COVNA Has a New Secretary

Good News: Lisa Lyons has volunteered to be the COVNA Secretary. Please join me at the Picnic to meet and thank her for assuming this position.

Annual Picnic

Our picnic is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., Saturday, June 17th. Board members will provide the food and drinks. Salads and Desserts would be highly appreciated.
Please remember to bring chairs suitable for the lawn.

I have invited Senior Police Officer Dwight Kinley, our Area Representative from the Austin Police Department and our U. S. Post Office delivery route person, Emilie “Ruth” Loftin. Ms. Loftin said she plans to be there

Floyd Clark

47 questionnaires were returned in response to the survey attached to the February newsletter. The results will be published in two parts. This installment includes demographic data and reasons listed for not attending or infrequently attending meetings.

House Owned – 47
House rented – 0

Are you retired:
Yes = 22
No = 25

If you have not attended a meeting or do not often attend, why? (consolidated)
1. Too much work, extra curricular activities, family activities (6)
2. Travel frequently (2
3. Arrive home late (2)
4. I don’t like to go out at night.
5. Ill wife/husband (2)
6. Physical disability/health issues
7.Don’t know anyone. Would feel uncomfortable.
8. Haven’t made them a priority.
9. Not sure when meetings are scheduled every month.
10. Meetings too slow. Too much “whining.” – this from a few years ago.
11. Don’t plan to stay in neighborhood long.

If you have not attended a meeting or do not often attend, why? (actual responses)
1. Don’t know anyone. Would feel uncomfortable.
2. Haven’t made them a priority.
3. Both adults work full time and need to get dinner for children, baths, bedtime routine between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
4. Not sure when meetings are scheduled every month.
5. Mondays are very tough days at work. That makes going to a meeting after work very unsuitable.
6. Time constraints - too much work, extra curricular activities.
7. The only reason I have not attended more is that I get home about 6:00 p.m.. It is hard to go. Since I teach, summers are the easier to go to the meetings. Even though I have not had many opportunities to attend, I think the association is doing a great job.
8. Full Schedule. How about some group organizations, such as: genealogy enthusiasts., garden clubs, bridge, prayers, etc. The newsletter could be used to solicit interests. The more neighbors know each other, the more likely they are to attend.
9. Ill wife.
10. Usually time constraints.
11. Family activities and school activities don’t give us time.
12. We travel frequently.
13. I work and barely get home by 7:00 p.m. No time to go to the meetings.
14. I don’t like to go out at night.
15. Scheduling conflicts with work and travel.
16. A few times when attending, people kept the meeting slow to move to the next point. Too much “whining”-- that was few years ago.
17. Don't plan to stay in neighborhood long. Both of us work full-time + jobs.
18. Physical disability – health issues, but thank you.
19. Husband ill. I have to stay at home.

The best aspect of our neighborhood was in evidence after the windstorm that uprooted some trees and downed many limbs. Neighbors came with chain saws to help clean up the storm damage and an offer was posted on the email list asking who needed help and who had chain saws and could help.

Because many of us are of the generation that believes in self-reliance, we may sometimes be reluctant to publicly admit that we could use some help or that there are some things that we are no longer physically or financially capable of taking care of ourselves. If any of us know of a neighbor that could use some help, it might be a good idea to ask on the email list if any other neighbor could provide that help. Paying $35-75 dollars a week to have a yard cut can be too expensive for someone on a fixed income. Perhaps nearby neighbors could offer to cut the yard on a rotating basis, or someone has a child willing to do it for $10 in order to get some pocket money.

Some of us who have a swimming pool might offer to host a neighborhood swim party periodically for the children in the neighborhood who live in houses without a pool. In return, some of the older children might be willing to help maintain the pool or help with yard work in return for “swimming privileges.”

Maybe we could have a place on the website or a section of the newsletter for people to post ways and times that they are willing to help out their neighbors, so that others would know whom to contact when they need a neighborly hand.

We all need help at some time or another, and I think neighbor helping neighbor would be a great way for all of us to get to know each other better.

The 23rd Annual National Night Out will be on Tuesday, August 1. This is an opportunity to spend the evening outside on your street with your neighbors.

It is expected that cookouts, block parties, and neighborhood walks will all occur simultaneously throughout the city and nation. Those of us who wish to get involved should get their neighbors to turn on their porch lights and organize a block party or some type of neighborhood event.

To register an activity with the Austin Police Department, contact Rosie Salinas in the office of the chief of police at 974-4900. She can provide an official application form. The deadline is July 1, 2006. On the form you may request the police department, fire department/truck, or a paramedic ambulance to appear at your party (unforeseen circumstances might limit availability). The form asks the size of the area you hope to organize which seems to indicate that events they attend should be a reasonable size, though no limitation is mentioned.

Registered or informal, let’s use this event as an opportunity to meet with those on our blocks and demonstrate the solidarity and friendliness of our neighborhood and our desire to keep it a safe and wonderful place to live.