It was back in February when Barbara Oleksiw was inspired by Barak Obama’s message and slogan. And she painted her garage door with those very words.

“It was a spontaneous thing and I went and got some red paint.”

I’ve walked by this garage door many times these past nine months, and these three positive words have given birth to something much larger. There were cloudy days and sunny days both on the street and on the streetcar, when those affirmative words reminded me, as they now have shown our country, that, “Yes We Can.”

I tell Barbara on this night before the election, what her sign has meant to me. That people do care. People do take a stand. Change is possible, and now one day later, it is a reality.

There is so much emotion and passion. Barbara reveals some of the neighborhood response to her garage door.

“People have been highly supportive. It’s been a tremendous catalyst for conversation. The man across the street has told me he has seen people propose and get married in front of the sign.”

Barbara and her partner, Paul purchased their home on 6^th and Irving Street just eighteen months ago.

This past summer I saw the sign welcoming neighbors into their yard to convene for the Summer Solstice. I would be out of town that evening and was unable to attend.

“This backyard has been blocked for thirty years by the previous owner. We bought the house and opened up the gates. We’re lucky enough to have a big backyard. It’s our way of bringing life; in essence it’s our way of sharing our backyard. There’s no reason to keep it private. It’s much more fun to make it public.”

Barbara and Paul have done exactly that, but I think rather than a public invitation their neighborhood gatherings are intimate. Barbara tells me about their events.

“We’ve had two Halloween’s, with a haunted house, a Summer Solstice, with dessert and dancing. People brought dessert and we had a simple band. We had a Happy Now Year, (between Christmas and New Year’s,) and a Flea Market with fifteen families. We gave out ice-cream.”

Do they advertise?

“We put a sign on the garage door.”

Paul gives further explanation,

“The N Judah stops in front of the house and every twenty minutes there’s lots of people walking by.”

The first time they brought their neighbors together, Barbara and Paul rented thirty chairs. After a few events Barbara did some searching.

“Now, we have fifty folding chairs that we bought from Craig’s list for $2.00 each.”

These simple gatherings strengthen the bonds of this community. Barbara is a bit more modest.

“In all fairness, the neighborhood exists. This is just a very simple technique to bring people together. What happens after that is up to the people who spark off each other.”

And people have come together. There were thirty volunteers for Halloween. For the various events, neighbors have come to their door with brownies, wine, cookies. One neighbor couldn’t attend one of the gatherings, but she wanted to support Barbara and Paul and dropped off two huge homemade pies. Another neighbor showed up with a piece of carpet as a make shift dance floor for Summer Solstice.

“The backyard has a built in barbecue. We can use it as a barbecue or a staging to put all the desserts. One time another neighbor made the barbecue pretty with fabric, candles and stacked up the desserts. It was charming.”

This is a unique invitation.

They are both a little uncomfortable with this attention. Barbara reminds me,

“It’s not hard to open up your gate.”

And thru their gates, they have welcomed city officials as well as some homeless park dwellers.

“Some smell of cologne and some smell of life.”

I am happy on this day to have neighbors like Barbara and Paul, and to have President Barak Obama as our 44^th President of the United States of America. In quoting our next leader,

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible…”

NEXT WEEK: AS PROMISED A FEW WEEKS AGO, YOU WILL BE INTRODUCED TO JANE ANNE, DIRECTOR KID’S STOCK, INC

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