Celebrating together as friends and neighbors

President's Letter | Noise Issues | Neighbors and Jackson Family | Clean-Up 2003 | Why Pay Dues | Did You Know? | Grant Applications | Meeting Day is Runza Day | SE Precinct Open House | Meineke promotes LNA | Announcing Leavenworth Neighborhood Nights | Motherhood | May Day | Thanks to Joanne and Brad! | LNA Advertisers May 2003

Several of us attended a Midtown Neighborhood Coalition Meeting on April 17 at which Doug Bisson, Community Planning Manager, HDR, spoke about the Destination Midtown project. Doug explained how the study will evolve and fielded numerous questions from the audience. The 4-square mile area included in Destination Midtown is equivalent to the 5th largest city in Nebraska, includes 28,000 people, 13,000 housing unit, 30 historical landmarks, 16 schools, 7 parks, 25 churches, and 11 neighborhood associations. Within our own boundaries are six churches, three parks, and a public school. The planning process will include a number of opportunities for neighborhood input and participation.

At the April 17^th meeting, Doug was asked by a member of the audience what would cause the project to fail. His response was "lack of participation." We will be asking residents, businesses, and churches to participate in workshops to obtain your input about strengths and weaknesses of the area. Your comments and ideas are invaluable in developing the plan. Please seriously consider attending these meetings and keeping up with what is happening throughout the planning process. Look for articles in the Omaha World Herald and check out the website at www.omahachamber.org/DestinationMidtown/

Doug will be our speaker at our May 15^th meeting. Plan to be there – it’s a great opportunity to learn more about Destination Midtown.

During this beautiful spring weather, take the time to drive or walk around our neighborhood. The efforts of all who helped with the Spring Clean Up are greatly appreciated – once again, we’ve colored it clean! Take a trash bag with you on your walk and pick up loose litter – every little bit helps!

I recently received a copy of the Historic Buildings Survey prepared for City and the Nebraska State Historical Society. This reconnaissance survey included our neighborhood as well as several others in central Omaha. The report included 462 properties surveyed for their potential to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and designation as local landmarks. About 80 of the properties were within our boundaries. Several of our neighborhood churches, homes, and apartment buildings are potentially eligible for historic or landmark designation. On your drive or walk, notice some of the unique architecture within our neighborhood.

There is a lot of history right here in the LNA.

And, as summer approaches, also consider becoming involved in the drive patrol or starting a neighborhood watch on your block. These efforts are important in ensuring that we help curb illegal activities and take ownership of our neighborhood. If you are interested in starting a neighborhood watch group, contact Ofelia Robles at the SE Precinct at 444-7743. With a little effort, neighborhoods can get to know each other and watch out for each others’ property.

We welcome you to the May 15^th meeting.

Celebrating our Neighborhood!

Carol

Councilman Vokal is working with Captain Pepin in an effort to curb disturbances caused by loud stereos and boom boxes both from patios and from parked or passing vehicles. The Captain has done some research into City ordinances and has spoken with the City Prosecutor about dealing with these disturbances. As a result, the following actions are suggested:

• Citizens with a complaint should continue to call 911 (records are established when the call is made)
• If practical, neighbors should ask the offending party to reduce the noise. While this is not always practicable or possible, it establishes for a judge that an attempt was made. Make a note for yourself for later reference
• Police Officers can ticket offenders when they observe the offense. If not observed by an Officer, the citizen can file a complaint and the officer will write the ticket based on the citizen complaint. You may be required to appear in court later
• The Police Department will focus on "noise disturbances" this Spring. Officers will be instructed about verbal warnings and/or issuing tickets. Citizens lodging complaints may be contacted for assistance

Councilman Vokal will continue to work within the legislative process and with the City Prosecutor to find solutions. Jim reminds us that our best line of defense with most violators is simply to ask them to be more courteous; however, in circumstances where this is not practical, call 9ll.

