January Meeting

Date: Thursday, Jan. 9th

Time: 7 pm

Place: Vickery Towers at Belmont & Greenville

Please join us for the January VPNA meeting featuring pianist William Foley and photographer Les Wollam.

MUSIC & PHOTOGRAPHY AT

JANUARY MEETING

Bonham Elementary
January Calendar

Jan/Enero 9 -
Girl Scouts Meeting/ Junta de Girl Scouts 3:00 p.m.

Jan/Enero 13 -
Avance Program/ Programa de Avance 8-11 a.m.

Jan/Enero 16 -
PTA Meeting/ Junta de PTA 6:00 p.m.

Jan/Enero 17 -
No School/ No hay clases

Jan/Enero 20 -
MLK Jr. Day No School/ Dia de MLK Jr. No hay clases

Jan/Enero 9 -
Girl Scouts Meeting/ Junta de Girl Scouts 3:00 p.m.

The January general meeting of VPNA will feature two creative talents from the area.

Pianist William Foley will be featured in the first part of the evening. William is New York native with a music degree from the University of North Texas. He has played professionally for many years around Dallas. When not playing the piano, William works as a graphic designer and teaches music. William lived for several years on Goodwin, and recently bought a house on Palo Pinto.

The second half of the evening’s program will feature a talk by local photographer Les Wollam. Les is a twenty year resident of Goodwin Avenue whose home was featured in a recent VPNA Home Tour.

Born and reared in Oregon, he has lived in Spain and Japan. He received a BA in photography from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, before working for legendary photographer Arnold Newman in New York. His work has appeared in Fortune, Forbes and Business Week.

Les will show slides of his work and discuss his career.

The program starts at 7:00PM at Vickery Towers, on Thursday, January 9th. See you there!

Bulky Trash - Ramas Grandes
Week of Jan. 13th

Photos by Les Wollam: Above - Tom Landry; Left - B1B Pilot; Right - Oil man turning valve

Crime Date Address

Theft          11/09/02                  54XX Belmont
Theft                 11/09/02            26XX Homer
Theft                 11/03/02          54XX Richard
Theft     11/03/02                      51XX Willis
Auto Theft     11/05/02            51XX Richard
Auto Theft   10/24/02             54XX Richard
Other Assault    11/26/02     54XX Belmont
Other Assault      11/17/02    52XX Richard
Burglary    11/23/02                 56XX Vickery
Burglary 11/25/02              55XX Willis
Theft        11/15/02                   56XX Belmont
Theft        11/23/02                 55XX Miller
Vandal     11/27/02               56XX Willis
Vandal    11/05/02               54XX Richard
Vandal    11/28/02            54XX Richard
Vandal    11/04/02               54XX Willi

outlying suburbs. We have tree shaded streets in the shadow of high rises.

With the convenience of this proximity, comes density and associated problems: traffic, crime, noise, parking problems and congestion. Age brings a crumbling infrastructure. But the neighborhood continues the process of evolution of the past century. Vickery Place has never been static, a snapshot in time, but now the changing demographics and rising property values have brought redevelopment and rapid change. Some changes have been more welcome than others. Some have been controversial, as the pace of the neighborhood change has quickened.

Fortunately, Vickery Place has continued to be home to a fascinating mix of friendly people. It retains a small town atmosphere that is rare in the City. Recent years have brought a renaissance to urban living. Events of the new millennium have brought a new understanding of the importance of a sense of community in our lives, and a rediscovery of the value of feeling a part of your hometown.

In the coming year, it is my hope that we will focus on the good people of our neighborhood, that we will gain a better understanding of what makes a good neighbor. I hope that VPNA activities can help foster a sense of each resident as a member of something larger than himself. Working together, each of us taking responsibility for being a good neighbor, we can promote friendliness, acceptance, and tolerance. The future of Vickery Place has never looked better.

Morris Smart

VPNA President 2003

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Vickery Place has been my home for over seven years. I am a Dallas native, but I knew little about the neighborhood when I moved here except that it had a “feel” about it that appealed to me. I attended a few VPNA meetings, and discovered that there was an interesting group of people who seemed also to enjoy living here as much as I. Through my four years of service on the VPNA Board, I have made more friends here than I’ve ever thought possible in a “Big City” neighborhood. And, I’ve learned what a wonderfully eclectic, at times eccentric, place this is.

