Ahhh...better

T he first Graffiti Cleanup has come and gone and Hyde Park is cleaner for it. Cleanup coordinator Elaine Meenehan estimated that 75 percent of the graffiti on streets and public areas was removed. But her survey did not include alleys, which at least doubles or triples the amount.

Importantly, we learned which solvents work best. Cans of the good stuff, and perhaps rubber gloves, will be distributed at the June meeting to those willing to help out around their home. Even- tually we hope that at least several people on every block will commit to keeping a can of solvent handy and take responsibility for keeping their area, including the alley, graffiti free.     The situation is analogous to litter. Most people will pick up a beer can on their front lawn. Many 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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will pick up trash in the street in front of their house. Blessed are the few who pick up litter wherever they find it and dispose of it.     Imagine if nobody picked up litter anywhere for several years. Our neighborhood would look pretty trashy, and present a big cleanup job for a few people.     That's where we are with graffiti. Few people like it, but most don't have the materials needed to remove it. So it has accumulated for years. The right solvent takes it off as easily as a wet cloth removes a child's muddy handprint from a refrigerator.     Deep thanks to Elaine for organizing our first cleanup and the 20 or so people who showed up, including two from the city (Officer Ricardo Vargas was one of them) and four volunteers from Grande Communications. I shudder to think of what would happen to old Hyde Park if Grande decides to stop helping us clean our alleys and our graffiti.     A number of movies have been shot in Hyde Park, and there are more to come. Some of us have been paid handsomely for the inconvenience of having a shoot in our block. There might even be opportunities for neighbors to find work as extras, and who knows... perhaps a major talent in our midst will be discovered and become a star.

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Just how this might happen will be explained in detail at our June meeting when Carol Pirie, assistant director of the Texas Film Commission, will share some insights about how the Film Commission markets Texas to filmmakers, what makes them choose one location over another, and what happens when Hollywood hits town.     What's the tallest tree in Hyde Park? I don't have the tools or trigonometry to answer that question but I do have a candidate: the stately pecan on the north side of the fine old Victorian house at 4212 Avenue F, at the corner of 43rd Street. Does anyone know of a taller one? -- 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