A Monthly Publication of the Fairmount Neighborhood...

FairmountHistoric District

Volume XXIV, Issue 10

A Monthly Publication of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association

Next Fairmount Association

Meeting:

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

7:00 p.m. at

Hemphill Presbyterian

Church

Bring your Neighbor!

We hope to see you there!

USA NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

Thomas Patterson to Speak on Nuisance Laws I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Sept. Guest Speaker 1

Fire Station Park 3

Restaurant of the Month

7

President’s Message 8

Neighborhood Volunteer

15

Fall Gardening Tips 16

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL LANDMARK SUBDISTRICT

OCTOBER, 2005

Our speaker for the September General Membership meeting will be Thomas J Patterson, Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Fort Worth. He'll speak on the nuisance laws and their recent updates.

Nuisance laws have been expanded to include a civil standard to alleviate such things as structures with habitual crimes, etc., as well as noise abatement like barking dogs or boom cars. This will be a meeting you won’t want to miss.

The October General Membership meeting will feature a report from our Neighborhood Patrol Officers, with plenty of time for Q&A which should be great. The 2005-2006 budget will be presented at that meeting for approval as well. November and December meetings are combined into one, due to the holidays. A holiday party is being organized, and we look forward to seeing Santa in the Greenspace again this year! There’s lots going on in Fairmount!

Neighborhood Pool Party Was a Hit! The Fairmount Neighborhood Association sponsored a private swim party for all Fairmount residents at the Forest Park Municipal swimming pool on Saturday evening, Sept. 3rd. It was the perfect way to end the long, hot Summer. Neighbors brought snacks to share, and the kids had a blast in that huge swimming pool. Many thanks to Jeanne Murphy for making all the arrangements. It was so much fun, we plan on doing it again next year!

Above: Jerry Hawkins and Sue McLean enjoying refreshments Left: Fairmount residents take a break from the hot summer heat.

Have you renewed your membership? MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

(January through December) $15.00 Individual; $20.00 Household or Business;

$15.00 Friend of Fairmount

Please make checks payable to: Fairmount Association

Mail dues and correspondence to: PO Box 12348, Fort Worth, TX 76110

Contact us by email at: [email protected]


Patti Randle, CPA, P.C. 5608 Malvey Avenue

Suite 219 Fort Worth, TX 76107

817.569.9881

FAX 817.569.9885

[email protected] www.pattirandle.com

HOMES APARTMENTS OFFICES STORAGE

LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE

FULLY INSURED

817-926-3752 817-689-3543 Rick Hicks

Owner

Fairmount Neighborhood Association

EXECUTIVE BOARD

President Fred Harper

817.927.7257 [email protected]

Director of Promotions Jerry Hawkins 817 791.9503

[email protected]

Director of Membership Services Susan Harper 817.927.7257

[email protected]

Director of Finance & Administration Kathleen Seleny


Director of Historic Preservation Mike McDermott

817.927.8244

Director of Public Safety Alex Seleny


Director of Infrastructure Sue McLean 817.924.6100

[email protected]

Committee Chairpersons

Publications Sheryl Helt

[email protected]

Many open positions available! See page 14 for details.

Unchained Restaurants on Magnolia

From East to West—Maria’s, Paris Coffee Shop, Hot Damn Tamales!, B.J. Keefer’s, Palermo’s Italian Café, Scampi’s Mediterranean Café, Servant’s Kitchen, Spiral Diner and Bakery, Benito’s, Nonna Tata Italian Restaurant (coming soon) Hoagies, and King Tut’s.

Give ‘em a try!

The Parks and Community Services Department recently presented designs for new playground equipment for Fire Station Park (corner of Allen and Lipscomb) on August 22nd. Fairmount residents had an opportunity to review 3 different designs, and ultimately select a final design and color scheme. The existing playground equipment is being replaced as part of the recent bond package that was approved by the voters. Some might be asking, “What’s wrong with the playground equipment that is there?” or “Wasn’t that installed not too long ago?” Carlos Gonzalez, Project Manager, explained that the existing equipment does not meet current code and is not handicap accessible. The new equipment will be much bigger, and will have wood chips underneath, which will top a flexible pad. The design has several slides, swings for toddlers and older kids, and even a “treehouse”. Should you have any questions, please contact Carlos Gonzalez, Project Manager at 817-871-5734.

