Village North II Neighborhood Association Newsletter

July, 2014

NEXT MEETING, July 20th , 3:00 PM, CHURCH OF RECONCILIATION, ALBAN CLASSROOM, CORNER OF STARCREST AND BARRINGTON BARRINGTON STREET CLOSURE The City of San Antonio will soon announce a meeting which will outline improvements to the drainage which passes under the bridge on Barrington (referred to as Quail Creek). These improvements should remove some homeowner and condo owners from the flood plain and is tentatively planned to begin in December, 2014. concluding in September, 2015. Of particular importance is the fact the bridge on Barrington will possibly be replaced, causing a closure of Barrington at the bridge for several months. You are urged to attend this meeting to voice any concerns you may have regarding the project and particularly the street closure. We will advise of the meeting date and location as soon as it is announced; it will possibly be held at Brown Hall at the Church of Reconciliation. FROM THE CO-PRESIDENTS It’s hard to believe that two months have already gone by. We hope that you had a safe and happy 4 th of July. Summer is here and it’s hot, so remember to stay hydrated by drinking lots of fluids. We will have a special guest speaker at our next meeting. See the notice on the next page about Carol Bertsch. We will also have a visit from our District 10 representative, Allison Cohen, who will discuss the important issue mentioned above about future bridge closure on Barrington due to drainage improvements by the City. Remember that we are in Stage II water restrictions and so do your landscape watering on your designated day in the morning before 11 a.m. or in the evening after 7 p.m. If you’re going to hand water, remember that 12 to 5 p.m. is the hottest part of the day when water evaporates quickly. The Serna Summer Enrichment Program at the Church of Reconciliation was a great success, with 40 to 50 children attending, from pre-K to those entering fifth grade. Five Serna Elementary teachers and church staff participated along with 25 volunteers from the church over the five-week period. MacArthur High School and college-age students also got exposure to the teaching programs which included math and reading. A free breakfast and lunch were provided. Joy McGaugh, Morning Program Director, stated, “Things have gone smoothly and it’s been rewarding. We wanted to make sure the kids were maintaining structure over the summer, and did not lose what they had learned. We gave the kids the skills they needed to succeed to the next grade level.” As a reminder, City Code requires you to keep your house and yards clean and in good repair, which includes curbs and one foot out from your property line. We have noticed that there are people who are allowing grass to overgrow into the street and we ask that you keep these areas cleaned up. One way would to be to use a product like Round Up, which will kill the grass. Also, we notice that some are allowing loose pets to run outside their yards. Please pick up after your pets and keep them on a leash, as required by City Code. We are trying to keep the website (http://www.vnna-sa.org/) up to date so please visit it from time to time, or subscribe to our blog by filling out the form on the site. --Cyndi and Marc Levesque

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SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER ON JULY 20th – ATTORNEY CAROL BERTSCH Who decides when you can't? If something happens to you and you end up incapacitated, who will handle your financial and medical decision-making for you? Having powers of attorney in place before the need arises will make life easier for those you love if something bad should happen. Attorney Carol Bertsch will talk about the documents, their advantages, and their disadvantages and will answer your questions. http://www.assistingseniors.com/ IMPORTANT MEETING YOU MAY WANT TO ATTEND July 21, 7 P.M.: Northeast Neighborhood Alliance at the Toolyard (Wurzbach Parkway just prior to the Thousand Oaks exit)

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CHECKS PAYABLE TO: VNNA SEND TO: VNNA % MR ROXIE MONTESANO; 4026 OAKHAVEN ST; SAN ANTONIO, TX 78217-4234 Our thanks to the Episcopal Church of Reconciliation for allowing us to use their facility for our meetings which are normally held in the Alban classroom. Their campus is a part of our vehicular Cellular on Patrol. President: Cyndi and Marc Levesque, [email protected], 655-1087 Vice President: Tim Cassler, [email protected], 650-9487 Secretary: Mary Baird, [email protected], 599-7465 Treasurer: Roxie Montesano, [email protected]. 637-1873 Webmaster: Christopher Sanchez, [email protected] Sergeant-at-Arms Chris Lopez Newsletter: Steve Spear, [email protected], 655-5016

