---

ART AUCTION FUND RAISER

On the balmy evening of June 11th, about 40 residents and friends of The Mesa gathered at Rosie’s vacation rental house on Lilliana for a BBQ, wine tasting and fundraising silent art auction.

The party was organized to raise needed funds for The Mesa Neighborhood Organization’s #1 project for 2010 -- the desertscaping of the gatehouse on El Portal. Since it was voted upon at the Annual Meeting on March 25, 2010, that TMNO would no longer collect dues from residents, it is necessary to find creative and fun ways to raise funds for projects such as this one.


All food, drink and art were generously donated by Mesa residents. No funds were used from our Treasury; we were able to raise more than $1100 from the silent art auction.

We dined on delicious appetizers, such as stuffed mushrooms, crab dip, deviled eggs; barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs accompanied by various salads and baked beans; a chocolate pudding cake and homemade cookies were served for dessert.

Tom Donahue and Michael Slattery went to Cost Plus World Market and selected several wines with the help of World Market’s wine expert, Jeff. Among the wines selected were Blue Pirate 2007 (Pinot Noir from Dundee, OR), Loredona 2008 (Riesling from Manteca, CA), Maxwell Creek 2008 (Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley, CA) and Toasted Head 2007 (Chardonnay from Russian River, CA). Jeff gave Tom and Michael a 25% discount on a case of wine as it was for our fundraising event. (It's a great idea to support our local businesses, by the way. For example, go to World Market for wine, ask for Jeff, tell him you are from The Mesa and he may be willing to give you a discount.)


Due to the size of the house, we had to limit the number of guests. However, we are looking for larger locations for future fundraisers where we can accommodate more residents. We are also looking for some of your creative ideas for fundraisers. We are looking to hold a neighborhood garage sale in the fall, perhaps in the empty parking lot belonging to Moorten’s Botanical Garden. We are also considering having another wine tasting at Moorten’s, which has been the location of our Annual Meeting for the last couple of years and can accommodate a much larger number of guests than a private residence can.

Please send us an e-mail with your thoughts and ideas!
Thank you.

Rosie Vacano - TMNO Secretary

---

EL PORTAL GATEHOUSE CLEAN—UP

The Mesa Neighborhood Organization recently held a two day Clean-Up of the area near and surrounding the Gatehouse on El Portal. The Clean-Up coincided with a City wide Clean-Up the week of April 12th.

  

The Gatehouse at El Portal was chosen as the #1 Goal/Project of TMNO for the year 2010. This project includes the initial clean-up, plans for a “natural desert” landscape, perhaps with rocks and boulders, and subdued lighting of the Gatehouse at nighttime.

  

On Friday afternoon, April 16 about 15 volunteers from The Mesa neighborhood met at the Gatehouse and started clearing debris, brush, trimming dead limbs from our desert willow tree. Shortly after 6 PM, Patti and Bud drove over and surprised us with a tailgate party – margaritas, quesadillas, salsa, guacamole and chips. A fun way to end the first day of our Clean-Up event.

  

On Saturday, April 17, a smaller number of volunteers met again to complete the initial Clean-Up. Believe it or not, we filled the dumpster provided by Palm Springs Disposal Service to overflowing! The whole area looks greatly improved and you can even see the Gatehouse now when you drive along South Palm Canyon Drive.

  

The Cactus Garden across the street from the Gatehouse was cleared of excessive weeds and growth later in the week. So when you drive by El Portal, take a look and see what volunteers can achieve in just a few hours!!! The entry to our neighborhood is very welcoming now; wait until we enter the second stage of this project. Your donations or contributions to this project are always welcome.

A big THANK YOU to all involved.

---

THE MESA
NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION
2009 ANNUAL REPORT

Your Neighborhood Organization has come a long way and there is much for which to be proud. Please take a moment to catch up on what is happening in your neighborhood. The Mesa Neighborhood Organization 2009 Annual Report is available online. CLICK HERE

---

NIXLE: DO YOU KNOW WHAT NIXLE IS?

NIXLE is a new Community Information Service launched by the City of Palm Springs to deliver important and timely information to PS residents. You can sign up to receive important alerts in real time on your cell phone, through e-mails, etc.

Click HERE to read the Press Release from the City.

To sign up for NIXLE real-time alerts you can visit the Palm Springs Police Website HERE then click on “Register for Community Alerts” or you can go directly to the NIXLE website by clicking HERE.

Stay Informed! Stay Involved!

---

Click Here for Feature Page 2