Mar 2024 - Ryan Place Newsletter

Ryan Place

president's letter

Ryan Place,

With temperatures warming up, it’s beginning to feel like spring in Ryan Place! I know we’re all looking forward to seeing the leaves back on the trees and the splash of color that so many of the yards in Ryan Place provide this time of year.

RPIA held its last meeting on February 19th and had a full agenda. I will highlight some of these matters and initiatives here.

Neighborhood Engagement Opportunities

The registration period for Ryan Place Family Dinners has closed, and we’re in the process of matching registered households into their “Ryan Place Families” based on their selection criteria. We had around 40 households sign up, which

president's letter continued...

is very exciting with this only being the first year! We anticipate concluding the matching and notification process by the end of March so that “Families” can begin to connect and organize their gatherings.

In preparation for this summer’s Independence Day festivities, we’re already thinking about the Ryan Place Independence Day T-Shirt. This year, we’ve decided to tap one of our greatest resources for the t-shirt design, Ryan Place residents! We’re holding a contest for a t-shirt design with a submission deadline of April 30th. More details about the contest can be found in this edition of the newsletter, so let’s get those creative juices flowing!!

In addition, a few other events we have coming up include the spring Cowtown Cleanup, the annual Ryan Place Easter Egg Hunt, and the spring New Neighbor Mixer. More details on these events can be found in this edition of the newsletter.

Infrastructure and Safety

The Daggett Park pavilion effort has officially concluded. The pavilion is a wonderful addition to the park offerings and will be a well utilized resource for the school, the neighborhood, and

members of the community for years to come. We’re working with the Parks and Recreation Department to have it added to the city’s pavilion reservation system so that groups and families can reserve it for special occasions. RPIA paid approximately $62,000 for the pavilion to be manufactured and installed. As a result, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the City of Fort Worth are planning to recognize Ryan Place for this contribution to the city during a March city council meeting. The neighborhood association identified and recently addressed a safety concern with the alley that connects Ryan Avenue to Braum’s. When walking or driving in the alleyway, it is difficult to see oncoming traffic from either direction. As a result, we have installed a commercial grade convex

mirror to provide better visibility.

We continue to make progress on Ryan Place (Triangle Park) enhancement plans. After we submitted our conceptual design to the Parks and Recreation Department, they responded with a list of items and documents they will need for us to move forward. We are in contact with MMA Firm out of Arlington to provide a number of those items including a demo plan, site/dimension control plan, grading plan, landscape/ tree protection plan, and construction detail. They will be providing a formal proposal to the Board to review and vote on at the March Board meeting.

Closing

In closing, I want to remind everyone that with a new year comes a new neighborhood contribution campaign. In 2023, we exceeded the previous year’s contributions, and we hope to do so again in 2024! More information can be found on how to contribute in the newsletter.

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

Chris Gee RPIA President

Planned Events for 2024

Monday, March 18 – 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

Thursday, March 21 – 5:00 – 7:00

Spring New Neighbor Event (TBD)

Saturday, March 23 – 9:00 AM Cowtown Cleanup (TBD)

Saturday, March 30 – 10:00 AM

Easter Egg Hunt (1001 Elizabeth Blvd)

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

If It Wasn’t for Texas

By: Christopher Ebert

I was listening to a grandson’s playlist of Cowboy songs on the Spotify music app when the George Strait’s song, “Texas” caught my attention. It was then when I realized that I owed a lot to our state of Texas.

It was after graduating from Evander Childs High School in the Bronx and the first years of Colombia that Kenneth W. Ebert in 1942 was drafted into the US Army. He was sent to Fort Worth to continue his training as a Warrant Officer. “If it wasn’t for Texas” it would not have provided him a USO in Fort Worth where he met Jane Gage. (The USO was located in what was to become an adjunct of the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum.)

“If it wasn’t for Texas” John C. Ryan, a pioneer developer had not have been able to lay out Ryan Place as an exclusive residential neighborhood in 1911 for Fort Worth’s professional and business elite. “If it wasn’t for Texas” being able to discover major oil fields in 1917-18 Northwest Texas there would not have been such an economic boom in Fort Worth. The Southside entered a new era of growth and development.

“If it wasn’t for Texas” there wouldn’t have been the Knox Thomas family building a home of South Adams. “If it wasn’t for Texas” Phil Thomas would not have said in the mid 1970’s: “When we find the right family financing will not be a problem.”

“If it wasn’t for Texas” we wouldn’t have a strong neighborhood association with smart leaders willing to help protect our Ryan Place and encourage interesting neighbors to live here.

“If it wasn’t for Texas” I would not have a such a wonderful family.

Thank you, TEXAS!

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.

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Andy Deufel – Community Service Committee Chair

Andy Deufel is currently serving as the Chair for the Community Service Committee. He and his committee are responsible for building neighborhood awareness and involvement in community service events serving greater Tarrant County. Andy and his wife Melissa moved into Ryan Place from Fairmount in the fall of 2021. They have two daughters, a son, two son-in-laws, and six grandchildren. His favorite thing about living in Ryan Place is the sense of community and the neighborhood support for the holiday events, especially Halloween and the Candlelight Christmas Tour. By day, Andy runs his own company, Aspire Coaching, where he works with businesses and individuals as an Executive and Personal Development coach. When not working, Andy loves to be cycling, rowing, or birdwatching on the Trinity River.

Thanks for your service, Andy!

Ryan Place Supports

It’s time for a little SPRING CLEANING, Ryan Place!

Join us as we all pitch in to clean up litter around the streets, alleys, commercial areas, and other public spaces in our beautiful neighborhood. It’s easy; we’ll provide the bags and gloves, so all you need to do is show up!

