Dear Neighbors -
 
It seems hard to believe that last year at this time we were just planning our first Harvest Fest and we weren't sure if it would get off the ground. Happily, the first event was well received and this year's promises to be even better. In addition to the wonderful Chili Cook Off (I never knew the neighborhood had so many good cooks!), there will be a mini-pumpkin hunt for the kids and a coloring contest to be judged by members of the Damon family. It should prove to be fun for neighbors of all ages. Thank you to Karen Roy and our newest board member, Kris Gehrke, for their work on making this a great event.
 
Another thank you to the newcomers committee for coming up with a revamped welcome packet. If you have new neighbors move in, please forward the address and as much information as possible to a committee member. A member of the newcomers committee will make a personal call on each new neighbor with a packet of goodies to welcome them to the neighborhood.
 
I'm looking forward to the upcoming TGIF parties at the homes of Dan and Amy Giampetroni on October 15th and Jennifer and Chris McCanles on November 19th. If you have never attended a TGIF, please come to one or both of these. It is a great way to get to know more people in the neighborhood.
 
It may seem early to be thinking about the winter holidays, especially since we never really got summer, but yard tree order forms are included in this newsletter. We'd like to get as many homes to participate as possible. Looking down the streets and seeing all of the trees is one of the many things that make this neighborhood special. Please note: setup is available for elderly or disabled households. Drop off can be arranged for those who are gone during pick up time.
 
Finally, if you have a great idea for a neighborhood activity, I encourage each of you start talking it up with your neighbors and contact a board member. Many of our best activities started out just that way.

-Karen McNeely
 

FALL PLAY GROUP
The Lowell Damon Playgroup is open to all families in our neighborhood association. No child is too young to attend. I joined my first play group when my oldest child was only three weeks old! It's as much for the Moms (and Mr. Moms) as for the kids.
We meet on Thursday morning every other week at a member's home from 9:30-11:30 am, and the host provides light snacks, coffee, and juice.
 
Thank you to all our volunteer hosts and to all who attended our September apple picking event. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the Playgroup, please contact Julie Janisch at info@damonwoods.org.

NEW DAMON WOODS BOARD MEMBER
My husband Jim and I moved to Wauwatosa in January of 2003. I am the co-owner of Our Cottage Primitives, a home decor and gift shop in the Galleria West Shopping Center in Brookfield. My hobbies include gardening, cooking and entertaining, and decorating. I am so happy to be part of the Damon Woods Neighborhood Association. Jim and I have made many new friends and have enjoyed all the activities and gatherings. As a new board member, I hope to be able to provide some positive contributions that will help to continue building on the strengths of our neighborhood. I look forward to meeting more of my neighbors along the way.
- Kris Gehrke

2004 CONTRACTORS LIST
Paid members of the Neighborhood Association will see the Contractor's List insert in this issue. This list was compiled by Mark Steimle, using member inputs from last year and member updates from this year. The list is just one benefit of membership in the association. We have received many comments from neighbors who have used these contractors and have been happy.

BOOK CLUB
Date: Monday November 15, 2004 at 7:30 pm
Place: Rachael VerDuin's home on Woodland Ave.
The book selection is Empire Falls by Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Russo. Miles Roby has been slinging burgers at the Empire Grill for 20 years, a job that cost him his college education and much of his self-respect. What keeps him there? 
Excerpts from reviews: "Russo delves deep into the blue-collar heart of America in a work that overflows with hilarity, heartache, and grace." "Full of subplots and vividly drawn secondary characters."

HARVEST FEST
The Damon Woods 2nd annual Harvest Fest will be held at the Damon House on Sunday, October 10th from 1-5. Bob Damon will be our special guest and will have the opportunity to judge the kid's coloring contest. Please come join your neighbors and enjoy an afternoon of fall foods and activities. (The Packers play Monday night!). Your admission is a batch of chili, a fall dessert or an appetizer. Some of the planned activities include a chili contest, pumpkin hunt, s'more making and a coloring contest. Anyone interested in helping with set-up or clean-up, contact Kris Gehrke or Karen Roy at info@damonwoods.org. Please R.S.V.P. by October 5th. 

UPCOMING LOWELL DAMON WOODS ASSOCIATION EVENTS

OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER TGIF PARTIES
The October TGIF hosts Dan and Amy Giampetroni invite you to join your neighbors at their home on October 15th. Please RSVP to info@damonwoods.org by October 8th.
The November TGIF will be hosted by Chris and Jennifer McCanles on Friday November 19th. Please RSVP to info@damonwoods.org by November 12th. 
If you haven't attended a TGIF before, it is a great way to meet your neighbors, new and old. If you have, you know it's a great evening out! Please bring an hors d'oeuvre or beverage to share!