Councilman Vokal indicated the same actions would apply to excessive horn honking. Jim is easily accessible – call him if you have issues to discuss.

Neighbors and Jackson Families

The school year is finding itself in the final month until summer break. We would like to thank all of our wonderful neighbors for the outstanding support we have received during this last year. There were food, clothing, and monetary contributions which greatly assisted us in delivering the best opportunities for the students at our (your) school.

The final day for our students is Wednesday, May 21st. We are releasing two days earlier than other schools so our teachers have time to move into their newly renovated rooms. This has been a very active year with the construction / remodel project. We have "weathered the storm" and are looking for an interior completion date in December. The remainder of the school playground on the North end will be completed during March of 2004. It looks amazing so far!

With this year winding down, I would also like to remind the neighbors to continue to be careful as our students are out and about during the summer. The students are outside walking and playing, so help us to keep them safe. Also in conjunction with keeping them safe, please be careful of the construction equipment around the school. It is important to remind the students to walk around the school, and maintain a safe distance from the equipment during the summer. They have done an outstanding job during the school year, and we would like to continue in that direction.

Thank you again for all of the efforts of this wonderful community!!! Our students are certainly benefiting from your generosity and continued support!!

Mr. Kyle Tonnies, Principal, Jackson Academy

Clean-Up 2003
By Jim Thompson

It was certainly a beautiful day on the weather front on the 26th. And when we got done with the day's event, the neighborhood turned out beautiful as well. The 2003 version of Color It Clean went off without a hitch. The traffic was steady from the beginning to the end. Having other sites host the tire and appliance collection helped to get us back on track with cleaning the alleys like we normally do. There weren't too many of you who called in to be added to the list, but a pre-inventory of the area identified quite a few hot spots. When the day ended, we filled five packer trucks with quite a variety of solid waste items. Where does it all come from year after year? The decision to pull scrap metal out of the landfill also proved to be beneficial. By using the containers from Alters, we collected 13,060 pounds of scarp metal that will be recycled!!! Congratulations to all those who donated their time and energy to sort this commodity!

The day went by fast and one thing I regret, other than not picking up Mrs.Gonzalas' items, was not getting a complete list of the volunteers who showed up. I could TRY to remember to put their names here, but I know I would forget somebody. So I will just say, on behalf of all of us who want to keep this neighborhood clean, is THANK YOU! The guys, gals and kids who showed up, and you know who you are, should feel very proud to donating your time and energy to this event. I especially want to thank Kate Rehmann for coordinating the food and drinks for all the volunteers. This clean-up cannot work without these things that certainly keep us going.

Thank you to the business partners who donated to this worthwhile event: Fashion Cleaners for use of the facilities; Burger King for breakfast croissants; Wholesale Food Outlet for pop and rolls; Z's Corner for Poweraide and ice; Domino's, Don Carmelos and Godfathers for pizza; Little King for sandwiches; Aldermans for pop; KFC for chicken; Fred's Friendly 66 for gas; Levenson's for gloves; Mr. D's Splash and Pour for beer; A&R Salvage and Recycling for a couple of men and a truck; and Keep Omaha Beautiful for bags. Please mention your own thank you when you visit these businesses.

There were some cash donations that came in too. These dollars will go into the Beautification Fund for ongoing projects. Thank you to those who contributed. Bonnie Urbanek and Stephanie Ahlschwede worked the crowd to drive our membership. I don't know how many new neighbors we got to join, but thank you for your help.

Again this year we had a group picking up loose litter on the boulevard and streets. Thank you to Brian and Melissa Meyer and the Youth Group from First Lutheran Church for doing a great job in cleaning the area. Hawk Hicks, Steve Cross, Dave Gillotte donated the use of their machines to haul the loads and the UNO fraternity helped as well. Thanks guys.

And of course the job is never complete. It will be an ongoing project to continue to pick up litter, educate people to not throw their bulky junk on the ground, and in general, persist in keeping the neighborhood clean of debris, junk cars, tree limbs, etc. Everyone's help is needed year around. Clean-Up 2003 is not just a one day event, but it is nice when the one day ends and we got most of the junk out of the way.

