At the July 14th Meeting of the Melrose Business & Community Association (MBCA), we furnished each attendee with a questionnaire which included the following questions:

     1) What you view as “hot issues” that may affect the Community such as new development, police coverage, roads, schools, taxes, utilities, etc.
     2) What additional stores and/or services you would like to have available in Melrose?
     3) How can we attract and retain additional businesses and services to Melrose?
     4) What else should the MBCA be doing for the Community?

Kimberly Moore from the Gainesville Sun attended and published an article about the meeting which appeared on the front page (no less) of the Wednesday, July 21st paper. See“Melrose struggles to discover its identity” by clicking here. This has drawn mixed comments from various persons, some approving of it and some taking exception.

In the August 09th Gainesville Sun appeared an article from a Melrose resident expressing their views about Melrose titled “Why Melrose should be a city”. To view this click here.

I invite all to take a look at these two articles and voice your opinion here. Let’s get an old fashioned debate going on these two portrayals of Melrose plus your own views as to how you see Melrose now and into the future.

Shakerag Presents:
Grant Peeples in Concert 7:30PM
Wed. May 5th……$5. Donation
Bellamy Avenue (S. R. 26) at Grove St.
Downtown MELROSE
Join Us For Cinco de Mayo/ Mexican Food, Drinks…..
Don’t Miss It…….

For more information on Grant, click here.

And We’re Off…….

Race on Over for the

Melrose Senior Community Center

Kentucky Derby Fundraiser

Post Time: Saturday, May 1, 2010, 3 PM – Dark

Track: The Prugh & Adkins Property

706 and 708 Seminole Ridge Road

Melrose, FL 32666

Appetizers ● Dinner ● Mint Juleps & Beverages

Musical Entertainment ● Silent Auction ● And More

Tickets $25.00 Each ● All Proceeds Benefit the Senior Center

Call 352-215-8157 to Reserve Your Tickets Now

Our local citizens, Jill McGuire and David Beede speak up on the proposed sturgeon farm slated for Melrose.

Catch their interview with WUFT.FM by
clicking here.

Many of our local citizens are working, long and hard to protect the Melrose area’s peaceful way of life. We appreciate all they do.

Be sure and support all efforts to preserve and maintain Melrose.

In 1839, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, an English play-write coined the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword” as lines in one of his plays. Little did he realize the phrase would often be quoted, even into the 21st. Century

One of our local residents, David Beede is out to prove this with his writings and his songs. I’m sure you’ve heard about the proposed sturgeon farm planned to go between SR 26  and SR 219 on the East side of Melrose.

To learn more about this issue which is dear to all of our hearts, go over to David’s web-site, read his information, watch his video and listen to his song.  It’s all at: http://www.davidbeede.com/proposedsturgeonfarm.htm

We all need to follow David’s cue and write Kirby Green to let him know what Melrose does or does NOT want in the neighborhood.

Additional Melrose Happenings:
Tonight starting at 6:00 pm, Melrose rocks again.  The receptions and exhibition of our 65 guest artists’ works created over the past 10 days,will be at all of our Melrose art galleries for viewing and many available for purchase. Don’t this this highlight of the Fourth annual Open Aire Arts Festival of the Melrose Artists’ Community.

Then, this coming Friday evening, March 26 ShakeRag Artists’ Collective and the Melrose Business and Community Association (MBCA) jointly will be hosting our first “Business After Hours” mixer/social for 2010 at the ShakeRag Gallery on Bellamy Avenue (SR 26) from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.  All are invited and bring your business cards. You never know who all you may meet.

And, don’t forget the mid-week get together at ShakeRag every Wednesday, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm known as COFFEETALK. Great music, conversations, beverages and snacks.  Don’t miss all the fun!

And, on all Fridays, we have the Melrose Community Farmers’ Market in Heritage Park. Much good food, crafts, furniture and who knows what all else you may find being offered by these Melrose area vendors. NOTE:  New hours starting this Friday:  4:00 to 7:00 pm, be sure and come explore all the great things here.

And, last but certainly not least, on Saturday, March 27th, at Melrose Bay Park, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm is the Santa Fe Lake Dwellers’ annual Lake Fest.  Melrose Bay Park is at the foot of Quail Street on the shore of Melrose Bay.  There will be food, free boat rides, a bird walk starting at 10:00 am, music, live demonstrations, and more.  Don’t miss it!

One more thought for now.  Note that at the end of each posting is a  link to comments.  It will state how many comments have been made.  We felt this venue would give everyone the opportunity to speak up  and share your thoughts.  A few are taking advantage of this feature.  Let’s hear from the rest of you, too.

We appreciate everyones’ participation “for the benefit of Melrose.”

Hi Folks,

From the length of time I’ve spent on this earth, if there’s one thing I’ve learned is change is always present. I recall one of the Greek philosophers once said, “the only permanence we have is change.”

