Listen Up: The Community Engagement Toolkit

Going viral. . . not yet ;)

Published on Nov 16, 2018

Recorded live on November 15, 2018
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Opportunity360, Enterprise Community Partners is excited to announce the launch of Listen: the Community Engagement Toolkit.
This new resource brings together more than 40 resources to assist and enable effective community engagement.
Join us as we share this new feature of Opportunity360 and hear from a panel of experts and practitioners from across the country who specialize in community development.
Presenters will share how engagement has shaped their work, from a small community in Maryland to a city-wide approach to community development in Detroit.

Presenters:
Andy Masters, Strategic Partnership Manager
Enterprise Community Partners

A Debate/Food For Thought > Silicon Valley Has Lost Its Soul

Yes . . . . or No

Published on Nov 16, 2018

Silicon Valley once promised to solve many of the world’s problems with a technological revolution. But now, the tech hub is the center of much scrutiny, and for many, that scrutiny is warranted. From privacy violations to flawed business models to a lack of diversity and representation, Silicon Valley has seemingly betrayed its idealism. And though technological progress has notably enriched a few, Silicon Valley has failed to deliver its promise to all. Has the prioritization of profits and conformity of thought corrupted its original “do good” agenda? Proponents argue no: Silicon Valley’s critics are simply overreacting. After all, it is still the center of innovation, and the tech giants have revolutionized the way we think, shop, communicate, and experience our lives for the better. Do big tech’s detractors simply expect too much from lucrative corporations? Or has Silicon Valley lost its soul?
FOR THE MOTION:
Noam Cohen, Journalist & Author, "The Know-It-Alls"
Dipayan Ghosh, Pozen Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School
AGAINST THE MOTION:
Leslie Berlin, Historian, Silicon Valley Archives & Author, “Troublemakers”
Joshua McKenty, Vice President, Pivotal

Theresa May defends planned Brexit deal - BBC News

She says. They laugh
Jolly good derision and fun in The House of Commons. Their reaction to the Prime Minister

Published on Nov 15, 2018

Theresa May says the UK will be free to strike trade deals with other partners around the world.
"This goes well beyond WTO commitments."
The UK will be leaving the Common Agricultural Policy and will be a free coastal state once again, she says.
The prime minister says there will be a "close and flexible" partnership with the EU on foreign and defence policy.
Please subscribe HERE http://bit.ly/1rbfUog
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Theresa May says when a final deal is agreed she will bring it to Parliament and will ask MPs "to think in the national interest, give it their backing".
She says "voting against would take us back to square one".
Theresa May says the British people want MPs to "get on with other issues" such as creating jobs, helping families with the cost of living and providing a "brighter future for our country".
She says "the choice is clear: choose to leave with no deal, risk no Brexit at all, or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated".
"This deal ends free movement, takes back control of our borders, laws and money, and delivers an independent foreign and defence policy while continuing the security cooperation to keep our people safe."
She says "this delivers the British people's wish."
"I choose to do what's best in the interest of the British people." #BREXIT #BBC #NEWS

Borderlands Fresh Produce P.O.W.W.O.W. Here in Downtown Mesa Tomorrow

“Produce on Wheels Without Waste” Your MesaZona blogger is happy to report that Borderlands Food Bank, a non-profit organizations that leases two 13,000-sq.ft warehouses in Nogales will be distributing 70 lbs of fresh produce for $12.00 tomorrow morning at the Fitch Family Community Center on the NWC of 2nd Avenue/Center Streets starting at 08:00 a.m.
Nutritious fresh produce here in Downtown Mesa . . . A Pop-Up Fresh Produce Market
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Borderlands Food Bank is vital to the health and well-being of Arizona by providing fresh nutritious produce to people, undertaking the task of helping to eradicate hunger and advocating for the environment. http://www.borderlandsproducerescue.org

Our Mission

The mission of Borderlands Produce Rescue is to rescue produce and in turn improve the quality of peoples lives, by addressing their most basic of needs – accessibility to nutritious fresh produce and living in a healthy environment.

• Rescuing Unwanted Produce Before it Ends Up in Our Landfills
• Provide Affordable Fresh Produce to Anyone in Need – No Qualifying
• Build Partnerships that Create Produce Rescue Awareness
• Lead to Achieve Our Vision of Rescuing Produce for Generations

Borderlands is able to accomplish its vision by working in conjunction with our many generous donor partners, social clubs, churches, civic organizations, food banks and national hunger relief organizations to make sure communities have access to our rescued produce.

All-Volunteer Staff Sat 17 Nov Pop-Up Market
Here in Downtown Mesa

How We Do It!