Oh, yeah, are we still nagging about payment of 2003 dues to the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association? Yes, we are and let me tell you some of the ways your $10 or $20 annual dues benefit you.

You receive a copy of the LNA Exchange, our monthly newsletter. The newsletter is an expensive part of the LNA, as detailed below:

Monthly printing                     $60*

Monthly postage:                   $92

Preparing newsletter

(8 volunteer hrs @ $10)        $80

Labeling, folding, & mailing

(5 volunteer hrs @ $10)        $50*

Preparing newsletter labels

(1 volunteer hr @ $10)         $10

Monthly Cost                       $292

* Does not include cost of paper or labels

$292.00 divided by 250 newsletter = $1.16

12 newsletters @ $1.16 = $13.90

So there you are. Your family dues don’t cover the cost of bringing the newsletter to you each month.

But the LNA does a lot more than send out newsletters.

• Your neighborhood association advocates for you with regard to issues affecting the safety of the neighborhood and improvements to the area in which we live and work.
• Your neighborhood association also represents you in matters related to code enforcement, trash and litter, etc. throughout the neighborhood and is a liaison with the Mayor’s office and other city departments
• Your neighborhood association works with Jackson School to assist with various projects and promote the importance of neighborhood associations to faculty and students alike
• Your neighborhood association partners with businesses in the area and works with other neighborhood groups
• Your neighborhood association maintains the community garden at Leavenworth and St. Mary’s.
• Your neighborhood association has a Drive Patrol which supports the efforts of the Police Department in making our neighborhood safer
• Your neighborhood sponsors an annual clean up, Kids’ Day and picnic

Our advertisers are also great financial support and we encourage you to visit these businesses throughout the area.

Members of the LNA voluntarily participate in following groups: Omaha Coalition of Citizens’ Patrols, Southeast Police Precinct Advisory Council, South Omaha Neighborhood Association, Neighborhood Center for Greater Omaha Board, Prostitution Task Force, Destination Midtown Steering Committee, Midtown Community Neighborhood Coalition, Keep Omaha Beautiful, Lively Omaha, Park Avenue Landlords Association and, perhaps, other neighborhood-related groups that I’ve omitted. Participation requires a commitment on the part of the volunteers with no monetary reward. Because of these individuals’ volunteerism, the LNA membership is made aware of activities and events effecting both the City and our neighborhood and we are building a stronger community.

The LNA has submitted grant applications to both Omaha Community Foundation and the Mayor’s Neighborhood Grants for funding related to our Turner Boulevard Project. We should be hearing soon whether our proposals will be funded. As you may recall, the Trident group, affiliated with First Lutheran Church is partnering with us for the Omaha Community Foundation grant.

Additionally, funds from our partnership with Runza and the upcoming garage sale will go toward this project. Members of the Park Project committee will soon be asking businesses in the neighborhood to have a "Change for Change" canister in their establishments as a collection point for additional donations. Look for the canisters when visiting neighborhood businesses.

Saw a number of you getting a bite at Runza last month before the meeting. Don’t forget -this month’s LNA RUNZA DAY is our meeting date – Thursday, May 15^th.

Encourage your friends to take dinner home! As you know, we get a percentage of sales between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. on that day!

The SE Precinct, 25^th and Vinton, will be holding an open house on Sunday, May 18, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. This will be a great opportunity for officers to interact with citizens in a more relaxed atmosphere. We want the citizens to find out first-hand what their officers’ jobs entail.

The event will include various displays, a demonstration by the Canine Unit, McGruff the Crime Dog, the police helicopter, the mounted patrol and a table with Safety and Crime Prevention information. We also plan to have a bicycle rodeo and safety inspection for kids, fingerprinting kits and clowns to greet the kids. (Reprinted from OPD Community Resource Center Newsletter)

 Bring your family for this educational and fun event. Call Ofelia Robles at 444-7743, if you can volunteer a couple hours to help with the Open House. Let’s see the LNA represented!

