MAY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Please join us for the monthly AHNA Membership Meeting:
Tuesday May 16 at 6:30pm
Fort Worth Firefighters Hall
3855 Tulsa Way at Crestline Rd.
This is an open meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Neighborhood Patrol Officer Andy Moquecho will give his monthly neighborhood crime report.
GUEST SPEAKER: Celestina Blok, author of 100 Things To Do In Fort Worth Before You Die. She will be bringing books to sell after the meeting.
Celestina has been writing about Fort Worth since 2005. Her first book, Lost Restaurants of Fort Worth, was published in 2017. A third-generation Fort Worth native, she writes about food, drink, and travel news for CultureMap Fort Worth and contributes to Texas Highways magazine.
Our thanks to Dale’s Donuts Hulen for providing free nibbles for this meeting.
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MAY YARD OF THE MONTH
Many of the plants in the cottage garden at 1708 Frederick are very old passalong gifts.
When Merry Hotopp started her garden twenty years ago, she planted some Pink Ladies bulbs she had dug up decades before on her great grandmother’s farm near Gene Autry, Oklahoma.
Merry’s garden has evolved to include a wide variety of irises, many of which she’s traded and gifted to neighbors. There are even a few from family in Oklahoma. Even though this year’s iris display was inexplicably below par compared to years past, Merry’s sage and lambs ear have taken off.
Several colors of day lilies line the front beds, including wine, yellow with wine centers and vintage double orange; some came with the house when Merry bought it fifty years ago. The red poppies came from seeds a good friend gave her. Merry harvests their seeds every year.
“I only plant perennials,” explains Merry who is a self-taught gardener. Gerber daisies, oxalis, and coneflowers add seasonal color. Mums on the front porch are from Merry’s mother. The rock rose in the pot north of the front door is a volunteer. “Probably dropped by the birds,” Merry guesses.
A cage for the Mr. Tuft morning glories awaits the coming vines. Old time abelias provide the backdrop to the plant bed near the driveway. Merry keeps a sharp eye on the ruellia, a gift from a friend, or it will easily take over.
Merry’s husband was a pool builder. “He was always coming home with interesting rocks and fossils he and his crew dug up, so I placed many of them in the flower beds and on the front porch,” Merry says.
The Cherokee Princess dogwood tree was a gift from Merry’s neighbor across the street. “She gave it to me after my husband died because I’m part Cherokee.” Merry planted mini ajuga at its base.
Being named AHNA Yard of the Month has its rewards. Merry received a $25 gift certificate to Archie’s Gardenland, courtesy of AHNA, and a free year’s membership in AHNA.
If you see a yard you’d like to nominate, even your own, please send the address to president@arlingtonheightsna.com.
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ARCHITECTURAL GEM SCAVENGER HUNT
Fort Worth Public Library has posted photographs of 12 historical architectural gems in Fort Worth and is challenging all adults to enter the race to find them.
Join the hunt to find the locations of all twelve photos. As soon as you’ve found all of them, send your entry in for a chance to win a copy of Quentin McGown’s book Historic Photos of Fort Worth. All entries must be submitted by Friday May 26. One entry per person.
Go to the Architectural Scavenger Hunt site to download contest forms from the “Other Entry Options.” Entries may be submitted online through the “Play Online” form. Contest forms are also available in person from the Fort Worth History Center.
Scavenger hunt locations may be identified by address or by a commonly known name or description. Correct identification is determined at the sole discretion of the Fort Worth History Center staff. Be sure to include your contact name and email address.
In order to win, you must identify all twelve locations. If there are no correct entries, then the entries with the most correctly identified locations will be entered for the prize drawing.
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RECYCLING FOOD WASTE
For a one time $20 fee, the City of Fort Worth is offering starter kits to collect your food waste. You can pick up kits up at one of six locations and start composting at home. After collecting your food waste, you can drop it off at Fort Worth Botanic Garden, or one of the other 16 drop off locations.
Since 2019, citizens have diverted 458,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill.