NEXT BOARD MEETING
The neighborhood association’s next board meeting is at 9:00 a.m. on November 13th at the Mad Mug Coffee Shop, on the corner of 80th and Burleigh. Please join us and share your ideas.
 

 
THE GIRLS OF SUMMER

(From left to right) Twins Marissa and Miranda Dooley, Clare LeFaivre, Breanne Sherman, 
Coco (Breanne's pet rabbit), and Brooke Sherman, all of Woodland Ave., enjoyed one 
of the last days of summer playing in the front yard and having fun riding their scooters.

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 or accomplishments in your family. Pass it on to Larry Kopperud at info@damonwoods.org for inclusion in the next newsletter. 
  

 
CONDOLENCES
Kendall S. Spicer, a long time former Wauwatosa resident of the 8100 block of Jackson Park Blvd passed away Sept 12th at age 95.
Kendall ran the family popcorn business his father started in 1912 for half a century, until it closed in 1994. A wonderful obituary can be found on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel web page at www.jsonline.com/news/nobits/sep04/259257.asp.

WELCOME TO THE POWELL FAMILY
The Powell family moved to Church street in late June. Jack (4 1/2), Thalia (10 mos.), Margaret and Mario are enjoying their new neighborhood. Friendly neighbors, family and accessible resources have made the transition from Madison very smooth.
Jack likes his "big" school very much and reports that his new teacher, Miss "G", is teaching him to be an artist. He is very active playing with new friends, learning new tricks on his bike and chasing away those pesky squirrels. Thalia (a.k.a. Chubba Bubba) is, as usual, charming everyone with her smile and happy demeanor while continuing to eat everything in sight (and perfecting her not-so-charming new squeal). Mario began his fellowship at Children's Hospital in June and Margaret is balancing child-rearing with a start-up e-business from home. The Powells look forward to participating in future Lowell Damon events and activities and continuing to familiarize themselves with their charming new community.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Lowell Damon Woods resident, James Kolbeck of Woodland Ave., recently completed the three day Milwaukee County Senior Statesman program. The program is a general overview of what county government does and how it is done, with heavy emphasis on the needs and concerns of older county residents. Participants visited governmental departments and were afforded personal interaction with department heads, as well as a face-to-face meeting with County Board Supervisors. The three days were filled with opportunities to learn about and participate in the policy-making process regarding senior citizen issues at the county level. Kolbeck, a 39 year resident of Woodland Avenue, sits on the mayoral-appointed Wauwatosa Senior Commission and the Wauwatosa ad hoc Cable Relicensing Committee.

NEW NEIGHBOR HUNT
The Damon Woods New Neighbor Welcoming Committee has begun delivering informational packets to families who have moved into the neighborhood within the past year. Packets include information and coupons from the Wauwatosa Chamber of Commerce, village businesses, the school district, police and health departments, City Hall, and our own neighborhood association. If you are a new neighbor or know of such a neighbor, please contact a committee member, or info@damonwoods.org, so we can officially welcome the newcomer.
  
To help acquaint existing neighbors with the new people, we'd also like a short biography introducing family members, where the family moved from, or any special interests they'd like to share. This bio will be printed in our newsletter. (Yes, a picture may be included.) Information may be emailed to info@damonwoods.org.

CONFESSIONS OF A STICKNEY SPEEDER
by Peggy Varilla
 
I was a Stickney Speeder. Okay, not technically a speeder on Stickney Ave. But in my past (not too long ago), I was one of the cars racing down Lookout Drive (insert the name of the street you grew up on here). I really never had to get anywhere that fast, but at 16 years old, it sure felt like time was ticking away and I needed to punch it just to prove a point. Looking back, I am not sure what point that would be, but I remember feeling a sense of urgency that if I showed up at Summerfest ten minutes later than planned, I would miss the show.
 
