On Saturday, we built out the Epiphany Community Garden behind the Epiphany Episcopal Church at Greenleaf and Custer. It features twenty new 5′x20′ slightly raised plots, and eight more very raised plots that were built last year. 10% of all the produce will go to the Network food bank. Last year, the eight raised plots tended by Epiphany were the main donor of fresh food to the food bank.

The whole day went off without a single hitch and barely a scraped knee. I attribute this to the great planning on the parts of leaders Margaret Miller, Kim Uhlmann, and other members of the church. It was truly inspiring how dozens of community members just got stuff done and pulled the whole thing together in about six hours.

– Nathan Beach / Plot #11

(photographs by Nathan Beach, feel free to use under Creative Commons BY 3.0)

This Saturday, March 5, is the day we’re going to build out the community garden that the Epiphany Episcopal Church is creating for our neighborhood. Please stop by to see the progress and / or help out. The following message is for volunteers…

From Kim Uhlmann, volunteer coordinator:

Hello Volunteers! Can you believe the time to build the community garden is finally here? We have a lot of helping hands & a lot of enthusiasm so here are general instructions for Saturday. Please note this change from the original information and Evite: We originally thought we would be there all day, but now we believe we will have completed everything around noon so lunch will be served, but not dinner.

Arrive/Check In: 8:30 a.m. in the back of the south parking lot
Check in @ table with Kim or Margaret & you will be instructed as to which work group you are in
Child care check in: Sarah Jo Skinner in the Parish Life Center (brief form to be filled out)

Work Groups: There is a leader for each work group that will instruct you on what to do

Tools: You should have received a Tool List at the Kick-Off meeting in January or when you paid your plot rental fee and I have also included it below. I cannot emphasize enough to please label your name on all tools you bring. Bring gloves, water bottle, sunscreen, etc. We will have a water container outside.

For those of you who are on the drilling or construction crews (you were previously emailed with a request to bring a drill if you have one), please also bring the following if you have it: a #2 Phillips or square drive bit, a 7/32 drill bit.

Plots: We will be assembling 2 rows of 10 plots, starting from the parking lot side (south) and moving north. If you wish to plant after we are through, then please feel free to do so. A Gardening Advisor will be on hand if you have questions. We will also show you how to turn on the water. Three garden hoses and 3 shower wands will be there for your convenience.

We thank you all for your help and are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Kim Uhlmann

TOOL LIST: PLEASE MARK YOUR TOOLS WITH YOUR NAME
Gloves, water bottle, sunscreen, dress in layers, etc.
Basic Wood Kit: Hammer, tape measure, square, level, drill and bits, extension cords
Earth Work Kit: Shovels, garden rake, fork
Other Tools as Needed: wire cutters, sledge hammer, wheel barrow, crow bar, screwdriver, wrecking bar
Prune Kit: pruning sheers, pruning saws

If you have other equipment that will be helpful, please bring. Not everyone will have all tools. Please bring what you have.

Our Neighborhood Community Garden is taking shape! On Saturday, January 29th the garden kick-off meeting was held at Epiphany Episcopal Church (Custer and Greenleaf) to provide information to all of the plot-holders and volunteers. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the garden; there are master gardeners involved to offer help and some experienced community garden coordinators working with everyone to be sure it’s a success. This garden is so popular that there’s a waiting list for plots!

See this page for more information about the community garden.

Whether or not you are the proud recipient of a plot, we’d love to have you help on March 5 with Garden Build It Day (time TBD). We’ll be constructing the garden – frames, plots, filling with dirt, etc. – everything related to getting a garden ready for planting. The landscaper has already leveled the area at Epiphany where the old volleyball court used to be. There’s a good sand base for the beds and the water lines are in and ready.

If you’d like to pitch in with Build It Day, you can fill out a form about how you’d like to help. Here are some of the areas in which help is needed: carpentry, hauling, driving stakes, raking, measuring and laying out, meal preparation, planting, trimming, tilling, etc.