Page 3 Volume XXIV, Issue 10

Fire Station Park to Get New Playground Equipment As director of promotions, I am happy to announce

that we have a $50.00 gas certificate to be given away as a door prize at the September General Meeting, compliments of Reunion Title. Reunion was one of our Home Tour sponsors and are very active in our community. We also have more wonderful gifts to give away, so come on and feel the excitement of our neighborhood.

As past director of membership, I would like to thank Jeff Inman and Robb See for their contributions to the memberships. They have brought our memberships up over 35 for the year. Their contributions to the neighborhood are endless. Jeff and Robb have contributed so much in the way of Home Tour, flags, and are still the best promoters of Fairmount that I know. Thank you Jeff and Robb for all you do. - Jerry Hawkins, Director of Promotions

Free Gasoline!!!

Welcome New Members!

Rachel Chitwood

Janel Grice & Shelley Story

James & Jennifer Campbell

Ronald & Pat Souder

Karen Keller & Robert X Martinez

Jay & Suzie Lotven

Michelle Richardson

1705 S Adams

1330 Lipscomb (The Turner house)

2260 6th Ave

2237 6th Ave

2215 6th Ave

1727 Hurley Ave

2001 Oak Hill Rd - formerly at 1924 Fairmount


Fairmount Neighborhood Association General Meeting Minutes

August 23rd 2005 Call to Order: The general meeting of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association was held at Hemphill Presbyterian Church. The meeting was held on Tuesday August 23, 2005 and called to order at 7pm by Fred Harper. Minutes from the last meeting were approved by the general membership. Deanna Crook moved that the minutes be accepted and Lisa Thomas seconded the motion.

Crime Report: Opened with introduction of Officer Leah Wagner who will be taking over for David Briggs as Fairmount NPO north of Allen. Officer Wagner discussed several car break-ins at Southside Preservation Hall during weddings. She asked that citizens please call 911 in if you observe any suspicious behavior or persons lingering in the area. Officer Combs had no crime stats due to the installation of new systems at the police station. The new systems will offer better detail on crimes in our area. Improved information on local crime will be available at the next FNA General Meeting. Code Report: Moe Carrejo announced that Code is redistricting officers and Moe will be trading Worth Heights for Mistletoe Heights. Update on problem in the neighborhood:

· 2301 8th Avenue: Gypsy selling carpets. Moe caught him today. No COA. Man was issued a citation. · 2300 Lipscomb: Address did not have an open case file with the City. Moe opened up case file two weeks ago to

get the process rolling. · 2219 5th Avenue: Tenant is moving out. Moe following up with owner, still no H2O, officers looking into any after-

hours activity. · 1414 S. Lake: Water turned off, but leaking badly. Services terminated, but people still living there, multiple

tenants. Report any of this type of activity elsewhere to police. Look for neighbors stealing water from your residence or any other surrounding property.

· 1600 Lipscomb: Dumpster - working through process to get it cleaned up. Spencer is getting involved and has called property owner. Owner is contacting a lawyer to fight with dumpster company.

· 1633 Washington: 6 apartments, Parking/occupancy ratio? Neighbor has opened up a ticket with code. Moe will do a walk through on the property this week. Parking/occupancy ratio – B2 zoning, Moe will research property to find out what is appropriate.

President’s Report: · New Model Blocks program launching · Green Space update: The City Water Department reconciled their records and realized that had not been billing us

for quite some time, so they pulled the water meter. Jerry Hawkins got a water meter in place and we are working to straighten out the billing with the City.

· Summary of Fred’s meeting with the City: 1. Code Violations: Discussed the consolidated trash list that several residents are compiling. 6 residents

attended Code Rangers class and can now write up code violations. FNA would like to see: increased penalties for repeat offenders, reduced time to respond to code violations, and substandard and multi family housing addressed. Gave list of properties for City to investigate: 1431 Lipscomb, 1320 Lipscomb, 1607 Alston, 1507 Alston, 1947 Fairmount, and Mary Elizabeth apartments on Hemphill.

2. Neighborhood Crime Rate: Part-I crimes going down according to city records. Part-II crimes, such as drug possession and prostitution, are not as serious. Those figures constantly drop and jump in this area from special Police details. New database being implemented will better address questions about Part-II crimes.

3. Inconsistent enforcement by building inspectors 4. Discussed impact on crime caused by feeding homeless from various churches in neighborhood. City is

considering centralized feeding. This could help to reduce homeless traffic through neighborhood and related crimes.

