April 2024 - Ryan Place Newsletter

April 2024

Ryan Place

NEWSLETTER

RyanPlaceFortWorth.com

president's letter

Ryan Place,

As I’m writing this, March Madness is in full swing, and most of our brackets are probably already busted! My favorite team got knocked out early, but I’m looking forward to some of the upcoming matchups.

Last week was a busy one in Ryan Place. We had a fun Spring New Neighbor Mixer at Finn MacCool’s where we welcomed new neighbors and reconnected with old neighbors. We also had a neighborhood service event, Cowtown Cleanup in Ryan Place, where neighbors young and old fanned out across the neighborhood to clean up litter and debris in parts of the neighborhood. Also, I’m looking forward to seeing neighbors at the Easter Egg Hunt that will take place this weekend!

President's Letter

Calendar & Events

RPIA Wins FW Award

Leadership Spotlight

March Meeting Notes

Financial Update

Cowtown Cleanup Recap

Recreational Vehicles

4th of July T-Shirt Contest

Fairmount Home Tour

Hope Farm

Croquet Tournament

Volunteer Guide

Neighbor Contributions

president's letter continued...

City of Fort Worth Neighborhood Awards

At the Mayor’s Neighborhood Awards held on March 2nd, Ryan Place was a finalist for several Awards including Spirit of Fort Worth, Neighborhood Newsletter, and the Mayor’s Civil Engagement and Community Collaboration Award!

Ryan Place won the prestigious Fort Worth Pride Award, and Vice-President Cade Lovelace was present to represent Ryan Place and accept the award from Mayor Mattie Parker. The Fort Worth Pride Award is given to the neighborhood with outstanding achievement initiating a physical beautification or revitalization effort in their neighborhood. Ryan Place was honored with this award for its work on the Daggett Pavilion Project. More information on the awards can be found in this edition of the newsletter. We should all be proud that Fort Worth has recognized the neighborhood in this way and recognize that awards of this nature reflect the hard work of many neighborhood volunteers over a period of many years!

Neighborhood Engagement

Our Ryan Place Family Dinners program has officially begun and is off to a great start. We had over 50 households sign up to participate, exceeding our goal of 40, which is very exciting! “Families” should have received their matches on March 18th and assigned leaders were instructed to initiate the fun when schedules allow. RPIA will be checking in with “families” throughout the program and highlighting and sharing some success stories along the way. RPIA Board Member Elizabeth Milstein will be serving as the program’s POC, so feel free to reach out to her or me with any questions or concerns.

Don’t forget that we’re holding an Independence Day T-Shirt Design contest for this year’s Ryan Place Independence Day T-Shirts. We’ve already received

submissions! The submission deadline will be April 30th. More details about the contest can be found in this edition of the newsletter, so let’s get those creative juices flowing!! Remember, 25% of the t-shirt sales profits will be awarded to the artist with the winning design!

Dust off those mallets because the Memorial Day Croquet Tournament planning is underway! Our Croquet Czar, Chris Ebert, will be holding croquet clinics in May for those who may need to brush up on their skills. More info on the event can be found in this edition of the newsletter.

Ryan Place (Triangle) Park

At the March Board meeting, Board members heard from a representative of the MMA Firm out of Arlington to provide civil engineering and landscape architecture services for our Ryan Place Park refresh including a demo plan, site/dimension control plan, grading plan, landscape/tree protection plan, and construction detail. Board members raised questions related to the health of the remaining trees in Ryan Place Park and how that could potentially impact our concept and design if the City Forester determined they need to be removed for safety reasons. For those reasons, a vote to accept the proposal was tabled to the April meeting so we could gather more information.

Other news related to Ryan Place Park includes an effort underway to rename the park after beloved neighbor Joan Kline. This effort was initiated by Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck. Ms. Kline was a founding member of the Ryan Place Improvement Association (RPIA), a fierce protector of Ryan Place, and force for good throughout the Southside community and Fort Worth at large. Her strong leadership, generous spirit, and meaningful accomplishments on behalf of our community are worthy of being honored. After speaking with the Kline Family and discussing Ms. Kline’s immeasurable contributions to Ryan Place, the Board voted unanimously in support of this renaming effort at the February 19th meeting.

