You can click here for the entire fourth quarter newsletter in pdf format.

President’s Message
by Chris Bellew

Hello Neighbors!

Spring has sprung and the White Rock Valley is looking very green and floral. I hope everyone is taking advantage of the nice weather and spending time outside. My family has eaten out on the deck just about every night.

The most frequently raised topic in the neighborhood is the increase in crime that we have been seeing. The association dedicates a lot of resources to maintaining a safe place to live including dedicating our entire General Meeting on May 11th to crime watch. This month I want to use my article to highlight what the WRVNA does to reduce crime in our neighborhood and how we need your help to keep it going.

Enhanced Neighborhood Patrol (ENP) – WRVNA contracts with the Dallas Police department for off-duty officers to patrol our neighborhood in marked cars. This service is paid for by members who pay and additional $125 per year in dues. This year’s membership renewal rate has been slower than in previous years. If we do not have enough participation in the ENP program we will not be able to have as many patrols and police presence as we have had in the past. So if you haven’t yet, please use the membership renewal form in this issue to renew your dues, and join the ENP or go to www.wrvna.org to renew on-line.

Volunteers-in-Patrol – This group of trained volunteers patrol the alleys and streets in search of suspicious activity in the neighborhood. When something is witnessed they call 911 and report the activity. Once trained the participants give as much time as they are able to this effort. Criminals don’t want to come into a neighborhood that has people looking out for them. However, the number of volunteers we have has declined over the past several years. If you have four hours a month that you can commit, we need you to sign up. Please send Jason Thomas an e-mail, jasonthomas70 @ yahoo.com, and he will give you all the information you need.

Crime Information E-Mail – Once a week Bruce Bowles publishes on the webpage, and e-mails to the list information of criminal activity that has happened in our neighborhood. This helps raise awareness for what to be on the look out for. If you are not already receiving this e-mail, please contact Bruce with your e-mail address at bwbowles @ sbcglobal.net. Your e-mail address will be added to the list.
Finally, if you haven’t already done so, please join the association by both completing the membership application and mailing it along with your check to the address listed on the form, or go to www.wrvna.org and register on-line using your Pay-Pal account. All of the programs and services that WRVNA provide come at a cost and it is our very low dues that allow us to pay for it. Additionally, participating in the ENP program allows us to pay officers to patrol our neighborhood and continue our reputation as the safest Lake Highlands neighborhood.

Have a safe Spring and I will see you around the neighborhood.

Recycle

Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make another product. The internationally recognized symbol for recycling includes three arrows moving in a triangle. Each arrow represents a different part of the recycling process, from collection to re-manufacture to resale. Recycling reduces our waste sent to landfills, and making new products out of recycled ones reduces the amount of energy needed in production.

The U.S. EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable, which goes well beyond what you toss in your recycling bin at home or at school. Recycling serves two key purposes:

1. It keeps valuable material such as aluminum and paper out of landfills, so this material can be reused in other forms and not wasted.

2. It prevents hazardous materials and chemicals such as lead and mercury from ending up in landfills, which can contaminate soil and leach into our drinking water

Because of the second purpose, it’s important to recycle lots of products, including those that you might not initially think of recycling. This includes batteries, electronics, motor oil, paint and any product that has “Caution” or “Warning” on the label. (Note the website given later)

It seems as if more people focus on recycling than reusing or reducing. Though most people liked a mix of all three, when they did get specific, recycling was the preference. We wondered why this was the most common method people used to deal with trash. Then it came to us: Do most people know about the Solid Waste Management Hierarchy?

According to the U.S. EPA, in 2006, Americans generated about 251 million tons of trash. That’s about 4.6 pounds per person, every day. Of this 251 million, 82 million tons of it was recycled. This recycling saved “the energy equivalent of more than 10 billion gallons of gasoline.”

Obviously recycling makes a huge impact on waste stream diversion. But what if we could generate half that much trash, and still recycle 82 million tons of it? This would be even better! That is where the Waste Hierarchy comes into play. If we send less trash out, and keep our recycling rates rising, we can really get somewhere. But how does an individual or a household do this? Follow the chart and find out.

Reduce

The first level of waste management is source reduction. Source reduction is the preferred method of waste management since it prevents the generation of waste in the first place. You not only can apply this towards reducing your daily trash output, but also your energy and water use. The best way to start this process is to do a trash audit and make a reduction plan.

Recycle – Know the rules

The U.S. EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable. This is great news, especially since the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) states that 87 percent of the U.S. population, or 268 million people, have access to curbside or drop-off recycling programs. This means that many materials can be recycled and programs are, for the most part, accessible.

So what’s the holdup? For many people, it is knowing exactly what goes in the recycling bin and what to do with stuff that doesn’t. Here’s a checklist:

1. For everything that can’t be put in your curbside bin, check for drop-off locations near you. This includes items like paint, batteries, CFLs and pesticides. Visit http://www.dallascounty.org/department/plandev/hhw_intro.htm. Click on department & development.

2. Use mail-back and store drop-off programs. This option is great for electronics and automotive waste. Most auto parts stores and mechanics will take used motor oil and old tires, especially if they do the work for you. As far as electronics are concerned, many products like cell phones can be mailed to manufactures or traded in for money. Drop-off programs, such as Best Buy’s and the EPA’s eCycling Progam, are making electronic recycling more accessible for consumers across the nation.

3. Trade-in programs can often be an option when you are purchasing new items from that same company. Computers are a great example of this. In fact, by planning ahead while purchasing your computer, you can build the cost of proper disposal right in from the get-go, saving you money and time in the long run.

