jessica

Has it been a year come and gone? Lazybrook holiday season was certainly joyous and full of good times and 2015 looks us squarely in the eyes now.

Many of you decorated your homes for the holidays to make Lazybrook look festive and the Lazybrook Moms hosted their second annual Christmas Caroling complete with a visit from Santa himself this year. The weather was beautiful and certainly a good time had by all. Thanks to everyone for your contribution to make our neighborhood a special place this year. A special thank you to Mike Smith and the families on Widdicomb that hosted the pre-caroling party as well as a movie night in November. The families of Lazybrook have deeply appreciated the opportunity to get to know one another and grow as a community.

Speaking of growing, this past year certainly provided that opportunity for me as a first year President. I have learned more about our community and how to serve you better. In reflection on 2014, I first want to thank those of you who stepped forward to support Lazybrook and really elevated your commitment. We had some serious issues facing us between our membership rates and committee staffing. Many of you were willing to spend some extra time and effort to support their community and your time has been deeply appreciated. Hopefully, you will be able to continue serving your role this coming year and maybe even convince some of your neighbors to join in the fun.

Looking forward to 2015, we have made progress this past year and more improvements are always needed. Some of our most critical needs remain around sourcing volunteers to serve our Civic Club. Below is a list of our greatest need areas:

• HOSPITALITY – General responsibilities are to assemble and distribute the Welcome packets, assist in coordination of neighborhood events such as 5th Friday.
• DEED RESTRICTION PETITION – Seeking chairperson to lead the committee on recommendations and process for updated the deed restrictions for Lazybrook.  Also seeking members for this committee.
• MOSQUITO SPRAYING – In order to continue spraying we must have a chairperson willing to coordinate with
• the vendor.
• AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD – Keep in touch with the happenings around the neighborhood and provide announcements for the newsletters, births, deaths, anniversaries, etc.

If you can find some time this coming year to serve your neighbors, please consider filling a spot in one of the below noted Committees. Also, if anyone has some extra room in their garage for a few storage totes, we are looking for a volunteer to store the Lazybrook sign Christmas decorations until the next holiday season. Thanks for taking the time to read this letter, being kind to your neighbors and serving your community.

Finally, please consider joining us at our upcoming meeting on Tuesday, January 27th. At this meeting, we will hold a confirmation vote to increase dues to $40 as well as a discussion and vote on the future state of the TC Jester Park area between 610 and Ella, South West of the bayou. To provide adequate time there will be a signup sheet for those wishing to have a voice their point of view on the area and desire for future plans. Let me know as soon as possible if you would like to speak to address this topic or to volunteer for any of the open positions above.

It looks like we survived another Houston summer in Lazybrook. Thankfully, although it hasn‘t felt much like it in August, this summer has been relatively mild. More rains would be welcome; however, we’re also surviving without the extreme drought like conditions we had a few years ago. If you are like us, your yard and garden has suffered a bit this summer; however hopefully with cooler days around the corner, everyone will be out and about in the neighborhood once more.

Thanks to everyone who helped with the Lazybrook Annual Membership Drive this year. Membership is up from last year and we still have a ways to go. If you see new neighbors, please encourage them to join the Civic Club and make donations. Our responsibilities to the community vary widely from deed restrictions to median maintenance to our Citizens on Patrol program. Membership is our primary funding source and these programs are so worthwhile, we want to see them continue and expand to the future. As the executive team we will be considering all options to ensure that the Lazybrook Civic Club can sustain our financial commitments.

Late September and October are some of the most enjoyable times in Houston and I hope that everyone has an opportunity to experience some of the wonderful sites and sounds of Houston and our neighborhood. From the Taiko festival at Miller Outdoor Theatre, to the Greek Festival, the outdoor venues are all ablaze during these months with activities. National Night Out is fast approaching as well on October 7th, 2014. Please, whether you are a block captain or neighbor or even got this newsletter by accident, make an effort to connect with your neighbors on National Night Out. Studies show time and time again that, where more interaction and activity is at the community level, crime goes down and family satisfaction goes up. We plan to be out that evening and hope you will also.