Hello from SOBRO! You're reading The Broad Ripple Gazette so you have to know what SOBRO is. (South Broad Ripple for those who don't). I relocated my dog and cat store, October 27th, to the vibrant corner of 52nd & College and got a warm greeting from The Aristocrat Restaurant & Pub, welcoming me to the SOBRO neighborhood. It's nice to be a part of such an active area. The Christmas trees have arrived at Habig's this week of Thanksgiving, as I write this, and that should put us all in the spirit. Taste is dishing up fabulous cuisine that is bringing customers from afar. They bring in their "doggie boxes" and walk around my store after lunch, so I inquire where they hail from. I am amazed. We are all missing our favorite barber, Paul Taylor, who retired, but I am pleased to mention that he was well honored at the Meridian Kessler Neighborhood Association Business Breakfast.

Now, speaking of Meridian Kessler, I just have to say that they don't much care for the term SOBRO. You see, this corner is technically in Meridian-Kessler, so there's a little bit of rivalry going on here, sort of like the Oaken Bucket Game held recently. Some people think Broad Ripple is just the coolest and others think Meridian-Kessler has it all going on. Truth is, both communities are top notch and do their best to promote their businesses and represent their residents. Currently Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association (MKNA) has been dealing with some pretty tense issues involving 49th Street at two locations -Pennsylvania and College. Patachou has been enlarging and adding a pizzeria at 49th & Penn. There have been many meetings of the neighborhood to hear the remonstrators concerns. There have been petitions circulating for and against. Many feathers have been ruffled and still are. At the College location someone stenciled across the developer's signs "no action". As a reliable source, I can tell you there absolutely is action - every single day. There are so many meetings on a daily basis that the Egyptians building the Pyramids would still be sitting at the tables if they had to deal with today's codes, standards and politics. This nonsense has to stop so things can move forward. It's been ugly folks. There are people spreading false rumors like crazy about this project. I hear it daily, having been across from it for three years. So, I say to you, don't believe everything you hear.

I would like to urge all of you to start thinking about city planning. Our neighborhoods are getting old and dated and need new ideas, new leaders, new budgets, and new cohesiveness. We need to come together. In the same way that Broad Ripple has had regular meetings to "envision" the Village, College Avenue Neighborhood Development Organization (CAN DO!) has started their own meeting series - Envision College Avenue. The response has been really huge. More than eighty attended each of the two meetings held so far. The third meeting is to be held December 2nd, 2009, just before this Gazette issue drops. Things to envision and brainstorm are how to improve College Avenue from Kessler to 34th Street. People are passionate about the corridor and thus the great attendance. Now, since it is the season of Thanks and Giving, a big thanks goes to our community leaders who have dealt with so much friction recently regarding those 49th Street developments. They have a hard job trying to keep the balance amongst all the players. Thank you Ed Potts, MKNA President; Sarah Larkin, CAN DO! President and Caroline Farrar, MKNA Executive Director. Thank you Kathy Shorter of HARMONI for facilitating the envision meetings. Many are volunteers giving the equivalent of a full time job. Also a hearty thank you to Joe Vukovich of YATS for donating dinner to the Envision College Avenue sessions.

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. I personally give thanks to, and for, all of you who have made my business dream come true. Bless you and all of your wonderful pets. Pets make you smile.