The city is required to provide a notice and comment period to the public when there is a proposal to rename a city park. That notice ran on March 18 in the legal section of the Fort Worth Star Telegram and will run again on April 15. The Fort Worth City Council will make the final decision on the renaming.

Parking of Oversized Recreational Vehicles

I wanted to share that several neighbors have raised concerns with me regarding the parking of oversized recreational vehicles. In general, large recreational vehicles cannot be parked on the streets of residentially zoned areas for more than 72 hours within a 7-day period. More information on this city ordinance can be found in this edition of the newsletter.

Closing

In conclusion, I want to express appreciation again to Board members, committee chairs, team leads, and other neighborhood volunteers who make all of this work. We will highlight one of them, Willing Street Representative Jeff Pritchett, in this edition of the newsletter.

Volunteering and getting involved is one of the best ways to meet your neighbors and get further connected within the Ryan Place community. If you have been thinking about wanting to get more involved, but don’t know where to start, shoot me an email. We’re still looking for a newsletter ad coordinator, and the volunteer guide has other opportunities with varying degrees of time commitment. Towards the end of the summer, we will begin the Nominations Committee process for filling Board positions that will become vacant at the end of the year. In May, we plan to hold a General Meeting, where all neighbors will be invited to hear neighborhood updates, and that’s a great way to meet other neighbors and Board members and get more familiar with the neighborhood’s leadership structure.

Enjoy this edition of the newsletter, and thanks to all of you who contribute newsletter content and help deliver!

Chris Gee RPIA President

community service committee

The Ryan Place Community Service Committee met recently to discuss service opportunities for our neighborhood to participate in this year. We will continue to focus on three primary events that we’ve done in the passed, including the:

1) Cowtown Cleanup (Spring)

2) Tarrant Area Food Bank (Summer)

3) Neighborhood Litter Stomp (October)

Along with these events, we will continue to seek and find volunteer opportunities to

consider for neighborhood involvement, including those for individuals and families to commit to outside of our larger neighborhood events. If you have experience with a special organization you like for us to reach out to, and/or you would like to be a part of the committee please let us know!

Sarah Rucker srucker24@gmail.com 817-312-8083

APRIL

Board Meeting

Planned Events for 2024

Monday, April 15 – 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

Monday, May 20 – 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

Monday, May 27 – 10:00 am

Memorial Day Croquet (Tentative, 2530 Ryan Place Dr.)

Monday, June 17 – 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

Wednesday, July 3 – 6:30

Independence Day Softball Game / Party in the Park

Thursday, July 4 – 10:00

Parade

Saturday, TBD – 6:00

Summer pool party/BBQ (TBD)

Thursday, July 18

Board Social Event (TBD)

Monday, August 19 – 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

August 30/September 1

Labor Day Garage Sale

Monday, September 16 – 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

October, TBD – 9:00 – 11:00

Litter Stomp

Monday, October 21 – 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

Friday, October 25

Triangle Park Movie Night (TBD)

Thursday, October 31

Halloween Night

Thursday, November 7 – 6:00 pm –8:00 pm

Fall New Neighbor Event (Location TBD)

Thursday, November 18 – 7:00 pm

General Meeting and Elections *

Friday, December 6

Holiday Party - 7:00 – 10:00 pm (Location TBD)

December 7-8

Candlelight Christmas Home Tour

Follow us on our Facebook page for more updates! Search "Ryan Place Improvement Association" on Facebook to find our page.

Ryan Place Wins 2023 Fort Worth Pride Award!

At the Mayor’s Neighborhood Awards held on March 2nd, Ryan Place was a finalist for a number of Awards including Spirit of Fort Worth, Neighborhood Newsletter, and the Mayor’s Civil Engagement and Community Collaboration Award!

Ryan Place won the prestigious Fort Worth Pride Award, and Vice-President Cade Lovelace was present to represent Ryan Place and accept the award from Mayor Mattie Parker. The Fort Worth Pride Award is given to the neighborhood with outstanding achievement initiating a physical beautification or revitalization effort in their neighborhood.