“We Rescue Produce!” All of which is either excess produce from distributors (donor partners), “ugly” produce that grocery stores won’t put on their shelves. The produce would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, where distributors would have to pay to get rid of it. We have rescued more than 39 different varieties of vegetables and fruit– from over 120 donor partnerships. Less than 1% of the donations are non-produce items such as milk, canned soup, cereal and other non-perishable items. Often times, at least 10% to 15% of the produce Borderlands is able to rescue is unusable, and is in turn sent to either local farmers as animal feed or trucked to the San Xavier Reservation for the University of Arizona compost Cat Program. Borderlands rescues roughly 30 – 45 million pounds of produce each year.
Located about 1.5 miles away from the Mexico border, Borderlands has two 13,000-square-foot warehouses which serves to receive and distribute the produce through programs including:
“Veggies R’ Us” – Our warehouse market is open to the public Tuesday through Friday. Anyone can get a shopping cart full of produce for a $5 donation. On Mondays, the warehouse is open for nonprofit organizations to come and take up to 10 boxes of produce for free.
“Produce on Wheels Without Waste” or P.O.W.W.O.W. as it is affectionately called. – Produce is distributed at each our weekly pop-up produce markets around Arizona by volunteers. These sites are hosted by community organizations, churches, civic organizations, schools and universities, just to name a few. For $12 participants receive 70lbs of fresh produce. We typically provide a produce list with the quantities of each item participants can shop for, this ensures that everyone receives the same mix of produce.
Our P.O.W.W.O.W. After Hours program works with area non-profit organizations who, once registered with Borderlands, are able to pick-up up to 10 boxes of each variety of remaining produce from the pop up markets and is only open at the completion of each of our weekly market sites and only after our participants have had a chance to shop. 

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Here's their Story & Their History

Borderlands can trace its history back to the early 1990’s, when the Mariposa Community Health Center (MCHC) formed a committee to explore the possibility of starting a food bank in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. In 1993 the MCHC worked with the Community Food Bank of Tucson to raise $10,200 in funds to pay for a small warehouse in Nogales, Arizona. An additional grant from FEMA allowed for the distribution of emergency food boxes.
In May of 1994 the Community Food Bank took over the management of the Nogales food bank from MCHC, and decided that the food bank, which they named Borderland Food Bank, should become a non-profit entity. A Board of Directors was formed, and in January 1995 Yolanda Soto was appointed Executive Director. Borderland remained under the management of Community Food Bank until 1996, when at the urging of Ms. Soto, it became an independent entity. In August 1997, Borderland Food Bank received its own 501 c(3) designation.
Over time, Borderland eventually outgrew its original facility. It currently leases two 13,000 sq.ft. warehouses in Nogales. Each facility has two cold rooms to better maintain the integrity of the donated product. Borderlands Food Bank is vital to the health and well-being of Arizona by providing fresh nutritious produce to people in need, undertaking the task of helping to eradicate hunger and advocating for the environment. In Santa Cruz alone, there are more than 5000 households with over 16,000 individuals registered to receive our produce.

Our Mission
The mission of the Borderlands is to rescue produce and improve the quality of life for the people of Arizona, by fulfilling their most basic of need – accessibility to nutritious fresh produce. Overtime the mission of Borderlands has grown to providing fresh produce to not only those living within Arizona, but also those living in neighboring states, stretching as far south as Sonora, Mexico, and as far as 23 surrounding States in the U.S.
Borderlands is able to accomplish its mission working in conjunction with social clubs, churches, civic organizations, food banks and national hunger relief organizations to make sure the community has access to fresh produce. Borderlands is determined to help those in the community with food insecurity concerns, not knowing the next time they’ll be able to have fresh produce as part of their diet.
Our Work
Each year, Borderlands rescues between 30 to 40 million pounds of produce –more than 39 different varieties of vegetables and fruit– from over 120 donor partnerships. Less than 1% of the donations are non-produce items such as milk, canned soup, cereal and other non-perishable items. Often times, at least 10% to 15% of the produce Borderlands is able to rescue is unusable, and is in turn sent to either local farmers as animal feed or trucked to the San Xavier Reservation for the University of Arizona compost Cat Program.
Of the rescued produce that is edible, Borderlands distributes fresh produce to over 390 agencies and, through our direct distribution programs, to individual families (over 100,000 members).
In 2015 Borderlands transported 39 million pounds of produce with Borderlands’ trucks having driven 218,600 miles delivering tons of fresh produce.
 

