COVID-19

We are not out of the woods yet and COVID-19 will be with us for some time to come, but the situation has improved. Let’s not let our guard down now. We can get together and still minimize the risk of infection.

Fourth of July Celebration

Can’t have a parade or picnic, but we won’t let a virus stop us from celebrating the 4th! Join the fun!

Motorcade

No parade, but we will have a motorcade. We will start at 10:00 am sharp at the Glenville Park parking lot. Decorate your car or truck in a patriotic theme. Best decorated car or truck wins $50 gift card, second place $25 gift card. Please arrive at 9:30 am so we can judge the entries and get organized.

For the safety of all involved, there will be absolutely no pedestrians or bicycles allowed in the motorcade.

The motorcade will proceed in manner as to not impede normal traffic. This is not a parade. The individual drivers are responsible to abide by all traffic regulations. Follow the route and instructions which will be provided when you check in by the organizer.

Judging of decorated vehicles will occur just before the start of the motorcade at the park parking lot.

Watch for the motorcade when it passes your home. Practice social distancing and current COVID-19 precautions.

Patriotic Theme Yard Decorating Contest

In place of the yard of the month, we are going to have a Patriotic themed yard contest. To participate, decorate your yard with flags, red white and blue streamers, bunting and the like. Get creative! $50 gift certificate prize for 1st place, $25 gift certificate for 2nd place.

Kids can participate too, with a sidewalk chalk art contest. Two winners, $10 cash each for the best patriotic themed drawing.

Registration required! Unlike the yard of the month we need people to register in advance so we can be sure and judge your entry and in particular the chalk art drawings. Sign up by sending an email to contest@ncpna.org. Be sure and include your address and the name(s) and age(s) of chalk artists so we can be sure to include them in the judging.

Judging will consider creativity and patriotic theme. Judging will occur between 10am and 3pm July 4th.

Yard of the Month for June

The Yard of the Month judges checked out the yards and selected a winner and runner-up. 

The runner up is:
Dennis and Vivian Marino
1118 Windsong

Congratulations! They received a $25 gift certificate from Bruce Miller Nursery.

The winner is: 
Mike and Kathleen Uremovich
1119 Sundial,

Congratulations!  They received a $25 gift certificate from Bruce Miller Nursery. 

Anyone interested in helping by being a judge should contact Vicki Bean. V.Bean@att.net

Richardson Strong Yard Signs

We have more than 100 signs out in the neighborhood. We have ordered a few more. The signs are $10 each with all proceeds going to The Network of Community Ministries. If you want a sign for your yard, please contact Janice Gromadin at elway100@tx.rr.com.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

We can’t thank everyone enough for pulling together during this crisis. Please continue to be aware of your neighbors and be prepared to lend a hand, if you are able, and if not report a problem. Keep checking on your neighbors, particularly the ones who are elderly and live alone. That quick phone call, text or email can make a world of difference.

The food banks are still experiencing high demand and need to replenish their shelves. When you shop, pick up items for the food bank and drop them off. The Network of Community Ministries is located at 741 S Sherman St, Richardson, TX 75081, Map Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-5:30pm Friday 9:00am-11:30am Phone: (972) 234-8880 thenetwork.org

Window Walk

Thanks to everyone who is participating in the window walk. Since the July 4th celebration is coming up, we suggest a patriotic theme, but you can do whatever you like, just have fun.

Address Information

A few of you reported corrections to their contact information. The association has very close ties with the Crime Watch Patrol volunteers who are constantly out in the neighborhood watching for unusual activity. If we have a good phone number for you these volunteers are prepared to give you a call and let you know that something does not “look right.” An example might be an open garage door with no cars or obvious activity.

If you have updated information, please let us know.

Crime Patrol Report

We had a house break-in in the neighborhood on Windsong. This has not happened in a long time. The good news is that with the help of information from cameras in the neighborhood, the police have some solid leads on the perpetrators.

Be alert for opportunistic thieves, unlocked cars with and without visible valuables are an easy target. If you are expecting a package keep careful watch and remove it from your porch promptly. Amazon and other services can notify you by text, email or personal assistant when a package arrives.

If you see unusual activity which just does not seem right, don’t hesitate to report it to the police. Don’t forget to keep your eyes open as you walk your dogs and be alert for possible problems.

Our crime patrol volunteers continue to be very active despite COVID-19. Thanks to everyone who volunteers their time to patrol in the neighborhood.

Spring Storms

While the last tornado occurred in October, the peak tornado season in our area is May and June. The best way to protect you and your family is to be aware of conditions conducive to severe weather and have a plan of action. While we have an outdoor siren nearby, these are really intended to notify people who are out of doors at the time of the emergency. Indoors there are several ways to be made aware of a dangerous situation. Check out the City of Richardson Office of Emergency Management website and sign up for the emergency notification system. NOAA Weather radios are inexpensive and a valuable source of information.

Welcome Baskets

Vicki Bean leads a team which assembles and distributes welcome baskets to new residents. Last year 10 baskets were handed out. If you know of new arrivals, please let Vicki know at V.Bean@att.net.

Membership Drive

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to help support the organization through membership and by volunteering. You can sign up anytime. Renew your membership or become a new member and join the flag program now! You will get 5 flag placements from the time your membership is received.

If you hurry and sign up today, we can get you a flag placement in time for the 4th of July.

Go to our website NCPNA.org/join/ and sign up today!

Newsletter

If you did not receive this newsletter in your email, you can easily sign up to receive your very own copy. Our goal this year is to send out newsletters once each month.  We will send out special emails when warranted.  We promise to not share your email address and we won’t drown you in emails. Go to http://ncpna.org/enews and fill out the form. Be sure and look for the confirmation email and confirm the subscription.

About North College Park Neighborhood Association

NCPNA is a neighborhood association and, unlike a homeowner’s association, we do not have any authority over anyone’s property. We sponsor activities and projects to help make our neighborhood a more pleasant and safe place to live. Volunteers are always needed, and we look forward to hearing about new ways to achieve our collective goals.

Contact Robert Grinsfelder at rmgrins@aol.com if you can help with any of these activities.

Like us on Facebook! North College Park Neighborhood Association or @ncpa.org

John Slaughter
NCPNA Newsletter Editor