May Yard of the Month
May Yard of the Month Winner
Tom and Mary Cooker have lived at 1605 Virginia Place in Arlington Heights for 36 years. Tom takes care of the grass while Mary tends to the flower beds. Tom’s secret to a lush, green lawn is to scalp it early, fertilize often, and use 2% Ironite®. He also mows every other day because he likes the look of a fresh cut lawn. Some of their features plants include two beautiful Japanese Maple’s, Tropicana, Sage and Texas Sage, Indian Hawthorns and Gerber Daisy’s. Congratulations to the Cooker’s, they received a $25 gift certificate from Archie’s Gardenland, 6700 Camp Bowie Blvd. All recipients of the 2009 AHNA Yard of the Month will receive this award.
APRIL YARD OF THE MONTH
Arpil's Yard of the Month Winner
Peter Kleven’s front yard at 2104 Thomas Place has been “an evolutionary process” since he moved in thirty years ago. When he decided to turn his front yard into a garden about five years ago, he built the rock wall bordering the front sidewalk. “It’s sort of a bohemian garden,” said Kleven, a retired adult probation supervisor. “When I find things that are pretty, I just plant them and see if they’ll grow.” Some of his plants are drought tolerant, like the trailing rosemary cascading over the front wall, but Kleven likes to plant winter hardy annuals, like pansies and carnations. Especially prominent this spring are his snapdragons which he said he’s “never seen them look this good before.” He bought a few flats of them from Sutherland’s where they typically have very good prices and from Ridgmar Farmer’s Market. He fertilizes with root stimulator and blood meal only when he plants. He can’t identify all of the plants in his garden because some of them came from a pack of wildflower seeds that he just threw out there, “but they keep coming back every year.” Several oversized decorative rocks accent the garden. “I bought them at Whiz-Q Stone on 820,” explained Kleven, who bought all the rock for his wall there, too. “They’re great people who help you figure out how to build your projects and they deliver, too!”
Congratulations to the Kleven’s, they received a $25 gift certificate from Archie’s Gardenland, 6700 Camp Bowie Blvd. All recipients of the 2009 AHNA Yard of the Month will receive this award.
April 20 General Membership Meeting Minutes
Meeting Minutes
AHNA General Membership Meeting
Monday April 20, 2009
6:30 Meeting called to order by Makenzie Carpenter. She welcomes everyone.
Crime Report
Home burglaries are the biggest problem in the neighborhood right now. The latest break in happened in the afternoon between 1:30 & 2:45. Most happen during the day, so please be on the lookout for suspicious people and call.
Officer Miller: Any pressing issues?
Q: There is a house on Dexter that is up on blocks. Is this safe and allowed?
A: No, this is not safe, I have talked to the owner about this. He sold the house to someone who will be moving it. He will emphasize to the buyer that the home needs to be moved promptly.
Q: Have there been any home invasions lately?
A: Not in our neighborhood.
Q: There seems to be a lot of graffiti in the neighborhood.
A: 817-212-2770 Graffiti abatement hotline.
Q: What do we do about illegal dumping?
A: Call 911. Even though this doesn’t sound like an emergency, illegal dumping carries a large fine, and so authorities are quick to respond to these calls.
Officer Miller: Announcement – I am moving to the Traffic Division, so Officer Teri Majors will be taking over as our new neighborhood officer.
Makenzie: We will miss you Officer Miller! We would like to welcome and introduce Officer Majors. She will be taking over in two weeks.
T.M. Majors, Neighborhood Police Officer
Cell: 817-992-0187
Email: teri.majors@fortworthgov.org
New Business
Tonight’s Presentation
Senior Horticulturist Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, Steve Huddleston, presents: Easy Gardens for North Central Texas.
Please come visit the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens and join the Botanical Society if you are interested. A list of events at the Botanic Gardens is being passed around. Steve has his book with him tonight, if you want to purchase a copy, they will be available after the presentation. Tonight’s presentation covers the first chapter of the book.
