Greentrees Civic Association

August 2001 Newsletter

Sep 05, 2007

Editors: Ted & Angie Yeiser
Update on 7th Annual Garden Tour

The Garden Tour Committee?’s hard work paid off with the 7th Annual Garden Tour. The tour was a tremendous success. Six of your Greentrees neighbors graciously opened their gardens for all to see. The tour was held on Saturday, May 5th, 2001. There were over 500 visitors from across the Midsouth in our neighborhood for the tour. They enjoyed the hospitality of our Greentrees residents and the beautiful gardens on view. The Garden Tour Committee would like to applaud the homeowners who worked extremely hard to prepare and share their gardens foe the benefit of our neighborhood. And of course a thank-you is owed to each volunteer who offered their time to greet and direct guests at each garden.

The Garden Tour Committee is already preparing for the 8th Annual Garden Tour. The date has not been set but will be soon. If you would like to be considered for our next tour or know a neighborin Greentrees who you would like to recommend for the tour, please feel free to call Angie Yeiser at 753-2414 or Norma Smith at 155-1427. It is truly gratifying to share the beauty of Greentrees with everyone.

Master Gardeners to Visit Holmes Park

Holmes Park will be one of the sites of the September 15 Welcoming Tour for 90 new graduates of the Master Gardener Program sponsored by the Shelby County Extension Office, with funding from the University of Tennessee. The new graduates, along with about 75 past graduates off the Master Gardener Program will visit and tour the Park, as well as the gardens of several Greentrees residents and Master Gardeners themselves. The gardens on view will be the garden of Cecile and Fred Nowak of 2328 White Ash Cove, and Judy McPeak of 6721 River Birch. Judy McPeak said the group chose to tour the Holmes Park at the suggestion of Ann Elliott, another Greentrees Master Gardener who lives at 1958 Old Lake Pike and whose garden was on the Master Gardener Tour last year as well as the Greentrees Garden Tour. Ann designed the planting areasaround the playground and the Holmes Park sign as part of her community service commitment required of every master gardener. She also has organized several work sessions and Park clean-up projects and has established the schedule of Greentrees residents who volunteer to water the Park?’s plantings each summer. The Welcoming Tours for new gardeners began three years ago and are designed to encourage interest and involvement in the organization. The Master Gardener classes, held weekly, begin the second week in January, and run for 16 weeks. The entry fee is $100.00 and the program accepts 100 applicants each year. Classes cover the basics of gardening with such subjects as botany, plant diseases and insects, yard maintenance, propagation, landscaping, small engine maintenance, and soil preparation. Each class participant must perform 20 hours of community service prior to graduation, and graduates are required to perform 40 hours of such service every year, in areas such as education, work in the County Extension Office, and community projects. Our hats are off to the representatives of Greentrees for the hard work and dedication it takes to become and maintain theMaster Gardener status.

Help needed !!!!!

The Holmes Park Watering Committee needs additional volunteers to help spread the watering duties out a little further. Its not a hard job and would be greatly appreciated. Without water the plants will surely die. The watering schedule rotates based on the number of volunteers. At this time we have nine (9) volunteers. Each volunteer takes one week at a time to see that the plants are watered if there is no rain during their week. With nine (9) volunteers a ?“turn?” is now only once every nine weeks. If we can get several more volunteers it can be spread out even more. Please think about volunteering and doing something extra to help your neighborhood. Call Ann Elliott at 754-0434 for more information.

If pine needles drive you crazy, we have a suggestion:

This fall Holmes Park could greatly benefit from those of you that rake your pine needles up but do not know exactly what to do with them. Pine needles make great mulch and in a natural environment such as our park they are perfect. So all you need to do is call Ann Elliott at 754-0434, and she will be glad to come by and pick them up to enhance our plant beds at the park.


