VOLUNTEER!
3rd of July Committee
Anyone living in Laurel Park will tell you that one of their favorite traditions is watching the epic fireworks on the 3rd of July. You don’t even have to be on the beach to see ’em, though that’s half the fun. Kudos; Muchas Gracias to the Francis Family for our fond memories.
With growth in the membership, there are some new ideas percolating up to cogitate on. For instance, need the pre-show celebration be limited to the park? Could the cheer be spread around the neighborhood for a celebration experienced deck-by-deck, porch-by-porch, or even in a cul-de-sac or pocket park ? 20-30 minutes of food, drink and music here, 20-30 minutes there, and around the neighborhood we go, meeting new neighbors along the way—making new friends, widening the circle. After all, we have the whole long weekend to play with.
Whether we stick to tradition with a BBQ in Luther Park or “step out” in another direction, it’s up to you, the members, to help organize the 3rd of July celebration in LPIA’s 100th year and make it special. Please send an email to: lpiavolunteer@gmail.com about how you would like to help. Then we’ll convene the team for some good, ‘ole fashion, brainstorming. See what happens.
100th Anniversary Committee
Calling all “legacy families” ! Time to dredge up your oldest memories, dig into those dusty boxes in the attic and lend your expertise to a “one and done” ad hoc committee to commemorate LPIA’s 100th Anniversary. LPIA was incorporated on Thursday, June 5th. The actual event is set for Sunday, June 8th.
Who are the legacy families? The Macdougalls, The Morrills, The Francis’, The Robinsons (Luthers), The Keefes. The Executive Committee will head up this effort, but sure would be fitting to be flanked by tthe pros-in-the-know for this singular celebration. Plus, there are at least 1/2 dozen other members who would like to assist.
Where to start? What to do? The one thing we know for sure is that this opportunity only comes around once. Period! Maybe it’s a digital photo album, maybe it’s a story book, maybe it’s a multimedia affair with audio and video, maybe it’s a plaque on a rock or bling. There doesn’t have to be an in-person event, but the number 100 makes for a great party theme, just sayin’.
Whatever the group decides, this effort will require some cash, but we won’t know how much until you weigh in. Please send an email to: lpiavolunteer@gmail.com about being involved in this historic effort. Then we’ll convene the team for some good, ‘ole fashion, brainstorming. See what happens.
Membership & Social Committee
Property Committee *includes Beach Infrastructure and Lincoln Ave.
Rules Committee
Communications Committee
Climate Action Team
So far, the Executive Committee has managed to pull off 3 Meet Ups in our first month, followed by a delightfully well attended Halloween Hoot and December Holiday event that were envisioned by one Very Important Volunteer (VIV), Cassie Patriarca. Rounding out our first 45 days, we staged a double-header, marsh & park clean up led by VIV, Nick Mulvihill. Bravo to all community members who “showed up”; our fingers were crossed hoping some would!
We learned from the survey that people crave more events, so now we are appealing to the membership to help keep the Meet Ups alive this winter and spring. Our Secretary, Andrea Difilippo (a.k.a., FUNSEC) will head this team, assisted by VIVs Cassie P., Beth Mitchell and whoever else wants to see their ideas come to life. Whether it’s cards, happenings at Hometown, guys or girls night out, an impromptu flash dance (!) or snowball fight, this group is going to be busy in a fun way while nurturing membership engagement.
Please send an email to: lpiavolunteer@gmail.com about how you would like to help. Then we’ll convene the team for some good, ‘ole fashion, brainstorming. See what happens.
Nearly 100% of member survey respondents answered the question: Please list 3 things you'd like to see the LPIA improve or address. 100% of respondents also answered all 4 questions related to property use. Right after the new year, we sent you an email with a link to the survey which, in turn, sent you to this page where we invite you to Help Us Improve! Read on.
Luther Park: Not much happens if the lights aren’t on, so to speak. Thanks to Nick Mulvihill, VIV, who literally volunteered right out of the gate to help keep LPIA properties looking fab and members safe. VIV, Kathy Bailey will be coordinating some 50 maintenance tasks now neatly itemized and prioritized on a master list for implementation over the course of the year.
Whether it’s replacing a swing, fixing the grill, spiffing up the bocce court, planting flowers, putting up new signs, or what-have-you, Beautification is Us! You can help as much, or as little as you want, but we may need the whole team for biting off bigger projects from time to time. Like what? Maybe we decide it’s high time we fill those annoying low spots in the park lawn that make mowing and playing yard games a challenge. Maybe it’s time to lose that ugly trailer and replace it with a pleasing, homey-looking shed to store our stuff in (with doors in the front).
