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SIGN UP HERE TODAY.

The University of Texas at Dallas is opening its doors to its neighbors for a Community Appreciation Day on Saturday, Feb. 8. RSVP by Feb. 4 to [email protected] to attend.

Calling all Estates West residents – we need to hear from you! Please complete this quick 9 question survey about our neighborhood. We will use this data as we continue to revitalize the neighborhood’s Association and plan for a 2020 Membership Drive! 

Need a little motivation? Each email associated with a survey will be entered into a drawing for  1 of 10 gift cards! Click here: https://bit.ly/2QLnydQ

Estates West Homeowners Board is introducing our first-ever Holiday decorating contest! Decorate your home to be the most festive in the neighborhood. Winning entries will be listed in the Estates West Newsletter, on the website and Facebook Page. Prizes from Hobby Lobby, Michael’s and Ace Hardware to the top three decorated homes in the neighborhood.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
                                                                                           – Winston Churchill

Calling all Estates West Neighbors – are you looking for a way to volunteer in our community? Here are 3 positions and their descriptions we currently have available. If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected] and we will connect with you soon! 

Sign Master(s)– this position needs a detailed oriented person(s)  to store,  place and pick-up the Estates West metal signs we use for events like bulk trash pickup (once a month), Easter Party, 4^th of July Parade, General Meeting &  Membership Drive. It takes about 45 minutes to place all 6 signs. Time commitments each month vary but are generally 2 – 4hrs. This is a great opportunity for a family who wants to get outside and support the neighborhood! 

Chair of Beautification – We are looking for the next board member to join our team in January! As we are in the middle of revitalizing the Association, the job description is still in flux but generally will be asked to oversee:  the Arapaho Strip beautification volunteers, the holiday decoration volunteers, and the entrance sign decoration volunteers. Opportunities to join other revitalization committees will be available! This is a leadership/voting position that meets at monthly board meetings (currently the 3rd Thursday from 7:00-8:00 pm). Time commitments vary but are generally 3-5 hours each month including the meeting. Not sure if this is a good fit for you? Come try it out for 3 months before our General Election in March! 

Secretary – We are looking for our next Secretary to serve on the Association’s board starting in January! Job description includes being able to take detailed notes during each month’s board meeting (currently the 3^rdThursday from 7:00-8:00 pm) and uploading them to our Google Drive. The secretary will also be responsible for checking a P.O. box twice monthly, recording and distributing mail as necessary. Opportunities to join other revitalization committees will be available. Time commitments vary but are generally 2 – 4 hours each month including the meeting.  Not sure if this is a good fit for you? Come try it out for 3 months before our General Election in March!

It’s EASY! Grab your kids, neighbor or significant other and head on out to help decorate STOP SIGN POLES as explained below!!!!

Many of our longtime resident volunteers have made a tradition of decorating our STOP SIGN POLES for 20+ years and are ready to pass the baton to the next generation.

Let’s show them we are READY to step-up and continue the neighborhood traditions they worked hard to create! Each pole takes about 5-10 minutes to decorate and you will be given all the necessary supplies – simple and easy!

Current needs: – 2 or more volunteers to help a longtime resident (of 42 yrs!) decorate La Sobrina/Spring Creek (2 poles) and La Manga/Meandering Way (2 poles). She wants to do it one last year (and needs help getting supplies out of her attic!) and can show you how to do it! Then next year you will get to develop your own tradition!

– 2 or more volunteers to help longtime resident decorate El Pastel/Spring Creek (2 poles), La Risa/Spring Creek (1 pole) & La Avenida/Spring Creek (1 pole). He’ll show you how it’s done and you can continue with these 4 poles next year!

– 2 or more volunteers to decorate (with instructions) La Sobrina/Meandering Way (1 pole) & Alto Caro/Meandering Way (1 pole)

More volunteers will likely be needed as I hear back from people after Thanksgiving. FYI our Chair of Events (Patti) and Chair of Beautification (Kanette) have volunteered to decorate the entrance signs at Arapaho/Spring Creek and La Manga/Meandering Way – THANK YOU BOTH!

Contact me today… call/text, or email and join the community fun!

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” – Oscar Wilde

Sincerely, Lily Spencer, President Estates West Association [email protected] 972-239-0922

ESTATES WEST CRIME WATCH AND VOLUNTEERS IN PATROL

Estates West Crime Watch began in March 1993. Ed and Alda Nahous started it. Bylaws were created according to guidelines set forth in the Dallas Police Department crime watch manual. Its organization included a Chairman (Crime Watch Coordinator), Treasurer, nine Section Coordinators, numerous Block Captains and all residents inside the boundaries of Coit Road, Arapaho Road, Meandering Way and La Cabeza. The Chairman was the liaison with the Dallas Police Department. The residents were a member of Crime Watch by simply living within the boundaries of Estates West. Crime Watch was financed by dues of $10 a year voluntarily paid by the residents.

The purpose for establishing Estates West Crime Watch was to reduce crime in the neighborhood. This was done by setting up a Crime Alert Hotline, (972) 606-3310, Email [email protected] and printing a newsletter (Panda) quarterly. Also, red and white Crime Alert signs were put out in the neighborhood when there was a serious crime reported. This was discontinued because the signs may be discouraging home buyers from buying in the neighborhood when they saw the signs. These were all to inform the residents of crime and how to prevent crime. Crime Watch promoted ways for neighbors to get to know their neighbors. 