Ryan Place was honored with this award for its work on the Daggett Pavilion Project. This was a multi-year effort that required working with park planners, the City of Fort Worth’s Parks and Recreation Department, offices of two different Councilpersons, a pavilion manufacturer, and a pavilion installer, all of which all transpired over three different RPIA Presidents’ terms and multiple changes in RPIA Boards. This $62,000 contribution was funded largely with proceeds for the annual Candlelight Christmas in Ryan Place Home Tours. The pavilion will be a wonderful resource for our community for many years, and it was a great honor for Ryan Place to be recognized in this way.

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Jeff Pritchett – Willing Avenue Street Representative

Jeff Pritchett is currently the Street Representative for Willing Ave. In this position, he keeps his Willing Ave neighbors informed and represented at board meetings. Jeff and his family, Gini and Wesley, were so impressed with the Daggett Montessori school tour, they decided to move to the neighborhood in 2018. One of the most fun events (and the biggest honor!) for Jeff was being selected to host the Ferber estate sale. It was a wonderful way for the community to celebrate the life of a longtime resident. When he’s not hunting treasures, you may see Jeff throwing the football in the front yard with his son & other neighborhood kids or walking his little white dog.

Thanks for your service, Jeff!

March Meeting Summary

By: Donna Darner

RPIA held the March board meeting on Monday, March 18 at 7:00 pm. The board heard from interim NPO Ryan Rockwell who provided current updates on local offenses. Although none of the offenses occurred in the Ryan Place neighborhood, neighbors were encouraged to call in any issues or concerns to 911. Officer Rockwell and Sargent Kaiser are aware of the gentleman walking through streets and causing nuisance concerns in Ryan Place. Although he has not faced any charges, neighbors are also encouraged to call 911 if they experience any issues with him. The police will attempt to work with a judge to help his family and him.

President Gee reported that the Ryan Place neighborhood received the Fort Worth Pride award from the city in recognition of the neighborhood’s contribution of the Daggett Park pavilion. The board also discussed Triangle Park Improvement plans and received an update on renaming this city park to honor Joan Kline. The board was reminded about several upcoming neighborhood events in March, including the Spring new neighbor event at Finn MacCools, the Cowtown Cleanup activities, and the Ryan Place Easter Egg hunt. The board learned that several new or improved neighborhood communication efforts are underway, such as an updated Ryan Place Improvement Association website, Constant Contact text messaging, and possible Instagram page. Board members are working towards refreshing the plants in the Elizabeth Blvd Circles and assisting the city to choose appropriate street light bulbs for lamp light replacements.

financial update

See below for the latest recap of the Ryan Place Improvement Association’s income and expenses since the last newsletter as well as year-to-date.

Our 2024 neighbor donation drive is in full swing—please consider contributing to support the activities of our wonderful neighborhood if you haven’t already!

financial update

Ryan Place Supports

Cowtown Cleanup was a great success! Thanks to all who showed up to support the cause.

Recreational Vehicles

Neighbors, we have recently received complaints that neighbors are parking large recreational vehicles on public streets. Please be aware that the City of Fort Worth restricts the parking of large recreational vehicles according to the guidelines below.

If you have questions about the ordinance or need to report someone being in violation of the ordinance, please contact our Code Compliance Officer Mallin at 817-932-0479.

§ 22-162.2 PARKING OF LARGE AND OVERSIZE VEHICLES ON STREETS.

(a) It shall be unlawful for the driver, owner or operator of an oversized commercial vehicle to park or permit to be parked, stand or remain motionless:

(1) On a public street in any area zoned residential under the comprehensive zoning ordinance or used for residential purposes unless the vehicle is being actively loaded or unloaded; or

(2) For more than two hours on a public street in any area not zoned residential under the comprehensive zoning ordinance or not used for residential purposes.

(b) It shall be unlawful for the driver, owner or operator of a large recreational vehicle and an oversized recreational vehicle to park or permit to be parked, stand or remain motionless:

(1) On a public street in any area zoned residential under the comprehensive zoning ordinance or used for residential purposes; or

(2) On a public street in any area not zoned residential under the comprehensive zoning ordinance or not used for residential purposes.

(c) It is an exception to subsection (b)(1) above that the large recreational vehicle or oversize recreational vehicle is being parked or allowed to be parked, stand or remain motionless for loading, unloading, maintenance, or any combination thereof, for no more than 72 hours in any seven-day period. Relocation of the large recreational vehicle or oversize recreational vehicle to another location on private property or the adjoining public street does not stop the running of the 72-hour period.