· Grant Money reclaimed by HUD: The left over funds from the prior Model Blocks program were reclaimed by

HUD. After months of working with the City to find a suitable use for the money, it was determined that the stringent restrictions of the grant program prevented any further improvements to the designated Model Blocks area using the grant money.

· Fire Station Park hours of operation have been reduced to: Sun-up to sun-down.

Director and Committee Reports:

Finance & Administration - Kathleen Seleny: General Account Balance: $9,722.59.· Street Light Fund Balance: $20,240.63.· Meeting Attendance: 40.· Storage: Currently working to find a suitable, climate controlled storage unit to store FNA historic records, as well as Home Tour supplies and other property of the Neighborhood Association.

Historic Preservation – Mike McDermott:· Contributing Structure Plaques: If you would like to order a plaque, please contact Mike McDermott. The plaques are $100.

Infrastructure – Sue McLean:· New playground equipment for Fire Station park coming July 2006.· Low fence for Fire Station Park to secure children from busy street. The City is willing to entertain the idea of fencing the park if FNA could come up with funds to buy the fence.

Membership – Jerry Hawkins:· Membership growing. Jeff and Rob have contributed 39 new memberships. Other realtor are now getting involved in the program and joining up their new home owners as well

Promotions – Deanna Crook: · Thank you to Aaron and Robin for arranging for the FNA General Meeting to be held at Hemphill Presbyterian Church. Tom Patterson, Sr. Assistant City Attorney coming to next meeting. Speaking on new nuisance laws that can help to correct problems we have in the neighborhood. Code process takes a very long time. Nuisance laws are faster. Pool Party on September 9th from 7-9 at Forest Park pool. No alcohol or pets allowed. Door Prize: Paul won 12 donuts from Paul’s Donuts

Public Safety – Alex Seleny:· Open records request for Part 1&2 crimes for St. Mary’s Hall to analyze crime on Saturday nights when they have parties and such. Contact Alex for more information about crime statistics in your area.· Code Rangers: Classes coming again in the fall.· Code Blue: Every quarter there are Code Blue classes. Get involved and help patrol neighborhood and call in issues to police. Interested in joining – call Sue McLean.

Old Business: · Website update: Waiting on three things from developer to finish site. Anticipate site launched by September

15th · Alley Closures: HCLC meeting with grant officials to figure out some more details, please continue to submit your

applications. • The general membership voted to hold next month’s meeting at Hemphill Presbyterian Church.

New Business: · Elections:

Membership – Susan Harper, unanimously elected by the General Membership Promotions – Jerry Hawkins, unanimously elected by the General Membership President – Fred Harper, unanimously elected by the General Membership

· Committee members needed. All committee terms expire August 31st. · Next Board Meeting September 12th at the Seleny’s, 1604 Fairmount · Next General Membership Meeting will be September 27th at Hemphill Presbyterian Church



Yard of the Month Okay, I’ll admit to it… I have a prejudice for gray and white houses. There is something crisp and clean in a gray house with white trim. And the home of Rodney Wade and Chris McCabe continues that theme with the manicured lawn and structured beds which frame their home. The front bed is anchored with variegated euonymus and filled with green and white caladium, a theme echoed down the property line bed and in the planters on the apron walls. Evergreen shrubs, partly hidden by the caladiums give depth to the beds and bright spots of red and rose annuals accent the green on green colors. Baskets of sweet potato vine hang from the porch arches to complete the picture. Thanks to CC’s Touch of Nature for the $25 gift certificate to this month’s yard of the month.


-WANTED-

Contact Information for “Gary”. The guy who paints the Fairmount logo and

the Texas Flag house numbers on curbs. Call Sue McLean at 313-6618 or email:

[email protected].

Restaurant of the Month Servant’s Kitchen 1310 W. Magnolia 817 810-0111

Open Monday – Friday for Dine In, Take Out or Catering, Breakfast 6am – 10am Lunch 10am - 4pm Dinner 4pm – 8:30pm

Rustic setting in a cozy space Delicious food, friendly service Teriyaki Salmon - Highly recommended!

Stop by and give it a try. They need the support of the neighborhood.

