Highland Park Neighborhood Association

March 2004 edition (in incorrect page order for the moment)

May 06, 2004

HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Dial-a-Trailer Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. ?– 2:00 p.m.
March 6, June 26, September 25, December 4
Dispose of nonhazardous large items at no charge, Mittman @ Hammond
Contact HPNA Dial-a-Trailer Coordinator and District 3 KSAB Rep.
Ramon Quintero 333-3701

Cellular on Patrol classes
Contact Highland Park N.A. Cellular on Patrol Coordinator
Rachel Cywinski 532-4123 HighlandParkNA@satx.rr.com

Quarterly graffiti paintovers in Highland Park area
Contact Highland Park N.A. Graffiti Paintover Coordinator
Lydia Kersey 533-7198



Highland Park Neighborhood Association meets Saturdays, 10 a.m. in Bode Center, 900 Rigsby Avenue:
March 13, May 8, June 12, July 10, August 14,
September 11, October 9, November 13, December 11

Highland Park Neighborhood Association
President: Rachel Cywinski, 532-4123, HighlandParkNA@satx.rr.com
Vice President: Helen Dutmer, 534-0987
Secretary: Diane Cortez, 534-3606
Treasurer: Loyd LeBlanc, 532-9225
Directors: Al Lindsey, Bertha Saucedo, Madeline De La O
Jack Elder, Lydia Kersey, Robert Arevalo

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/sat/hparkna

HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Upcoming general membership meetings for 2004
10 a.m. Saturdays, Bode Center, 900 Rigsby Avenue

March 13 ?“Father of Organic Gardening?” author Malcolm Beck will lecture and sign his books.
In an encore presentation to his lecture about insects during Highland Park Spring Festival 2003, Malcolm Beck has agreed to return and lecture about organic gardening, free of charge. An assortment of his books about organic gardening, composting, plant care and insects in Texas will be available for purchase and signing by the author after the lecture.

May 8 Conservation District or Historic District ?
Potential Conservation District status was included in the Highlands Community Plan. This status affects all new development in the area.
Many buildings in the Highland Park area also qualify for Historic District status if the owners and their neighbors choose to pursue it.
Learn about what these district designations mean, and what effect they have on the areas included. Get the information to decide for yourself whether you are interested in pursuing historic status for your block!

June 12 The plague: Illegally-posted signs!
Thousands of dollars in potential fines, liability for injuries to pedestrians and motorists, and a starting a landslide of disrespect for an entire community?—none of these discourage persons who illegally-post signs in our neighborhood, whether for garage sales or businesses.
We?’ll get together with the persons who are legally required to enforce these laws, and demand that we all work together to resolve this ongoing problem.

July 10 Neighborhood Watch: Getting started!
San Antonio Police Department will teach the first two hours of required 6-hour basic training for all community members interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch group in their own blocks. All interested persons are encouraged to bring residents of their blocks to this meeting with them. Learn what Neighborhood Watch is about and be ready to make National Night Out Against Crime August 3 a reality in your block!

For more information, call HPNA President Rachel Cywinski at (210) 532-4123.
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/sat/hparkna All HPNA events are open to the public.
The Highlander
March 2004 Newsletter of Highland Park Neighborhood Association


What is the future of
Highland Park Spring Festival?
By Rachel Cywinski, association president


