Dear Neighbors -
 
Although there is still a few months of winter left, it seems to be going quickly with the many neighborhood events this season.
 
The Christmas event at the Damon house was a great success as usual. Thank you to Dean Teofilo and the Wisconsin Alumni Band for providing the music, Betsy Daniels for organizing the cookie exchange, Peter Muller for getting the trees and Steve Mannebach for his usual great job as Santa.
 
The winter party was a great success, with 60+ people attending. Thank you Anne Fee and crew for a great job in setting this up.
 
Apparently Anne enjoys playing hostess in the winter, because she and Pat will be hosting a TGIF about the same time this newsletter is delivered, on February 6th. Ellie Bjorkman and Jeff Enders will be hosting another on March 26th. We'd like to have at least one TGIF a month, so email info@damonwoods.org if you are interested in hosting a future TGIF.
 
The great thing about the February newsletter is that even though it is still cold and snowy outdoors, it gives us the opportunity to think about spring. Mark your calendars now for the Easter egg hunt on April 3rd at the Damon house. We will hold a garden walk again this year, although it will be a bit earlier, on June 26th. We hope to have activities at the east end of Jackson Park Blvd to kick off the walk., as many wonderful gardens to view as we did last year, and even more people doing the walk. If you are interested in showcasing your garden or have great ideas for the walk, please give me a call or an email.
 
Finally, if you have not sent in your 2004 membership already, please do so as soon as possible. It is the membership dues that allow us to have these great activities.

--Karen McNeely

WINTER PLAY GROUP SCHEDULE
Although it may be cold outside, the Damon Woods playgroup is busy giving moms a retreat from their own four walls and busy youngsters a place to burn off energy. We are grateful for our volunteer hosts. We split the playgroup into two groups this fall and so far it is working out very well. There are a few events that the entire list is invited to attend we hope you can join us for these larger gatherings.
 
In October, Kathleen Romfoe and Mary Olson hosted a Halloween party for the entire group that was great fun and very well attended. We said goodbye to the Olson family as they relocated out of state and welcomed the LaPorte family to playgroup. If you know of anyone that hasn't paid a visit yet to playgroup, please extend invitations as new neighbors move in.
 
We will resume our full size playgroups as the weather warms up. One goal for the summer is to hold more playgroups at Wauwatosa parks like Hawthorne Glen or Jacobus. If you have any ideas for group events, please email info@damonwoods.org.

WINE TASTING CLUB
The first meeting of the Lowell Damon Woods Wine Tasting Club gathered together at the home of Michele and Dean Teofilo on Saturday, January 10th, with the six couples in attendance taste-testing six red Zinfandels from the Sonoma Region of California. All in attendance agreed that this was a great way to learn more about the wine making process, in addition to getting to know their neighbors better in a more intimate setting. The favorite wine of the evening (by a slim margin!) was called Alexander Valley Sin Zin (don't laugh). The club will be meeting on a bimonthly basis, and is really looking forward to the next gathering in March.
 
If you wish to receive more information regarding joining the group, please contact Dean Teofilo at info@damonwoods.org.

KEEP CONNECTED TO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS AND INFORMATION
Do you want to hear about events and neighborhood news as it happens? Then sign up to be  a member of our neighborhood news list at Topica.com. Send an e-mail to damonwoods@topica.com with “subscribe” in the subject. Contact info@damonwoods.org if you have any trouble. Follow the online Topica instructions. The information you fill out is confidential and you will not get e-mail spam. If you find out that you don’t like it, you can unsubscribe from the service.

LOWELL DAMON WOODS ASSOCIATION EVENTS 2004

	TGIF Parties The next party will be hosted by Ellie Bjorkman and Jeff Enders on March 26th, 7:00 p.m. Please bring an hors d’oeuvres to share. Email info@damonwoods.org if you have questions. Mark and Karen McNeely will host on April 23rd. Details in the next newsletter. Contact Karen McNeely if you are willing to host one in the future.
	Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday April 3rd.
	Neighborhood Association Picnic / Annual Meeting, tentatively July 17th.

BUNKO ANYONE??
Anyone interested in starting a monthly Bunko group in our neighborhood association? I hear other associations are doing it and having a ball! Here are some preliminary specifics. We need at least 12 women to commit to it monthly with a few substitutes for when someone can't make it. We would do it nine months out of the year (off for the summer months) Each month a different person would host and 3 of the months there would be two hosts for one night since we would have 12 women for nine months. A $10.00 fee would be collected monthly to go to the prize fund. There would be three top winners and the other nine would receive a small gift. Please email info@damonwoods.org if you are interested. I'd like to start toward the end of February if there is enough interest. I'm looking at Thursday nights since it is near the end of the week, but I am flexible. Look forward to your response!! 
- Kris Gehrke
 
BOOK CLUB
This month’s book will be The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code is a mind-bending code hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe... an astonishing truth concealed for centuries… unveiled at last. Intrigued? Read the book to find out more and join us to discuss it! Please email info@damonwoods.org  if you plan to attend. 
Place: Tom and Jeanine Schoen's
Time: 7:30 pm. 
 