Conserving water is important in gardening. You can choose drought tolerant plants that are native to Texas and use less turf. The entrance to the Botanic Gardens off of Harvey displays low water use plants. When irrigating, drip irrigation is the most efficient. Steve is trying an organic approach in his garden this year and encourages using fewer pesticides. Also, he encourages adding plants to your garden that attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and other birds to your yard.
His book has a section dedicated to low maintenance plants. He has divided these into Blue Ribbon Plants that require very little maintenance and Red Ribbon Plants that require some maintenance. When planting, set up different zones depending on the plant maintenance, watering and sun light requirements.
Soil preparation is important when planning a garden. If you have clay soil, put 3” of expaned shale on top of the clay and then 3” of aged compost on top of the shale. This loosens up tight heavy clay soil. If you want to have your soil tested to find the pH level and the chemical composition, you can contact the Extension Office.
Mulch is important in a garden. The advantage of organic mulch is that it breaks down and helps to feed your plants. Of course it needs to be replaced periodically. The City of Fort Worth has free mulch available and some tree trimming companies also give away free mulch. For fertilizer, choose one with a slow release from of nitrogen. For grass, fertilize when grass is growing about once every 6 weeks.
Fall is the best time to plant! Spring is the second best time to plant!
Upcoming Speakers
May – Code Compliance with Gina Cubbage
Meeting Adjourned @ 7:30 pm.
Local Neighborhood Associations Take Home 2009 Awards
Two local neighborhood associations earned honors in the 2009 Neighborhood of the Year Awards, presented last week at the 34th Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) Conference on Neighborhood Concerns in Spokane, Wash.
The North Beverly Hills Neighborhood Association placed first in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness category. Members worked with their Neighborhood Policing District and Code Compliance officers to proactively address neighborhood safety after a sudden crime increase.
The Ryan Place Improvement Association placed third in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness category. In 2008, Ryan Place initiated a series of events called Porch Parties. The parties’ purpose is to bring neighbors together to collaborate on revitalization and preservation efforts in Ryan Place.
The Historic Fairmount Neighborhood Association was a finalist in the Multi-Neighborhood Partnerships category. Through collaborative efforts, the association presents an annual home tour showcasing the neighborhood’s historic and architectural heritage. The annual home tour provides for the installation and maintenance of period street lights.
Through these awards, NUSA recognizes the outstanding work of neighborhood organizations. Created in 1975, NUSA encourages networking and information sharing as a way to facilitate partnerships between neighborhood organizations, government and the private sector. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Neighborhood of the Year Awards.
Parking Plan Meeting Update (Northeast Portion of Arlington Heights)
A big thank you to all who attended the permit-only parking plan meeting held on May 21 at Thomas Place Community Center. We were able to establish preliminary boundaries and I was able to relay all concerns/questions to city staff who is working to get those questions answered. A second meeting is planned for July 20 at 6:30pm at Arlington Heights United Methodist Church. Look for more information as that date approaches. At this time Randy Burkett, Transportation Engineer with the city’s Transportation/Public Works Department will be joining us. We will also invite stakeholders from Will Rogers and other city staff to be on hand to answer questions.
The following boundaries were established as a result of the parking meeting on May 21.
· Tulsa Way 3600-3800 blocks, both sides of the street
· Watonga St 3600-3700 blocks, both sides of the street
· Crestline 3600-4000 blocks, both sides of the street (where No Parking has not already been established)
· Washburn 3600-3800 blocks, both sides of the street
· Harley 3600-3800 blocks, both sides of the street
· Lafayette 3600-3700 blocks, both sides of the street
· Dexter 3600-3800 blocks, both sides of the street
· Owasso 1500-2000 blocks, both sides of the street
· Dorothy 1900 block, both sides of the street
During the public meeting, the following questions/concerns were raised:
1. What number of Permit-Only signs will be on each side of the street/each block? Can we pain the curbs?
2. Will there be crosswalks painted across Montgomery for pedestrians?
3. Will there be parking meters available to patrons along Camp Bowie/Montgomery/Lancaster/Will Rogers Road/ Van Cliburn Way for Cultural District patrons?