Check out the Meineke’s new van – And look at the rear tailgate where you’ll see "Proud Member - Leavenworth Neighborhood NA." What a great way to promote our neighborhood association! Thanks, Charley, we appreciate your support! It’d be great to see LNA advertising on all neighborhood business vehicles.

Saturday, May 31^st, at the Temme House, 545 S. 31 Ave from 6-10pm.

Movies under the stars, popcorn, hot dogs, face painting, games and more! A fun event for the whole family. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket. For more information, contact Carol at 345-7506.

A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. Emily had hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job, or are you just a . . . ?" "Of course I have a job," snapped Emily. "I’m a mother." "We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation…’housewife’ covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about Emily’s story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations." The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair, and look up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared in wonder as my pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. "Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what do you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t) in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). I’m working for my Masters (the whole darned family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging that most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money." There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants – ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6-month old baby) in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt triumphant! I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another mother." Motherhood…what a glorious career. Especially when there’s a title on the door.

May Day is celebrated around the world.
It is a festival of happiness, joy and the coming of summer. On May Day, it was customary for the ancient Romans to march in a parade and celebrate the new growth of plants and ask for good crops. The people of ancient Rome honored Flora, the goddess of flowers and springtime, with a festival called Florialia. Today, May Day is known as the happiest day of the year in Italy. All varieties of flowers are placed in and around places of worship. Boys often sing or play music for their sweethearts on this day.

The English have observed May Day since medieval times. On the first day of May, English villagers awakened at daybreak to roam the countryside gathering blossoming flowers and branches. A towering maypole was set up on the village green. This pole, usually made of the trunk of a tall birch tree, was decorated with bright field flowers. The villagers then danced and sang around the maypole, accompanied by a piper. Long before our current high school prom king and queen, villages elected a young, attractive couple to represent the King and Queen of the May. Today in London, children go from house to house bringing flowers in return for pennies. After the pennies are collected, they are thrown into a wishing well. Special wishes are made with hopes they will be granted. The pennies are later collected and given to different charitable organizations.

In Switzerland, a May pine tree is often placed under a girl's window. German boys often secretly plant May trees in front of the windows of their sweethearts. In Czechoslovakia, boys place maypoles before their sweethearts' windows at night. Since the French considered the month of May to be sacred to the Virgin Mary, they enshrined young girls as May queens in their churches and May queens led processions in honor of the Virgin. Cows also play important roles in French May Day festivals, and bunches of flowers are tied and draped around their tails as they are led in parades. Everyone tries to touch the cows because it is believed to be good luck.

On May Day morning, everyone drinks milk still warm from the milking to bring good luck during the year. Greek children go out early in the morning to search for the first swallow of spring. When the bird is located, the children go from door to door singing songs of spring. For their efforts, neighbors offer special treats to eat, such as fruits, nuts, and cakes. May Day in Hawaii is Lei Day. Everyone gives the gift of a lei to another, putting it around the receiver's neck and accompanying the gift with the traditional kiss.

The Puritans frowned on May Day and brought that attitude along to the New World, so it has never been celebrated with as much enthusiasm in the U.S. as in Great Britain. But often in the US, May Day is celebrated by dancing and singing around a maypole tied with colorful streamers or ribbons. The dancers twist the streamers around the pole to make a pretty pattern. Children often gather spring flowers, place them in handmade paper May baskets and hang them on the doorknobs of relatives and friends--they ring the doorbells and run away, leaving their flowers as a surprise.

We appreciate the sodas, brownies, and bars provided by Joanne Jordan at our April meeting. How yummy! Brad Lau, owner of our neighborhood Runza, also gave us Runza’s for the meeting! We not only have good meetings, we have good treats! Thanks so much!

Alderman’s Bar 3216 Leavenworth 341-5190

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