The Melrose Alert

  Melrose Business and Community Association, Inc.

Monthly News Bulletin 

 

MBCA 
P.O. Box 1301 
Melrose, FL 32666 

Phone: (352) 235-6439 

  E-mail: mbca@melrosefl.com 


Mission:  To promote and support the Melrose Business Community and improve the quality of life for all its residents.

   





February 11, 2010

MONTHLY MEETING

6:30 pm


Melrose Elementary School Cafeteria

Bellamy Avenue (SR 26)

Melrose, Florida

   



President's Corner . . .

Wow, 40 people at a lunch time meeting - we're off to a roaring start! Let's keep up the momentum. We're looking at several areas to concentrate our efforts for this year. Now, we only have a small share of the Melrose residents active with the MBCA.We want to substantially increase Community involvement. Many new members will bring many new ideas, etc. Additionally, we're looking to replace the time-worn fence at Melrose Bay Park with a more substantial and attractive one. And, it's been suggested, we seek to establish a 21st century “Melrose Inn” for guests to be able to stay in our area rather than go elsewhere for lodging. Let's all roll up our sleeves and get busy, “for the benefit of Melrose.”

Tom

At The Meeting . . .

Note: Here, we'll cover the highlights of the meeting. For a complete copy of the Minutes, download them by clicking here. Copies will be at the meeting,

What an action packed event. We had 40 members and guests present to enjoy a lunch from Melrose's newest eating establishment, Subway, with dessert from Lake Area Bakery Delights.

Numerous guests were present:
Tom Prahl, who has a local handyman service; Melanie Grogan, sponsoring a gourmet dinner and concert by David Mallett on Jan.20th; Richard Yaun has a computer repair business; Kerry Rowell of Mercantile Bank, Palatka; plus Diane Clark and Bill Moran who run a summer camp in upstate New York and others. Lets's not forget, Melrose's own songwriter and performer, David Beede. David brought his guitar and introduced his new song, Melrose. He has truly captured the essence of Melrose – history, natural beauty, local people - all in one song. A big thank you to David!

Leo Lowe, Alachua County Deputy Sheriff, reported an increase in car thefts and burglaries in the Melrose area . He said use your common sense with regards to security. He will do security checks on homes and businesses in the Melrose area for free. However, check with your home county to see if they will provide this service for you before contacting him.

The Melrose Elementary School is passing the torch for the Merry Melrose Festival. Ed Sherwood said he had great response for the festival with 36 registered vendors. Of these, 65 to 75 percent of the vendors felt that it was worth attending. Ed is starting to plan for the 2010 festival. All this was accomplished in a few short weeks. What could be achieved with more time to plan?

Ed also reminded us the Melrose Community Farmers Market has started back after the Holidays, every Friday, from 3pm till dark. Come get fresh vegetables, bread, shrimp, smoked mullet, needlework and a wide variety of other items plus the opportunity to visit with friends and neighbors. A real happening!

Jill McGuire, President of Santa Fe Lake Dwellers, announced an important meeting regarding the Northeast Fla. Water Supply Plan at 6:30 pm, January 28th at the Alachua County Health Dept., 224 SE 24th Street, Gainesville. It is being sponsored by St. John's and Suwannee River Water Management Districts. A similar meeting will be held in February – time and location to be announced.

Additional tidbits:

  • We are forming a new Planning Committee to help steer Melrose and the MBCA into the future.
  • Evening MBCA meetings to be held: February 11th, May 13th, and August 12th.
  • Santa Fe Lakefest: Saturday, March 28th from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm – Melrose Bay Park
  • Sturgeon Farm – Claire Muirhead had nothing new to report, maybe later in the month.
  • Our guest Speaker, Rick Drummond, Assistant County Manager for Alachua County, said Alachua County has fared better than some others in the economic downturn due to its philosophy of growth for findng a balance between the environment, economic development and social justice.

    He advised that the new County Fairgrounds will be on a 150-acre tract of land north of the airport. The fairgrounds will occupy 100 acres with the remaining 50 acres being used for an industrial park.

    He also had several suggestions for the MBCA planning committee: Develop a common theme for Melrose. Then, get all four Melrose area counties together to see how they can work to bring about the Community's vision for Melrose.

    Susan Lucas

    Recording Secretary





    Editorial . . .

    We're requesting feedback from all interested citizens. What have we been doing right or perhaps wrong?

    Tell us what you would like to see the MBCA consider for this year. We seriously want to know what you all are thinking about the continuing development of Melrose. It ain't going to stand still. We're either going to progress or regress. And, it's no fun to go backwards.


    Recent Happenings . . .

    We're getting comments and suggestions on the Melrose Grapevine/Blog – thanks, folks. If you haven't been there, that's where we release announcements, etc. For the Melrose Grapevine, click here.

    Reminder - We have a place for ideas for the Senior Center on our web-site: right here. Let us hear from you.


    Future Happenings . . .

    The second MBCA Meeting of 2010 will be on Thursday, February 11th starting at 6:30 pm at the Melrose Elementary School Cafeteria. Our guest speaker will be Yvonne Parrish, Chair of the 2010 Census Complete Count Committee of Putnam County.

    She will discuss the Census and the importance of our participating in the Census to help our areas benefit from increased revenues based on the population growth. They are still needing workers to assist with the Census process. Recruiters and information will be available.

    The Melrose Community Farmers Market will be held this Friday and each subsequent Friday at Melrose Heritage Park, starting at 3:00 pm, weather permitting. BE THERE!

    Always check the
    Melrose Grapevine and the Community Calendar, either here in the newsletter and/or on-line by clicking on the underlined section for the latest news and developments around town.



    Today's Humor . . .

    "Work is for people who don't know how to fish.”

     



     

    Thought for the day

    ““We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then,
    is not an act, but a habit.”


    Aristotle





    Businesses of the Month

                                         Flying Squirrel Antiques
                                         Fryer's Restaurant
                                         Gainesville Eye Physicans
                                         Greathouse Butterfly Farms
                                         Idyldale Farms






    Welcome New Members!


                                   David Haase
                                   Lake Area Bakery Delights
                                   Sally Steele



 



Contact Us

·         Phone Line…............................ (352) 235-6439

·          E-mail..............................mbca@melrosefl.com

·          Web Site…..…..... http://melrosefl.com/mbca/

·          Web Site…..…..... http://www.afn.org/~mbca/

 


     






Melrose Business and Community Association 

Board of Directors for 2010 


   President.......................................... ...............Tom Lucas  

  Vice President......................….........................Jo Harben 

  Corresponding Secretary.…......... ..........."Doc" Harris 

  Recording Secretary..............… …….......Susan Lucas 

  Treasurer....................…...............................Sharon Love  

  Director At Large.............…........ ………...Chris Carson

  Director At Large...................……..... William Chiappini

  Director At Large..............................……......... Jeff Knee

  Director At Large...............……. Fabrizio Passalacqua






Committee Chair Persons for 2010


     Christmas Parade............……......................Steve Thrift

      Alert Editor ......................................................Tom Lucas

      Bay Park....…...….....Sunny Corr & William Chiappini

Historian...................... …………………......................

      Membership .................................Heman "Doc" Harris

  Planning.............……………… …… ……………… ...

       Publicity..............................................Felicity Trueblood

       Spiritual Director ...........................................Jeanne Hill

       Web Editor.............................….....................Tom Lucas




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Revised on January 30, 2010 

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