BELLA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER SPRING 2017 VOLUME 23 ISSUE 1

WELL, WELL, WELCOME SPRING 2017! And a big welcome to new residents of the Bella Vista Neighborhood Paul and Sandra Anderson on Bella Vista Loop. Welcome to the Neighborhood!!

This past winter is one that we won’t soon forget even if we’d like to! So it’s time to get ready for the hopefully fantastic rest of the year. Mark your calendars for these upcoming 2017 events:

Bella Vista Neighborhood Meeting Tuesday May 23rd 6:30pm Bella Vista & Cascade SE Picnic Sunday August 20th Noon to 4pm Annual clean up Saturday November 18th 9am to 1pm

The Bella Vista Neighborhood General Meeting will be held at 6:30pm in the Kidz Life Building of the Real Life Church, 2202 SE Bella Vista Rd, about two blocks south of McGillivray Blvd., not far from the park. We will have guest speakers from Urban Forestry on hand to give a presentation and answer questions. The Urban Forestry Commission assists the city of Vancouver to develop tree and forest conservation, educate citizens, organize tree plantings and much more. Following, there will also be a brief discussion on earthquake preparedness. The meeting will close with a raffle prize drawing so try not to miss it.

The Neighborhood Picnic this year will again partner with the Cascade Southeast Neighborhood. This year’s theme will be Bella Vistaville. So, as you put away your winter clothes and break out your summer duds, set aside your favorite Hawaiian style shirt. Maybe there will be a “Most Tropically Dressed” contest, with a prize for the winner, of course!

The 2016 Annual Clean-up was a great success. More than 40 households participated. Bins were set up for yard debris, bulky household items and scrap metal. Julie Gilbertson from the Solid Waste Division took time from her busy schedule to stop by Behren’s Woods and see how we were doing. She said that we met Neighborhood Recycling Goals and awarded the Neighborhood with $100! We also were given $35 for the amount of scrap metal that was collected. Several unwanted lawn mowers and leaf blowers were donated to Heritage High School for their small engine repair program. It’s like they say, One man’s trash………😊Here are some photos……..

Thanks to volunteers Suzanne Bussey, Rob Koba, Bob Rowe, Kathy Carmody,Kate Altenhof-Long, Mike Higgins and Nancy Roth! And the great guys from Waste Connections driving the trucks Mike, Dillon, Geo and Kevin! You are GREAT!

Newsletter Smile

A thief broke into my house last night………He started searching for money…… so I woke up and searched with him!

On a serious note, with spring here and summer just around the corner, many of us will be traveling and taking much needed vacations. We are fortunate to live in a wonderful community but we are not immune to opportunists and crime. During summer and fall of 2016 there were several very unfortunate occurrences. A home burglary on Bella Vista Loop resulted in the loss of many possessions, including an automobile. Some of the items could be replaced like electronics and such, but many others not so, like heirloom jewelry. It was only through the due diligence of the victims, following the trail of stolen credit cards and contacting the stores themselves, that some of the criminals were identified. Prosecution has not been easy as many of the stolen items ended up in Portland, another police jurisdiction. It got very complicated.

There were also several car burglaries, one on SE 28th and another on SE 25th Circle. In two cases, the vehicle was left unlocked and nothing of great value was taken. At another address there was an attempt to take a trailer from the back yard after potential thieves opened the side gate of the property. A problem with the trailer hitch made the attempted theft unsuccessful.

SE 29th Circle saw an individual breaking into mail boxes.

This report is not meant to alarm, but simply to remind residents that even the best neighborhoods are vulnerable when homeowners become complacent. There are simple things we can do to keep ourselves and our possessions safe. If you know and like your neighbors, let someone know when you will be out of town so they can keep a casual eye on things while you are gone. Locking the car on your driveway is as easy is pushing the button on your key fob. A

timer for lights is inexpensive at any hardware store. As for the neighbors that were burglarized, they have since installed an alarm system in their home with cameras.

All crimes should be called into police so that activity can be tracked resulting in more frequent neighborhood patrols. For current crime activity, go to www.cityofvancouver.us/police/page/crime-map

Congratulations to Penni Howard for being the 2016 Bella Vista Neighborhood Sparkle Award Recipient. The Vancouver Sparkles Award is a program in the City of Vancouver that recognizes neighbors who go the extra mile to make their neighborhood special. Since its beginnings in 2001, hundreds of award winners have been recognized for making Vancouver Sparkle, and acknowledged for making their neighborhoods clean, green and a good place to live and work.

