Susan Horak and Zeus

Susan Horak Wins Survey Drawing

Known in the neighborhood by our pet companions as ‘Aunt Suzie,’

Ms. Horak recently had a lucky birthday weekend. Not only did she become eligible for Medicare, win out of 160 people who turned in our survey the $50.00 American Express Gift Card, but her champion agility Border Collie, Zeus, gained the title of Master Jumpers Preferred.

Which of these gifts do you think made her the happiest?

Congratulations, Susan!

 

October 19th 2011 WHHA Annual Meeting

 

Location: Walnut Hill Elementary

Meeting began at 7:05 p.m.

 

Officers present were: President Bob Noyes, Vice President/ Membership Ken Zally, Historian/Web Site Manager Joyce Tepley, Secretary Jean Ryan, Crime Watch CO Chairs Joe and MaryAnne Mathews, and ENP Coordinator Ken McKenzie.

 

Homeowners present: forty-five.

 

Speakers were Ann Margolin District 13’s champion on Dallas City Council, Bonnie Bradshaw from 911 Wild Life, and Deputy Chief Malik Aziz from Dallas Police Department.

 

Ann Margolin just started her 2nd term and was appointed Vice Chair of Economics Development Community.

 

Ann talked about the city budget and slimming down of the Police and Fire Departments. She mentioned Mayor Rawlings would like more emphasis on the Arts, Libraries and City Parks.

 

Over all we are down 13% in Crime. We had murders in the 1950’s and very few now. We have added 200 firefighters. Burglaries are up.

 

Streets are being paved; the cost of paving 1 lane 1 mile in length is $100,000.00. This money comes out of our bond money. $120 million will be spent from Bond money coming due for the Dallas Streets to be repaved.

 

Last year 6% of property tax was paid for debt by services.

 

Ann mentioned they are in the process of redistricting, we have 4 Hispanic Districts, 5 likely are white, 2 uncertain districts. Spanish feel they are underrepresented. They need to get map changed and this would become effective in 2013. Devonshire and Bluffview are now put back to district 13.

 

Things that are positive in Dallas: Convention Center Hotel bookings are right on target, with 1000 rooms per night booked this year. Revenue is from bonds that are coming due.

 

All New Love Field 2014, airport is paid by the Airlines, not the city.

 

Sales tax is going up monthly and Museum Towers are being built. Dallas is in good shape.

 

Bonnie Bradshaw spoke from the 911 Wild Life. A very interesting talk on Bob Cats, Red Fox and Possums thriving in urban areas. She gave us all a hand out of how to keep these creatures out of our yards.

 

It is not unusual to see bob cats in urban living; they devour mice and rats and are hardier in cities as they go after small prey. The smallest animal they eat is smaller than a rabbit. It is inhumane and does little good to trap and take away a bob cat. This creates a vacancy sign for another relative to appear in their place. They will die in 2 weeks or so if removed from their territory. They are not rabies carriers. She mentioned another misconception that squirrels and other rodents carry rabies. They do not. Opossum love to eat snakes, are immune to snake venom, also do not get rabies, do not attack people, and are wonderful as clean up crews, eating dead carcasses.

 

Deputy Chief Aziz of the Northwest Division also gave a very interesting talk:

 

What is happening in our neighborhoods?

 

The 4 years he has been in office we have had crime reduction a -3.84 overall reduction in the City. The Northwest Division leads the crime reduction -17% in 2010 and -8.9% in 2011. A -15% in Violent Crime. NW has the lowest crime and we have the most bars and most clubs, pockets of the very poor and very wealthy.

 

The North West division had more residential burglaries this year than any other year. Murders are how they measure crime. NW had 8 murders in 50 square miles this year in 2011. Our Residential Burglaries are up 54% the highest in 7 years.

 

26 persons were arrested in 2010, 56 people arrested in 2011 for Burglaries. None of these had weapons.

 

More cat burglaries (come in home while sleeping).

 

Chief talked about the Lively Lane Burglary and that we should watch the youtube video that came from a Security Camera go to http://www.youtube.com/user/DallasPoliceDept.

 

Chief Aziz emphasized having a 50/50 partnership with us as citizens by having every one register their valuables at: Leads On Line.

 

It is a very important web based internet tool everyone should use. This allows you to photograph your property items, register their serial numbers, and worth in a password protected account. The Police department can track if items are sold on Craig’s list, eBay, or to pond shops, and it will help with insurance loss claims. Go to www.reportit.leadsonline.com.

 

NW has very little gang problems, just cartels.

 

Bob Noyes spoke of 2 open positions on our Board for next year, Treasurer and Web Site Manager. We may already have volunteers for both.

