Spring is Coming
The virus continues to be a challenge. If you are eligible be sure and sign up to get your vaccination. We’ve had a number of families stricken with COVID, some have been mild others quite serious. They are very appreciative of the support of their neighbors and friends. Continue to keep contact with your neighbors and offer assistance as needed. Don’t forget even if you can’t be as social you have in the past, we can still have activities and function as a community. Please stay diligent with social distancing, masking and hand washing. We can all hope for a better times to come. Don’t let the virus win.
North College Park Neighborhood Facebook Group
NCPNA has an active private Facebook group. One of the administrators will quickly approve your admission to the group. Click here to go to the group page: facebook.com/groups/ncpna
Membership Renewal / Flag Program
Thanks for your membership in the NCPNA! Not a member? Join today!
There is still time to help NCPNA meet our shared goals. Again, this year we are partnering with the Rotary Club to offer a discount for the five flag placements 
with a paid membership. There has been a little confusion in that some of you may have received a renewal notice from the Richardson Flags Project for renewal. You can still renew your NCPNA membership and get the flags at a discount. If you have already renewed with the Rotary, we will be happy to grant you this discount with your paid membership. Membership is $25, membership with the flag option is $55.
The process is easy, just go to our website and pay for your membership and if you wish, the flag option for only $30 more. The address is http://ncpna.org/join. You may pay online or mail a check to the address provided.
Thanks for supporting North College Park Neighborhood Association.
If you want a “booster” sign, please let Vicki Bean V.Bean@att.net know and we will get you a sign.
Membership Drive Contest Ends Soon
This year we want to increase our membership and we are having a contest. For each new member you recruit you will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card. Anyone recruiting a new member should provide the name and address to Vicki Bean V.Bean@att.net and the new member must pay their dues by February 28th to be eligible for the $50 Visa card drawing”.
More information may be found here: http://ncpna.org/new.
Small Business Spotlight
Each month we’re going to shine a spotlight on a small business in our neighborhood or community. We’re proud this month to spotlight Matthew Maldonado who runs “Dog Doody” a pet waste and walking service right here in NCPNA! Matthew is 14 years old and has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He’s been baking and selling cookies to save for college, and he decided last year to look for other income streams by starting a business in the neighborhood. He has a growing number of clients and has proven incredibly reliable and professional in his budding new venture since September 2020. In addition to growing his business, Matthew attends the magnet school in Richardson where he is part of the National Junior Honor Society and is a straight A student.
If you’d like to support Matthew’s neighborhood business, please text 972-836-7493 or email dogdoody2020@gmail.com. Rates are $4 per 15 min walk, $7 per 30 min walk, and $8 per week for 1x pet waste clean-up and removal. Ask about his special subscription rates and other services offered!
March Madness Neighborhood Bracket
Join us for some free, virtual fun! If you’ve never participated in a March madness bracket before, it is simple and basketball knowledge is NOT required (luck is a much bigger factor). You’ll select the winner of each of the 63 games from a grid provided of the teams in the tournament. The entry with the highest number of correct selections wins! To enter, please email April Anderson at adawn0105@gmail.com and she’ll send you a link for entry on Sunday March 14th when the brackets are released. The overall winner receives a $50 cash gift card!
North College Park Paddy’s Day 5k
Join us for a socially distanced neighborhood 5k! Simply show up, wear some green, and be ready to walk (or run) 3.1 miles with us. We will meet at the Glenville parking lot Saturday 3/13 and start the 5k promptly at 10:30am. For safety, please wear a mask and practice social distancing throughout the event. If you’re unable to wear a mask while walking/running, please make sure to observe 6 feet of space between you and other participants any time you’re unmasked. The safe AND fun way to 5k! Medals will be awarded to each participant and some light grab-n-go brunch snacks will be available after the event. All are welcome, speed is irrelevant! Bring the kids, the pups, or just yourself!
COVID Mental Boost
COVID was so 2020, isn’t it over yet?! Until 2021 gets the message, we want our NCPNA neighbors to protect and prioritize your mental health as much as your physical safety. Try one of these mental boosts and let us know how it goes over on the neighborhood Facebook page: visit one of the bigger parks within 5 miles of NCPNA (Huffines, Prairie Creek, and Spring Creek Nature Area), go screenless after dinner 1-2 nights per week, order food from a local restaurant and consider giving a bigger than normal tip, or try out a podcast while you walk, do dishes, or fold laundry. Here are some inspirational podcasts made by someone who grew up in North College Park. May we all stay safe AND sane in this new year!