Starters

Tempura Shrimp, Crab Cakes, Egg Rolls, Black bean & Chick pea Hummus $6.95 – $7.95

Soups

Seafood Gumbo $5.95 – $7.95 Chicken & Sausage Gumbo $4.95 – $6.95

Seafood with vegetable salads & lettuce wraps $8.95 – $10.95 Seafood/Chicken Po-Boys & sandwiches $4.95 - $10.95

Entrees

Mushroom Crabmeat Au Gratin (3-cheese sauce) - $8.95 Baked, grilled or blackened Fresh Fish Catch of the Day - $MKT

Seafood Platter (fried, grilled or baked) catfish, shrimp, oyster, scallops, & crab cake - $14.95

Italian Rosemary ½ baked chicken - $8.95 Herb crusted Ahi Tuna (with Teri-ginger glaze) - $12.95

Herb crusted Tilapia (with roasted red/yellow pepper sauce) - $9.95 Spanish Burrito (prawns & mango sauce) - $10.95

Fettuccini Sancie (shrimp, oysters, crabmeat, mushrooms & onions in cream) - $9.95

New Orleans Jambalaya over Angel Hair Pasta - $10.95 Crawfish Ettouffee over rice - $9.95

Teriyaki Salmon with shitake mushrooms & Soba noodles - $10.95 Chicken & Sausage Linguini - $9.95

Dessert

Bread Pudding – $3.95 Cheesecake - $4.95

We’re on the Web! HistoricFairmount.com


A message from the Association President

Meet the Neighbors!

It’s high time you met some of your neighbors and I decided that the best way to do that was to introduce them – a little at a time – by using information that’s readily available from Tarrant Appraisal District records and other sources out there on the web.

These neighbors are special. They own multiple properties in Fairmount. They are unique in other ways too, but first we’ll start with the basics.

Owner:

Barbara/Hollis Sloan B&G Rentals 28 properties

1511 Alston duplex 1615 Alston 3-plex 1627 Alston duplex 1725 Alston duplex 1320 Lipscomb 4-plex 1801 Lipscomb duplex 1600 Washington single

1612 Washington duplex 1633 Washington 3-plex 1729 Washington lot 2108 Washington duplex 1501 Adams duplex 1515 Adams duplex 1729 Adams duplex

1550 College duplex 1604 Henderson duplex 1804 Henderson 3-plex 1925 5th duplex 1930 5th duplex 1729 Fairmount duplex 1807 Fairmount duplex

1946 Fairmount 4-plex 1730 Hurley single 1731 Hurley duplex 2115 Hurley duplex 2225 Hurley duplex 1208 Hawthorne duplex 818 Richmond 3-plex

Owner:

Lynne Manny/Wayne White 15 properties

1724 Alston duplex 1966 Alston duplex 1968 Alston single 2000 Alston single

2004 Alston single 1820 5th single 1824 Lipscomb duplex 1728 Washington duplex

1900 Henderson duplex 1906 Henderson duplex 1207 Richmond duplex 1108 Lilac single

1112 Lilac single 2009 Hemphill single 13 Chase Court single

Owner:

Fort Worth Living 9 properties

1431 Lipscomb multi 1645 Adams duplex 1615 College duplex

1710 College 4-plex 2233 College duplex

1605 Henderson single 1609 Henderson single

1617 Henderson duplex 2257 Alston single

Owner:

Steve Lipsett Mid South Realty 39 properties

1800 Lipscomb duplex 1804 Lipscomb duplex 1316 Lake duplex 1320 Lake duplex 1323 Lake single 1600 Lake single 1404 7th single 1414 7th duplex 1408 6th duplex 1612 6th single

1804 6th duplex 1830 6th 4-plex 2115 6th single 2117 6th duplex 2257 6th duplex 2261 6th duplex 1416 5th duplex 1324 Fairmount single 1325 Fairmount single 1328 Fairmount duplex

1417 Fairmount single 1423 Fairmount single 1426 Fairmount 4-plex 1926 Fairmount 4-plex 1900 Alston single 800 Arlington duplex 804 Arlington duplex 1115 Hawthorne single 1117 Hawthorne single 1212 Hawthorne duplex

1601 College single 1961 College single 2004 College single 2223 College single 2261 College commercial 1918 Washington single 2241 Washington single 2263 Henderson single 2263 Henderson 2 lots


Now, what’s so interesting about that , you say ?