And, we recently have been asking the community to express their desires on what changes we should attempt to make to make Melrose even better than we know it today. Regardless of how we feel, it ain’t gonna stay just like it is today. So, let’s accept that as fact and design the Melrose of the future. We all live in the Melrose area, so let’s all pull together and give us your ideas so we can develop a consolidated plan for our 21st century Melrose.

To make it easy for you, we have a page on the Melrose web-site with a form at the bottom of the page to make comments. It’s at: http://melrosefl.com/direction.html Just click on the blue words and you’ll be taken  there.

One of local citizens, Fabrizio Passalacqua has started the process by his recent statements. For those who may not have yet become acquainted with Fabrizio, he’s only been in our area for a few years but has stepped forward and is helping to build a better Melrose. He brings a lot of insight as he’s lived in numerous countries and has first hand experience with different communities and cultures. He and his wife are pleased to be in Melrose and we’re certainly benefiting by their having joined our community.

March 5, 2010
“I would like to encourage all current MBCA members to contact friends and acquaintances soliciting ideas and to send us a “wish list” of issues that current members and others would like to see the MBCA accomplish. Your suggestions/ideas could be of great help to the Association to better serve the community.”

March 10, 2010
“At today’s MBCA lunch meeting, Mayor Mary Lou Hildreth of Keystone Heights, who was an invited guest speaker, mentioned that Keystone Heights and Melrose don’t have adequate visibility in the political arena; while Keystone Heights is incorporated and has a Mayor, Melrose has virtually no status. She also mentioned that there is no competition between the two communities.

I have experienced in the other communities that a well managed business association with a good membership can make a lot of“noise” and obtain much from counties, it all relates to votes. In this special year with so many political issues that have divided our country it could be the right time to unite all the various associations that exist in the greater Melrose and Keystone area under one bigger “umbrella” association. The new association should deal with the board of the existing ones, showing a united front and a large membership, and positioning itself as the official voice of our region when dealing with the counties that affect our community.

I would appreciate to hear the opinion of other members on this regard. I believe that Mayor Hildreth is right, we must have a common voice for the many issues that concern our communities.”

Come on folks! We want your ideas. If we don’t actively plan for the future, we may not like what we may end up with.

So, let’s get started, NOW!

Well, winter is almost over, we think?

So many new activities getting started.  Come Wednesday, March 10th, the 4th Annual Open Air Arts Festival kicks off with 65 artists participating. They’ll be all over the area recording many of Melrose’s pristine areas. And, on Saturday evening, starting at 6:00 pm, March 20th there’ll be receptions at all 3 of Melrose’s art galleries displaying the efforts of these 65 artists and what they’ve created with inspiration from Melrose’s scenic beauty. Don’t miss these gala events.

In the midst of all this activity, again on Wednesday, March 10th, starting at 11:30 am, is the Melrose Business and Community Association’s (MBCA) monthly meeting.  This will be held at the Melrose Methodist Fellowship Hall on Hampton Street.  Our guest speaker will be Mary Lou Hildreth, Mayor of Keystone Heights.

And, we’re planning a lunch by Blue Water Bay.  Where else can you get a Blue Water Bay Lunch for $7.00? Visitors are always welcome.

We’re asking all who plan to attend and eat with us to send your confirmation of attendance by e-mail or phone (352) 586-6776 and let Susan know. Sorry for the short notice, but need to have all reservations by Monday evening.

Also, The Melrose Alert is on-line for your viewing pleasure.

And, on Friday, be sure to attend the Melrose Community Farmer’s Market at Heritage Park starting at 3:00 pm.

Bring all your friends and take in all of these great Melrose activities.

Click on the poster to make it larger

We’ve been telling you about the meeting Thursday, 2/25 at the St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters on SR 100 in Palatka, starting at 5:00 pm.

It’s important that we have a large turn-out for this meeting.

The Melrose Water Association engaged an enviromental engineering firm, Water & Air Research, Inc. to review the application of the Little Big Sturgeon (LBS) Farm. The purpose of the review was to indentify enviromental concerns associated with the siting, constructing, and operating of the proposed facility.

Their findings are summarized in their report to Melrose Water Association as of February 17, 2010.

A brief quote from the report, “The St. Johns River Water Management District has asked repeatedly since the LBS filing for information relative to the stormwater and wastewater plans for this facility. They have been continually rebuked by the applicant; LBS citing their permit approval with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services does not require them to respond. Your Water Association membership should be very concerned about this lack of transparency and unwillingness to address stormwater and wastewater systems and their impact on the waters of Florida.”

The entire report can be read on-line at: http://melrosefl.com/sturgeonfarmreport.pdf or downloaded by clicking here.

Here’s an independent study which indicates this proposed venture will potentally have an adverse impact on our natural resources, specifically our water!

Spread the word and let’s all go to Palatka on Thursday and voice our concerns.