Here's Dozer Ink: A New Business in Downtown Mesa

Dozer Ink just opened last weekend at 38 South Macdonald Street. It's right across the street from The Alhambra Residence Hall for BenU students, joining another new small business enterprise Comedy Off-Main.
Your MesaZona blogger had the pleasure of meeting and talking with the owner Mark Metheny, 'Tatoo Mark' who has lived downtown for ten years just a few blocks away on 2nd Avenue. It's really nice to see a business start-up owned by someone who lives here in Downtown.
He joins a diverse mix of small businesses located in the one block south of Main Street. Right next door is City Billiards at #40, just doors away from The Salt Mine Recording Studios.

On the same side of S Macdonald are The Inconvenient Store, and Mesa Typewriter Exchange and Lamb's Shoe Repair Service (both have been there for more 60 years).
Across the street closer to 1st Avenue are Broadway Boxing Club, Prime Cuts Barber Shop & Boutique, and a VFW Post.

A neighborhood block like this is what makes downtown unique.

Dozer Ink has regular hours.
You can call or text Mark ANYTIME
480.709.3256

On Facebook:
www.facebook.com/tattoomark1904

Whoa! Here In Downtown Mesa > Transformation or At Least Improving The Facades

Yup. Seeing is believing after years of hashing ideas all around and choosing what buildings, with some history here on Main Street, get a make-over of sorts from the outside sidewalk level and up the fronts. Here's the world-famous Nile Theater today just after a crew from Rytan Construction and the city got all the safeguards and signage installed on-site. That pink stucco stuff in an historic district always knocked my urban sensibilities the wrong way on the south side of Main Street almost directly across the street from Chandler Court where the original Spanish Mission exterior is still mostly intact, even though the interior court was filled in a long time ago.
As you can see in the image below, the arched portico will go - into the dustbin of history!

For about 120 days from November 2018 until March 2019, the exteriors of a number of properties will get improved in one or way another. Here's a link for some information and details on the city's official site:
https://www.mesaaz.gov/about-us/city-projects/downtown-transformation/downtown-facade-improvement-program

There is some restoration and semblance to original details, but something gets lost in the 21st Century translation: character.

 

 

 

The one-story LeBaron Building, on the north side of Center Street just east of Country Club Drive and a Valley Metro Light Rail station platform, is likewise getting a work-over in the neglected downtown area that now qualifies as an Opportunity Zone with long-term tax incentives for real estate developers, depending on the regulated improvements and use of the buildings. Looming behind is the tallest building here in downtown Mesa, the 15-story Courtyard Towers, an assisted-living facility. 

Oro Brewing

Address	210 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201
Parcel ID	138-55-001
Property class	Store Building - Commercial (1120)
Buildings on lot	2
Square footage	6,464
Year built	1945
Stories	1

 

Downtown Mesa Brewery and Taproom serving House Beers and select Arizona Craft Beers.http://www.orobrewing.com/

 

212 W. Main (now vacant and available for lease)

Address	212 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201
Parcel ID	138-55-001
Property class	Store Building - Commercial (1120)
Buildings on lot	2
Square footage	6,464
Year built	1945
Stories	1

5 Star DJ Center (Five Star DJ Center) has been open and operating in the valley since 2004 and specializes in DJ Sound, lighting, electronic repair (synthesizers included).

http://www.5stardjcenter.com/

 

National Comedy Theatre

Address	214 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201
Parcel ID	138-55-011
Property class	Store Building - Commercial (1120)
Buildings on lot	2
Square footage	4,900
Year built	1940
Stories	1

 

 

City of Mesa Downtown Façade Improvement Program 

  

Low-Tech Sweet Success Story: Custom Hand-Crafted Cookies Made By Smith-O-Lator

. . . Cookies that don't track you. Hand-made right here on Main Street
Here's a Re-Post from three years ago published on this blog

03 December 2015

Smile > Who Doesn't Love Cookies?

DT New Urban Mesa > So Retro + So Modern
Heather and Travis Smith created Smith-O-Lator Custom Hand-Decorated Cookie Shop from scratch some months ago.
[noted here in a post way back on June 6, 2015]
The doors are open in a location previously occupied by The Urban Grill where convection ovens now bake cookies
" . . . After all we do love to see you smile, and what better way than with something custom crafted just for you! . . . With a sincere interest in all things vintage and a special fondness for mid-century ...... ".   
http://smitholator.com/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/SmithOLator/

A spontaneous digital shot yesterday, totally impromptu and totally un-rehearsed, is shown at right >
Main Street business owners Heather Smith and Lindsay Rogers share some over-the -counter chat and smiles while yours truly gets a flash of one in a series of new cookies featuring Main Street enterprises.

GO SEE WHAT'S IN-STORE FOR THIS

HOLIDAY SEASON 2018

Original post from three years ago

https://mesazona.blogspot.com/2015