Last Summer Weekend

Here it is the weekend again and N-town's got a few things going. I'm going to start with my personal favorite.

Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm, the Norristown Nudge will be holding an open-house, potluck fundraiser at Coffee Talk Artists' Co-op, 507 W. Marshall. I'll remind you again that the Nudge are those folks going to bat for you, mainly by hounding codes enforcement and council to do their jobs, so we can have a clean, safe community. But they also took on the Pennrose development project and incurred some expenses doing it, so this event will raise funds to pay those debts.

The way it works is, you bring a potluck offering or 10 bucks to get in. The event will be open mike -- anyone wanting to perform music, do stand-up comedy, read poetry, or whatever, is welcome. Works of art will be on sale. Raffles will be held. And of course, they'll have refreshments provided by the potluck. I'll be arriving around noon, gluten-free goody in hand, to sign and sell my books at a discount off the cover price. 25% of my sales go to the Nudge. So come out and get to know the Nudgers. Let them know what could improve your neighborhood or, better yet, join them.

On Saturday, in the lot behind Municipal Hall, the Police Dept will hold a public auction for bikes and other items. Come at 9:30 am to look over the merchandise, auction begins at 10 am. Minimum bid, $5. Cash and carry only. Need bikes for your kids for the holidays? Check out the auction.

Also on Sunday, noon to 4 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo & Norristown Fire Dept will be having a day of interacitve activities to promote fire safety and prevention at Elmwood Park Zoo.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend, weather-wise, and probably the last summery one, so get out and enjoy our community parks, at least.

Be A Nudge

Pronounced with a short U vowel, NUDGE means to gently prod into action. Say it like the "oo" in "wood," it's a person who pesters until something gets done. Either way, it's the perfect name for Norristown's new grassroots organization, Norristown Nudge.

The Nudge began on Facebook in February and has grown to over 200 members consisting of mostly residents, but also people who work in or own businesses in Norristown, and a few folks no longer living here, but who grew up in the borough and still care about it. The organization's tag line is "... a forum for Norristonians to identify problems and find solutions ...."

They also meet in person on Saturday mornings, 11 am-12:45 pm, at Coffee Talk, 507 West Marshall St.  This small core group of Saturday Nudgers has doubled in size just in the last month. Anyone who cares about Norristown is welcome to attend.

Their main goals are to promote initiatives to make Norristown a cleaner and safer place, and to be a liaison between town officials and the public (making sure everyone stays informed, and that residents' concerns, visions and ideas are heard).

To get more of the community involved, the Nudge is looking for block captains:  anyone (or a group of neighbors) willing to report problems--or what's working--on their blocks. Is there trash in your alley that hasn't been collected? Is there a property on your street that is making everyone else's look bad? Have you had a rash of break-ins? Have your neighbors banded together to clean your block, or to plant flowers? Whatever your story, Nudge wants to hear from you.

Also, block captains would be a great way to get information out to all the citizens, especially those who don't have internet access. A lot is happening in Norristown lately, and we've got elections for council and school board coming up.

You can "Like" Norristown Nudge on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NorristownNudge). Leave a message if you're interested in representing your block or neighborhood. Or come to a Saturday morning meeting. Or email the Nudge at thenorristownnudge@gmail.com .

If you're already a Nudge, spread the word.  The more residents who get involved, the faster we can turn Norristown around.