4. Compost your food scraps. According to the U.S. EPA, every American throws away an average of 1.3 pounds of food scraps daily. In addition to this, yard trimmings and food waste combined make up 24 percent of our nation’s municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. If even half of this can be diverted and recycled through composting, our daily trash levels could start to decrease.

Timely Tip for May Gardeners

This month is a good time for planting ground covers either as a lawn or in other locations of your landscape. Now is the time for planting seed or sod for your lawn grasses.  Bermuda grass has the best traffic tolerance, and requires full sun to prosper.  It is very drought tolerant. St. Augustine grass has the most shade tolerance, but is the least drought tolerant and is most susceptible to diseases, insects and iron chlorosis.

Other ground cover plants should be used where grass is difficult to grow or maintain. These can range from low growing evergreen shrubs, vines, grasses, perennials and even annual color. Groundcovers can provide solutions to a landscaping challenge or just add a bit of much needed texture and color. They help to define space and create various moods. Small leaved, smooth textured groundcovers used in broad curved plantings can convey a feeling of spaciousness. Whereas large leaved coarse textured groundcovers create a feeling of closeness.

Selection of a suitable plant for ground cover depends on the area where it will be grown. Some ground cover plants prefer partial shade, others thrive in deep shade or full sun; a few grow well in either sun or shade. Some, however, prefer moist soil while others need dry or well-drained soil.

Check out our collection of STEPABLES® which are tough, earth-friendly, easy-to-maintain perennials that take foot traffic. You can find the perfect plant for your needs within this group!

Join us in May for a variety of free clinics. In keeping on topic, our clinic for Saturday, May 16th is titled, “Covering Ground with Ground Covers.”  Visit www.mytexasgarden.com for a complete listing and details of our free clinics. Have a wonderful May!

Directory Up-Date

I know you were thrilled to receive the 2009 WRVNA Directory; everyone wants a copy. And thanks again to Deborah Whitington for providing the WRVNA Directory to the entire neighborhood.

We live in a changing, consistently evolving community, so we are ever alert to keeping you informed and up-dated; and while we try really hard, we do make an error or two. Please make a note of the following corrections/changes so your directory will be current and serve you well for 2009. By the way, if there is an error in your information listing, we want to hear from you and make the correction.

We are very pleased to announce Dara Dohnalik has accepted the position of PTA Liaison. The address is 9224 Meadowglen, phone 214.503.1143, and e-mail is dohnalikfamily @ att.net. Please add her to the list of WRVNA Board members on the first page of the 2009 Directory.

Billy & Sarah Dorsey
goredorsey @ gmail.com
Also on page one – WRVNA Board

Steven Hammond & Heather Lalicker
9562 Highedge
Phone n/a

Kyle and Amanda Martin
9411 Buxhill Dr
Phone n/a

T.O. and Mariette Scherer
9420 Highedge
214-553-8071

Britt and Carole McClung
9765 Broken Bow
214-221-5302

Scott & Jennifer Normile
8027 Forest Trail
phone n/a

Colleen Lara
8714 Thunderbird
214-348-9002

WRNVA Financial Statement – Jan 1 2009– March 31 2009

Click here for to see the statement in pdf format.

Pat O’Shea
1929 – 2009

White Rock Valley has lost a man that cared deeply about his neighborhood, and gave of his funds, his time and his heart. Pat was always the go-to person when something needed to be done. His long experience in the business world, the political world and the community service world gave him a unique position for resources and networking. Pat served on the board of WRVNA for the last several years, many as its president. He always said he was following the lead of his late wife Dee, as she was one of the charter members of WRVNA, and helped get the organization started.

There are plans under discussion of the best way to honor and remember Pat O’Shea. When these plans are firmed up, they will be announced here in the WRVNA Newsletter and on our web site, www.wrvna.org.

Cub Scouts: For Friends, For Fun, For You

The young men of Pack 891, White Rock Valley’s branch of the Cub Scouts of America attached to WRE, would like to thank WRVN for donating 877 cans of food during our annual “Scouting for Food” campaign.

Your generosity helps us accomplish our goal of learning more about civics, leadership, service, pride and friendship while still doing what we love – camping, fishing, whittling, games, hand-carved race cars and goofball skits.

Signup has started for our summer program. We range in age from 5 to 12, and for den meetings are separated by age/grade. We are proud of the active involvement of our families. With all our parents, we share the desire to become strong, charitable, inclusive and confident young men. Please keep a watch for us at the next neighborhood event. All area boys are welcome regardless if they attend WRE, private or home school. Contact Rick Estrada at (214) 221-1636 or at rickestrada868 @ hotmail.com for information about enrolling in time for our next adventure.

After School Playground Use Announcement:

The use of the small playground (located directly behind the 6th Grande Wing), the outdoor basketball court, and the adjacent soccer field (between the backstops) will be restricted to PACE Afterschool Program students only between the hours of 3:00-4:00 pm. The large playground and the two soccer fields adjacent to Chiswell will be available to WRE parents and students as well as neighborhood residents. Please contact Mr Handcock (WRE Pace Site Coordinator) with any concerns. Kent.hancock @ risd.org.

WRE’s former library is being refurbished to become classrooms for the PPCD program. The exterior evidence of this work is adding/replacing electrical and plumbing work that necessitated digging and then replacing the grass area to prevent erosion and to reestablish the lawn.