May is a good time to say “Hi Neighbor!”
An event that started as a one-day observance has now grown to a full month and includes block parties, pot lucks, fish fries and community yard sales – May is Neighborhood Month in Roanoke City. This year the month actually began last Saturday with a half day conference on April 30 that brought people together from neighborhoods all over the city to share ideas and voice any concerns.
Neighborhood services coordinator Bob Clement calls that conference “an awesome success,” featuring about 60 participants and presenters. Just being together to network and getting the latest information from Roanoke City seemed to be recurring themes, said Clement. Neighborhood Month came together in 2004, said Clement, scheduled for spring in part to get people outdoors again and giving them an excuse to say hi to a neighbor. “No event is too large or too small.”
One of the groups was a neighborhood group in the Riverland Road area setting up at a picnic table at Piedmont Park, offering ice cream to those passing by on the greenway. The Grandin Road Business Association shuts off streets for a Sunday block party this month; in Gainsboro, Patton Avenue is also shut down so neighbors can get together for a few hours.
“It’s all about bringing neighbors together in community with each other,” said Clement – including neighbors from across the city who may venture out across the city for the fish fry or community yard sale. “We really are one community. Come out and participate and get to know one another.” This Saturday the Airlee Park neighborhood has a 24-block yard sale with around 100 individual yard sales going on at the same time. “A madhouse of yard sales – certainly the place to be.”
The Melrose-Rugby Neighborhood Association Fish Fry featuring a six dollar take out boxed lunch on May 11 is just one highlight, notes Clements. Hurt Park will also cook up some hot dogs and fish this May. “You can’t beat the food,” chuckles Clement. (see roanokeva.gov/neighborhoodmonth for more information and a full listing of the month’s events)
Gene Marrano