4th of July T-Shirt Contest!

We’ve decided to tap one of our greatest resources to design the 2024 Ryan Place Independence Day T-Shirt, YOU!!

What Are We Looking For?

We’re looking for Ryan Place neighbors old and young to create a captivating Independence Day-themed t-shirt design that prominently features a neighborhood landmark, historical element, or significant neighborhood event. We want to encourage participants to showcase their creativity while ensuring the design reflects the essence of Independence Day and the unique aspects of Ryan Place. Entries will be judged based on creativity, relevance to Independence Day, incorporation of neighborhood landmarks or historical elements, overall visual impact, and ability to be printed on a t-shirt. Designs can be front only or front and back.

When is the Deadline?

The design should be submitted to chriswgee@hotmail.com no later than April 30th, 2024

Does the Winner Receive Anything?

Yes! In addition to bragging rights and instant local celebrity status, the winner will also receive 25% of the profits from the t-shirt sales!

Other Information to Consider:

By submitting a design, participants agree to grant the neighborhood association the rights to use, reproduce, and distribute the design for promotional and fundraising purposes.

A panel of judges, including representatives from the neighborhood association, will select the winning design based on the established criteria.

T-shirts featuring the winning design will be sold to support neighborhood initiatives.

The neighborhood association will partner with Sportswear Graphics for printing and distribution of the winning design on t-shirts. In collaboration with Sportswear Graphics, we reserve the right to modify the design if necessary for printing purposes.

If possible, designs should be submitted in high-resolution digital format, suitable for printing on t-shirts. However, we’ll work with any format we receive (Word Doc, PDF, JPEG, etc.…). Colors should be limited to 3 or less for printing cost purposes. For technical questions about whether designs or design elements are suitable for being printed on a t-shirt, please contact Ted at Sportswear Graphics at (817) 870-9900.

SATURDAY

10AM Parade

12PM Arts 5th Ave. open for ticket pick up

12-4PM Fairmount Neighborhood Fair

4PM Ticket sell/pick up closes

5PM Homes close to guests

SUNDAY

12PM Arts 5th Ave. Opens for ticket pick up

4PM Ticket sell/pick up closes

5PM Homes close to guests

Fairmount Tour of Historic Homes

Join friends and Neighbors of the historical Fairmount Neighborhood as we celebrate Fairmount Home Tour 2024 on Mother’s day weekend May 11-12.

For over 40 years the historic Fairmount neighborhood has welcomed visitors from all over to experience the history and architecture of the Fairmount neighborhood during our annual tour of homes. The Fairmount Home Tour is a family friendly event showcasing the Fairmount neighborhood and the people that make it unique. The tour this year will feature 2 businesses and 5 homes with stories that span centuries.

Saturday May11th kicks off the weekend at 10am with a classic neighborhood parade through the Fairmount. Following the parade on Saturday from 12-4 Fairmount park will host a family and pet friendly neighborhood fair. The neighborhood fair will feature music local artist, activities for kids, food trucks, demonstrations by artist, as well as activities by the community garden and library. Whether you spend a full day Saturday enjoying all the Home tour events or you spread it out over the weekend the Fairmount Home tour experience has something for everyone and a great gift for mom!

There are so many perks when you volunteer for Fairmount Home Tour. Visit historicfairmount.com/home-tour for details!

COMMUNITY SERVICE CORNER

HOPE FARM

The committee wanted to share an amazing nonprofit organization and volunteer opportunity for Ryan Place families and individuals.

HOPE Farm is a long-term leadership development program that guides at-risk boys, without the benefit of a positive male role model in their homes, from the time they are 5-7 years old until high school graduation and beyond.

Hope Farm locations:

Morningside: (817) 926-9116

Como: (817) 989-2711

S. Dallas: (214) 553-8400

HOPE Farm teaches boys to become Christcentered men of integrity and to break the cycle of fatherlessness in their families. The staff and volunteers are dedicated to meeting the spiritual, nutritional, academic, emotional, and recreational needs of our boys.

The website provides an abundance of information about the history, mission, and programs provided. Along with volunteering, you and your family can also schedule a visit to one of the Hope Farm locations to learn more about the Leadership Development program.