If you decide to help, here is a list of tools that may be helpful. Remember to mark your tools so you’re sure to get them back.
Basic Wood Kit: hammer, tape measure, square, level, power saw, cord, drill, bit
Earth Work Kit: shovels, garden rake, fork, gloves
Other Tools As Needed: wire cutters, sledge hammer, wheel barrow, crow bar, screwdriver, pruning sheers, pruning saw

To volunteer, contact Kim Uhlmann, 972.495.7692; fandangoflamingo AT verizon.net. You can also fill out this form and send it in.

The HPNA board is interested in making our neighborhood association activities available to more residents. We’d like to have more activities for families and children and include more social gatherings. To do this, we’d like to hear from you. What do you like about our neighborhood? How can we make it better? What neighborhood activities would interest you?

We’ve prepared a survey for you to help us make HPNA more responsive to the needs of our residents. It should only take about 5 minutes – maybe 10 if you provide a lot of comments. Once you’ve completed the survey, your name will be entered in a drawing for a prize to be awarded at our January 20th general meeting. The survey will be available through the end of January, but if you want to be entered in the prize drawing, you must take the survey before 12-31-10. Please click on the link below to complete the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/96597B8

This will be a great way for you to provide your opinions and offer some suggestions. We appreciate your participation. Let me know if you have questions.

Janet DePuy
President
Heights Park N.A.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

Crimefighters–

The National Association of  Town Watch has just announced their judging committee results for National Night Out 2010–

First Place (in the nation)- Category 3- RICHARDSON, TEXAS !

http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/award.html

Congratulations and a heartfelt thanks to all of our Neighborhood Watch Facilitators, Coordinators and Block Captains. You put us there.

john

A personal property inventory can help recover or replace items lost to theft, fire, or other event. Create and store your property inventory at www.knowyourstuff.org

Officer John Corbitt
CCPS/CPTED Certified
(972) 744-4952
john.corbitt@cor.gov
Crime Prevention Unit— West Sector
Richardson Police Department

Please contact Marsha Mayo if you want to participate in the HPNA Citizen Patrollers Program or Crime Watch.mmayo01@sprynet.com

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Bond Tracker Program – City of Richardson Website

http://www.cor.net Follow this link to the City’s website; click on the 2010 Bond link on the left-side of the page; then click on the box: NEW BOND TRACKER.

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Reminder about the Community Garden

Below is information from Betsy Randall at the Epiphany Church at the corner of Custer and Greenleaf. We’re partnering with them to have a community garden and they’re now ready to take reservations for garden plots. Follow the directions below if you want to participate, but you should do so quickly because Betsy says the plots are going fast. You can get more information from Margaret Miller (email below) on the details of working on a community garden.

I’m very anxious to see this be a success. I think it’s going to be lots of fun as well as being a community builder.

Thanks.

Janet DePuy

President

Heights Park N.A.

214.282.6921

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Epiphany Neighborhood Garden

Join our Heights Park neighbors at the Epiphany Neighborhood Garden in the exciting first planting season of our community garden.  Plots are now open for reservation.  There are limited plots.  Reservations will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.  Simply email Margaret Miller with your contact information at paulmiller4@att.net to hold a plot for spring planting and to get all the information you need. No money is required for a reservation.  Cost for the year is only $75 and will be collected in January. This fee helps to cover water and general maintenance of the garden.

FAQs:

Where is the garden?  Episcopal Church of the Epiphany is located at 421 Custer Road, right in our neighborhood. How big is the plot?  Each individual plot is 5×20 feet. What does it offer for our neighborhood?  Community gardens live up to their name:  They build community!  The garden will provide a place to plant and harvest food, a place for folks to meet and get to know one another, a learning center for scouts and school children and many more benefits.

On a side note:  Two girl scouts hoping to earn their Gold Award have set in motion plans to install picnic table, benches and some landscaping.   One area will offer space for gathering and socializing, the other for prayer and meditation.  We also have scout groups who have asked to reserve plots.  Things are rolling!

Thank you,

Betsy Randall

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December Holiday Lights Contest

Don’t forget to have your holiday lights out in early December if you want to be one of the Yard of the Month Judges’ picks!