Cathy Cavendish was a section coordinator from the beginning of Estates West Crime Watch in 1993 until 1996 when she became Chairman. Adam Wood was a Block Captain on La Risa from the beginning in 1993. Adam continued to be active in Crime Watch and became Chairman about July 2002.

Volunteers in Patrol were created in 1996 as an independent organization under the umbrella of Estates West Crime Watch. Cathy Cavendish knocked on doors and enlisted volunteers to be VIP’s. I, Clyde Smart was one of them. 

Cathy Cavendish was the Chairman of Volunteers in Patrol and Chairman of Crime Watch. The patrols then were the same as today, except for a while the neighborhood was patrolled twice. This took over two hours and was very boring. It was not long until the patrol was reduced to once around the neighborhood. 

Glee Pitney took the Chairman position April 2001 until Bob King became Chairman by July 2003. When Glee Pitney was Chairman, he gave out certificates to each patroller indicating the number of patrols each one did during the year. Barbara Stieber always had the most patrols.

The first Estates West Crime Watch National Night Out was the first Tuesday in August 1997. A grill was rented, hamburgers were cooked, and everyone celebrated on the Bowie parking lot on the hot August afternoon. This was the beginning of the best National Night Out events in the Dallas Police North Central Division. It was moved inside Bowie and continued until it was moved to Westwood Jr. High. 

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Estates West Homeowners Association was formed in August 1999. Its number one priority was to replace the leaning brick wall along Arapaho Road. This kept the neighborhood busy for about two years. In 2002 some people wanted to move Crime Watch under the Estates West HOA. Glee Putney was Chairman of VIP and Cathy Cavendish was Chairman of Crime Watch. Cathy resigned in March 2002. Adam Wood became Chairman of Crime Watch and informed the HOA that the VIP chose to remain separate from the HOA. This is the last information about Estates West Crime Watch organization. July 10, 2003, Adam Wood had moved out and there was no Chairman for Estates West Crime Watch. Bob King was Chairman of VIP. Crime Watch funds were transferred to Estates West HOA. September 11, 2003 Estates West VIP approved changes in its bylaws by replacing Estates West Crime Watch with Estates West Homeowners Association. 

Estates West VIP was then officially under the umbrella of the Homeowners Association and the Estates West Crime Watch no longer existed. Bob King was Chairman of VIP until 2008 when Jackie Long became Chairman. Jackie Long served as Chairman of VIP until 2018. Estates West VIP, along with the Homeowners Association was revitalized in 2019. The monthly VIP meetings were hosted by Jackie Long in her home while she was Chairman.

Membership in VIP grew to 46 and monthly meetings were moved to the North Central Police Station. The 2019 National Night Out at Westwood was equal to the great ones from 1997-2017.

Clyde Smart

October 30, 2019

Estates West Homeowners Board is introducing our first-ever Halloween decorating contest! Decorate your home to be the spookiest in the neighborhood. Winning entries will be listed in the Estates West Newsletter, on the website and Facebook Page. Prizes from The Plant Market Dallas, ACE Hardware of Richardson and Bruce Miller Nursery will be awarded to the top three decorated homes in the neighborhood.

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Who: Estates West’s Volunteers in Patrol

What: This event is held every year and is a community-building campaign aimed at enhancing the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community – a perfect reason to gather as neighbors!

When: Tuesday, October 1, 2019 beginning at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Where: Westwood Junior High, 7630 Arapaho Road, Dallas, TX 75248

Details: Join us for burgers and beverages as we get to know our neighbors and law enforcement officials. We will have special guests, door prizes including a $25 gift card to Smallcakes a Cupcakery, six tickets to Mountain Time Ski Expo, four tickets to the Dallas Arboretum, gift certificates to Tounge in Cheek Ice Cream, Bahama Bucks and much more!

Please bring your favorite side dish to share. 

RSVP: Register to attend online.

On April 17, 2019 at a Dallas City Council meeting at City Hall, a special recognition was presented to Rod Scales, Vice President of Design, of Highlands North (standing in front of Mayor Rawlings). Rod has spent many, many hours working with the City and with Oncor getting approved plants for the Preston Ridge Trail, purchasing a watering trailer and maintaining the trailer. This was started back in 2003. Plants were added in several phases. Estates West section began their planting in 2005.

The City would provide the plants for your area if you would promise that you would get volunteers to water these plants for a two-year commitment. It took 5 to 6 hours a watering session with three volunteers needed for each session, two to man the hoses and one to drive their truck to pull the water trailer. It was quite an operation.

Also, Cori Pratt of Highlands North,(standing in front of the mayor) who serves as president of Friends of Preston Ridge Trail, received a special recognition.

The award was presented by our District 12 City Council Representative, Sandy Greyson (to Cori’s left).

Two additional volunteers were recognized for their work in recruiting volunteers to water and for actually watering and trimming the many crepe myrtles: Susan Carrington, Highlands North, (at Rod’s right) and Ann Murphy, Estates West (to Susan’s right). It was quite an honor!

The watering volunteers for our section of the Preston Ridge Trail (La Manga to Arapaho) came from Estates West and Prestonwood East. Wish that all the waterers could have been present to receive recognition. Without you, this could never have happened and we would not have the beautiful Preston Ridge Trail that we have today.