 

Meeting Adjourned at 9:20pm.

 

 

Minutes for WHHA Board Meeting

 

November 16, 2011

 

Present: Bob Noyes - President, Linda Befort - Treasurer, Ken Zally - Vice President/membership/ advertising, Barbara Stone - Vice President/Editor/Communications, Jean Ryan - Secretary.

 

Meeting bagan at 7:00 p.m.

 

The Board voted to appoint J. Taylor Denton, certified Public Accountant, as our new Treasurer to begin when Linda Befort leaves.

 

Andrea Spica was voted in as our new Web site Manager.

 

Treasurer report: Linda announced that we have YTD ENP balance of $23,851.88 and a YTD WHHA balance of $4,374.60.

 

Membership: Ken Zally said he tried unsuccessfully to get all section leaders together to discuss a membership drive and business advertising. He will try again after the holidays.

 

We discussed how to contact businesses in the area for advertising in our newsletter. Barbara would like to ask Pet Supplies Plus on Forest and Preston to purchase an ad. She also suggested we offer a coupon slot for their store and that we could mention them on our web page with a thank you for their advertisement.

 

Linda suggested Ken do a group email to get people motivated to obtain business advertising. Linda asked if we are to have a 3 tier program for advertising, which would be strictly for business advertising and we need ENP to be part of this.

 

The 3 tier contribution amount could be:
$2000.00 for 1/2 page per year (4 newsletters)
$1000.00 for 1/4 page per year (4 newsletters)
$500.00 for 1/8 page per year (4 newsletters)
Barbara and Linda came up with an idea that we should email people to contact 2 businesses each by the end of the year. Ken would have to assign the businesses as we do not want duplicate contacts.

 

We need to have our marketing material together such as: Map of our area, ENP definitions, WHHA (what we are all about), form for payment with payment upfront and a copy of our last newsletter.

 

We decided we need to come up with an annual amount of over $2000.00/year from Newsletter advertising and at least $2000.00 should go to ENP.

 

Survey results were reported by Barbara. 511 surveys delivered by email, some distributed at the Homeowners Meeting, and a few were hand delivered by Barb and Mary Anne. 160 were returned. This is an extremely useful tool that dictates what we should do in the future for WHHA.

 

Joyce and Barb put a lot of time into analyzing the results. Barb suggested we put together a small committee to follow-up with people who made extra comments on the survey form.

 

Barb suggested we have a Goal Setting meeting to use the survey and determine what we do first. Major concerns from survey were safety, break-ins, vandalism, and encroaching crime from other areas.

 

Also of concern was clean up after trash pickup, littering in the parks and tree preservation. Barb suggested we put an article in the Newsletter about preserving our trees. Linda suggested having an arborist come and talk at one of our HOA meetings. We discussed block parties for more neighborhood involvement. Who would like to host? We could send out this question to block captains, this would bring more community involvement in each block.

 

Bob assigned Phil Hughes to select a number from the spreadsheet he made of all the survey entries for the $50.00 gift certificate drawing. It will be awarded by the end of November.

 

By laws were reviewed. Changes will be made.

 

Web site discussed. A budget for the web site, how much to pay for the site to operate? Can we put a Facebook link on our web site? Answers to be answered...

 

Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,
Jean Ryan
WHHA Board Secretary

 

 

Surrounding Neighborhood Associations

 

What are they doing? Learn more at www.annmargolin.com/district.html.

 

 

 

Read the October 2011 Newsletter

 

Our October 2011 newsletter is online (pdf) and can either be downloaded to your computer or you can just read it online.

 

 

 

Trinity River Corridor Photo Contest

The third Trinity River Corridor Photo Contest is underway. With award divisions for professionals, amateurs and youth, entries can be submitted through October 15.

 

For inspiration, you can view last year's winners online. You can also review the photo contest's details and then perhaps you'll get snapping!

 

 

 

 

 

Neighborhood Beautification

 

A few residents who live near the circle on Royal Springs got together and redid the contents of the circle with new plantings, watering from Joe’s Creek and trimmed up the tree in the center of the circle.

 

Thank you to Bob & Carol, Todd, Roger, Judy & Dan, Bill & Pat for their work and time and money spent on this fabulous work. The circle is looking so much better and safer for those who drive on our street. We have asked the city for a new “keep right” sign and are awaiting their decision on this.

 

This is what folks do for their neighborhood, to help keep it beautiful.

 

Thank you from the WHHA for this JOB WELL DONE.

 

Bob Noyes, President

 

 

 

Congratulations! 2010 Yards of the Month