The main project underway currently is the planning of the Block Party. This annual event will be in its fourth year in 2006. The date for this year's event is September 16 (raindate 9/23). Still in the planning stages, there is much to be done. Look for the flyer due out this month and be sure to answer the survey which will aid in assessing the interest of continueing this new tradition. (Click Here for a copy of the flyer)

The Block Party will need lots of donations of food, prizes and time. Volunteers are needed for all sorts of activities. Some of the plans include games, BBQ, face painting and even a Trolley ride around the city of Fredericksburg. If you can contribute anything to this event or would like more information on anything, please contact Alicia Tillman at aliciatillman@verizon.net. Also if you would like to participate in the Trolley ride you must get payment of $15 per person (make check payable to Trolley Tours) to Alicia Tillman, 7805 Gants Hill Lane by 8/11/06 to reserve your spot.

Other activities that are planned but have no one to head up yet are Family Movie Night, Beautification Project and Contractor Co-op. Family Movie Night will be much like the outdoor movie night sponsored by Spotsylvania Parks and Rec except that it will be held in our neighborhood. If you have access to a projector, VCR and /or DVD player and/or have a yard that you would like to donate the use of for this cause we could get this off the ground this summer!

The Beautification Project will partner up community groups, individuals or other Highland Park residents with a homeowner who has expressed interest in having some work done on their home. This project is meant to address situations where the homeowner may not have the time, money, know how or health to address areas of concern on their property. This is a truly worthwhile project and great for someone who likes to organize and reach out to the community.

The Contractor Co-op is for the natural negotiator or someone who knows contracting. The aim of this project is to call area contractors and negotiate terms of discounts for Highland Park residents. Then to provide the details on these discount opportunities so they can be advertised  in this newsletter, in the Welcome basket and other means. .

If you have any interest in any of the above please contact Suzanne Smith at sssmithx2@yahoo.com.

One other area of need is the Newsletter Committee. We need one or two people to take committee reports, resident and Board of Directors articles, minutes of BOD meetings and publish them on this newsletter site. The current publisher is needing assistance and will aid in training you. A DSL or faster modem is required for operation of the geocities site.  Please contact Suzanne Smith at ssmithx2@yahoo.com if interested.
The Highland Herald
July 2006
Committees Report
Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.  - Mahatma Gandhi
Highland Park is entering a new chapter in its history. We are no longer going to rely on chance for our residents to come together, we are going to provide the means for them to do it. We are no longer going to assume that every neighbor has the time or the inclination to welcome the new comers to the neighborhood. No, the Highland Park Homeowners Association has taken the bull by the horns and is forming committees to address these issues.

Back when this subdivision was young and everyone was new, I heard stories of how everyone knew each other, was involved in the Homeowner's Association and in general had more of a sense of community. Years pass, people come and go and times change. This is not the young subdivision of the eighties and nineties. People are more cautious and sometimes with good cause. People come from different areas where perhaps you don't look someone in the eye, let alone knock on their door. It is a different world now.

Highland Park is a small community of homes that can offer this old community feel but it will take a little effort to let everyone know that they are welcome here and how they can be part of this community. The Welcoming
Committee is under
the guidance of Ms. Forest
Chapman. This committee
will visit the homes of new
neighbors with a welcome
packet of information. The Welcoming Committee representatives will introduce themselves and deliver a packet of information from the Homeowner's Association Board of Directors which will have all the contact information for the current board, committee information, make sure the new owner received their HOA documentation at closing and answer questions for the new resident.

How you can help the Welcoming Committee? Do you have any baskets, vases or other decorative containers that you can donate to hold the contents of the Welcome Basket. Do you have a business or profession where you could offer coupons, promotional items or samples to be included in the basket? Do you have access to maps of the area, restaurant menus anything that will help someone new to the area feel more at home quicker? If you have any of these items that you can donate or if you can  donate your time, it would be a great way for you to work with some great people on a committee while always getting to know the new people on the block first! Contact Forest to ask how you can help at forest_chapman@nass.usda.gov.

Another exciting committee that is being formed is the Highland Park Activity Committee. The Activity Committee is a broad name for a committee that can cover alot of ground. This commitee is under the guidance of Ms. Alicia Tillman. The Activity Committee's goal is to provide opportunities for socialization for all members of the community. The