Now I am a mom. Everything has changed. Now I think 25 mph is too fast on our
little street. I watch cars carrying teenagers zip down our street without a care in the world.
I used to be that teenager, driving a 1984 black Topaz. I would turn up the music and dance
in the drivers seat. I was not paying attention to the road, just making sure that my Aussie Scrunch Spray smelling hair looked great and that my Frosty Pink Lip Smacker was in my purse. (Did I mention that my purse back then was the size of the wallet that I now carry?) Now when my husband and I are sitting on our front porch and a zippy car flies by, I mumble to myself, "Slow down, don't you know we have a ton of kids on this street?" Not that they can hear me, but it somehow makes me feel like I have done my part to slow these speed-demons down. Our block already has the quota of "Thank you for slowing down" signs. Otherwise, I would put one in my yard, too. I am not opposed to speed bumps, closing off Stickney at Wauwatosa Ave., as is Jackson Park, or even lowering the speed limit to 15 mph. I just want to make sure that our little ones are safe.
 
My husband and I make it a point to drive very slowly on Stickney, especially if there is a car right behind us, trying to speed along. As we sit in our Honda Accord (the sensible adult mommy-mobile), listening to NPR, we laugh at the people who think they are taking a short cut down Stickney instead of North Ave. Ha ha, the joke is on them! We will literally drive 10 miles an hour if we sense the car behind us is itching to barrel down our street. We are not vindictive people, we just want to deter the "Marty McFly's," as my husband calls them, from using Stickney as a major thoroughfare.
 
And I promise, when my little ones are old enough to drive, I will give them the lecture that we all will give our kids about safe driving. I am sure they will feel the need to put the pedal to the metal, roll down the windows with music blaring and dance in their seats, too. But hopefully, when they pull out of our driveway, they will see the "Thank you for slowing down" sign in the neighbor's yard, and it will trigger them to think about how careful we need to be when driving a two-ton slab of metal around. Gee's, I am such a Mom.
 
If I close my eyes and drift off, I can hear Pat Benatar, Wham, Guns and Roses and INXS. Oh to be 16 again….

DAMON WOOD INFORMATION
Keep in touch with upcoming events and news as it happens. 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 Jim Zinda by e-mail at 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.
   

	National Night Out was rescheduled to October 2, 2004 (see the Good News article).
	Report on August crime - the most significant change is that incidents at the Mayfair Mall are down 6% from August 2003
	Tosa Library: - Renovation of children's' library in progress. Carpet, chairs, more computers, new work of art for story room were installed on Sept 25. - Adult library getting new conference room with new furniture, wireless access, 10 new computers, all computers grouped and will have internet, email and word processing capabilities. - Internet classes starting soon - sign up fast.
	The Health Department has wonderful printed material available for distribution (safety resource, family disaster plan, best walks brochure).
	WEDC = Wauwatosa Economic Development Corporation - Would like to get as many residents as possible involved in meetings - planning the future growth of the city. Will have an impact on changes in Tosa in the next 5-10 years and beyond. - Planning overall development policy, zoning codes. Changes in businesses allow land parcels to become available and development changes can be made.
	Hoyt Pool meeting called by Mayor Theresa Estness. Key points: - Hoyt Park is county land and will ALWAYS be county park land. - Pool is beyond repair. It is functionally not sound and will never reopen as it is right now. There are no plans on the table in 2004 or 2005 to address Hoyt Pool. There is no budget money in 2004 or 2005 to address Hoyt Pool. Parks director sees it is sorely missed. This area of the county is in need of a new pool facility.
	Muellner building ice rink - Curling open house. - Can be rented for all-neighborhoods ice skating party.
	A beautiful walking tour booklet is currently available for $2.50 at the library..

GOOD NEWS!
The National Night Out Fireworks Extravaganza has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 2nd, at 9:15 pm at Hart Park. Entertainment, food concessions, CP rail train, the raffle and the redemption of the Checkpoint Challenge Coupons will be also available between 6:00 pm. and 9:00 pm that evening..

VOLUNTEERS AND AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED
The second annual Firefly Fling will take place on February 12th, 2005. We are looking for many great auction items, with hopes that many of them will highlight local Wauwatosa businesses. There are also a number of volunteer opportunities, ranging from soliciting auction items, promoting the event, manning the daytime auction, setting up, and night time auction help. If you can help out, please contact Karen McNeely.

2004 VILLAGE EVENTS

HART PARK FLOOD MITIGATION UPDATE
The last of the eight commercial properties from N. 68th Street to N. 62nd Street, between River Parkway and the Menomonee River were acquired and demolition of these buildings is complete. There is only one remaining structure remaining in the project area - a six-unit community based residential facility. It is anticipated that this structure will be acquired and razed by Fall '04 at which time the MMSD will begin the re-grading and flood mitigation efforts.
 