Benefit Race Returns to Greentrees

The 3rd Annual Tour d?’Esprit, Memphis?’ only 24-hour foot race will be held again this year in Greentrees on Friday, October 5th, and Saturday, October 6th, starting at The Church of The Holy Spirit. The event, the sole fundraiser for the Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis, will be along a one-mile certified course and is open to competitive teams, marathon trainers, ultra-runners, tri-athletes, and any other serious distance runners who would like to have an opportunity to run for 24 hours straight. However, runners do not have to run the full 24 hours and can walk or run any distance desired, either as individuals or in a group. Food, water and volunteer support will be available for the duration of the race. Prizes will be awarded for the individuals and teams at all age and mix categories. Registration for participants can be made in advance or the day of the race at The Church of the Holy Spirit. Proceeds will be used to help fund the Mission?’s newly constructed medical clinic in the Port Au Prince area of Haiti, the poorest country in this hemisphere. More detailed information and race entries can be obtained by contacting Denice McMahon at 753-0605. Anyone wishing to contribute money or volunteer to help the race are urged to contact Ms. McMahon or Dr. Gordon Kraus, president of the Mission Organization at 761-9097.



Yard of the Month

*May..The Church of The Holy Spirit
2300 Hickory Crest Dr.
*Jun...Robert & Sandy Gates
2220 Hickory Crest Dr.
*Jul... Peggy & William Faulkner
2035 Black Oak Dr.
*Aug..Henrietta & Max Stainbrook
2267 Hickory Crest Dr.

Keep up the good work, we are always looking for our next yard of the month winner. It could be you!

New Neighbors!!!!
Welcome to a
Great Place to Live

Be sure to help welcome our new neighbors to Greentrees.

* Allison Carruthers
2100 Hickory Crest Dr.

* Stephen & Kellie Burress
2109 Fox Run Cove

* Billy & Marianne McCann
6781 Post Oak Cove

* John & Jacqueline Whims
6787 Robin Perch Cove

* Michael & Elizabeth
Mitchell
2256 Thornwood

* William & Rene Conley
2100 Fox Run Cove

* Casey & Kathy Laizure
2336 Thornwood Lane

*William & Barbara Zoccola
6923 Red Gum Cove

* Jay & Laura Coffield
2094 Kirby Road




**** Spotlight a Neighbor******

Do you know someone who deserves being in the ?“spotlight?”? Please get involved in your neighborhood. Send in a letter regarding someone you think deserves this honor and it will be published in an upcoming Newsletter


Greentrees
Crime Watch

Unfortunately, with the warmer weather criminal activity has increased in our neighborhood. Be ?“crime smart?” do not leave anything of value in your carport, garage, car, etc. for someone to steal. Criminals drive around just looking for victims to prey upon. Be sure to lock all your doors even when you are home and it wouldn?’t hurt to even set your alarm.

Some recent events.....

* There have been a series of petty thefts in our neighborhood. Items have been taken from cars, lawn equipment taken from carports and garages.

* The police arrested several persons responsible for the rash of burglaries, assaults, robberies, and vandalism that have occurred in areas near Greentrees over the lastseveral months.


Scam Artist try
Greentrees

Residents urged to
exercise caution

Two Greentrees residents on Old Lake Pike reported being approached recently at their homes by three men in a van posing as sales representatives for the alarm security firm, ADT. A fourth man was seen walking nearby and joined the others when they drove away from the neighborhood. The men, described as black and in their early to mid 20's, were driving a truck with the ADT Logo on the back, wore uniforms and asked the homeowners if they currently had security systems, whether the systems were monitored, and other questions designed to find out just how thorough their systems were. When asked for some identification, none of the men could produce any company documentation or even a drivers?’ license. The homeowners contacted the ADT offices and were told they had no representatives in the area and that the truck, as described, was of a type no longer in use. Also, the truck had Oklahoma license tags and was thought to have been stolen. The police were also notified of the incidents. The Greentrees homeowners are to be commended for their caution and actions to ascertain if the men were legitimate and for informing the police when it was determined they were not. Homeowners are urged to exercise the following precautions when confronted by unexpected strangers:

*Never open your doors to any door-to-door salesperson or solicitor you do not know or expect.

*Ask to see identification of anyone seeking to gain entry into your property unannounced or unexpected.

