Kirkwood Park Neighborhood Association Newsletter

April 2009

Visit us on the web at http://kirkwoodpark.blogspot.com/

Mark your calendars: Annual Meeting

on April 16 at Concordia High School
It’s that time again. The Kirk-
wood Park Annual Meeting
will be held in the cafeteria
at Concordia High School
on Thursday, April 16, 2009,
at 6:00 p.m. Dinner will be
provided.
Guest speakers (as of press
time) will include: Our 2nd
District City Councilperson,
Karen Goldner; Mary Jane
Slayton from City Utilities and
Denise Porter-Ross from the
Northeast Area Partnership.
At the meeting, we will be
electing several new board
members. Their names are list-
ed on the ballot below. Please
mark your selections and bring
the completed ballot with you
to the meeting.
In addition to the election,
important updates will be
presented and door prizes will
be awarded. You won’t want to
miss it!

Cut here
Kirkwood Park Board Member Ballot
Please include your name, address and lot number. Vote for three of the candidates listed below
and bring your completed ballot to the Annual Meeting on April 16. If you won’t be able to attend,
please sumbit this form in a sealed envelope to Board Secretary Laura Stronczek, at her home on
2609 Merivale Street, prior to the meeting.

Name____________________________________________________________________________

Address_ _____________________________________________________ Lot#________________

c Dominic Campos c Stan Hause c Chris Smith c Kristin Guthrie

(please check three)
April 2009 Page 2

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May 16 set for Kirkwood Park Annual Garage Sale

City-Wide Great
America Clean
Up Effort
Volunteers are needed for
this year’s Great American
Cleanup. The annual cleanup
is from 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday,
May 16.
possibly on hold for 2009
The Annual Kirkwood Park Associ-
ation Garage Sale, usually scheduled
for mid-May, has been put on hold.
Due to the construction project, the
safety of our residents and those vis-
iting any of our sales is of primary
concern, and the Board elects not
to set a date at this time.The antici-
pated end-time for construction has
been moved up to the end of April
(weather permitting), so the Board
will re-evaluate as the project nears
completion. It is hoped to have
more information for residents by
the Annual Meeting on April 16,
2009.

Individuals interested in vol-

unteering can sign up online at
www.cityoffortwayne.org or by
calling the City’s Solid Waste
Department at 427-1270.
The registration deadline is
April 14.
Volunteers will be provided
with T-shirts, gloves, flower
seeds, and garbage bags. Vol-
unteers will also be treated to
a party at Headwaters Park fol-
lowing the cleanup. The party
runs from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
and will feature food, music,
games, and raffle prizes.
Kirkwood Park will again
participate, focusing along our
borders — namely Crescent
Avenue, Coliseum Blvd. and
the Postal Encoding Center
parking lot (east of Glenhurst).
Contact Matt Hatfield at
484-6606 to volunteer.
Q&A’s About Using Btk to Control
Gypsy Moth
By Cliff Sadof & Jodie Ellis, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
that are known for their oaks.
Q. What is the gypsy
The rain of caterpillars
moth, and why is it a
problem? and their excrement from tree-
tops can discourage even the
A. The gypsy moth is an insect heartiest Hoosiers from tak-
with a big appetite for oaks. ing a walk in the park. Some
Eachcaterpillar can grow up to people develop rashes
2 inches long and can con- or allergies to caterpillar hairs
sume up to 11 square feet of that float through the air.
foliage from early May until
June. When abundant, Q. What is Btk, and how
caterpillars can completely de- does it kill the gypsy
foliate trees. Although healthy moth?
trees can survive defoliation,
A. Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis
repeated removal of leaves can
var.kurstaki) is a bacterium
kill a tree. Older, less vigorous
found naturally on leaves and
trees suffering from drought
in soil.These bacteria act as
can be killed by a single defo-
tiny factories that produce
liation.
protein crystals that kill spe-
Gypsy moth caterpillars are
cific groups of insects.
also a public nuisance in rec-
When eaten, the protein
reational and residential areas
continued on page 3
April 2009 Page 3
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Polite Pet Ownership is Picking Up!
Most of us pick up after our
pets to be good neighbors
and to keep our yards clean.
In fact, in Fort Wayne, pick-
ing up pet waste is required
by law. Picking up pet waste
is also a way that citizens can
help protect the environment.
Leaving pet waste on the lawn
makes it more likely that the
material will be washed into
a storm sewer during a rain
storm. Storm sewers discharge
directly to ponds, ditches,
streams and rivers, so whatever
is picked up by a storm sewer
goes directly to a water body
without any kind of treatment.
Pet waste contains bacteria
that are harmful to water qual-
ity. In fact, the bacteria in pet
waste can make people sick
when they come into contact
with polluted water. And as
Neighborly tips to get through
tough times
Connected, resilient commu-
nities help people get through
tough times. Get to know your
neighbors. Do a neighborhood
skills inventory — so people
can help each other fix their
roofs, repair their bikes, mend
a torn coat — saving money
pet waste breaks down in the
water it promotes the growth
of weeds and algae which, in
turn, can reduce the amount of
oxygen in the water and affect
fish and other aquatic life.
In your yard or on a walk,
your pet’s waste should be
picked up promptly and dis-
posed of in the trash or by
flushing it down the toilet so
that it can receive proper treat-
ment. If you’re putting it in
the trash, consider sealing it in
a plastic bag prior to disposal
to contain the material and the
smell.
The Environmental Protection
Agency website has more infor-
mation on how you can help
protect water resources. Visit the
EPA at www.epa.gov/adopt/
and building community. Plan
a community garden, garage
sale or clothing swap. Start a
dinner or home improvement
co-op. Learn more at www.
greenamericatoday.org/go/
buildcommunity.
gypsy moths, cont.
crystals tear the cells that line
intestines of susceptible in-
sects, causing lethal bacterial
infections. The source of
infection can be the Btk itself
or any of a number of species
of bacteria already present in
the insect’s gut. Death occurs
within a few hours to a
few weeks after the insect
ingests Btk.
Q. How is Btk used to kill the
gypsy moth?
A. In Indiana, most Btk ap-
plications are applied from
aircraft or spray trucks to areas
where gypsy moths threaten
trees. A series of two sprays
is applied in early May, when
caterpillars are small and most
susceptible to Btk.