Well, a few of us in the neighborhood are involved with reporting and tracking things like Code violations. Every week we send a report to Code Compliance. You know - the stuff like furniture and trash on the curb, high grass, parking in the front yard. Stuff that makes the quality of life have less quality and adds irritation. Stuff you and I don’t do because we have respect for our neighbors and for the law. Well, we ran our home grown variety of Code violations against the property owners above for the last 3 months – and guess what we found? Yep – there’s a match:

Sloan properties: 31 reports Lipsett properties: 18 reports Fort Worth Living: 6 reports Manny/White: 8 reports

About now, you’re saying to yourself – “how does that affect me? What’s the big deal anyway?” or – “Is this guy ever gonna get to the point?”

The point to this is that these guys are using your tax dollars to fix their problems. They don’t have to make routine visits their properties or instruct their renters in large trash disposal or lawn care or other Code stuff. We do it for them. We know full well that sometime between the 30th of one month and 2nd day of the next month, one or more of these properties will have a load of trash, furniture, mattresses sitting on the curb. And we will report it. And your tax dollars will pay for cleanup. So, we just saved them the cost of a visit and we just paid to clean up the mess. And they know we’ll do it.

If this bothers you like it does me – and it bothered me enough to go through the training to become a Code Ranger – help us out. Report this kind of thing to Code Enforcement: 817-392-1234.

It’s our neighborhood.

For more information:

Fairmount Coordinators:

Sue McLean 817-924-6100

Geri Cotton 817-926-6507

[email protected]

A Cooperative Effort Between Citizens & Fort Worth Police

to Reduce Crime


Fairmount Neighborhood Association Board Meeting Minutes

August 1st 2005 In Attendance: 2004 Board members present included: Fred Harper, Kathleen Seleny, Alex Seleny, Jerry Hawkins, Deanna Crook, Mike McDermott, and Sue McLean. 2004 Committee members present included: Susan Harper and Paul Sanders

Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:15 pm by Fred Harper. Motion to approve minutes from prior meeting made by Mike McDermott and seconded by Deanna Crook . Motion carried and minutes from prior meeting were approved.

President’s Report: Constraints of Model Block program have made it more difficult to determine where to spend the $22,000 from the City. Possible ideas for improvements within the Model Blocks area include improving the parks or expanding the green space. Fred will continue to work through this project and follow up with the City. Fred has a meeting scheduled with Wendy, Charlie Combs, Brandon Beardon, and Thomas Patterson about Fairmount concerns. Items for discussion currently include:

§ Addressing problem properties and other areas of concern § Multi-family residence issue. § Code enforcement on substandard housing, § St. Mary’s Hall

Directors’ Reports: Finance & Administration - Kathleen Seleny: Will gather location and pricing information on storage units and follow through moving. A preliminary budget for next year will be presented at next board meeting

Historic Preservation – Mike McDermott:· Magnolia Development: Historic Preservation Committee will meet with new developers at next meeting. Contributing Structure Plaques: Need announcement in newsletter concerning previously ordered plaques. Need to order 10 plaques.

Infrastructure – Sue McLean:· Photo Archive Project: supplies to be billed to Historic Preservation budget

Membership – Jerry Hawkins:· No report

Promotions – Deanna Crook:· Pool Party: Jeanne Murphy has volunteered to coordinate pool party. Cost to reserve Forest Park Pool is $200. Estimate $100 for food/drinks. Total is below $300, so no vote necessary. Money will come from Promotions budget.

Public Safety – Alex Seleny:· No report

Old Business: Kathleen will check back into storage pricing again, and the expense will be added as a permanent budget items. Also, need to clean out the storage area and inventory its contents.

New Business: Fred recommended purchasing chairs and tables for FNA functions such as Home Tour and National Night Out. The board agreed to send a vote before the general membership to approve $1000 from next year’s Promotions budget.

Breakdown of Cost:

• $100 per table X 6 = $600

• $5 per chair X 75 = $375

• Total =$975


CITY CONTACTS: Animal Services City Council City Councilperson Wendy Davis Code Officer Mo Carrejo Fort Worth Police Dept., NPD 8 1000 W. Magnolia NPO Leah Wagner (North of Allen) NPO Charlie Combs (South of Allen) Garbage Info/Illegal Dumping Graffiti Historic Preservation (Planning) Tracey Cox—Associate Julie Lawless—H & C Officer Potholes & Streetlight Outage Fort Worth Public Library

817.392.3737 817.392.6193 817.392.8809

[email protected] 817.392.5158, ext 1807

[email protected]

817.871.8947 817.991.8473

[email protected] 817.991.8472

[email protected] 817.392.EASY 817.212.2700 817.392.5985



817.871.READ

The next Citizens on Patrol (COP) Training

class will be held October 8th at the FWPD Academy,

1000 Calvert Street, from 8am to 4pm.

Contact Billy Rudd for more information at 817-922-3405 or by

email at [email protected].


