Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Newton. Why We Stay.


Just wanted to share a little bit more about what makes our neighbourhood special.  Some people  seem to have a great deal of trouble understanding why we stay in Newton.
Newton is full of parks and creeks, most of them salmon spawning streams.   When my son was little our daily walk to school was not along a busy street  but through this park and over two foot bridges. It was idyllic, and remains one of my most treasured memories of those days.


Our cul de sac is a little United Nations of cultures. Best part? Seeing the kids all playing together. Second best? The food we regularly share !  


 You want variety? Check out the Filipino grocery store on 137th, Greco's Mediterranean  and several  Vietnamese restaurants.


Prabu Sweets is a favourite for samosas and Indian sweets.


The community is looking forward to food trucks coming this summer to the Wave Pool  area near The Grove.



 DeSerres Art and Craft supply store has been open for about a year and has everything to soothe your creative soul. Gorgeous store. Check it out near 76th and King George.
My neighbours are the  best.  Everyone pitches in to take care of our neighbourhood.
Brainstorming session at the Grove prior to the inaugural event on May 3rd which was a resounding success.



Little ballerinas at work
Eyes on the Street!
Friends of The Grove Love-In for Newton 



Children don't care what colour their friends are or where they were born, they just want to play.
The Grove is a perfect venue for impromptu  jam sessions. You just might be seeing a piano there one day soon....







Monday, May 26, 2014

What's in a Name? Meet Me in Midtown.

 Over the past few weeks some of us have been brainstorming around creative ways to revitalize our downtown Newton  centre. As one person so eloquently put it, 'the neighbourhood has some scars, but we're resilient and the will to see positive things happen here has never been greater". So, it got us thinking about the name Newton.  Has the time come to rebrand the Newton Town Centre , (whose boundaries are now set with the newly formed  Newton BIA ) in much the  same way  Downtown Whalley has been renamed City Centre? We think there's a very strong case to do so. Like Whalley,to some people the name Newton doesn't conjure feelings of excitement and respect and it's not doing our  business community any favours.  

Since Newton is the geographic centre i.e. middle of the city of Surrey why not call it that?
Midtown

Anyone who has spent time in Manhattan has no doubt wandered the busy Midtown area. It's vibrant but retains its grittiness, keeping it real and authentic. 
 I've maintained that Newton can take that same feel and make its edginess  work to  advantage.
So let's talk about 137th St, also known as Festival Street in the City of Surrey's plans for the town centre. 


Newton Town Centre Plans for Festival Street  (137th St.) during an event.
City of Surrey

 Everyone's asking....When will the plans be implemented?





The  commercial space above is perfect for an artsy edgy gallery/live space

Business owners and the community  all agree- the Pay Parking HAS to go!
*Update Oct. , thanks to  efforts of Cllr. Judy Villeneuve, we now have 2 hr. free parking :)



Festival Street-  Plans for Everyday Use, but when will the city get moving and make this happen? 
There are many office and retail spaces currently for lease in the vicinity.
Let's fill them with creativity and connection.



How awesome would it be to create a  unique to Surrey  funky art, music &  cafe scene here?    You know what I'm talking about.  Old or at least old-looking brick walls, great coffee, and a place to meet up with friends. 
Your ' third place


What about a global crafts marketplace in these vacant spaces?   Think: studios, coffee houses, music venues. Somewhere our young Surrey musicians and creative types can get together and showcase their talents?



  
 And let's not forget   about  FOOD!


  



As Retrofitting Suburbia author Ellen Dunham-Jones says
"Never Underestimate the Power of Food to Turn a Place around and make it a destination"





  Here's what one city is doing   Midtown Global Market

 So, think about the many possibilities for the  Newton Town Centre.
We have so much untapped potential in this area. Let's take the vision and make it happen. We have many strengths  and a growing  number of  citizens taking charge of their own community. 
Are you going to be one of them?

   Still reading?
 Leave your comments or if you prefer, send me a message.
 hey-jude@telus.net

Saturday, May 24, 2014

From Crisis to Opportunity.....

Update: 
The person accused of murder in the Julie Paskall case makes another court appearance tomorrow. I will be there as I have been the last 3 times.(Our judicial system moves at a snail's pace.)

In many ways I feel as though I failed Julie. I didn't speak loudly enough, I wasn't persistent enough in drawing attention to the changes that we've seen in our neighbourhood over the years.  For me, this is as personal as it can get without ever having known Julie Paskall.

 Here's the original post from May 24.