No one wants to be the officer on watch to end a much-loved neighborhood tradition. Yet there are times when we all have to face reality. I find myself in this tenuous situation now.
For many years Highland Park Spring Festival has endured with a few volunteers giving a whole lot of devotion to make this annual neighborhood get-to-know-each-other happen!
Before I even knew there was a Highland Park Neighborhood Association or thought of purchasing a house in this area, I was drafted by Bexar County Master Gardeners to volunteer at the plant giveaway booth for two years. So my first contact with Highland Park Spring Festival was as a volunteer from outside the area, and from that perspective I thought it was a unique neighborhood event.
Getting volunteers to run the event has always been a daunting task. Jokes have been made that we have trouble getting Board members because they are afraid of being drafted to chair a Spring Festival committee. The dedication of those who volunteered?—and particularly chaired?—this event in the past, has been extreme.
For last year?’s Spring Festival I discussed chairing the event with fifteen potential leaders before Rev. Roger Hotopp stepped up and agreed to follow take on this demanding task. Ultimately, we had fewer than ten HPNA volunteers who coordinated this festival for 1,000 participants.
This year I have spent months asking persons if they would volunteer for the festival. Having exhausted the church groups last year, this year I met with local school groups. As in every other case, many groups volunteered to participate with a booth of their own, but no one agreed to volunteer for the festival itself.
At the same time, our Highland Park Xeriscape Garden volunteers have struggled since the fall to plant trees to shade the playground in Highland Park.
Perhaps this year we should invite all our potential festival participants to come help us plant the playground trees on Saturday, April 3; to work together to make a permanent improvement in our neighborhood; and then we can evaluate our ability to regroup and make Highland Park Spring Festival return next year.
Our Board of Directors will make a final decision during its monthly meeting this Saturday, March 13, at 9 a.m. immediately preceding the general membership meeting.

February 28
Graffiti Paintover
Our Graffiti Paintover Chairwoman Lydia Kersey led 40 volunteers from Youth Against Gang Activity to paint a privacy fence at Waleetka and Walters, and then hit residences along Interstate 10, painting over graffiti on six garages and fences to remove this longstanding ?‘introduction?’ to our neighborhood. Our own District 3 City Councilman and HPNA member Ron Segovia was right there with the other volunteers, painting over graffiti all afternoon. Lydia, Ron and YAGA: WE THANK YOU!
As agreed in the January membership meeting, graffiti paintovers will be scheduled quarterly in 2004. Call Lydia Kersey to volunteer (see next page).

March 6 Dial-a-Trailer
Our own ?“Mr. Keep San Antonio Beautiful?”, Ramon Quintero, led yet another successful neighborhood cleanup March 6, assisted by Lou Gloria. As agreed in the January membership meeting, Dial-a-Trailer cleanups will now be quarterly. The dates are posted on the next page.

HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BUSINESS ADVERTISERS
SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY:

The Power Store Solar Energy Specialists
(210) 476-0702
powerkf@flash.net
www.solarspecialtyproducts.com
930 Broadway
San Antonio TX 78215

Brown's Mexican Food
(210) 533-8174
2405 South Hackberry Street
San Antonio, Texas 78210

Highland's Cafe
(210) 533-4700
2314 Steves Avenue
San Antonio, Texas 78210

La Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe
(210) 829-7279
4820 Broadway
San Antonio, Texas 78209
www.lamadeleine.com
Little Red Barn Steak House
(210) 532-4235
1902 South Hackberry Street
San Antonio, Texas 78210

Smith's Bar-B-Q
(210) 532-0031
1907 Steves Avenue
San Antonio TX 78210
Wallace Cook Agency, Inc.
(210) 534-9293
3902 Clark Avenue
San Antonio, Texas 78223
www.wallacecookagency.com

South East Community Credit Union
(210) 534-7221
123 Waleetka
San Antonio, Texas 78210

San Antonio Fighting Back
(210) 271-7232
2803 East Commerce Street
San Antonio, Texas 78203
CBonner@SAFB.org

Neighborhood Resource Center
(210) 735-0586
P. O. Box 120246
San Antonio, Texas 78212-0586
www.nrc-sa.org

Southwest Exteriors
Scott Barr, owner
2517 Boardwalk
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 828-5255

Highland Park Neighborhood Association
P. O. Box 10210
San Antonio TX 78210-0210


Monthly business advertiser memberships are available beginning at $150/year.
THE HIGHLANDER Newsletter Editor: Rachel Cywinski HighlandParkNA@satx.rr.com