Thanks again Penni for all that you do!!

Another big “THANK YOU” to Casey Kellar who has agreed to be a new director for the Bella Vista Neighborhood Association. Please consider becoming a directing member of the Bella Vista Neighborhood Association. New blood, fresh ideas, caring neighbors. That’s all that’s needed. If you’d like to become more involved with your neighborhood, please contact any of the current directors for a chat and more information. Thanks!

March 30, 2017 Directors Meeting Minutes

In Attendance: Tom Perkins (host), Perry Elliott, Cheryl Higgins, Kathy Carmody, Penni Howard, Bob Rowe, Nancy Roth.

The 2016 BVNA picnic was partnered with the Cascade Southeast neighborhood and was a big success as reported by those who attended. It was suggested that we consider partnering again for 2017 if the dates work out and Cascade Southeast wishes to participate again.

There was a discussion about ways to try to possibly discourage people from parking on the portion of Bella Vista Road on the north side of Behrens Woods who have no interest in visiting or enjoying the woods. Some of the ideas were for barriers, additional lighting, cameras, and motion sensors. Most ideas were either not legal (barriers) or cost prohibitive (street lights).

Kathy Carmody gave a treasurers report.

Bob Rowe walked Behrens Woods with Jessica George from Urban Forestry and tagged dead trees for removal. Bob also said he was going to spread Caseron on the paths and perimeter of the woods to keep weeds under control.

Nancy Roth will ask Bill Hibbs of Clark Public Utilities about the process for getting a new light pole planted in our neighborhood.

Penni Howard said that the Bella Vista neighborhood is still on the 2017 list for grant money for traffic calming measures on Bella Vista Road.

The Bella Vista General Neighborhood meeting will be set for May 23rd at the Real Life Church. Tom Perkins motioned to donate $200 to Real Life Church in appreciation for their continued support of BVNA meetings. Cheryl Higgins seconded the motion.

If you have an idea or suggestion to share, please mail it to the BVNA, with or without the above

gift/information form. Or email the BVNA at bellavistana@gmail.com.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Cheryl Higgins 360-314-2141 Vice President: Bob Rowe

Secretary: Nancy Roth Treasurer: Kathy Carmody

City Liaison: Chad Eiken Neighborhood Police Officer: J. Burgara

Directors: Tom Perkins, Bob Rowe, Kathy Carmody, Nancy Roth, Marilyn Cramer, Perry Elliott, Fred Garmire, Chery Higgins, Kate Altenhof-Long, Ruth Wilmoth, Penni Howard.

Committee Chairs: Community Food Garden-Ruth Wilmoth 513-2691; Newsletter-Cheryl Higgins; Parks-Bob Rowe; NTSA-Penni Howard, Welcoming-Shannon Dickerson.

If you would like to join the discussion and be a part of the Board of Directors, give us a call or send an email. We meet for an hour or so three or four times a year. Quick, easy and painless and always fun.

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR INCOME TAX REFUND?

_____ _____ _____ _____ Cut Here _____ _____ _____ _____

I would like to give a $20 gift to the BVNA $_________________

I would like to give a different amount to the BVNA $_________________

I have to pay the IRS this tax season so maybe I’ll catch you next year. 0_________________

Please make checks payable to BVNA and return with this portion in the enclosed envelope.

If you would like to update your information in the Bella Vista Neighborhood records, please do

so with this form or E-mail bellavistana@gmail.com. You can also receive the newsletter in glorious color via email and save stamps!

Name __________________________________________________

Mailing Address __________________________________________________

Preferred phone number __________________________________________________

Email address __________________________________________________

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any of those things, consider 

making a mere $20 annual gift to 

your BELLA VISTA 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION 

(with the convenient form below) 

BELLA VISTA NEWS

BELLA VISTA Neighborhood Association

PO Box 871145

Vancouver, WA 98687-1145

The City of Vancouver supports the Neighborhood Associations in their effort to share vital information with residents to create a more informed public. However, the information provided and the opinions and views expressed in the Neighborhood Association newsletter or other documents do not necessarily represent the position of the City of Vancouver, nor does the City determine whether the information published is accurate or appropriate. Printed by the City of Vancouver Office of Neighborhoods.