Gardenview/Graceland Farms Neighborhood Association

Gardenview/Graceland Farms Newsletter

Nov 05, 2008

President:Jacque Jenkins 398-6422 Vice President:Norman Marshall 398-7486
Graceland Farms Coordinator:Pinkie Greer 395-8209
Website: www.gogardenview.org Date: October 2008

Keep your eyes open and look out for your neighbors. Homes in our neighborhood have been burglarized recently but there is good news too. The police have a task force operating in our neighborhood. Plain clothes officers in unmarked cars are patrolling and are having good success at catching burglars and recovering stolen items. Last week 5 burglars were caught in this area.
Two burglars on my street were caught by the time they reached the corner because neighbors were willing to call the police and were able to give a description and the direction in which the burglars were headed. All of these burglars were teenagers. Report crime when it happens. Call 911 if the crime is in process or 545-COPS. If 545-COPS is busy call the local precinct at 332-1860. Police are in the neighborhood and can respond within minutes. Do not assume your call will not be answered in time to catch the criminals. Do not be afraid to protect your neighborhood.
Neighborhood Watch meetings are held every 3rd Monday of the month at the Raines Station Precinct at 7:00 PM. They are usually hosted by a different neighborhood association each month and the hosting association provides dinner. Neighborhood Association meetings are held the last Saturday each month at 2:30 PM at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. September?’s meeting was cancelled because we were doing a landscaping project at the Library.
What We?’ve Done This Year
*Our neighborhood cookout for National Night Out Against Crime on August 5, 2008 was held in the parking lot at Emmanuel Episcopal Church this year. Free hot Dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, potato salad, cold drinks, etc. were served . Along with a ton of useful information on crime prevention available homeowners won prizes such as fire extinguishers, motion lights, and flashlights. Over 50 bags of school supplies were given away and the kids had a great time playing in the moon bounce.

*This summer we paid the tuition for 13 children to attend day camp at the Whitehaven Community Center, donated over $700.00 in sports equipment, *held the Theater Camp for the kids in association with Opera Memphis and Emmanuel Episcopal Church which ended in a great play at A. Maceo Walker Middle School, *had arts and crafts class on Wednesdays for children during the summer, *helped Emmanuel Episcopal Church with Vacation Bible School, and *participated in the Health Fair in September. *We kept Girls Shine going during the summer, *took twelve girls from Girls Shine to Nashville at the end of the school year to tour the Capitol, meet their representatives, and see Tennessee government at work. *We sponsored a Virginia Hamilton reading contest at Gardenview Elementary School for Black History Month, *donated
$1, 500.00 in books to the school library, *bought the art supplies and sponsored a poster contest for Youth Violence Prevention Month, and *donated $150.00 to Read Across America.
On Saturday, September 27th we landscaped the front entrance of the Whitehaven Library. It turned out to be quite an extravaganza! We agreed to help do something to improve the appearance and keep the kids off the grass. The city sent the Mounted Police, Fire Trucks, and a Helicopter. Volunteers from the UT Extension Office including Booker Leigh (columnist for the Commercial Appeal garden section), the Honor Council from A. Maceo Walker Middle School,
students from Robert R. Church Elementary, and teenagers assigned with community service did most of the planting, The city provided lunch for all volunteers and neighborhood association members.

WHAT?’S COMING UP

We have been asked to bring the Girls Shine program to A. Maceo Walker Middle School so we will be volunteering there as well as Gardenview this year. This year we plan to add dance classes for Girls Shine.

We have also been asked by the Health Department to facilitate a program titled Unnatural Causes which has to do with the inequity in healthcare. It is well known that African Americans are more prone to diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. There is also a higher rate of infant mortality among African Americans. What can we do about it? We all know prevention is the best form of healthcare, so can changing lifestyle and environment make a difference in helping our children prevent these diseases in themselves? We hope to start a dialogue and come up with a plan to help our children learn a healthier lifestyle. We will begin the program with children in school emphasizing the importance of nutrition and exercise in maintaining good health and take on projects to improve our community. Please make an effort to participate in this program. It is extremely important and it is an honor to be chosen to be a facilitator. We will be having meetings in November to discuss these issues. We can make a difference in our community and take control of our environment. The library landscaping project and an active Neighborhood Watch are prime examples of how we can improve our community.

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR!!! Remember to clean up after your pets and dispose of the waste in a tied bag placed in your garbage can. If you bury the waste make sure to fill the hole with lime. Lime is excellent to kill odor and keep flies away. Pick it up at any Garden Center, Lowe?’s or Home Depot. Wash down the concrete where the animal is kept. If the dog runs free in the backyard, sprinkle a little lime around to cover the odor. Remember renters can be held just as responsible as homeowners. Odors don?’t stop at the fence and neighbors have every right to enforce laws that enable them to enjoy their own property.

Please cast your votes at meetings, by e-mail, or on the Discussion Board for BEST YARD and BEST SEASONAL DECORATIONS. We select one winner from Gardenview and one from Graceland Farms in each category. Do we want to have a Christmas Decorating Contest this year? Let us know your thoughts.

Notify us if you have a new neighbor, we will take them a welcome package. Check our website www.gogardenview.org for current news, and meeting dates, and please use the discussion board. You may e-mail us with questions, concerns, or suggestions at contact@gogardenview.org.