Vickery Place is known for its mix of home styles. There are homes built in every decade from the last hundred years. Craftsman, Prairie, and Tudor styles line the streets, with some Post-War and Modernists adding variety. But I’ve learned that there is even more diversity among the people here: rich and not so rich; Anglo, Hispanic, Black and Asian; young, middle aged and seniors. There are doctors and lawyers, construction workers and clerks, computer technicians and truck drivers, accountants, managers, musicians, entrepreneurs, photographers, architects, chefs, electricians, and artists. There are sinners and saints. There are natives and immigrants. Vickery Place is truly a cross section of American life.

Nearly one hundred years ago, Vickery Place was a brand new suburb, way out on the edge of Dallas. There was a street car line that ended here, much like DART ends now in Plano. Greenville Avenue was old Highway 75, the main route to towns up north. Yesterday’s outlying suburb has evolved into today’s new urban, intown neighborhood, characterized by narrow lots and streets, with proximity to retail areas, the City’s newest freeway, shopping, movies, downtown and the Arts District. It has a pedestrian scale not found in the new

MEET THE BOARD

You have probably seen Morris Smart around the neighborhood. Whether equipped with a walkie-talkie at National Night Out or a shovel at Tree Plantings, Morris has been active in Vickery Place Neighborhood Association since moving here seven years ago. This year he is serving as President. Morris lives on Vickery Boulevard with his wife, Cynthia. Sharing their home is their Yellow Lab, Katie, and a school of goldfish. A 5^th generation Texan, Morris along with his brother owns a construction company and a farm in Lamar County that has been in his family for over 110 years. He lists art, architecture and travel as his hobbies. In addition to serving as President to the association, Morris continues to promote tree plantings in Vickery Place and to serve on the planning committee.

Leslie Farrell is our Vice President. Leslie is a life-long resident of Dallas and with her partner, Angi, moved to Goodwin Avenue in the Spring of 99. Sharing their household is their Greyhound-mix, Chloe. A 2^nd generation Dallasite, Leslie says she has no farm or oil well, just a typical house needing attention and a healthy bank account. She likes music in small venues, history, writing and social and cultural studies. She adds that she also enjoys sharing meals with all kinds of people, good conversation, and bettering her perspective on the Big Picture. Leslie and Angi attend the Episcopal Church of St. Thomas the Apostle. Crime Watch, Conservation, Traffic Control and Neighborliness are among her priorities for Vickery Place.

Shelia Huffman is serving as Secretary to the association again this year. Old houses are one of her passions and she moved to hers on Richard Avenue thirteen years ago. Sharing her home is Billy, a Shepard-mix, and Loveday, a Boston Terrier. She works part time for Ken Lampton, Realtor, attends St. John Episcopal Church and is a member of the Canterbury Book Club. Art lessons and Fly Fishing lessons are current interests and she especially enjoys history, photography and spending time with her grandchildren. Conservation, Home Tour and Code Compliance are high on her list of neighborhood goals.

A CPA by profession, we are grateful to have Todd McCavit serve a second year as our Treasurer. Todd and wife, Laura, moved to Miller Avenue four years ago. Also part of the McCavit household are canines, Sky and Molly. Running and gardening are some of Todd’s past-times. He has been active in National Night Out and Tree Plantings and says that Code, Crime Watch and Beautification are some of his top priorities for Vickery Place.

Jennifer Bryarly moved to Vickery Boulevard a little over two years ago. A journalism major, Jennifer joined the association last year as newsletter editor. She has agreed to continue as editor for 2003 plus help out with the VPNA website. Jennifer is an active member at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt, and their new Bulldog puppy, Shackelford. Jennifer says Home Tour, Conservation and Code Compliance are important issues for VPNA.