Saturday, March 23, 2024

9:00 – 11:00 AM

We’re meeting at 2421 6th Avenue to kick things off, and we will have light refreshments and FREE event t-shirts for participants while supplies last. If you plan to participate, please RSVP to Sarah Rucker at srucker24@gmail.com. If you decide to join us at the last minute, that’s ok too!

financial update

The RPIA Board recently approved the association’s budget for 2024; see below for details.

Highlights of the 2024 budget include budgeted total revenue of $84,000, which is comprised of home tour income of $56,000, newsletter ad income of $12,000, neighbor donations of $8,000, and other income items totaling $8,000.

Expenses budgeted for 2024 include home tour expenses of $32,000, common area maintenance expenses (including landscaping and water for neighborhood-managed green spaces) of a little over $18,000, event expenses of nearly $9,000, and operating and other expenses totaling approximately $19,000.

Our 2024 neighbor donation drive is in full swing, and donations have started to roll in. Please consider contributing to Ryan Place if you haven’t already!

February Meeting Summary

By: Donna Darner

RPIA held the February board meeting on Monday, February 19 at 7:00 pm.

The board heard from the neighborhood Code Compliance Officer, Lanning Mallin, who supplied current information on Solid Waste Services and the new trash pickup fees.

The board learned that the City is planning to recognize the Ryan Place neighborhood in March for the donation of the Daggett Park pavilion. The board also received an update on the Triangle Park Improvement plans and took action to approve renaming this city park to honor long-time resident and neighborhood activist and supporter, Joan Kline.

The board was informed about several upcoming neighborhood events in March, including the City of Fort Worth neighborhood awards (March 2), the Spring new neighbor event, the neighborhood Cowtown cleanup activities (Saturday March 23), and the Ryan Place Easter Egg hunt (March 30th at 1001 Elizabeth Blvd).

ryan place

ryan place volunteer guide

2024 rpia board of directors

iMportant numbers

Fort Worth Police Dept. (non-emergency)

817-392-4222

NPO 8 on Magnolia 817-871-8885

Officer Jennifer Bell

817-944-1316 (cell)

817-392-3619 (office)

Code Compliance

Officer Lanning Mallin 817-932-0479

Code Blue/Central Division Coordinator, Alison Golden 817-392-3973

Animal Control 817-994-4208

Graffiti Abatement

817-212-2700

Streetlight Outages 817-392-8100

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

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 on March 23

2) Tarrant Area Food Bank during the Summer

3) Neighborhood Litter Stomp in October

Along with these primary 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

community service committee Historical

2024 Neighbor Contribution Campaign

By: Aaron Ballard and Sarah Geer

In 2023, 65 neighbors contributed a total of $7,360 to support RPIA, which equated to 12% of our budget. Thank you for investing in our efforts!

As we kick off a new year, we've set a goal to raise $8,000 in neighbor contributions to support the 2024 budget. We hope you will consider contributing to the mission

of RPIA. Neighbor contributions support beautification, communication, events, infrastructure projects, and advocacy on behalf of Ryan Place. More details about how to donate are included on the back page of the newsletter.

Donate Here via Zelle!

march save the dates!

2421 6th Avenue

1001 Elizabeth Blvd.

Spring New Neighbor Mixer on 3/21

By: Sarah Geer, Director of Membership

Join us to welcome new neighbors with a neighborhood mixer at Finn Maccool's Pub (1700 8th Ave) on Thursday, March 21! It's a come-and-go event from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

If you are a new Ryan Place resident as of the last 6 months, we would love to meet you and foster connections with neighbors old and new!

Reach out to Sarah Geer, Director of Membership, with any questions: srdarley@gmail.com or 469-396-5467.

neighborhood contributions

2024 Neighbor Donor Recognition

As of 2/25/2024

Community Patron Level

(Donations above $200+)

Aaron Ballard & Chris Nickelson Jim & Kitty Loveless

Community Builder Level

(Donations $100-$199)

Chris & Alison Gee

Scott & Sarah Geer

John Hardy & Ellen Warthoe

Joshua & Elizabeth Milstein

Good Neighbor Level

(Donations between $35 - $99)

Kevin Arndt

John & Kerry Coy

Jason & Rachel Manning

Ryan & Jen O’Connell

J. Carter Tiernan

rpia membership

YOUR DOLLAR$ MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

1. Select your level of donation:

$35: Good Neighbor

$100: Builder

$200: Patron Other

2. Submit payment via: Check to RPIA Credit Card (via RyanPlaceFortWorth.com)

3. A little bit about you*: Name(s) : __ __________ _______________________________________________

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Mail this donation form to:

Ryan Place Improvement Association (RPIA) PO Box 11122

Fort Worth, TX 76110

Best method of CONTACT:

___ Text to phone ___ Email

___ Yes, you have my permission to show my name & donation in the newsletter

...and become a member. Your donation contributes to the well being of the neighborhood. Beautiful homes, excellent public and private schools, convenient access to better living amenities - this is what a better neighborhood is all about...and RYAN PLACE meets all the criteria. Ryan Place occupies a unique and superb place in the urban & residential landscape of Fort Worth - but we can’t remain that way without your help.

Please use this form - or go online to this page:

https://www.ryanplacefortworth.com/donations/ ...and make your donation via credit card.

Any amount will do! Your funds enable these benefits to the neighborhood:

• BEAUTIFICATION and landscaping of entrances, etreets, and parks

• CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS in Ryan Place

• EVENTS for families & children and Adult SOCIALS which include

• JULY 4th PARADE

• NEWSLETTER and WEBSITE with discussions of issues important to our neighborhood.

• PARKS and Infrastructure Improvements

• PROMOTION and PROTECTION of Historic Ryan Place

• WELCOME Program

• ...and much much more!