Book Club Update
Our NCPNA book club kicked off the new year with a virtual meet-up to discuss, “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty. Most readers found this an easy read and enjoyed the suspense the author built in her story telling, but some found it hard to identify with either younger or older Alice. Not sure what we mean? Pick up a copy and read it for yourself! Our February book is “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah. A new release about Texas during the Great Depression. Join us any time by emailing April Anderson at adawn0105@gmail.com. We meet the last Tuesday of every month (virtually until it is safe to meet in person) at 7:30pm.
Little Libraries
We are blessed to have two little free libraries in North College Park. One is at 1217 Windsong, and the other is at 909 Morningstar. Both offer a variety of selections to pass the time, both kids books as well as fiction and nonfiction. Take a walk and check them out!
Yard of the Month
The yard of the month returns in March, spruce up those yards! Don’t forget to include your mailbox. If you would like to volunteer to help judge, please contact Janice Gromadin elway100@tx.rr.com
Crime Watch Report
Despite cold weather, COVID and folks not available for patrol, our patrol hours for January went up to 290, that compared to last year’s average monthly patrol hours of 254. Nice Going!
It reminds me that our patrollers need your assistance. Please join our Crime Watch Patrol and help keep North College Park safe. Contact Doug Freeman at d1004free@aol.com. I love it and hate it when our NCP Newsletter editor asks me for Crime Watch Reports. I have no crime to report so I try to come up with something. So here it is ETCHING! When a burglar breaks into your home or business they can be in and out in as little as three minutes, carrying your property with them. Stolen property carries with it the ability to lead police back to the scene of the crime, even back to the perpetrators. A comprehensive property inventory list can assist police in recovering your property and solving property crime. Recording your valuables will aid with the replacement of your property in the event of theft, fire or catastrophic event.
Richardson Police Department can assist you with determining the best way to maintain a property inventory. Options include free websites, smartphone applications, using your email or creating a document that you store in a secure location. For more information, please call Richardson Police Department Crime Prevention Unit at 972-744-4955
Personal Property: Several years ago, North College Park purchased a tool used to etch an identification number on personal property. Etching involves marking or engraving property with an identifying number such as your driver’s license. A driver’s license number is easily recognized and traced by law enforcement. The tool can be loaned out by contacting Doug Freeman at d1004free@aol.com.
VIN Etching –The Vehicle’s Identification Number is permanently etched (acid etch) into the major windows of an automobile. VIN etching is a theft deterrent and may entitle you to an auto insurance premium discount. Permanent marking done with a good VIN etching machine are extremely hard to get rid of. This means the thief can’t resell your vehicle quickly. Car thieves hate this and will most probably give your precious automobile a wide berth when they realize you have visible permanent VIN markings all over.
From time to time there are free etching events. Post COVID-19 they may start up. Or a do-it-yourself etching kit is available for $25.00 and up on at various retail outlets.
House Number Project
The city requires that all homes have clearly visible house numbers both front and back. Many homes are depending on curb lettering which have faded. This makes it difficult to identify a house for emergency services and deliveries. We encourage everyone to check and make sure the numbers are clearly visible in both the back and the front of the residence.
For several years NCPNA has volunteers who make house number signs for the rear of houses. This a free service, all you need do is to contact Doug Freeman at d1004free@aol.com to arrange for it to be installed.
Dog Walker Watch Zoom Training Class
The police department will hold a Dog Walker Zoom Training class on Wednesday, March 17th at 6pm. If you are interested in attending please send an email to Officer David Beregszaszy David.Beregzaszy@cor.gov or give him a call at: 972-744-4938 and he will send you the zoom invitation.
The Network of Community Ministries
Food donations and volunteers are sorely needed to help in our community. More information
Welcome Baskets
Vicki Bean leads a team who assemble and deliver welcome baskets to new residents.
If you know of someone new, let Vicki know and be sure they are aware of the association, newsletter and website. Vicki can be reached at V.Bean@att.net.
Newsletter
This newsletter is the collaboration of several of your neighbors. It would not be possible without their support, thank you!
If you did not receive this newsletter in your email, you can easily sign up to receive your very own copy. We send out a newsletter every month with an occasional special email. 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.
John Slaughter
NCPNA Newsletter Editor