Sligo Woods Civic Association

The judges have finished their work and the winning addresses announced via an all-member email this morning.  Many thanks to all who contributed to neighborhood spirit.  Photos are here.

Spring seems to have finally gotten around to showing up.  It’s great to see all the flowers coming out, as well as friends and neighbors.

In terms of program-meetings and Board meetings, the Civic Association has been in a holding pattern for the last year.  The 2020 annual meeting was cancelled, and there was no summer picnic or other social gatherings—thus our only expenditures have been for the website and the PO Box.

Because of this, the board has decided on two things:
Membership dues
There will be no dues for the 2021 year.  If you have already paid dues in 2020 or 2021, those amounts will be credited toward your 2022 dues.
Elections
The terms of Board members all have been extended for one year and, with one resignation, that means there are four positions coming open.

The President will continue to March 2022 (incumbent Todd Sleeman), as will one of the At-large positions (incumbent Doug Grove).  Three 2-year terms will be open for election: the VP position (Sandy Hinman concluding her service in this position), Treasurer (Glenn Moller concluding his first term), and one of the two At-large positions (Frank Andruzzi concluding his service in this position).  In addition, one 1-year term for Secretary is up for election (Emily Sudbrink retiring from this service).  If you are interested in running for office, please reach out to me so I can tell you more about the open positions.   There is also some basic information here.

Our current plan is to hold elections in late June, and we are exploring ways to conduct the election in a safe manner.  These could include online survey, via e-mail, or the collection of paper ballots.

While the last year has felt like treading water in organizational terms, I believe we have a good base of knowledge and enthusiasm to ‘restart’ the formal workings of the civic association.  Until guidance indicates it is safe to do so, however, we will not be holding any larger events (neighborhood yard sale, summer picnic).  If you have ideas for events that we could host, please send me an e-mail.  Also, if you have any questions, concerns, comments, please reach out to me via e-mail.

Todd Sleeman, President

With the continuing developments with the Covid-19 situation, and following suit of local, state, and national government, the Board has decided to postpone the Sligo Woods quarterly program.  The program, originally scheduled for Thursday, March 26th, we expect will now take place on Thursday, April 30.

As our annual meeting, there is certain business to be taken care of, including voting in new board members for the positions coming open, and approving the budget for the upcoming year.  All board members serving in a vacating position have agreed to stay on until elections can be held.  While the budget still requires approval for the upcoming year, we will continue to pay for items that fall under our normal operating expenses (PO Box, website, etc.).  Think of it like the continue resolutions that we are all too familiar with; we honor existing commitments without taking on any new ones.

All of us will experience some difficulties in the upcoming weeks: physical, mental, emotional, and financial.  Some will be staying home from work, some will be working more (and under adverse conditions); some will be taking care of ill family members; some will not be able to visit friends or families; some will lose income because of business closures.

The neighborhood has an established communication mechanism.  Official info is emailed to all members who have provided an e-mail address.  Postings and replies and e-discussions among members are possible via the listserv–a googlegroups arrangement.  If you are not on the listserv but now want to sign up, just email the civic association’s e-office and ask for info to be sent to you so you may join.  Make use of these resources.

There has been a lot of talk of ‘social distancing’.  I don’t care for the term.  I feel a more appropriate term is ‘physical distancing’.  The primary way to avoid contracting (and spreading) the virus is to not be around someone who has it.  It stands to reason that if we can minimize close contact with other people, the odds go down that we will run into someone who has the virus.  We, as families, neighbors, and a community, can certainly remain social and remain safe.

Our community has held some great events: The Winter Social, the Summer Picnic, the Halloween Parade, and many great quarterly programs.  We’ve put faces to names, met new people, learned about our local community (and eaten some really good food).  Let’s keep this momentum going.

Wave to someone (everyone) when you’re out walking; check in with people by phone or e-mail; see if a neighbor needs some extra help in these trying times.   Find other ways to keep the community spirit strong.  Virtual book club, recipe swaps, online meeting software to host a cocktail party (and you don’t need to clean the house!).  These are just a few ideas.

Be patient with people and show a little extra consideration, especially when it’s the hardest; we’re all stressed about this and may not be at our best.  A little extra kindness or a thoughtful gesture goes a long way.

Todd Sleeman, President
Sligo Woods Civic Association