MAYFAIR MALL
There are currently three projects under consideration involving Mayfair Mall. These projects are: construction of a new Cheesecake Factory restaurant (currently under construction and is estimated to be completed by October 2004); a proposed Crate & Barrel retail store (building permit under review, estimated completion date, summer 2005; and a proposed parking deck (design / architectural plans are under review. No estimated time table at this time).

HART PARK SQUARE
Driving east on State Street you may have noticed the new construction is that taking place in the 6600 block of River Parkway. In progress is a 134 unit, four story, senior housing complex. The 134 units will represent a combination of 90 studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom independent living units and 44 residential care apartment complex units. 20% of the independent living units (18 apartment units) will be set-aside for moderate income seniors. The 3.4-acre site will initially contain 29 surface parking stalls and 33 garage stalls.

FREE COMPUTING CLASS
Bryant & Stratton's Professional Skills Center, at the New Wauwatosa Campus - 10950 W Potter Road, is offering a free computer course to Wauwatosa residents. The one day course covers one of the following courses to pick from: Introduction to Windows, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft FrontPage, and Microsoft Outlook. The course is valued at $175. Contact Michael Kuharske for courses, dates, and times at 414-259-9000 ext. 402 or by e-mail at mjkuharske@bryantstratton.edu. This free offer runs through November 30th. 

YOU DON'T NEED TO FEEL SICK…
to visit the Wauwatosa Health Department. Besides the services they provide for city residents, they also have an incredible array of items free for the asking! These three items are now being included in the Newcomers packets, but they are available to any resident:

BOX TOPS, SOUP LABELS AND MILK CAPS
Box tops, soup labels and milk caps may seem like garbage to most people, but they can mean cash and equipment for our local schools. Even if you do not currently have children in school, it still helps to support the schools and can save tax dollars. Look for the Box tops for education labels, the Campbell's label for education logos on eligible products, or for marked caps on Golden Guernsey or Kemps milk products. Labels and such can be dropped off at Lincoln School in the hallway near the principals office or at Karen McNeely's house.
  
BROWNIE TROUP STARTING
There is a first grade Brownie troop starting at Lincoln. The first meeting will be held October 4th. First grade girls in the area are invited to join, even if they do not attend Lincoln. Scouting is a great way to meet new friends and experience new things. For more information or to register, please contact Karen McNeely.
 
HIGHLANDS HOMES FEATURED ON 2004 TOUR
Six charming Washington Highlands homes built in the 1920s will be on the Wauwatosa Historical Society's "Highland Classics III" Tour of Homes from 10 am to 4 pm. Saturday, Oct. 2nd.
 
The tour includes the Spanish Colonial Revival-style homes of Douglas and Jane Hagerman at 6026 Washington Blvd. and Tom and Maria Johnson at 1842 Alta Vista Ave.; the ornate Spanish Eclectic Revival home of Marshall and Jenny Chay at 6614 Hillcrest Dr (pictured here); the red brick Colonial Revival home of Caroline Krider and Paul Smith at 1613 Upper Parkway South; and the Tudor Revival homes of Chris and Lesa Potos at 6248 Upper Parkway North and Chris and Holly Tesmer at 1521 Upper Parkway South.
 
Tickets, $12 in advance, are available at the Little Read Book Store, 7603 W. State St., or by mail or phone order to the Wauwatosa Historical Society, 7406 Hillcrest Dr., Wauwatosa, WI 53213, 414.774.8672. Tickets on tour day are $15 and available at 6614 Hillcrest Dr. and 6026 Washington Blvd. Children under 10 are not permitted on the tour

BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTED
The Lowell Damon Woods Board of Directors voted in the new Executive Committee for 2004-2005 during the regularly scheduled meeting on September 11th at the Mad Mug Coffee Shop. The results of the election are:
 
President - Karen McNeely
Vice President - Bill Duyser
Treasurer - Laurie Lehman
Secretary - Karen Roy
 
Term of office is for one year.
 
NEWSLETTER AND FLYER DISTRIBUTION
THANK YOU - to those who helped deliver the August newsletters! Beth Brown, Pam Christopherson, Peter, Lily and Patty Hovel, Diane Kaiser-Rockenbach, Phil Kroner, Kathy Mannebach, Karen McNeely, Linda and Erin Merklein, Sophie, Ben and Julia Prange, Jeanine Schoen, Frank and Joanne Shansky, and Dave Vogel. If you would like to help deliver, contact Karen McNeely at info@damonwoods.org.