4. How will you charge for parking for those who park in parking lots in front of the Amon Carter or the Modern Art Museum, for example?
5. How will Permit-Only Parking be handled in front of apartment complexes? Will we need to secure signatures from those living in the apartments?
6. Will cars that are parked illegally be towed or ticketed?
7. How can we easily obtain visitor parking permits on a temporary basis?
8. How many guest tags will we get / how many resident tags will we get? We need enough to accommodate teenagers/maids
9. Is there any hope that access to Montgomery from the parking garage could be closed which might alleviate traffic on Montgomery Street and detour patrons from parking in Arlington Heights?
10. Can we have abbreviated Permit-Only parking regulations (weekends or hours) rather than 24/7?
11. What future development can we expect along Montgomery Street within the cultural district?
As a reminder, this parking meeting was held in response to the construction of the Western Heritage Parking Garage along Montgomery Street which will have a significant impact on parking within the Cultural District. To alleviate any potential negative impact to our streets and our residents, AHNA, the City of Fort Worth, and Will Rogers wants to have a plan in place before the garage opens in February that will deter event goers from using the eastern edge of our neighborhood as a free parking.
Speed bumps Update
I heard from a good source that the speed bumps slated for Crestline and Clover should be completed within the next few months. Stay tuned!
Starbucks Update
Rumor has it that the Starbucks on the corner of Hulen and Camp Bowie will remain open — they are supposedly sticking with shorter hours for the time being. Anyone care to comment??
Molly the Trolley
Post thanks to Pegasus Newswire published on May 24, 2009
Fort Worth is offering “Downtown Get Around”, a free trolley service throughout the downtown area this summer on a trial basis: Molly the Trolley.
Designed to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and so on, the trolley will link the north and south ends of downtown, and will run from May 27 to August 22, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. They’ll keep it going after that only if they get enough riders this summer. For a complete schedule and routes go to www.mollythetrolley.com
Fort Worth’s Sundance Square to host outdoor summer movie series
Post thanks to Pegasus Newswire, May 27 2009
Sundance Square in Fort Worth will resume its outdoor Summer movie series beginning May 28 with the showing of the animated favorite Ratatouille on a giant 50-foot wide by 40-foot high screen in the Chisholm Trail parking lot at Fourth and Main Streets.
The third annual “Stars under the Stars” movie series will play a free family-friendly movie each Thursday night from May 28 thru July 2, including My Big Fat Greek Wedding – June 4; Pink Panther – June 11; Young Frankenstein – June 18; City Slickers – June 25; and Top Gun – July 2.
Gates will open at 7 p.m. The movie will start at dusk. No coolers or outside food or drink will be allowed, but food and beverages will be available for purchase. Schakolad will sell popcorn and sweet treats, and Reata will offer soft drinks, bottled water and adult beverages.
Guests are welcome to bring folding chairs or blankets. Free parking will be available at all Sundance Square lots and parking garages after 5 p.m. No pets please.
Crime Continues to Heat Up!
Memorial Day unofficially marks the beginning of summer, and as the weather heats up so will crime. Take precautions — Remove all items from inside your vehicle—that means everything. Take the time to lock and secure your vehicle. Again, ALWAYS LOCK ALL CAR DOORS. Don’t help thieves to help themselves… Some professional thieves can open a locked car, remove what they want, and get away in 30 seconds. Fortunately, most of them are not so skilled and must rely on the carelessness of their victims. Do not offer opportunities for criminals and thrill–seeking individuals to help themselves because you are negligent.
Lock your houses and make sure that your garage doors are also secured. Remember, that alarms offer additional security, but should never be substituted for good locks. When considering an alarm, you should have several companies appraise your needs. Insist on a written proposal and a copy of the contract you will need to sign. Before signing, check the company’s reputation through the Better Business Bureau. Employees of the police department are prohibited from making any recommendations for any specific alarm company.
To receive Offense Activity Reports for our area, please email Officer Teri Majors and ask to be included on the distribution list. Her email is teri.majors@fortworthgov.org