NEXT BOARD MEETING
The neighborhood association's next board meeting is at 9:00 a.m. March 13th at the Mad Mug, 80th and Burleigh.
 

 
NEWS TO SHARE?
Has someone in the neighborhood had a birth? Do you know of new neighbors moving into the neighborhood? How about newsworthy items about your neighbors. Pass it on to Larry Kopperud at info@damonwoods.org for inclusion in the next newsletter.
 

 
CONDOLENCES
Our sympathy to Virginia Rogers of Stickney Avenue on the death January 16 of her husband, “Jack.” Jack and Ginger have been longtime residents of the neighborhood and members of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church. They also were among the first to join our neighborhood association in 1995.
 
NEIGHBORHOOD EASTER HUNT APRIL 3rd
Mark your calendar and grab your basket for this years’ Easter Egg Hunt at the Lowell Damon house on Saturday, April 3rd at 10:00 am. This annual event is free for all LDW children and will include crafts, games, egg hunt and a visit by the Easter bunny himself. If you’re able to help with preparations or to get more information, please contact info@damonwoods.org.

NEW NEIGHBORS
Thanks for the invitation to introduce my family via the Damon Woods newsletter. My husband, Paul, and I moved to Forest Street in July 2003. Paul and I met in law school at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. We previously lived in Franklin. We really love our home on Forest Street and our new neighborhood. We have enjoyed getting to know our new neighbors, and look forward to meeting more people. On October 29th, 2003, we welcomed our first child, Isabel Kathryn. Besides spending time with Isabel, Paul and I both enjoy the outdoors, and love taking walks with our two dogs, Dutch and Oscar.

NEW BABY
Rhommer and Peggy Varilla of Stickney Ave are happy to announce their newest addition to their family! Lily Vita Ray Varilla was born on November 26, 2003. She weighed in at 6.1 pounds and was 20 inches long. She is a happy and healthy little girl and is looking forward to playing with the neighborhood kids! Lily has a big sister, Vita Ray, who is smiling down upon her from Heaven.

CHRISTMAS “TREE-DITION” AND COOKIE EXCHANGE
Once again the response from neighbors to display Christmas trees on front lawns was great. The pickup was fun as it was held in conjunction with the cookie exchange at the Lowell Damon House. 

The cookie exchange was wonderful, with many varieties to share. The UW Alumni Band, including neighborhood band member Dean Teofilo, performed, making the time festive. The kids were able to visit with Santa and everyone warmed up with some hot cider. Participants had an opportunity to view both the restoration of the foundation under the Damon house and the rebuilt front breeze way (now open).
 

NEW TOSA RESTAURANT
We finally have a new restaurant where the old Jake's was: Shiraz Restaurant is now open at 6030 West North Avenue. For fans of Sahar Restaurant downtown, this is operated by the same owner and a few of their best dishes are also served at North Avenue. The menu is varied and looks very tempting! Owner Ahsan Adalatpour said, "It's Persian food, it's all good!" It is casual fine dining, open for lunch and dinner, with dinner entrees ranging in price from $10-$17. They also have take out and a kids' menu. Hope everyone gives it a try so we can keep this one— a great addition to our "extended" neighborhood!!
- Jeanine Schoen 

TOUR SPRECHER BREWER ON SATURDAY, MARCH 6
The Damon Woods Home Brewers Group invites you to join them at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 6 for a tour of the Sprecher Brewery, 701 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale.
The cost is $2 for seniors, $3 for other adults and $1 for anyone under 21 (goes to children's charities). We’ll meet at the brewery’s Rathskellar museum. The tour begins there and continues through the brew house, the aging cellar, the bottling line and warehouse, and concludes in Sprecher’s indoor beer tent where samples are served, questions are answered and usually a trivia contest or two ensues. All adults 21 and older get four samples of beer (chosen from up to nine beers on tap) and a beer tasting glass to take home. Adults, as well as kids, get to sample all of the six different sodas to their heart's content. If you’re interested in joining us, please email Dave Vogel at info@damonwoods.org by Sunday, February 29.