In respect to volunteering, the website notes the need for “high-quality,

conscientious, team-minded individuals to be members of our volunteer community! We simply could not do what we do without you, your time, your generosity, your support, your selflessness, and your philanthropy. We are honored you are considering Hope Farm. We look forward to the possibility of having you labor in love alongside us!”

To ask about volunteering your professional services, email egonzales@hopefarm.org. The Volunteer Initial Interest form and the Volunteer Application form are available on the website: hopefarmfw.org

Ryan Place Memorial Day 39TH ANNUAL

Croquet Tournament

Memorial Day

Monday, May 27th @ 10:00am

2530 Ryan Place Drive

The 39th Annual Ryan Place Croquet Tournament will be held Memorial Day, May 27, 2024, in Historic Ryan Place. The Ryan Place Croquet Tournament is a single elimination tournament with each team consisting of two players.

Play will begin 10:00am Monday morning on the Croquet Tournament’s Championship Court at the home of Tommy & Susan Drake, 2530 Ryan Place Drive. Winners of the Preliminary Round will play immediately in the Championship Final.

You may bring a partner or meet a partner at the Preliminary Round. Everyone who comes to the Preliminary Round is welcome to play. All ages and skill levels can compete for a chance to be in the Championship Final.

Ryan Place Croquet Clinics

Sundays in May @ 2:00 PM 2530 South Adams

Each Sunday afternoon in May at 2:00pm, Croquet Clinics will be held to review the game rules, teach the techniques, and learn the strategies of croquet. Previous winners will be the special guests to share their secrets for tournament success.

Ryan Place Croquet Tournament Summary of Rules:

The Game:

American nine-wicket croquet

Teams:

Each team shall consist of two players. Every age is welcomed and encouraged to play. Players do not have to reside in Ryan Place

Pairings:

Teams will be paired for tournament play by a drawing to be held at 10:00am Monday, May 27, 2024.

Format:

Single elimination until one team is declared the winner.

For more information:

Christopher Ebert, Tournament Director & Croquet Czar, 817-319-2363.

ryan place

ryan place volunteer guide

2024 rpia board of directors

iMportant numbers

Fort Worth Police Dept. (non-emergency)

817-392-4222

Officer Jennifer Bell

817-944-1316 (cell)

817-392-3619 (office)

Code Compliance

Officer Lanning Mallin

817-932-0479

Streetlight Outages

817-392-8100

Code Blue/Central Division Coordinator, Alison Golden

817-392-3973

Animal Control

817-994-4208

Graffiti Abatement

817-212-2700

Want more news or information, about present and pending Ryan Place matters? You can see approved minutes from RYAN PLACE board meetings on our website: ryanplacefortworth.com

About our Ryan Place Newsletter

Newsletter deadlines dates are usually the 20th of the month - OR- the 3rd Friday of the month for both content and advertising inserts (or changes), with distribution intended for the first weekend of the following month.

The Newsletter is delivered each month (excluding January and July) to every home in Ryan Place. The newsletter is typically hung on your front door handle and is delivered through the volunteer efforts of Ryan Place residents.

If you do not receive a newsletter, please contact any RPIA director for a copy.

The newsletter is also posted online at ryanplacefortworth.com

neighborhood contributions

JD Angle & Joel Burns

Aaron Ballard & Chris Nickelson

Jim & Kitty Loveless

Rich & Karly Johnston

Terry & Kali Kliethermes

Glenn & Patricia Polenz

John Shearer & Randy Sabbagh

Jason Stuart

Danny & Kristi Easterly

Joshua Garnder

Chris & Alison Gee

Scott & Sarah Geer

John Hardy & Ellen Warthoe

Taylor Kolbeck

As of 2/25/2024 (Donations above $200+) (Donations $100-$199) (Donations between $35 - $99)

Terri West Steve & Diane Zemkoski

Charles Mansfield

Joshua & Elizabeth Milstein

Jane Torgerson

Rick Tucker

Wojciech Poprawa

Kevin Arndt

Larry & Sian Borne

Mark & Nina Burrows

John & Kerry Coy

Jason & Rachel Manning

Ryan & Jen O’Connell

Colleen Shutt

J. Carter Tiernan