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AMERICAN FLAG ETIQUETTE There are a few options when it comes to flying the American flag. It can be flown from a pole, attached to a wall with tacks, or tape it over a window. Don't tie it to a tree or drape it over the side of a car, a train or a boat. The Union (the stars) should always be in the upper left-hand corner. An upside down flag is a distress signal. If you are displaying another pennant next to the American flag, both flags should be at the same height and the U.S. flag should be on the observer's left. Flying three flags? Place Old Glory in the center. And as long as it's on top, the American flag can share a pole with a state or organization flag. However, you should never hang two national flags on the same pole. Outdoor flags should be illuminated at night by a spotlight, a street lamp, or a garage light or taken down at sunset. Fold it neatly and stow it in a dry place, like a drawer or a linen closet. If a flag looks worn, stitch up small tears with a needle and thread. Stained or dirty flags should be dry cleaned. When a flag becomes frayed along the edges or the red stripes fade to pink, replace it. Flying a worn-out flag is the most serious offense. Throwing a flag in the garbage is disrespectful. According to the U.S. Flag Code, burning the flag is the right thing to do. When done ceremoniously and in private, setting fire to a flag isn't a sacrilege. Make America and your local fire marshal proud by dropping off your flag at the nearest American Legion office. Its members will incinerate it for you. (Compliments of Valencia Homeowners Assn) VILLAGE NORTH II WEBSITE Everything printed here and everything we receive from the city, be it from the District 10 council office or downtown, is posted to our website. Additionally, anything of importance which we believe would be beneficial to you is also posted. That said, please visit the website and give us your feedback. We want to know if the information is useful, easy to understand, pertinent, etc. So, please, go to http://www.vnna-sa.org/; check it out and let us know how we’re doing

CELLULAR ON PATROL (COP) The number of homes flying our American flag continues to grow. Thank you and let’s see even more of this display of national and neighborhood pride and unity. Our Neighborhood remains relatively free of major crimes but we are still experiencing roaming pets, owners not picking up after pets or using leashes, branches & limbs curbside (they must go into the brown garbage bin for pickup). SAPD reports for the past month also included property crimes, disturbances (one with gun involved), a holdup with “alarms in progress” and several reports of “suspicious vehicles”.

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We remind you that the COP program serves as the “eyes and ears” of the Neighborhood and promotes close cooperation between our residents and city agencies. The COP program is NOT a code compliance enforcer; call those concerns to 3-1-1 and get a “Reference Number” for tracking. You are not required to provide your identity for these calls. The remaining 2014 COP Training schedule will take a “summer break” and then resume Sept 8 (Mon), Oct 4 (Sat), and Dec 6 (Sat). Call or e-mail Officer Dave McDonald; 210-207-6086; email: [email protected] to confirm attendance. You will gain valuable information even if you do not actively participate in the program following training. Be sure to take the optional “police ride-along” when you take the class---you will gain increased respect for YOUR SAPD! Please keep up the good work of keeping our Neighborhood an attractive and desirable area to live. Let’s show our pride! Here are some safety tips we should all be observing: WHEN YOU ARE AT HOME -Replace or rekey all locks when you move into a “new” home -Install one-inch case hardened steel deadbolt locks on all exterior doors -Keep windows and doors locked at all times -Have curtains or blinds on all windows and keep them drawn -Install a 190 degree viewer or door scope in your front door. Look before opening to anyone -Require identification from all repair persons or public service individuals before opening -Hang up on frightening or obscene calls. Invest in an answering machine & screen calls -On your machine message, never say you are not home; just say you are not by the phone -If a prowler enters your home, GET OUT! Go to a neighbor & call the Police -If you come home & think someone is in your home, DO NOT ENTER; Go to a neighbor & call Police -Contact the SAPD Crime Prevention Specialist at our Substation & schedule a home security survey -Keep a list of serial numbers for electronic & valuable items. Take & keep photos of items. SUMMERTIME SAFETY TIPS (Compliments of Valencia Homeowners Assn) Summertime is here but crime never takes a vacation. Stay vigilant and follow these crime prevention tips.

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The nighttime curfew for minors (17 years and younger) is between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and remains in effect throughout the summer. Report any suspicious activity to the SAPD nonemergency line, (210) 207-7273. Remember to put away lawn equipment, bicycles, sports equipment, and any other toys or tools you frequently have out.

If you are going out of town for vacation, here are some more tips.

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Ensure the house is securely locked and set the alarm system if you have one. Suspend your newspaper subscription and have the post office hold your mail or ask a neighbor or friend to collect them for you. Do not advertise your vacation through social media or in your answering machine message. Put pets in a boarding kennel or hire someone to take care of them while you are gone. Tell your close neighbors that you are going away and who (if anyone) they should expect to see at your home when you are away.

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