Mickey Bradley ABOC

6210 John Ryan Drive Suite 107

Fort Worth, TX 76132 817-370-6118

Proposition 2 is on the ballot for this November. Proposition 2 is an amendment to the Texas Bill of Rights defining marriage to be only between a man and a woman. But that’s not all the amendment does, and there is a much bigger problem that all of us need to deal with together. This amendment is a part of a much bigger crisis in our state and we should deal with it in a way that puts us back on the right course as Texans. We are being asked to put this – “The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” in the Texas Constitution, the fundamental document that defines us as Texans. For the first time in history, we are being asked to put a prohibition against someone’s human rights in a document that has long been seen as the place where you grant and expand protections for people. That’s nonsense because it is unnecessary. Marriage between people of the same sex is already illegal and the Legislature isn’t about to change that for a long, long time. In an effort to enact this political wedge issue, many believe that this legal nonsense may also destroy the legal protections that thousands of Texans have through common law marriage. Other states, which have adopted this language, are already seeing judges overturn domestic violence cases just because there wasn’t a marriage certificate between two heterosexuals! The unintended consequences are staggering to imagine. So it’s time to end the nonsense. It’s time to send a message. We are asking you to do three simple things:

· Join our effort today by endorsing the No Nonsense in November effort. If you can, give of your time and resources.

· Pledge to vote AGAINST CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT # 2.

· Help us replace the purveyors of this nonsense in the 2006 elections with people who are committed to solving the real problems of Texans and their families like public education and health insurance.

Please check out www.NoNonsenseInNovember.com. Representatives from the No Nonsense in November campaign will be on hand at the September meeting of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association to answer any questions. Or you can call Lisa Thomas at 817-921-2284.


Fort Worth John Berry, 817-348-8866 Cell 817-773-7942 1701 River Run Road, Suite 609 Fort Worth Bruce C. Border, CFP, 817-926-8056 Toll-Free 800-574-1965 2453 Forest Park Boulevard

Dave Stovall, Realtor®

“Specializing in Historic, Urban and Cultural District properties.”

817.919.7731 www.fortworthurban.com

Fairmount Neighborhood Association 2005-2006 Budget

will be presented a the October Meeting (Tuesday, October 25th). The Executive Board will

present the proposed budget for review and approval.

Please plan to attend.

Trick Poinsettias into holiday bloom

Beginning September 21st make sure potted plants get 14 hours of darkness every 24 hour period. Use a water-soluble fertilizer mixed

about 1/4 strength with every watering. Plants should show color around Thanksgiving. At that

point, restore them to bright, indirect sunlight and cut back on fertilizer


COMMITTEE MEMBERS NEEDED

According to the By-Laws, all of the Committee terms expired on August 31, 2005. I'm putting together a project plan for this next year that is pretty ambitious and we need help. But - fair warning - I'm going to be asking for a lot of help, a lot more than previous years:

We need to grow our membership;

We need to have more people helping get projects done. Right now, 20% of the membership does 80% of the work. The 20% doesn't complain, but until we get more people involved, we won't grow.

We need people that can take on a project and take it from inception to completion - not by themselves, but by involving their friends & neighbors. Asking people to help is one sure way to get folks involved.

This is some of the stuff that needs to be done. Done. Not put on a list that's on your refrigerator door. Has a beginning date and an ending date that doesn't go past 90 days:

1. We need a complete map of every house address on every street in Fairmount mapped on a master map. 2. We need a couple or three teams of folks that will paint addresses on curbs. 3. We need a comprehensive list of every house in Fairmount that has substandard sidewalks, curbs gutters and streets. 4. We need more Code Rangers in the neighborhood. 5. We need more Code Blue officers in the neighborhood. 6. We need people that will help keep the web site up to date, up 24 X 7, & make improvements. 7. We need people that will actively seek out their neighbors to join FNA. 8. We need people that will attend City Council meetings, Historic Commission meetings, NTCOG meetings, Regional

Transportation meetings, task force meetings. That's for starters - we need representation at every level of opportunity, keeping FNA in front of the City & taking opportunities where we can find them. And bringing back those opportunities to us so we can act on them.

