S Volume 26, Issue 10 Circulation 1000 Published by the Shepherd Forest Civic Club P.O. Box 925282, Houston, Texas, 77292-5282 www.ShepherdForest.org October 2014 A Helping Hand – or a Handout? Tired of dealing with panhandlers who loiter and beg around the freeways and busy intersections near Shepherd Forest? Well, make plans to attend the next Shepherd Forest Civic Club General Meeting on Monday, October 20th where two Houston Police Department Captains will be in attendance to address your concerns. We are proud to welcome Capt. L. Baimbridge, Commander of the North Patrol and Capt. W. Baimbridge of the Mental Health Division to our October meeting to speak about the homeless/panhandler/mentally ill situation that we have seen increase over the last few years. They will also discuss crime in our area. These officers are at the top of their respective commands, and have agreed to meet with residents about this issue. Please come out and take advantage of having their attention, as well as letting them know that Shepherd Forest supports them. Shepherd Forest Civic Club Monthly Meeting Monday, October 20th @ 7:00 pm Temple Oaks Baptist Church – 2100 West 34th @ Oak Forest (Parking on north and south side of the church) Topic: Panhandling in our Neighborhood SFCC meetings are held on the third Monday of every month All Shepherd Forest residents are ENCOURAGED to attend. Congratulations to the newly elected Officers and Directors for Shepherd Forest CC Officers Board of Directors President – Jennifer Woodruff (1) 713-303-3511 Glenn Cessna (2) 832-659-2069 Vice President – Kristi Grizzle (2) 281-630-9443 Martha Stoerner (2) 713-864-3776 Secretary – Amy Derr (3) 610-762-0380 Mollie Weber (3) 713-515-4014 Treasurer – Melody Johnson (3) 915-276-9060 Jason Syrinek (1) 832-350-3811 Newsletter – Mary Lamb (1) 281-488-3216 David Hille (1) 713-551-1350 Security Coordinator – Isaac Derr (3) 985-860-1740 Beautification Committee – Jan Hughes (3) 713-594-3543 Halloween is almost here – Leave a porch light on if you’ll be home. And if you drive between sunset and dark, please watch out for our little ones as they Trick or Treat. Slow down and be safe! Citizens Patrol Security Report September was a much quieter month crime-wise in our area – only a few infractions were reported. However, don’t forget that the holidays are approaching (local retailers are quick to remind us that even though Halloween isn’t here yet, Christmas is already available for purchase!) Scammers and thieves know that you are busy with family and often away from home – a good chance to enter your yards and homes and take whatever they find easiest to steal. Be very much aware of strangers and strange activity in your area – people who are looking into windows, over fences and into parked cars. 9/12 Section 1 – 900 block 31st – Theft 9/24 Section 2 – 2300 block Ansbury – Theft of vehicle 9/28 Section 1 – 1500 block Ansbury – Theft 10/1 Section 1 -- 1600 block Stonecrest – Theft 10/17 Section 3 – 4200 block Gardendale – Tailgate stolen from truck Recently: Section 3 resident (4100 block Marlborough) reports that a suspicious man was knocking on doors wanting to repair cracked curbs for $30. Nearby in Garden Oaks and Oak Forest: 9/5 700 block 31st – Burglary of home 9/15 3700 block Ella – Burglary of home 9/25 1400 block 43rd -- Family Dollar store robbed (thieves caught at Subway on 34th @ TC Jester) Do you allow your cats the freedom to roam the neighborhood? If so, please consider keeping them inside these days. There has been a recent spike in cat mutilations (details too gruesome to list here) in the nearby Heights and Timbergrove areas. (Three new incidents were reported between Sept 20th and 24th). Officers with the city’s Animal Cruelty unit have met with a number of groups and residents regarding the reported deaths. Remains of the animals have been found on citizen’s property, although no known witnesses have come forward with information related to these deaths. The Leader (our local weekly publication) is reporting that an area resident has posted on Craigslist offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever has been committing this heinous crime. AND if you own a black cat, be especially cautious – they can be a “target” around Halloween (many shelters will not adopt out black cats at this time of year). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Citizens Patrol reminds us to call HPD if you should see anything or anyone that appears to be “suspicious,” regardless of how insignificant it may seem. Then, AFTER you have made the call to HPD, notify our Citizens Patrol by reporting it to David Hille 713-551-1350 so that our patrollers will also be advised of “hot spot” areas or descriptions of people/vehicles. A few words from our NEW President Dear neighbors, I'm looking forward to serving the community this year, alongside some eager and outstanding fellow volunteers. It's easy to take for granted what we, as volunteer leaders, do for the community. I've been guilty of it myself so I want to start out by thanking those who served before me. John Weber, Isaac Derr, Jessica Jones, Darla Coons, Lisa Talbot, and countless other volunteers helped keep our neighborhood a place you have come to enjoy as 'home' and I for one truly appreciate the time and effort they put forth to serve the neighborhood. This year's board is looking at many suggestions brought forth by residents to make the area an even better place to live. We hope to accomplish several goals that I will outline in a future article, but we can only do it with your help. My wish for us this year is to ramp up our committees and get more residents involved in the direction of Shepherd Forest. So it's time to get off the sidelines and lead by example. If you'd like to learn about volunteer opportunities, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Jennifer Woodruff, Civic Club President Seasonal Advice From The Beautification Committee (Jan Hughes, Chairperson) As fall arrives, we look forward to some cooler weather, but shorter days. Daylight savings time ends November 2nd. I'm sure everyone will