Annual Potluck/Business Meeting

Some great news: thanks to the efforts of Jack Miller, vice-president for the Country Club Estates Neighborhood Association, our annual potluck/meeting this year will take place on Tuesday, August 3rd starting at 5:30 at the Columbia Country Club! This means no heat, no worries about storms, no problems with flies or mosquitoes – just the air-conditioned comfort of the Country Club. Here are the details:

• 5:00 PM people can start arriving – bring your side dishes
• Your choice of hamburger or pulled pork
• The Country Club will provide buns, plates, silverware, water, coffee and tea
• Dinner will begin at 5:30, the official meeting at 6:00
• Anyone who wants to swim can use the pool at the special rate of $2.00 per person.

OK, we’re asking for a suggested donation of $5.00 per person.  This is what the Country Club is charging us. But any amount will be welcome, above or below that amount, and no one will be turned away.

We also need a rough count of those who are planning on attending by noon this Friday.  You can leave a note here, drop me an email ( jim @ afineline . org) or call me: 573-442-5924 or 573-442-0855. But don’t worry – if your plans change, or something comes up, you are welcome to attend or not on Tuesday, regardless.

There will be a cash bar, for anyone who wants a soda or a drink.

The business meeting will begin about 6:00.  On the agenda at this time is only the election of officers for the next year.  I am stepping down as president – someone else will need to step forward and be elected.  I believe that Sarah also wants to get out of the Secretary’s office

There will be a new Directory to be handed out at the meeting.  If I contact you in the next couple of days asking for more information, please respond by the weekend.

Remember – we need a head count of those attending by this Friday, noon.  Let me know.

And we’ll look forward to seeing you there next Tuesday!

Jim Downey

The Country Lane Flower Circle Needs YOU!

(Posted on behalf of Betty Gladney.)

The Country Lane flower circle needs you! Here’s the story of how the circle of flowers – enjoyed by neighbors and walkers – came to be. The City’s plan was to have an evergreen surrounded by gravel. “Could I plant flowers, instead?”

Now, 40 years later, and many blooms later, I’m asking for neighbors to lend some time to weed, plant, and water. No experience needed! Just stop by and spend some time. Feel free to knock on my door, use my hose for watering. Please bring your own tools and bags for weeds. I have a few favorites, but others can be pulled out, and your favorites planted instead.

Thanks for your help to keep this neighborhood garden spot beautiful for everyone to enjoy!

— Betty Gladney
— 2232 Country Lane

Trash scavengers

Another trash day this morning, and in walking around the neighborhood we saw several whose trash had been torn open and scattered by area scavengers.  We have seen raccoons doing this, and there are other wild critters (and sometimes not so wild) who will dig through any trash bag if they have enough time and incentive.  We finally decided we could not put the trash out the night before.  We gather it up then, but don’t put it down at the street until Thursday morning. That seems to work pretty well and makes a much cleaner and safer area.

They don’t bother the recycling (papers, cans and bottles – we rinse out cans and bottles so they aren’t attractive) so we go ahead and put those out on Wednesday night. Since the recycling truck comes to our neighborhood earlier, it makes sense to put that on out. The truck that picks up the garbage (black bags) doesn’t come until later in the morning – sometimes not even until afternoon here – so it is usually ok to wait until morning to put those out. The actual garbage is very tempting, and if the bag is there overnight it is very likely to be ripped open.

So please, do yourself and your neighbors a favor, and don’t put your garbage out the night before pickup. Thanks!