supplies weekly to the Senior Citizens in our neighborhood through our the Neighborhood’s Alliance of Senior Advocacy Program.

Yes, we all had a role in making 2006 memorable—whether that was simply making sure our yards looked great during the centennial tour or volunteering in some big or small way or attending association meetings or social events. It was our year to shine and we did!

Here starts 2007. Already this year the HMPNA Board has collectively dedicated 27 hours of brainpower looking for ways to make our neighborhood better. We will continue to meet on a monthly basis to ensure issues related to HMP are being addressed. In 2007 we will pursue (and hopefully receive) federal not-for-profit status. We are discussing the benefits of local historic designation, and with the help of neighbors, we will move forward on implementing beautification strategies. In fact Delaware Street residents already have a tree planting scheduled for March 31st. Look for the Neighborhood’s bi-yearly Garage Sale in early to mid August. As has become tradition, the Neighborhood will continue coordinating quarterly social events: Cajun Brunch/New Neighbor Reception, Summer BBQ, Fall Festival, and our Annual Meeting & Holiday Party. We’re looking for residents interested in hosting the Summer BBQ & Fall Festival, so please contact me if you are interested in discussing this further. So many people care very deeply about our neighborhood. I invite you to join us this year. Participate in monthly meetings and social activities. Volunteer to help with one of the beautification committees or to assist a senior citizen. Meet more neighbors. Be friendly to SNAP block captains as they give you info on how to protect yourself and collect information for our first neighborhood-wide directory. Take time to report crime. And most important, be a good neighbor! This is a special neighborhood, and I am proud to serve as your President this year.

Lorraine Phillips Vavul
President, Historic Meridian Park Neighborhood Association
E-mail me

Through the Historic Meridian Park Neighborhood Association, many programs and activities are planned throughout the year. The Association holds monthly meetings for all residents the third Monday of each month at 7:15pm in the Fortune Room of Trinity Church. Residents elect a nine- member board each December at the association's Annual Meeting. Basic association dues are $10 per year, and for those who can afford a higher level of support, patron-level dues are $25, $50, and $100. Dues go toward newsletter publishing, gardening materials for public space, social events, signage, Historic Urban Neighborhood Association dues, and Board meeting materials and postage, among other items.

The association coordinates several programs with the assistance of neighborhood volunteers, including:

• Safe Neighborhood Awareness Program (SNAP, our version of Crime Watch)
• Alley cleanups
• Alliance for Senior Advocacy Program (ASAP, assisting neighbors age 62+ with things like applying for winter assistance, grocery shopping, light cleaning, home repairs, etc.)
• Gardening efforts for public spaces
• Annual social events, such as the Cajun Brunch, Summer Barbeque, Fall Festival, and Holiday Party.

We offer lots of opportunities for involvement.

The neighborhood's news is published monthly in The Urban Times which is distributed by block captains to neighborhood residents. We have this web site. For those residents who'd like to receive periodic notices about gatherings and late breaking news, we have an email list. To add your name, please send an e-mail to updates@meridianpark.org.

In February 2006, the neighborhood partnered with Ball State's College for Architecture & Planning: Indianapolis Center to conduct a beautification strategy session. With input from numerous residents, the Ball State team put together recommendations for a cohesive beautification plan to give the neighborhood an identifiable, signature look.

A trash tote should have been left for you by the previous owner of your house. Trash day is Wednesday. Please have your trash tote in the alley behind your home or in front of your home (whichever is applicable) by 7am. Don't forget to bring the tote back inside your yard at the end of the day. Heavy trash pickup is the first Monday of the month. No more than two items are allowed per month and should be placed in the alley near where you place your trash totes. If your heavy trash is missed, please contact the Mayor's Action Line at 327-4MAC (327-4622).

Streetlights burned out? Is your alley too dark?

If a streetlight burned out in front of your house, please report it directly to Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) at 261-8222 from 7 AM to 8 PM or at 261-8111 after hours. You will need the house address which is closest to the burned out light. It is also helpful to have the IPL pole number located on a metal tag on the pole.

If you would like to report streetlight outages online, click here to go there directly or you can navigate there using the following instructions:

1. Go to http://www.iplpower.com.

2. Select "Power Outages" across the top of screen and then select "Report Streetlight Outages" from the drop down menu.

3. Follow the onscreen prompts.

Want to brighten up the dark alley behind your home? Anyone can contact IPL to have a cobra-head light added to any existing IPL pole for only $6.55 per month. The cost is added to your monthly IPL bill.

The monthly price includes tax, electricity, and maintenance. There is no installation cost, although IPL does ask that you agree to continue the light for at least 3 years to justify their expense. After such time you can disconnect it at any time. Generally the light will be installed within 2 weeks. A cobra-head light is the same type of light found on most streets in Indianapolis; they are not the historic lights that we have on our major streets.

If you are interested, contact IPL lighting directly at 261-8653. They can take your order over the phone. It is helpful to have the IPL Pole Number which is located on a metal tag on the pole