The Neighborhood Association and the Pioneer Spirit

F or those of us who have lived here for a while, the name "urban pioneers" applies. Just as America's pioneers cooperated closely for mutual defense and survival, there was a great deal of sharing of skills and labor and ideas among those who, 30 years or so ago, struggled to fix up their dilapidated homes and stop the disintegration of old Hyde Park. That spirit has continued to characterize our Association, and I want to call newcomers to participate in this way of thinking. Let me offer an example.

After the prolonged rainy spell last fall, I received a call from a distraught neighbor who lived between 45th Street and the UT intramural field. She had awoken with a foot of water in her house, and her car and floors were ruined. Her insurance company was not returning her calls. I suggested she share her story on our Yahoo group and find out the experiences of others. I mentioned her plight in the Pecan Press and asked if flooding of Waller Creek was something we needed to look into, but heard nothing more of the matter. Pecan Press The Pecan Press is published monthly by the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association in Austin, Texas. Editor Grant Thomas   454-7284 hgthomas@youthlaunch.org Associate Editor Sarah Sitton   459-4530   307 E. 39th St. Poetry Editor Nancy Taylor Day   892-0127 Nancy@ciphersbyritter.com 4001 Duval (Salon) 78751 Crime Reporter Hermelinda Zamarripa   974-9097 hermelinda.zamarripa@ci.austin.tx.us Advertising Director Mike Capochiano   4904 Avenue H   467-9198 Production Manager Robert M. Farr   731-0617 bobfarr@austin.rr.com Mail Ads to: Print Deluxe 7500 Chelmsford Dr. Austin, TX 78736 Note: Each month's ad and editorial deadline is the 15th of month preceding publication. Distribution Coordinator Herb Dickson   4401 Avenue D   458-4335 Area Coordinators North of 45th/West of Duval - Pam Dozler 458-8927 North of 45th/East of Duval - Sarah Heather 452-8486 South of 45th/West of Speedway - The Gossetts 452-3654 South of 45th/East of Speedway - Martha Campbell 452-2815 Contributors Glen Alyn, Candy Gray Becker, Cynthia Beeman, Laurence Becker, Mary Collins Blackmon, George Bristol, Chris&Sharon Brown, Lewis Brownlow, Katherine Bryn, Mark Burkhardt, Amon Burton, Martha Campbell, Inga Marie Carmel, Nicole Caspers, Kitty Clark, Carol Cohen Burton, Mike Capochiano, Susan Crites-Krumm, Celeste Cromack, Rob D'Amico, Herb Dickson, Avis Davis, Don Davis, Lynn Denton, Pam Dozler, Cathy Echols, Merle Franke, Gregory Free, Larry Frelich, Robert Garrett, Mary Carolyn George, Larry&Susan Gilg, Ann S. Graham, Carolyn  E. Grimes, Ben&Sandi Heimsath, John&Susan Kerr, Bo Kersey, Susan Kirk, Anna Kotecki, Mary Lehmann, Dennis Lensing, Karen McGraw, Sharon Majors, Alan Marburger, Peter Maxson, Brook Meggs, Fred Meredith, Susan Moffat, Jill Nokes, Wanda Penn, Cecil Pennington, Peter Pfeiffer, Dorothy Richter, Sheree Scarborough, Cathy Short, Sarah&Thad Sitton, Julie Strong, Kathleen Strong, Lao Tzu, Jennifer Vickers, Katie Vignery, Sandra Villalaz-Dickson, Lorre Weidlich, Joe Wiseman

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A week or so ago I received an email from a resident in the same area, one of our newsletter distributors, telling me how bad the flooding was and wanting to know what HPNA had done about it. I replied that I was glad the issue was being raised and that there were several people in the Association who could help and a good way to get started was to appear at either the monthly meeting or a steering committee meeting and present the issue. Then things would start happening.     I received in reply a very angry email saying she would not appear at a meeting as the agenda did not reflect the needs of the neighborhood, that she would tell her neighbors that "HPNA repeatedly disregards neighbors in crisis," and that she would henceforth cease distributing the Pecan Press.     I had tried to explain that the Association is an all-volunteer entity made up largely of working people with families and that we've got our hands full with a lot of ongoing issues. It is not realistic to expect, as my ill-tempered correspondent did, that we can drop everything and spring into action whenever another problem is brought to our attention. It doesn't work that way. But there is a lot of experience, personal contacts, group effort and money that can be brought to bear on issues if only you are willing to help a little.     All the above notwithstanding, there is an area where we do solicit just ideas for improvement: our Web site, www.hydepark-na.org/news.html. The site was built by neighbor George Wyche with considerable time and effort, and he still maintains it. Neighbor Robin Silberling, a professional Web designer, recently offered to help out.     Occasionally people have suggestions for changes or improvements. The steering committee has decided that a good way to deal with suggestions is to have you make them directly to George gwyche@io.com or to Robin robin@wcook.org who will then pass them on to the steering committee with a comment on the feasibility of the idea.

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One suggestion under discussion is an archive of the recommendations neighbors make about painters, accountants, plumbers etc. Thus it would not be necessary to poll neighbors every time you needed a recommendation. And for a different look in a neighborhood site, check out the nearby Cherrywood site: www.cherrywood.org. -- John Kerr 4209 Ave. F 451-3931 jfkerr@yahoo.com Hyde Park Neighborhood Association P.O.Box 49427 - Austin, TX 78765 http://www.hydepark-na.org --- HPNA Officers --- President -John Kerr jfkerr@yahoo.com 451-3931 Co-Secretary -Pam Whittington ppw@sprintpcs.com 452-9776 Co-Secretary -Denise Girard girard.d@att.net 454-6584 Trea. -Mike Capochiano 4904 Ave H 467-9198 HPNA Committee/Task Forces AISD -Ann Graham 3815 Ave H 458-8096 Alley Coordinator     J.P.Young jpyoung@io.com 450-0707 Beautification     Margot Thomas 4106 Ave F     Merle Franke 4102 Ave D 454-7284 452-0414 Children's Programs     Volunteer needed   Church Liasion     Niyanta Spelman 3802 Ave F 459-8349 Communications/Web     George Wyche gwyche@io.com 458-9709 Crime and Safety     Hermelinda Zamarripa Hermelinda.Zamarripa@ci.austin.tx.us 836-5518 Development Review     Stan Kozinsky 4604 Ave G 451-4455 Homes Tour 2004     Alan Marburger alan@mcgrawmarburger.com 459-2261 Membership     Doris Coward dcoward@mail.nur.utexas.edu 453-2476 Neighborhood Planning     Karen McGraw 4315 Ave C 459-2261 Mueller Task Force     John Kerr 4209 Ave F 451-3931 Shipe Park -Joe Jernejcic 302-4074 Sidewalks   Jamie Caras jcaras@sciencetechnologies.com   Rob Clinchard 302-4074 - - - 38th Street Taskforce -Volunteer needed Triangle Development     Cathy Echols 4002 Ave C 206-0726 Zoning -Dorothy Richter 3901 Ave G 452-5117 Austin Neighborhoods Council Rep.     Volunteer needed