NATIONAL NIGHT OUT THIS TUESDAY
TUESDAY OCTOBER 1
6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Place Community Center
4237 Lafayette Ave.
This annual community get together, hosted by the Arlington Heights Citizens on Patrol, is a highlight on everybody’s social calendar.
It’s all free and fun for all ages!
Music provided by DJ Gil Lazo
Food
Bounce House
Giveaways
ARCHIE’S GARDENLAND CELEBRATES 90TH BIRTHDAY THIS SATURDAY
Archie’s Gardenland, Fort Worth’s premier nursery, will always be near and dear to AHNA. It started in Arlington Heights in 1934 in N. E. Archie’s backyard on Calmont Ave. As his business grew, he opened up Archie’s Planter Box at 4910 Camp Bowie where Olivella’s Pizza is today. Moving the business in 1952 to its final location in Ridglea at 6700 Camp Bowie Blvd. allowed the multigenerational business to grow even larger. Heading things up today is N. E. Archie’s great grandson Randall Archie. Check it out, it’s an amazing place for plants and more.
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SAVING STRIPLING’S STONE WALL WINS PRESERVATION AWARD
Moving the vintage stone wall erected in 1934 at the south end of Stripling Middle School’s campus took many months of planning and negotiating to pull off. (Photo by Bob Lukeman)
As soon as AHNA member Juliet George heard that the historic retaining stone wall on Stripling Middle School’s campus was going to be demolished to make way for the school’s new addition, she was determined to save it.
A 1968 Stripling graduate, Juliet located an Ohio stonemason who specializes in historic stone work and who was willing to travel to Fort Worth to dismantle the stone wall. Then, she had to figure out where to go with the stones. Enter Bob Byers from Fort Worth Botanic Garden who agreed to take the dismantled stones since they were identical to the Palo Pinto sandstones used in the garden’s former rose garden built in the 1930s. Funding the project was a long and winding road. Juliet was eventually able to get only partial funding from Tarrant County Historical Society to pay for part of the stonemason’s expenses.
For a longer version of this saga, go to Juliet’s story she wrote in Fort Worth Weekly this past April: https://www.fwweekly.com/2024/04/03/carrying-away-the-stones/.
Juliet and her project will be recognized with a Preservation Achievement Award by Historic Fort Worth on October 10, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at The Woman’s Club of Fort Worth at 1316 Pennsylvania Avenue. This is a ticketed event, so go to historicfortworth.org for more information.
Bravo, Juliet–your passion and tenacity paid off. If anyone would like to make a donation to this project, please email president@arlingtonheightsna.com.
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HELP PLAN FORT WORTH ON OCTOBER 8
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SEPTEMBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Please join us for the monthly AHNA Membership Meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend–bring a friend!
Fort Worth Firefighters Hall
3855 Tulsa Way at Crestline Rd.
SEPTEMBER YARD OF THE MONTH
Ame Von Tungeln had to learn how to garden in the shade because of the commanding oak tree in her front yard at 4001 Collinwood Ave.
As new empty nesters, Ame and Kenneth Von Tungeln decided to move from Cleburne to Fort Worth in 2020. After an endless search and nearly giving up on finding the home of their dreams, they found the home at 4001 Collinwood Ave. on Zillow. “We had looked at so many houses by then, my husband said ‘this is our house.'” After moving in, the Von Tungelns were delighted to discover that the original owners of their home, Virginia and Charles Endress, had been friends with Kenneth’s grandmother.
Together, Ame and Kenneth are the lawn and garden team. He does the lawn and Ame takes care of the shrubs and flower beds. “It’s a joy for me,” says Ame who has had to learn how to garden in shade because of the ancient oak tree that dominates the front landscape. “The tree is not super happy,” Ame says. She brought in an arborist who recommended trimming the water-damaged branches that were rotting and putting unnecessary weight on the tree.
The rest of the original landscape was a sparse smattering of boxwoods, two enormous holly shrubs, and crepe myrtles that tower over the roof top. Ame removed the boxwoods on the west side of the yard, replacing them with cast iron plants, ferns, lime green Frozen Margarita hostas, variegated liriope, lorapetulum, a foxtail fern and pots of Boston ferns and geraniums. Window boxes are filled with sweet potato vines, coleus, New Guinea impatiens and caladiums.
In front of the two inviting lawn chairs are pots of purple drift roses, in honor of Kenneth’s TCU alma mater.
The east side of the yard gets more sun where Ame has planted nandina, abelia, Turks cap, jasmine, a leopard plant, lantana, verbena, knockout roses, and rose of Sharon.
Ame explains the sign on the front door that says “Be Nice or Leave” is a well-known slogan of New Orleans self-taught folk artist, Dr. Bob. She says the Little Free Library at their front curb gets lots of traffic.
After retiring from a 25-year career as a public school teacher and counselor in Cleburne, Ame now works at Tarrant County Community College in the outreach department. Kenneth is a CPA.
The Von Tungelns received a $25 gift certificate to Archie’s Gardenland (hands down, their favorite nursery) and a year’s membership in Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association, courtesy of AHNA.
If you see an award-worthy yard, even your own, please let us know by sending the address to president@arlingtonheightsna.com.
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TRINITY RIVER TRASH BASH SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Saturday September 21 is Trinity River Trash Bash Day, starting at 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Join the Tarrant Regional Water District and thousands of volunteers to remove litter. Then, celebrate your hard work at the after party from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
You can choose to pick up trash either at the Trinity River or Cobb Park. Register by going to https://www.trwd.com/trashbash/
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