Amy Brillhart is also serving for the second consecutive year as Member at Large. Amy and Burton moved to Richard Avenue two and a half years ago. Their pets are canines, Max and Katy. Amy is in Pharmaceutical Sales, a member of the Junior League of Dallas and Young Lawyers Wives. Gardening, sewing, horseback riding and movies are some of the activities that Amy enjoys. She says that Code Compliance is a priority for the neighborhood.

Serving a third year on the board Candy Hearne finished out last year as President. As a Member at large she has agreed to head up advertising for 2003. Candy works for La Mariposa on Henderson Avenue and keeps us posted on fun happenings at the shops and restaurants. She also imports beautiful embroidered pillows from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She and husband Richard moved to Vickery Boulevard in 2000. They are active members of the University Park United Methodist Church, have three children and two grandchildren. Sharing their home are Cowboy and Shadow; brown and black Labs and Ashes the cat. Newsletter, Advertising and Code, especially bulky trash, get Candy’s attention.

Eric LeBlanc is a new member to the board. He and wife, Tommie, moved to Vickery Boulevard about three years ago. They are expecting their first child in March. Eric and Tommie share their home with three cats. Eric works in the Learning Services department of Microsoft where he runs the global E Learning programs. He enjoys tennis and electronic gadgets. Eric says he loves everything about Vickery Place and is especially passionate about the Conservation movement.

Another new Member at Large is Bruce Thomas; however, Bruce’s wife, Pamela, served on the board a few years ago. Bruce and Pam live on Goodwin Avenue and have been Vickery Place residents since 1987. Bruce is an appellate attorney and is active in partisan politics. He also serves as an election judge and is particularly interested in increasing voter turnout in Vickery Place and in raising the neighborhood’s profile among elected officials. Bruce has served on the Board of the Greenland Hills Crime Watch for the past two years. Sharing the Thomas household are five cats, all once neighborhood strays.

Please come to the January meeting, meet the board in person and let them know your concerns and goals for Vickery Place.

JANUARY YARD OF THE MONTH

January may seem a pretty bleek month for gardening but there are many things you can do this time of year, in your existing garden, or you care start planning a new one.

Winter is great for dreaming of that tasty vegetable or herb garden you've alway wanted. Maybe you thought of introducing organics into your gardening regimn. What about planting roses or an ornamental tree in that perfect, sunny spot that you can see from your kitchen window? Take time to walk around your garden or yard and think about those things that you wanted to do this year but didn't have the time.

Where do you begin? Well the first thing to do is:

1. Make a wish list. At first, don't worry about which one should come first or even if you have the right spot for a veggie garden etc.. Just get your thoughts on paper.

2. After making the list, prioritze your ideas. Which ones seem more important or special to you? Have you always wanted a water feature of some kind but maybe you could live without an herb garden? Number your ideas according to what means the most to you and your family.

3. Take the first item on your list and do some research on the subject. If you want a shade garden or a veggie garden or you want to plant roses etc.. they'll each have unique sun and watering requirements. To be successful, you have to know this information before you can choose the right spot and the right plants. You'll also learn the right time of year to plant certain things, especially veggies.

4. Enlist the help of some local professionals. There are several nurseries around town that can answer your questions about plants varieties and their requirements and about "going organic". There are many great books out there too that can give you lots oif information and beautiful photos as well. It is important to remember to choose books that deal specifically with gardening in Texas, or at least or region. If your wanting to add or change your landscaping, there are books with different garden layouts from which you can take inspration. Your neighbors can also be a great source of information.

5. The last step is to take action! Use landscaper's spray paint to draw out the shape for your garden and you can start tilling and adding compost to the native soil. You can then let it "rest" until early spring. Make drawings or lists of plants you'd like to purchase. This is where books with great photos come in handy, for those hard to remember plant names.

So, winter doesn't have to be boring, it's an exciting time to prepare for the spring!
Plant: Asparagus, onions, potatoes and fruit and nut trees. The nurseries still have cold-hardy plants like kale and pansies for color.
Prune: Summer-flowering trees, evergreen shrubs and shade trees.
Pests: Watch for pests on the plants you brought indorrs. Check out organic sprays to avoid spraying toxic ones around your famil and pets.
Sharpen those tools, mulch bare spots and turn your compost...and of course, feed the birds!

Happy Gardening,

~ Sandi