BLOCK WATCH REFRESHER
A Block Watch refresher meeting has been scheduled for Damon Woods. The meeting will be held at the Wauwatosa Library Firefly Room on Wednesday, February 25, 2004, at 6:30 pm. The meeting should last approximately an hour and a half. We hope to see all Block Watch captains and concerned neighbors there.

NEIGHBORHOOD CONTRACTORS LIST
Several neighbors have reported that they have had good experiences selecting contractors from the list compiled by Mark Steimle. Mark compiled the list from suggestions submitted from Lowell Damon Woods neighbors. This free list is a benefit of your membership to our neighborhood association. If you would like to add a contractor to the list, please email info@damonwoods.org.

FIREFLY FLING
The Firefly Fling, a semi-formal gala event held to help offset the Wauwatosa School District’s budget deficit, took place Saturday night, January 31st at Mayfair Mall. Over 350 people attended the catered affair. In addition to dinner, catered by Gracious Catering, the evening’s events included both a silent and a voice auction. Attendees dined while listening to the wonderful sounds of the Wauwatosa East Jazz Band, under the direction of Wauwatosa East Band instructors, Rob and Robin Engl. The later half of the evening heated up as many took to the dance floor with the eclectic mix of music of Music on the Move. Our own Karen McNeely, along with Patty Stingl, worked for months to organize this wonderful event. While the primary purpose was to raise needed funds for the school district, it brought many neighbors from across Wauwatosa together to have fun and build community spirit.

HELP WITH THE DAMON HOUSE GARDENS
Slowly but surely there has been progress in recent years in restoration of the gardens surrounding the Lowell Damon House Museum at 2107 Wauwatosa Avenue. This progress has been possible because of financial support from the neighborhood association and from the Heritage Garden Club, but most importantly, because of the volunteers who’ve donated their time and labor.
 
With snow on the ground, it may seem a little early to be thinking about tending flowers. But it’s a new year, and now is a great time to add the dates below to your new calendar so you’ll remember to join us. All the dates are Saturdays and all the get-togethers begin at 9 a.m.
 
We’ll concentrate on weeding, pruning and trimming for the remainder of the summer and continue to meet on the first and third Saturdays of the month: July 3 and 17, August 7 and 21, September 4 and 18 and October 2 and 16.
 
Many neighbors who have filled out membership forms have indicated an interest in helping with the garden. This is our one-and only plea for your help. Just meet at the Damon house on the dates above and we’ll see what we can accomplish in the gardens. Along the way, we know from past experience, we’ll also get to know more neighbors.

	April 24 – Spring cleanup. Bring a rake and garden gloves.
	May 1 and 15 – Bring a shovel as we focus on dividing and moving plants.
	June 5 and 19 – Help us plant annuals.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL WINTER PARTY
By popular demand, it was back to the Kneeland-Walker House for our annual neighborhood winter party on January 17th. About 70 neighbors attended the party, held in the Victorian mansion at 74th and Hillcrest, headquarters for the Wauwatosa Historical Society. On a cold January night, it is an especially welcome location for warm conversation with neighbors, some of whom haven’t seen each other since the onset of winter.
It was great to see so many new faces, as well as some long-time neighbors who attended for the first time since the annual parties began six years ago. Several said this was their first visit to the Kneeland-Walker House.
 
Thank you to Anne and Pat Fee of Church Street and all the other volunteers who helped organize the party. And thanks to all the neighbors who shared so many great desserts and hors-d’oeuvres.

Dan O'Brien (left), Dean Teofilo, Leslie Duyser, Katie Duyser, Bill Duyser, and Pat Fee


Beth Brown (left), Linda O'Brien, Renee and Dean Mabie, and Anne Fee


Sara Flanaagan (left), Kevin and Lauren Rea, and Lonnie Turner


Chris Vogel (left), Rachael VerDuin, and Jeanine Schoen


David (left) and Judith Eklund, Michael Arthur and his wife Karen Roy


Chris (left) and Betsy Daniels, and Kris and Jim Gehrke


Robin (left) and Brian Bloczynski, Jeff Enders and his wife Ellie Bjorkman

NEWSLETTER AND FLYER DISTRIBUTION
THANK YOU—to those who helped deliver both the December newsletters! Ellie Bjorkman, Beth Brown, Pam Christopherson, Diane Kaiser-Rockenbach, Phil Kroner, Lorie Lehman, Linda Merklein, Kathy Mannebach, Susan Patton, Sophie Prange, Frank and Joanne Shansky, Dave Vogel, and Rachel Wolfgram. If you would like to help deliver, contact Karen McNeely at info@damonwoods.org.