To register or for more information, check out Keep Fort Worth Beautiful. Call them at 817-392-2046 or email them at kfwb@fortworthtexas.gov.
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FREE ONLINE PROGRAM ABOUT THE HISTORY OF TEXAS GRAPEFRUIT
On Thursday May 25 @ 6 p.m., Dr. David Laughlin from Texas A & M University’s Kingsville Citrus Center will talk about the origins of grapefruit and how it became the flagship citrus in Texas. The program will be presented on Zoom, courtesy of the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission. To register and receive the link to attend this virtual event, go to:
https://fthc.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/fthc/eventRegistration.jsp?event=6036&
This event is free, but donations to the Friends are welcome and appreciated.
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SPECIAL APRIL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Tuesday April 18 at 6:30pm
Fort Worth Firefighters Hall
3855 Tulsa Way at Crestline Rd.
Please join us for a special AHNA membership meeting. This is an open meeting, everyone is welcome to attend.
Instead of our regular meeting format, AHNA is hosting the West Side Alliance’s District 7 City Council Candidate Forum. We will dispense with regular AHNA business, including the monthly crime report, and go directly to the candidate forum.
The candidates who are running for the seat to represent us on City Council are Caleb Backholm, Jason Ellis, and Macy Hill. Come and meet them and get more information to help you make a decision about who you’d like to be your representative on City Council.
Joining us for this meeting will be our nearby neighbors who make up the West Side Alliance: Crestline Area Neighborhood Association, Crestwood Neighborhood Association, Monticello Neighborhood Association, North Hi Mount Neighborhood Association, and West Byers Neighborhood Association. The Alliance represents more than 4,000 West Side residential households. West Side Alliance Moderator Janine Lund will lead the forum.
The three candidates have received ahead of time the following questions that they will be asked at the forum:
- Describe specifically your qualifications, credentials, and experience to serve as the District 7 Fort Worth City Councilperson.
- What can and should be done to encourage voter participation in local elections?
- There is intense pressure to commercialize all neighborhoods. Describe your position on Short Term Rentals (and similar versions) in zoned residential neighborhood.
- If you plan to work to reduce property taxes, how will you make up for that revenue? If you plan to “cut waste” or “reduce services,” say specifically what you plan to cut or reduce.
- Heavy and increasing traffic is common in many areas of District 7. As growth continues in District 7, how can traffic issues and access in and out of neighborhoods be anticipated and/or mitigated?
- What is the City’s role in supporting the Arts? The Cultural District is a key part of our Westside area. Currently, the city has a task force, headed by Councilman Firestone, about how to handle the need for repairs and updates for the Community Art Center at 1300 Gendy, across from the Amon Carter Art Museum. Repairs are estimated at over $27 million.
- What city meetings have you attended? Zoning commission, city council meetings, task force meetings, other?
Each candidate will have a bell at two minutes and then be stopped at three minutes. They may choose to answer in less time.
If you have additional questions you’d like to ask, please write them on a card provided at the forum. If you’re unable to attend the forum, please send your questions ahead of time to president@arlingtonheightsna.com.
This is a non-partisan forum. No candidates will be endorsed.
Early voting begins on Monday April 24th through Tuesday May 2. Election Day is Saturday May 6 with polls opening at 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
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2023 AHNA CLEANUP CREW
Twenty hearty Arlington Heights neighbors gathered on Calmont Avenue on the morning of Saturday March 25, 2023 to pick up trash as part of the annual citywide Cowtown Cleanup event.
From left to right: Peter, Kevin and April Lintz, Linda Waas, Sue Woodring, Jeff Woodring, Jen Wagner, Brandie Van Zanden.
After cleaning up Calmont, the crew moved to Stripling Middle School and South Hi Mount Elementary, resulting in a total of thirty bags of trash. Thanks to all who made Arlington Heights cleaner and better in just one day.
From left to right: Thad Blizzard, Brian Bohl, AHNA President Lori Murray-Bosken, Melissa Deaton, Rob Redwood.
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