9. We need people to deliver newsletters once a month; 10. We need people to write articles and provide information for the newsletter; 11. We need help with the Santa in the Park; 12. We need help with Home Tour.

I'm going to ask the Board this year to put every task into the community & to the Committee level.

If you're up to this, please let us know so we can include you in our plans for 2005 - 2006. I'm going to ask every Board member what kind of help they need & I'll be asking you to step up.

Please provide a response - "yes, I'll be there" or "sorry, can't do it". As 2004-2005 Committee members, you have first shot at the open positions.

If you know neighbors that can be a part of this, please send us their names - we'll do the asking!

Fred Harper President, Fairmount Neighborhood Association.


Fall into Nature’s Nest By Elizabeth Samudio

It is nurturing after a long day to pull into your drive and be greeted by what I call an “invitation garden” full of sages, parsley, yellow snaps, and bronzed foliage. Yet, because of mass commercial pressure to install our gardens in Spring, so many of us miss out on our best season to plant. Many are aware Fall is a great time to plant trees, but not so aware that it is equally advantageous to install roses, perennials and cool weather color. I love it when clients come to me and say, “We want our gardens to look as fun as our parties, and the yard guy wants to plant pansies, again.” I’m not knocking pansies completely; they are one of my favorite childhood blooms, since they grow wild in the Pacific Northwest. As a little girl I picked handfuls near my grandparents’ home. When my grandmother explained to me, “the more you pick, the more they bloom,” I delighted in pinching off their smiling faces. Practically speaking, pansies do not grow well in the shade; they like the cool but love the sun. In shade, use a mix of ferns, dub moss, lamium, huechera and cyclamen for cool color. This evergreens mix looks lovely Fall, Winter, and Spring. Just remember, plants need more water in the icy winter months. I know this sounds odd to mention, but I have customers who buy plants from me and ask if their choices will live through the Winter. I explain the importance of organic soil preparation, and jokingly toss out, “Oh yeah, by the way, they need water, too.” Then a puzzled look crosses their faces. Yes, by all means, water in the Winter. Just as freezing weather pulls the moisture from our skin, the same happens with plants. So, for all of you who are wondering why your gardens do not come back in the Spring, it may be that they freeze dry in poor soil. Here’s a tip: Watch the forecast and give your plants a good soak before it freezes. Perennial gardens benefit from a good dose of Winter. As is life, some of the loveliest blooms are set in cold, dark days. My favorite cool weather flowers are a mix of snapdragons, English daisies, lamium, alyssum and a few violas (the petite looking pansy). These hardy little plants are easy to nestle in among existing perennials and work beautifully in entryway containers. The thing I like most about this old world Fall planting is the magnified beauty it brings in the early Spring. So why not cash in on one of Fort Worth’s best assets—Fall planting? Being a Northwest transplant, I was first introduced to Texas Fall gardening while attending a workshop at Weston Gardens. It makes perfect sense. Landscape done in the Fall has until February to adjust, whereas plants that go in during the Spring may just have a couple of months before Summers roars in like a lion. In a nutshell:

♦ Fort Worth’s climate is best-suited for autumn landscape gardens ♦ Plant trees, perennials, roses, sages, and cool weather flowers ♦ Uncommon color that thrives Fall through Spring includes snapdragons,

English daisies, violas, kale, alyssum and lamium ♦ Time to transplant and feed, autumn naturally brings us home to our gardens

Most importantly, autumn is like a familiar blanket wrapped around our life and nested in nature. It is here so many of us collect our thoughts like fallen leaves. Fall foliage bursting out at entryways and in private gardens makes us feel good and sets the tone for family and friends.

Elizabeth Samudio and husband James own and operate Elizabeth Anna’s Old World Garden—a landscape design and installation company located at 2825 8th Avenue. Elizabeth has installed numerous gardens throughout North Texas. Elizabeth and James are proud to provide the only totally organic garden store in Fort Worth.

Shani Nahid Independent Consultant

817-915-1850 [email protected]

Love products from The Body Shop? Our new division brings the store to your door!

Call to host a Girls’ Nite Out or to learn more about becoming a consultant.


