Neighborhood Network Draft Letter by Steve Gurney

Neighborhood Network Draft Letter

Steve Gurney 11128Timberhead Lane, Reston, VA 20191 Phone: 703-966-6182 Email: aginginreston@gmail.com Dear Neighbor, It’s been several months since our community yard sale and I wanted to follow up on some other projects that might add value and connections in our community. I have volunteered to serve as a neighborhood coordinator for the Reston for a Lifetime initiative (see attached article or visit www.restonforalifetime.org) Along with several other neighborhoods in Reston we are piloting different approachesto make connections in our community. Since singlefamily neighborhoods in Reston traditionally don’t have formal cluster associations, it makes our neighborhood particularly interesting and challenging. Here are a few projects that could be helpful to our neighborhood of Timberhead/Burgee/Spinnaker: Neighborhood Phone Book – I have attached a draft copy of a community phone book, I have included a few names. If you are interested in being included and receiving a copy of this, please fill out your information and drop it by 11128 Timberhead Lane by August 31 or email me the information at aginginreston@gmail.com. I will add all the information and distribute a final copy in early September. If you provide an email addressI will also send you an electronic copy. IMPORTANT: Your information will not be posted online or shared with anyone outside those receiving the phone book in our neighborhood. Bus Stop Network – With school starting and many more kids in the neighborhood, lets all meet to see if we might be able to create a system to share responsibilities or offer us all backup in the event you might have an early meeting, be working late or . . . . get stuck in the snowstorm of 2012!! Neighborhood Watch – Successful Neighborhood Watches are not established in reaction to crime, they are established to prevent crime from occurring and provide a platform for communication when you see something that concerns you. I have volunteered to coordinate Neighborhood Watch on our streets. Other Ideas: There are neighborhoods that have set up systems to share trusted vendors (plumbers, handymen, etc.), babysitting, pet sitting, snow shoveling, systems for sharing tools and lawn equipment; these are other concepts that might develop out of a better connected neighborhood. Do these projects sound interesting to you? I would like to invite you to a gathering at my house on September ?? at 7 p.m. to discussand brainstorm. I have invited Officer Katy Defoe, who will talk briefly about Neighborhood Watch. I will have coffee and drinks, just bring yourself!