The Beach: One thing we know for sure is that the beach, boat rack and boat ramp are top member priorities according to the survey. Enter the Beach Infrastructure Subcommittee, which we hope will be well staffed by watercraft owners like Adam LaPlante. Most of us revere the beach so that’s easy to cover. There is a need to nail down actual demand for the boat rack and ramp so we can program in maintenance and/or upgrades. To that end, we’ve begun a regulatory review to understand our restrictions under the current RI Coastal Resources Management Council permit, and factor in what else we could do with a modification to the permit.
Lincoln Avenue Parcel: We’ve put together an agile team to do some initial investigation regarding the Lincoln Avenue parcel. Specifically, if LPIA was to dispose of it, how could that revenue be appropriated to reduce the tax burden, reduce other costs and/or improve the association? This is an Executive Committee priority bolstered by member feedback. Pam Eliason has volunteered to lead this effort. She is joined by Mark Ringiewicz and Stu Latessa.
Down the Road: You know what else is neat? Down the road, there could even be engineered solutions to preserve LPIA’s natural infrastructure—the saltmarsh—thanks to a new partnership with the Warren Land Conservation Trust. VIV Kathy B. floated some interesting, long range planning ideas to picture what our community COULD look like! Surely, there are more visionaries in our midst. Why not look ahead to the next 100 years—well, the next 2-5 years at least?
We are in the enviable position of having a myriad of potential, intriguing solutions to explore, so all you stakeholders, step up and let’s give them their due. Don’t waste another minute because the engines have been started. Please send an email to: lpiavolunteer@gmail.com about how you would like to help Nick, Kathy, and Pam, or staff the Beach Infrastructure Subcommittee. Then we’ll convene the teams and divvy up the responsibilities. See what happens.
What kind of organizational framework do we need and why? We’re looking for a group of people who actually enjoy wading and sifting through legalese including the voluminous tome that is Robert’s Rules so that we can make LPIA’s bylaws better. Clear organizing documents will help increase predictability and provide a framework to keep order in the association. A bylaws review will predictably overlap with a review of the Beach Rules too.
If you are good at analyzing and writing, and drafting rules that are responsive to the membership, this job is for you! VIV Richard Godmintz, has volunteered to lead this charge. Please send an email to: lpiavolunteer@gmail.com about how you would like to help Richard. Then we’ll convene the team. See what happens.
100% of survey respondents answered the 3 questions related to communications. In a nutshell, we learned that 40% of people choose email and the website as the most helpful vehicles to get information with only 14% choosing text and 12% social media. The website has been refreshed and expanded; now, we need to encourage more members to “make it a favorite”. We know the content on the Facebook page fell off a bit, and learned that, ironically, there are more nonmembers on Facebook than members. Together, we can fix that.
We’re going to do our best to change with the times and that means putting systems in place that the next generation of members will embrace. We are inviting young people to give us old fogeys a hand from time to time, or better - take it over! We have a short wish list for some cool innovations, but really, it’s the day-to-day maintenance and messaging that we can’t always keep us with because, frankly, we are so busy frying the big fish in the pan right now.
If you are versed in social media, dynamic webpage design/maintenance, or other online applications to help us execute our vision and modernize operations, including digital voting, please reach out. If you have talent in graphic arts, photography, videography, or writing, again, please send an email to: lpiavolunteer@gmail.com. Then we’ll convene a team and divvy up the list. See what happens.
Several member survey responses reiterated that LPIA should strive to protect the marsh and maintain the shoreline along the Kickemuit River. Activities like coastal monitoring, “wrack attacks” and Earth Day cleanups provide opportunities for learning while fostering environmental stewardship. We’re looking forward to a working relationship with the Warren Land Conservation Trust.
So, here’s your invitation to join Jeff Burock, Storm Monitor, and daughter, Amity, develop environmental programming and information resources for LPIA families. Jeff plans on showing epic environmental movies outdoors this summer such as Don’t Look Up, The Day after Tomorrow, and An Inconvenient Truth. Amity would like to develop an educational brochure to help the community better understand the effects of climate change on our treasured natural assets including plant and animal species.
There are all kinds of fun initiatives kids can do too, like collecting waste shells, for instance. Our holiday tree was laden with them. Waste shells can be painted, used in treasure hunts or geo-locating events, and crushed for gardens or even the parking lot.
Click here to view the Environmental webpage. If you’d like to join in, and make a collective positive impact, please send an email to lpiavolunteer@gmail.com. Then we’ll convene a team. See what happens.