*Report any and all suspicious persons to the police and/or Mark White, our representative to the East Precinct Advisory Board. The police dispatcher number is 528-2222. You can leave a message with Mark by calling 754-8149.

*If you see any strangers pulling into a neighbor?’s driveway when you know the neighbor is away from home, keep an eye out. If the situation looks very suspicious, call the police. At a minimum, note the license number of the vehicle and a descriptions of the individuals and vehicle.

*Share with your neighbors any strange or illegitimate activities you observe so they, too, can be a part of crime prevention in Greentrees.

As a reminder, if anyone knows of a crime that has occurred in Greentrees, please call the police department (528-2222), and our East Precinct Advisor, Mark White (754-8149). If Mark is made aware of a crime, he can follow-up during his monthly meeting with Precinct Officers. Thankyou for your support and remember keep an eye on your neighbor?’s property.



Condolences

Our condolences go out to:

* Shelly Anderson and Angie Yeiser (who are sisters, and both Greentrees residents) on the recent death of their grandmother.


Membership Drive

Just a little reminder (if you have not done so), to please send in your annual membership dues. Remember this is for the benefit of your neighborhood. You can mail a check to Mr. Tom Wheeler, 6875 Honey Locust Cove, Memphis, Tennessee 38119. The whole neighborhood would greatly benefit from your membership.

Tom Wheeler
2nd Vice Pres.


Reappraisals
and Greentrees


This information bears repeating for those still appealing to the Board of Equalization.

Greentrees residents have received their property appraisals for 2001, withmost increasing in value - a mixed blessing for all of us. Increased value means the neighborhood continues to be a good investment. However, depending on the amount of the increase, it may mean an increase in property taxes. Information on the appraisal figures is available from several web-sites for those with access to the internet. One source is The Commercial Appeal?’s site at www.gomemphis.com, which will provide a list of comparable properties in the immediate area with both previous and current assessment figures. Another site is the Greentrees website at www.neighborhoodlink.com/memphis/greentrees. This site gives more detailed information on each property and also provides a comparison with the previous assessment. A third source is the Assessor?’s own site at www.assessor.shelby.tn.us You can also call the Assessor?’s office at 373-7444 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Comparable sales information can be obtained by accessing the Chandler Reports at www.chandleronline.com or by calling 458-6419.


Signs Prohibited on Public Rights-of-Way

One of the ways a ?“good?” neighborhood can be distinguished from a ?“neglected?” one is the level of maintenance, cleanliness and pride exhibited by those who live there. The GreentreesCivic Association has, for years, assumed responsibility for maintaining the median along Kirby Parkway from Poplar Pike to Messick. Our organization spends in excess of $6,000 a year to have this strip of median mowed, edged, weeded, mulched, and trimmed. Much of the work is done by neighborhood volunteers who help trim the trees and shrubs and collect the trash and litter strewn there by thoughtless scofflaws. Many neighborhood volunteers also have spent countless hours planting and watering flowers and shrubbery in Holmes Park, as well as picking up litter around the playground. However, some of the most unsightly problems in Greentrees are the result of actions by our own residents who persist in placing unlawful signs in the median and on Holmes Park premises. This is a problem throughout Shelby County but simply because it prevails other places does not mean we should accept this blight here. It is unlawful to place signs of any type on public streets, roads, or right-of way without a permit.

All such signs placed on the median or on the park property in Greentrees will be removed and sent to the landfill. This means garage sale and moving sale signs, real estate signs, notices of meetings and events, fund raising efforts, etc. Signs may be placed on private property for a brief time, with the owner?’s permission. Please help keep Greentrees clean and a place we can be proud to call ?“Home?”.









A Message from the Greentrees Lost Pet Coordinator

Mary Margaret Ware, the Greentrees Lost Pet Coordinator has asked that we remind you to please help in her effort to return lost pets to their owners. The only way she can help find the owners of lost pets is if there is some kind of I.D. or Tag on a collar. Listed below is some current information regarding the way to obtain an embroidered collar for your pets with their name, phone number, etc. The quickest way is to go by the ?“Wagging Tails?” store located right next to Boarders, and the least expensive way is to call 800-367-4444. See the add below.