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Heights Park Hayride

Tuesday, December 21

811 Lockwood Drive

Join your neighbors for an “Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration”

6:30 pm – Hay Ride takes off from 811 Lockwood

Ride through the streets of Heights Park singing your favorite Christmas Carols.  You may ‘jump on’ at any time during the ride.  We will travel northbound on each street between Thompson & Floyd starting on Lockwood and ending at Heights Park.

7:30 pm – Dessert

Join us back at 811 Lockwood for roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate.

RSVP

Julie Anders: J2anders@sbcglobal.net

Community Garden

Watch your email for an update on the Heights Park/Church of the Epiphany Community Garden. The Rev. Betsy Randall spoke at our September general meeting about the garden and received lots of interest from our residents. She says the church leadership has approved the garden plan so Betsy is working on the details now. I should have more information from her to provide you next week on how the program will work and how you can participate. I think this garden is going to be a great community project for our neighborhood!

Heights Park Flag Lease Program

Many of you have expressed an interest in the Flag Program. The charge for the flag being placed at your curb five times per year is $35/year. You can mail a check to HPNA, P.O. Box 833537, Richardson, TX 75080. We’ll start the program in 2011. You must be a paid member of HPNA to participate in the flag program, however. Membership in HPNA is $15/year. So if you want to participate in membership and the flag program in 2011, you can mail a check for $50 to cover the cost of both. (One check is fine.) I’ve included a membership/flag form below for you to complete; we must have accurate contact information so the flags can be placed at your house. If you don’t know whether or not you’ve paid your 2011 HPNA membership dues, please send me a note. We begin our official membership drive in January, so you can sign up then or you can send your dues and flag money now. (Certainly not a requirement, but it would be helpful if you could let me know when you’re mailing a check so we can be sure to check the P.O. Box.)

Recycling Make Up Schedule: (from David Morgan, Assistant City Manager)

This information is already available on the City’s website http://www.cor.net/PublicServices.aspx?id=2420 and it will be in an upcoming issue of the Richardson Today as well.

Thanksgiving 2010

Thursday Nov. 25 will be made up on Wed. Nov 24. Friday Nov. 26 will be made up on Sat., Nov. 27.

Christmas 2010

Because Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, we had to do things a little different this year. Monday Dec. 20 and Tuesday Dec. 21 will both be collected on Monday Dec. 20. Thursday Dec. 23 will be made up on Tuesday Dec. 21. Friday Dec. 24 will be made up on Wednesday Dec. 22.

New Years 2010

New Years Day also falls on a Saturday this year which makes Friday Dec. 31 the City holiday. Friday Dec. 31 will be made up on Thursday Dec. 30. Thursday Dec. 30 will be made up on Wednesday Dec. 29.

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December Holiday Lights Contest

Don’t forget to have your holiday lights out in early December if you want to be one of the Yard of the Month Judges’ picks!

Heights Park Hayride

Tuesday, December 21

811 Lockwood Drive

Join your neighbors for an

“Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration”

6:30 pm – Hay Ride takes off from 811 Lockwood

Ride through the streets of Heights Park singing your favorite Christmas Carols.  You may ‘jump on’ at any time during the ride.  We will travel northbound on each street between Thompson & Floyd starting on Lockwood and ending at Heights Park.

7:30 pm – Dessert

Join us back at 811 Lockwood for roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate.

RSVP

Julie Anders

J2anders@sbcglobal.net

Here are photos of our 2010 Oktoberfest celebration at Heights Park. Contact us if you’d like a full-size high quality version of any of these, or want any photograph removed from our site. Thanks to everyone who came!

Photos by Nathan Beach.

Congratulations to Steven DePuy and Chris Michero at 619 Greenleaf for a wonderful fall display of hundreds of assorted pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns and other fall décor. If you haven’t had a chance to drive by their beautiful creation, please take the time and see what they’ve done with their cute cottage. It was definitely a hit on Halloween night! They were also featured this year on the BackYard Garden Tour benefitting Richardson High School. It’s truly a creative, festive and fun-filled garden—check it out!