Yesterday's announcement of an arrest in the Julie Paskall murder case took me by surprise. I was thrilled that police had a suspect in custody. My initial excitement was immediately followed by tears and emotion. Relief tempered by sadness over the senselessness of it all.
   To say Julie Paskall's vicious beating and subsequent death rattled  our community would be a gross understatement. Back in January there were demands for more police, more mental health services, a tightening of regulations on recovery homes that are often just flop houses and a call for the city to take meaningful action on its  plans for revitalization of the Newton Town Centre, the area where the attack on  Julie occurred.   There is definitely room for improvement on all fronts but we also need to change a system that allows chronic offenders to be back on the streets time after time ( sources say the suspect is known to police).

 However, amid all the sadness, frustration and acrimony of this dark time, a little ray of sunlight began to emerge in the Newton community. We realized we are just that.  A community. 
    
We came together and realized we weren't going to allow some punk's violent act define us. We are so much more than that. Like many parts of Surrey, Newton is a neighbourhood undergoing changes. We are on the brink of creating a new and vibrant downtown core. When you walk along 137th St between  Starbucks and the Wave Pool , past the Espresso Cafe and the ethnic grocery shops, you can see that this street and surrounding area has really good "bones".

Great things are going to happen here in the next few years. In fact if you frequent the places around the recreation centre and bus loop you may have noticed  neighbours getting together and creating happy, surprising and whimsical displays  of hope, resilience and most of all fun! The Friends of the Grove  lead by Newton resident David Dalley  held an event in May that attracted hundreds. The message? People can complain and bitch all day long, but what truly creates change is doing something positive and uplifting.
Watch Video of the event here.

Strangers of all ages becoming friends at The Grove.


So this afternoon when police hold their press conference  giving us more information on the suspect and hopefully  announce murder charges let's take a moment, remember Julie and her family and thank the police who are doing the best job they possibly can.
Then let's decide that the very best way to honour Julie Paskall and all other victims of crime is to become better neighbours.  That's the message  Julie's husband Al so eloquently conveyed at her memorial in January. Whether that's at home or out on the street. Let's talk to one another. Smile.  Ask the person behind you in a grocery store line up how their day is going. It's so simple.

 Newton, you have scars, but they are healing.  
We've undergone the crisis, now comes the opportunity.

So Very True


Thursday, May 22, 2014

What this place could look like.... Newton Now

For those who asked for more information regarding the Newton Town Centre Plans.
 Below is the link to the official document, and a few images of what this place could look like when the plans are implemented. 

 Newton residents from all neighbourhoods, including Panorama Ridge, Sullivan Heights and Panorama Village have been patiently waiting for the Town Centre to be developed. Now we see others parts of Surrey are being invited to open houses to showcase plans for their neighbourhoods. 
Newton residents, 140,000 strong are asking what about us

 Over the last few years the city of Surrey has maintained  that "Newton was Next".  
Expanded recreation, arts and culture facilities are needed in Surrey's fastest growing area. The families here deserve to have  the same calibre of amenities as other parts of this city. The business sector has done its part to step up and will continue to do so with the newly formed BIA. Now it's the city's time to make good on its commitment to create a liveable vibrant town centre in the heart of Surrey. 


 Newton Next? Let's make it Newton Now.

Newton Town Centre Plans - Check it Out


Surrey's population can handle several farmers markets throughout the city.

We're a multicultural city- Let's embrace that!


Public Spaces create Safe Places 

International Village for Newton /  Midtown Market?

Festival Street on 137th?

Public Markets are one of the things that makes a city great







We have lots of little ethnic specialty shops in Newton. Greco's is just one!


Midtown Music Night ?

Official City of Surrey plan for 137th St ( Festival Street)

Newton businesses &  BIA is asking for pay parking to be removed on 137th St. Here's why.

Great things can happen when we work together for the good of our city and its citizens.Newton Town Centre Plans - Check it Out

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Police Week in Surrey!

Meet Your Local RCMP !
Wednesday, May 14
11-8PM
District Office Open Houses
May 14, 2014 – 11:00am-8:00pm
District 1 City Centre - 10720 King George Boulevard
District 2 Guildford/Fleetwood - 10395 148 Street
District 3 Newton - 7235 137 Street
District 4 Cloverdale/Port Kells - 5732 - 176A Street
District 5 South Surrey - 100 - 1815 152 Street
As we celebrate Police Week, join us for cake and coffee and meet your District RCMP officers and staff. RCMP displays, entertainment, fun for kids, and community safety information will be on hand.
 Keeping us safe in the 'hood