I think the easiest way to handle the parking situation for the block party is to designate the lot behind the community center for residents and ask guests to park along the side streets. The permits from the city only cost a small fee and cover the whole afternoon. We should have enough space for about forty cars if we coordinate the timing. The grill and tables will go on the lawn area near the playground so kids have room to run. I can pick up the charcoal and paper goods from the wholesale club if someone else handles the drinks and ice. The weather looks warm and sunny with no chance of rain so we should be in good shape. I am planning to bring my portable speaker for background music and a few lawn games like cornhole and ladder toss. If you want to set up a sign-up sheet for potluck dishes that would help spread the work around. The committee asked me to confirm the start time of 2 PM and remind everyone to bring their own chairs. Let me know if you think we need a backup plan for shade just in case the afternoon gets too hot. I can grab a couple of pop-up canopies from the rental place.

We should also assign someone to monitor the grill rotation so nothing burns while people are socializing. I am happy to take the first shift on the grill since I will be there early anyway to set up. The kids usually enjoy the scavenger hunt activity we did last year so I will print those sheets again. Just let me know if you want to adjust any of the game stations or add something new this time around.

The email about the layout diagram should arrive from the city office by Wednesday so I can forward it to everyone once I have it. I think that covers most of the planning items for now. Reach out if you think of anything else we might need to arrange before Saturday.

For the community garden plot I think we should go with a three-section rotation this year. The south bed gets tomatoes peppers and basil since it gets the most sunlight. The middle section works well for root vegetables like carrots beets and radishes. The north bed which gets partial shade would be ideal for leafy greens and herbs. I have already started some seedlings indoors under a grow light and they are looking strong. We will need to amend the soil with compost about two weeks before planting. I can bring a few bags from my home pile. The garden committee mentioned they can provide mulch and drip irrigation supplies. If we mark the rows clearly it makes weeding much easier later in the season. I think we should plant in phases rather than all at once to extend the harvest window. The first planting could go in around mid April after the last frost date. Let me know if you want to adjust any of the crop choices or layout. I am also happy to help with watering shifts during the week. The garden tools are stored in the shed near the entrance and we all have access codes now.

I also wanted to mention that the seed swap event is scheduled for the second Saturday of the month at the library community room. It runs from 10 AM until noon and everyone is welcome to bring seeds they have saved or packets they want to trade. I have a good number of tomato and pepper seeds left from last season that I can contribute. The event organizers usually provide small envelopes and labels so it is easy to package things up. I think it would be a good chance to pick up some herb varieties we do not already have in the rotation. The library posted a sign-up sheet on their website if you want to reserve a table for our group. I can handle the registration if you are too busy that week. Let me know what you think about the rotation plan and if you want to add anything to the list before we finalize the layout.