Arlington Heights Association

Arlington Heights Block Watch Newsletter - April 2002

Apr 14, 2002

Spring has arrived! Hello to all members of the Arlington Heights Block Watch. If you are new to the neighborhood and would like to become a member of the block watch, please contact one of the block captains: Wayne Adamczyk 672-8504, Laura Westphal 384-8164, or Pat Sczypiorski 383-1748.

The first thing we would like to do is announce that the Arlington Heights Block Watch has just won the “2001 Outstanding District Block Club” for the City of Milwaukee. This could not have been accomplished without the help and input of our fellow neighbors. Congratulations to everyone!

Another accomplishment that we are very proud of is the sign that has been installed for Arlington Heights Park”. There were also several trees planted in the park that has added to the beauty of the area. We held our first annual block party this past August for the naming of the park and it was a huge success. It was wonderful to see neighbors we know and meet ones we did not. Information on the 2002 block party will be forthcoming as we start to organize it. If anyone has ideas for the block party this year, just give one of the block captains a call and discuss it with them. Any and all input from our neighbors is encouraged and would be greatly appreciated.

It is time again for our annual neighborhood cleanup. We again encourage everyone (homeowners and renters alike) to pick up all trash on your property, including trash on the curbs (this is about a 30 foot wide section in front of your homes), and trash by your garages and garbage dumpsters in the alley. This cleanup will average about 5-10 minutes of your time over a 2-3 day period. Please also sweep up and dispose of all broken glass to prevent injury to others and damage to automobile tires. We again would like to have the neighborhood clean up finished by May 15. If anyone needs assistance in the clean-up process please contact one of the block captains listed above.

In our newsletter last year we discussed the concern of the excessive amount of car horn honking that was going on. We are very pleased that it has died down, but it still does happen. We urge our neighbors again to please tell friends, relatives, etc., to be respectful to other neighbors. Tell them to park their car and use your doorbell or knock on your door. Honking of car horns not only brings down the quality of our neighborhood, it disturbs the peace. By law, car horns are for emergency purposes only and you may be ticketed for it. It also draws the suspicion of police to possible drug dealings.
For the safety of our children, we are again asking parents to have their children use our park for roller-blading, skate boarding, bike riding, etc. Pierce Street is a very dangerous area as cars speed down it at very high rates of speed. Some cars use Pierce Street as a drag way and race down the street. The police have been and will continue to be summoned when this occurs. Ultimately the culprits will be caught and ticketed. We are working very hard with the city to get the cars to go the speed limit, especially since there is a park here and many children in the area. Please ask children you see playing in the street to play in the park where it is safe. Playing in the streets is illegal and it posts grave danger to the children. We have been very fortunate not to have had any serious injuries to our area children, let’s keep it that way.

With warmer weather comes the need to remind everyone about the noise ordinance. We are asking that neighbors and friends keep noise levels down. If you are outside after 10:00 p.m., noise levels should be kept to a minimum. This means that shouting, yelling, screaming and loud music will not be tolerated. Also, excessively loud music during the day is also unlawful and you will be ticked and fined for this if caught. We all want to enjoy the warm months ahead and that is only possible with everyone’s respect for each other.
Remember, the Arlington Heights Park closes at 10:00 p.m. Everyone should be out of the park at that time. Noise echoes underneath the viaduct and even though you may think you are not making much noise, it is amplified and will not be tolerated. The rules and laws of the park are posted at the site of the park. The police are now aware of the park since it has been named and will patrol the area to make sure everyone abides by these rules and laws.

Our graffiti problem has almost been eliminated! Thanks to all who have called in graffiti they have seen. The city has also done a fantastic job at getting it covered as soon as it is reported. Our neighborhood is a much nicer and safer place because of this. Please call Sharon Blando or the Graffiti Hotline at 286-3853 as soon as you see any graffiti. Be sure to give the address of where the graffiti is so that it can continue to be cleaned up as soon as possible. If you ever witness somebody painting graffiti, or any other crime in progress, call 911 immediately.

One of the best and least expensive ways to deter crime is to leave your porch light on at night. We are again urging everyone to please leave porch lights on at night. If you need one installed or replace, please call Wayne, Laura or Pat and they can arrange to have one installed or repaired for you. The cost of keeping a 60 watt porch light on at night is only $15.00 per year, or $1.25 per month. These statistics were obtained from the Wisconsin Electric Company.

We also want to inform the neighborhood of new homes that will begin being built as early as next month. These homes are being built on the empty Harnischfeger lots between South 37th Street and South 39th Street. These lots were purchased by the Southside Organizing Committee which is funding the construction of these homes. There will be a total of 15 homes built, all of them will be single family homes, with the exception of one that will be a side by side. Just for your information, these homes will all be required to be owner occupied. Some of our neighborhood residents may qualify to purchase a home if certain criteria are met. Please contact the Southside Organizing Committee at 672-8090 for more information.

Up and coming events this year will be: Community Clean Up (this is in addition to cleaning up our individual properties), block watch meeting, and a block watch party. Flyers will be sent out to everyone with information on the dates and times of these events.

Thanks for helping make our neighborhood a fantastic place to live, work and play.
Arlington Heights Block Watch Association.