agree that it's no fun when the sun goes down @ 5:30 pm. Shorter days brings changes to our plant life – here are some hints for what you can do as we draw closer to winter. Plant trees, shrubs, rose bushes and perennials. Planting now will ensure better survival next spring/summer and earlier growth and blooms. Plant wildflower seeds through November – bluebonnets, paintbrush, larkspur, etc. Also plant sweet pea seeds in November for better results in spring. Mulch, mulch, mulch — the mulch you applied last spring is long gone! Protect roots and maintain moisture while keeping weeds to a minimum with a 3-inch layer of the mulch of your choice — pine straw, bark mulch, compost, leaves. With Halloween approaching, I will need volunteers for judging the contests for decorations and scarecrows. Please contact me at [email protected] or 713-594-3543 if you would like to help. I would also like to invite anyone interested in joining the beautification committee to contact me directly. I'm planning on having our first meeting on Tuesday November 18th. We will discuss future projects as well as just throwing some ideas around. One more thing... Everyone can help keep our neighborhood beautiful, please be mindful of the problem we have with trash. When you're walking or even driving, take a minute to stop and pick up what you can. Halloween Decorating Contest is November 1st The Beautification Committee will be visiting all three sections of Shepherd Forest on Saturday November 1st to find the best and the scariest Halloween decorations. One house in each section will be awarded a $25 gift certificate from Cornelius Nursery. So bring out your best Boo-abilia and show us your scariest stuff! As always, thanks to Cornelius/Calloway Nurseries for their generous contributions to the Yard of the Month winners. Shepherd Forest Fall Picnic a success! There was a great turnout on September 21st for food and fun in Stonecrest Park. Timbergrove Fire Department brought one of their trucks for all to see, and The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Speakers Bureau sent their rodeo clowns and a not-quite-real bull for pictures. New participant Oak Forest Animal Advocates was also there, and one of their fosters, a beautiful calico named Jade, found her new forever home with a resident of Section 2. Board Member David Hille was at the grill, putting the “hot” on the dogs. Of course these events do not happen without the help and generous donations of our local residents and merchants. Please patronize our sponsors – they make this event possible. Thanks to all who participated. HEB on 18th – hot dogs, buns, condiments Dr. Gleem -- Petting Zoo Aztec Rentals – tables and chairs Valero @ 34TH St. – ice Delores & Clyde Muske -- ice Roznovsky’s -- Chips Real Estate Report – New Faces, New Records This month Shepherd Forest welcomed 8 new families – 3 in Section 1, 4 in Section 2 and 1 in Section 3. As we continue to add new families to the neighborhood we are also setting new records! Record sales prices, record prices per square foot. This is a song being sung in most of the neighborhoods in our area. Oak Forest has had two houses this year which have sold for over a million dollars. Homes in the Heights are routinely selling for over $400 per square foot. Nicely restored and renovated 2 bedroom 1 bath 1920s bungalows are pushing the half-million dollar mark. Increases in sales prices are rising in double digit percentages all around. Next month, we’ll talk about whether or not we’re flirting with another housing bubble. But for now, since I was on vacation last month and completely overestimated the availability of reliable internet in Spain, let’s catch up with the activity in our awesome neck o’ the woods. Right now, of the 13 houses on the market in Shepherd Forest, 10 are under contract! We would have 11 under contract, if it weren't for some pesky title issues, soon to be resolved. One house under contract in Section 3 could set an all-time SF price record if it sells for anywhere near its list price of $559,000. Another house in Section 1 is under contract with an asking price at $327 per square foot, also poised to set a SF record. Due to the low inventory over the past few months, we've only had 5 sales within the past 60 days. Average sold price was $243,000. David Hille, Realtor & Shepherd Forest Resident ______________________________________________________________________________________ Wishing a happy October birthday to Jan Hughes (10/23). Blowing out the candles in early November will be Gerry Barbeau (11/1), Ricardo Tristan (11/4), Lisa Nieto (11/5), Justin Alvarez (11/6), Travis Holland (11/7), and Eva Kirten (11/15). Congratulations to Clint Holland and his new bride, Renata, on their wedding September 20th 2014. They are now making their home in Shepherd Park Plaza. Clint’s parents, Richard and Delinda Holland, are long-time residents of Section 2. If you have news of birthdays, new neighbors, illnesses, anniversaries, or any other news to share, please update the SF Times by contacting the editor at 281-488-3216 or by e-mail [email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________________ Thanks -- and a call for help! As you know, this newsletter does not arrive at your home on its own. We are grateful for the dedicated group of carriers who walk through the neighborhood every month, delivering our news to your doorstep. We want to give special recognition to Joe Jungbauer in Section 1 and Wanda Wisniewski in Section 2, who are “retiring” from their routes this month. If you would like to deliver the SF Times in either of these two sections, please let me know at the contact # above. It’s a great way to get some exercise, meet your neighbors, and you can even walk your dog while you do it! Do you have news we can use? Comments to make? Compliments or complaints? We welcome and encourage your input! Call the Editor, Mary Lamb at 281-488-3216 or email: [email protected] Follow us on Facebook – Shepherd Forest – A Place We Call Home Visit our website: www.shepherdforest.org
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