For 2020, ONS Neighborhood Association Membership meetings will be held the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm with no meeting in December.  The Board of Directors will meet immediately following.  For more information such as location and agenda and to join the ONS Association, visit www.oldnorthside.org.  

The Board is looking to create more opportunities for neighbors to get involved.  Several committees are being considered for creation or revival.  Among those in consideration are Bylaw Review and Revision, Neighborhood Improvement and Welcoming. If you have interest in being involved in any of these or wish to see another committee, please email president@oldnorthside.org.

The ONS Association Board of Directors, as the membership of the ONS Foundation, elected President Garry Elder, Director Pat McGuffey, Director Keith Sattler to the 2020-21 Board of Director positions.  Vice President Hilary Barnes, Secretary Megan Robinson, Treasurer Diana Mullendore, and Director Ashley Gray Pierce are mid-term and will continue to serve this year.  Nancy Inui and Tom Mote return as Honorary Board Members.  The Foundation said goodbye to long time Board Member and Tinker Street Advocate Doug Meagher as he moved out of the neighborhood at the end of 2019.  He contributed much time and money over the years to help keep the ONS especially Tinker Street looking its best.  Huge thanks and best of luck, Doug!

Happy 2020 to all the neighbors and friends of the Old Northside! I am honored to be serving as the new President of the Old Northside Neighborhood Association (ONSNA) and to continue as the Secretary for the Old Northside Foundation (ONSF).  Before we get too far into the new year, I want to take a moment to look back at all we did in 2019.  

The Association’s Social Committee hosted monthly events ranging from progressive cocktail parties to pitch-ins at the park.  Attendance was strong at each of these events. The Social Committee also teamed up with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to host a spring and fall clean up.  Trash was picked up, strange things were found, curbs were cleaned, dumpsters were filled…and the ONS looked better as a result. I suspect some fun was also had in the process. To continue the efforts of keeping the ONS in tip top shape, the Association, along with generous neighbors, had stumps along the sidewalks removed , replaced missing or faded banners throughout the neighborhood and contributed to improvements in the medians and along the southside of 16th Street (Tinker Street) at the northwest edge of the neighborhood. The Land Use Committee also stayed busy with their continued commitment to the preservation of the ONS.  I cannot forget the work of the Board Members and neighbors who have attended countless meetings and forums on behalf of the ONS to ensure our voice is heard in the I65/70 North Split Project.  

The Foundation was also very busy in 2019.  Significant tree pruning occurred in both Great Oak Commons and Shawn Grove Park.  The lighting in Shawn Grove Park was converted to LED to take advantage of energy and cost savings as well as address some ongoing maintenance issues.  The 2nd Annual Plunder in the Park raised $20,643.19 all while neighbors and friends had a great time sailing the seas on a pirate ship, listening to great music, and enjoying some local brews and eats.  Repairs to the gazebo and upgrades to the restroom in Great Oak Commons began and will be completed as weather allows. Numerous volunteers helped add plants and bulbs multiple times throughout the year in both parks and at the Central Avenue art installations.  All of that and more was done on top of the day-to-day general upkeep and maintenance of the parks.  

I think it is safe to say that 2019 was a great year for the ONS. There is always room to improve so I am looking forward to what can be done in 2020.  None of this would be possible without the support of our neighbors and friends.  We are continuously grateful to those who dedicate time, money and other resources to make this neighborhood the best! Be sure to visit www.oldnorthside.org to learn more about our upcoming activities as well as way to get involved.

Best regards,

Megan Robinson

President – Old Northside Neighborhood Association

Secretary – Old Northside Foundation

What: 2019 Old Northside Neighborhood Association (ONSNA) Annual Meeting

When: Tuesday, December 10th at 7:00pm

Where: McGowan Hall Lounge – 1305 N Delaware St

Why: Food, drinks and voting for the 2020 ONSNA Board of Directors

RSVP: www.oldnorthside.org (So we have enough refreshment for everyone.)