HOUSE NUMBERS PAINTED ON YOUR CURB

The Fairmount Neighborhood Association is taking requests for curb or front step painting with the

Fairmount ‘F’ logo - $15 each Please email [email protected]

to be put on the list If no email, call 817-313-6618 evenings or weekends ONLY with your name, address and contact

info

Fleas Are in Full Force This Summer; Prevention is Key to Controlling Pests Summertime is ideal for you-and your pets-to enjoy the outdoors. But when the temperature warms, people and pets alike seek the comfort of indoor shelter. Unfortunately, once pets retreat indoors, fleas and ticks follow. Two fleas entering a home can become one million in just 100 days. Fleas inflict more than just irritating bites; they can cause problems such as tapeworms, dermatitis, skin irritations and even anemia. An integrated flea control program includes good sanitation and treatment of the pet and environment. You can eliminate fleas from your home with proper treatment, but it may take time, especially if the infestation is heavy.

Sanitation Change pet bedding regularly and vacuum thoroughly. Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week. Fleas can continue to develop inside vacuum cleaner bags and re-infest the house.

Treating Pets Your pet’s first line of defense against fleas is a flea comb and a good bath. Soap acts as a gentle insecticide and helps control light infestations on your pet. Combing helps reduce the need for insecticides. Flea combs have fine teeth that remove adult fleas from fur. Pay special attention to the face and neck, and the area in front of the tail. Dip the comb frequently in soapy water or an alcohol solution to kill fleas removed from the pet. Insect growth regulators, or IGRs, are a safe preventative treatment for fleas Because most IGRs kill only eggs and larvae, they do not eliminate adult fleas quickly. Insect growth regulators are available as sprays, spot-ons, pills or food additives. Internal use IGRs such as Program® can be given as a pill (for dogs), food additive (for cats), or injection (for cats). A similar product, Sentinel®, also contains a heartworm preventative. These products are available only through veterinarians. They are very effective, particularly for indoor pets. Over the counter IGRs for topical use such as Precor® and vIGRen® and are available at pet stores as dips, pet sprays, spot-ons and flea collars. Control requires 4 to 6 weeks. Products that kills adult fleas such as Advantage™ or Frontline™ have low toxicity to mammals and pose little risk to pets or people. Advantage™ and Frontline™ provide 1- and 3-month protection from fleas, respectively. Frontline™ also kills ticks for up to 1 month after application. Both Advantage™ and Frontline™ are available from veterinarians as spray and spot-on treatments. Products designed for use on adult dogs should not be used on puppies or cats, unless specified on the label. Botanical (plant-based) insecticides kill adult and larval fleas and are relatively low in toxicity. Botanical insecticides include pyrethrum and citrus oil extracts. Use botanical insecticides with care. Though usually safe when applied according to label directions, some pets (especially certain cat breeds) are sensitive to botanicals–especially citrus oil products.

Treating Homes The pet’s living areas should be treated at the same time that the pet is treated. This kills immature and newly emerging fleas and prevents re-infestation of the pet. Several low-toxicity treatments are available for indoor use. Citrus sprays containing limonene or linalool can be applied to rugs, carpeting and pet bedding. These products kill fleas on contact, but evaporate quickly and leave little residual protection against emerging fleas. Boron-based products can be used on indoor carpeting and have little skin toxicity although boron insecticides do not control adult fleas. Borates are best applied as shampoos to avoid problems with dustiness, abrasion to carpets, and contamination of furniture or food preparation surfaces. IGRs can also be used indoors. Pyriproxyfen sprays, which control both immature and adult fleas, are available to pest control professionals and can be applied both indoors and outdoors.

Indoors, treat pet loafing and sleeping areas, and in and under nearby furniture.

Follow-up Because flea pupae are hard to kill with insecticides, an additional follow-up treatment is usually needed 7 to 10 days after the first application. When using short-residual insecticides such as pyrethrins, two or three follow-up sprays at 5- to 10-day intervals may be required.

Security

In years past, Ryan Place hired a security company

to patrol the neighborhood and deter crime. As crime

statistics fell, so did interest in maintaining the

security company and the service was dropped.

With the increase in burglary and other property crimes in the last months, interest in again hiring the services of a security company has risen and we have been contacted to see if residents of Fairmount would be interested in participating in the service. With 100 participants, cost would be about $30 per month. If you are inter - ested, please contact Susan Harper at 817-927- 7257 or by email at [email protected].

A Monthly Publication of the Fairmount Neighborhood...

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