The Merle Hay Neighborhood Association will once again collect food and clothing donations for the less fortunate when we meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, at the Northwest Community Center.

Through our “Keep the Kids Warm!” program, we will collect winter clothing for students at Moore Elementary School. Donations of new coats, boots, stocking hats, gloves, and mittens are greatly appreciated.

For more information about the clothing drive, contact Kathy Battles by email at kmbattles@msn.com, or 515.865.3040.

The food we collect will be donated to the Des Moines Area Religious Council’s Food Pantry Program. For more information about the most-needed food items, please visit: https://www.dmarcunited.org/movethefood/

We will also accept free-will monetary donations for each program and use the funds to further each cause. Please help us continue our success!

Bring your appetite and ideas for our neighborhood when the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association meets at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 17 at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave.

Our evening will start tastily enough with the popular annual supper, featuring a variety of soups, sides, and desserts. If you’d like to contribute to the culinary cause, please contact April at 515.707.6386. The meeting portion will feature a discussion about neighborhood priorities for 2019 and beyond.

Before we meet, we encourage everyone to review the Merle Hay Neighborhood Plan. A copy can be found online at https://bit.ly/2ncr4Br. Some food for thought:

• What does the neighborhood plan get right and wrong?
• What needs and priorities have emerged since the plan was adopted in 2008?
• What are the Merle Hay neighborhood’s biggest successes and challenges? How can MHNA do better?

We will also be joined by a staff member from the City of Des Moines’ Engineering Department to discuss forthcoming improvements to Franklin Avenue. Storm sewer work along Franklin Avenue will require sections of the roadway to be reconstructed. A variety of other improvements are being considered as part of the project. An open house was held in June, where approximately 50 northwest-side citizens came to learn and ask questions about features such as on-street parking, on-street bicycle lanes, and a multi-use path.

As always, the meeting will also include neighborhood news, public safety updates, and more. Please mark your calendar and invite your neighbors! This is our last chance to gather in 2018 and we look forward to a great turnout.

Learn how to recycle right and meet our new neighborhood police officer when the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 18 at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave.

We expect to be joined by a rep from the City of Des Moines, who will share do’s and dont’s about recycling, and provide details about how you can go for the gold—gold lid, that is. The city offers gold recycling cart lids for “super recyclers” who pass a spot check on the contents of their bin. We all need to be more environmentally conscious and this is an opportunity to learn how we can all keep more recyclable goods out of the landfill. We’ll also hear from Des Moines Police Officer Trudy Paulson, who was recently assigned to our neighborhood.

There will be neighborhood news, a preview of our events calendar for the rest of 2018, and perhaps most importantly, T-R-E-A-T-S. Please mark your calendar and spread the word among your neighbors. Attending MHNA’s quarterly meetings is a great way to learn how you can get involved and make a difference right where you live!