All current members of the ONSNA are eligible to vote. Not a member? Membership lapsed? Join today at www.oldnorthside.org. Your membership will be active immediately and last until the end of 2020. Questions about your membership status? Email treasurer@oldnorthside.org. Unable to attend? Watch email, NextDoor and Facebook for information on electronic absentee voting.

Slate for the 2020 Board of Directors

• President - Megan Robinson
  
• Vice President - Rob Measel
  
• Secretary - David Bartoletti
  
• Treasurer - Chanda Johnson
  
• 2020-21 Director - Monica Bopp
  
• 2020-21 Director - Dan Mullendore
  
• 2020-21 Director - Hilary Barnes

Not a member of the ONS Neighborhood Association?  Beginning, November 1, new members will enjoy membership for November and December of this year as well as all of 2020.  This means you are eligible to vote (or run) for the Board of Directors at this year's annual meeting. Your membership of the ONS Neighborhood Association supports our monthly social events, twice annual clean ups, the tireless work of the Land Use Committee as well as other neighborhood improvement projects. Some of the neighborhood improvement projects seen in 2019 were the grinding of stumps left by the City's removal of ash trees in the right-of-ways, improvements to the planting beds on Tinker Street (16th Street) in conjunction with Herron High School, as well as the replacement of missing and worn ONS banners.

The Foundation has been hard at work planning the second annual Plunder in the Park fundraiser. If you haven’t already, make sure you mark your calendars for Saturday, July 13 from 6-10pm and head over to Great Oak Commons to enjoy live music, food trucks and beer and wine.  In addition to the Plunder preparations, the Foundation has been at work preparing our parks and common areas for the summer months including freshening up the landscaping and opening and repairing the fountain in Great Oak Commons.

The Neighborhood Association has been focused on improving communication with our community partners.  The last few meetings have included visits from our Mayor’s Action Center Advocate Fabio Yataco and IMPD Community Relations Officer Fred Carpenter.  The May meeting also included a visit from an IMPD Arson Detective.  The Mayor’s Action Center Advocate keeps us updated on the latest plans from the city and provides a person of contact should we need extra support dealing with the city.  IMPD has provided us updates on general crime trends and what we can do to more effectively communicate any issues or concerns to IMPD.  As we head in to summer, they specifically remind us to keep our vehicles and porches empty of anything that might provoke interest as petty theft tends to rise in the warmer months.

Meeting minutes for both the Neighborhood Association and Foundation are available for members at www.oldnorthside.org.  

A position on the ONS Neighborhood Association has become available following the overseas move of a board member.  If you are interested, please email treasurer@oldnorthside.org. 

During the cleanup, a lot of questions were asked about where to report various issues throughout the neighborhood. The quick answer is “It depends.” 

For things handled by the City of Indianapolis such as potholes, trees in the right of way or illegally dumped trash, contact the Mayor’s Action Center (MAC) at 317-327-4MAC(4622) or via RequestIndy at maps.indy.gov or the RequestIndy app. You will be given a Customer Service Request number that allows you to track the report’s status. 

For issues or concerns along I-65/70 including beyond the sidewalks in the underpasses, contact INDOT at 855-INDOT4U(463-6848) or indottscc.service-now.com/csm.       

For a storm drain issues, beyond surface clogging, contact Citizen’s Energy Group at 317-924-3311.  

For a streetlight outage, contact IPL at 317-261-8222 or visit their website at www.iplpower.com.

Notice a new pothole or illegally dumped trash? Want to request a new street light? Problem with a tree in the Right of Way? Let the City of Indianapolis know by reporting it to the Mayor’s Action Center via RequestIndy at maps.indy.gov/requestindy or the RequestIndy app. You will be given a Customer Service Request number that allows you to track its status. You may also call the Mayor’s Action Center directly at 317-327-4MAC(4622). These reports help draw attention to the problems and increase the likelihood of them being addressed in a timely manner.