PITTSBURG, Kan. — The next 30 days are going to be hectic for the Neighborhood Advisory Committee. The group is on deck for their annual presentation to the city commission and plans on participating in 6-2-0 Day and the Fourth of July.
While the Pitt150 committee is leading the citywide celebrations this year, NAC is still going to be a visible participant. The city is planning a Fourth of July Parade on Independence Day beginning at 8 a.m. Unlike past parades, this one will be going from First to Seventh Street (south to north), which is essentially “in reverse”. Line-up for the parade will begin at 6:30 a.m. and the parking lot at the Kelce Building is expected to be open.
On June 20, the city is hosting 6-2-0 Day and NAC intends to show up. Scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m., NAC will have an information table set up at the Pritchett Pavilion for those with questions and an interest in joining. From 7 to 9, a live concert begins. There are over 30 food vendors signed up and more than 2,000 visitors are expected.
These city-wide events are examples of what the NAC can help with but on a much smaller, neighborhood scale. The NAC also coordinates clean-up efforts and works with the city to improve mobility.
Matt Bacon, Director of Public Works, updated the NAC on current sidewalk projects. The main focus is between Rouse and Meadowlark Elementary School. Bacon said he hopes to begin construction on a new sidewalk later this summer, possibly in August. Another project is to connect the university campus and downtown along Locust Street from Cleveland to First Street. That project is further down the pike.
But the most immediate priority for NAC is their annual report to the city commission, scheduled for Tuesday, June 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Law Enforcement Center. Committee Chair Glennis Lawson will be presenting the NAC’s accomplishments over the past year, what is in store for the future, and how you can get involved to promote a sense of community in your neighborhood.
Where 12 NAC members are the administrative and representative body to the city, they provide logistical support to the Neighborhood Champions, the front-line volunteers who rally their neighbors and welcome newcomers to coordinate events — from block parties to beautification — within their neighborhoods.
NAC members encourage anyone with an interest in civic participation and improving their community to come and hear about what NAC does first-hand. There are currently board openings for the Northwest and Southwest quadrants as well as openings for Neighborhood Champions throughout the city.
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews
