News and notes for this week

There are several items of news and note for this week:

• Code for garage door openers to be changed on Monday
  Last week a garage remote was taken from a vehicle, necessitating a change to the codes on both garage doors, upper and lower. Monday, May 8th at 9:00 a.m. the codes will be changed. Building Manager Karen DeGraw will be in the garage all day and evening changing remotes for residents as they come and go. Please allow a couple extra minutes in your commute so you can stop and she can make the change.
  
  For those residents who are away, please send Karen an email requesting instructions. She will send instructions on which toggle switches to flip inside the remote, as well as a picture for reference. 

• Guest speaker Bill Baarsma cancelled for Wednesday
  The guest speaker scheduled for Wednesday, May 10th, Dr. Bill Baarsma, has had to cancel due to serious health issues. Dr. Baarsma was to be the fifth guest speaker sponsored by the Social Committee in its series of "Esplanade Speaker Forums." The committee would very much like some suggestions for future guest speakers.

• HOA meeting this Thursday - all invited
  The next HOA board meeting will be on Thursday, 5/11 at 6:00 p.m. in the community room. There will be committee reports, budget updates, time for resident questions. To see an unofficial summary of the last meeting click HERE.

• "Friends of the Foss" meets Saturday
  This newly-formed group meets every second Saturday of the month (weather permitting through summer and fall), at 9:00 a.m. outside The Social. Bring your gardening gloves this Saturday, 5/13. The group's function is to work on planting and general beautification of the Foss Waterway Esplanade. Click HERE for more information, or email group leader Jori Adkins at joriadkins@mac.com.
  
  

• Book Club returning from hiatus in June, seeking new participants
  After taking a break for a couple months, the Esplanade book club will meet next month at a new time. The club will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 1st in the community room. The book for discussion will be Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by J. D. Vance. Click HERE for reviews and more information about this interesting memoir.
  
  All are welcome to attend book club discussions, whether you have completed the book or not. Wine and snacks are also on the agenda; feel free to bring something to share if you like. At next month's meeting, club members will also discuss books for future reading.

• Update on 15th Street bridge construction
  Work on the 15th Street bridge outside the Esplanade is expected to continue through the end of June. The work is part of the larger "Prairie Line Trail" project running through downtown. According to the project website, "The work will include adding new pedestrian lighting, new railings, and refinishing the sidewalk. The bridge will be closed to pedestrians through June 2017. Along with the 15th Street Bridge closure to pedestrians, intermittent closures to vehicular traffic can be expected through early May 2017." Project Manager Chris Storey stated that the city is working with the Festival of Sail to accommodate pedestrian access for the event in June.
  
  The historical and cultural report (HERE) on the project is quite interesting. You can also see all of the city's plans, drawings, and timelines HERE, and also a very thorough PowerPoint HERE. The real gem, however, is the interpretive plan (HERE) which shows a lot of the new artwork and signage being installed on the bridge, like this: