November Neighborhood Newsletter

Get ready for a jam-packed edition of our neighborhood newsletter, filled with all the news, events, and festive cheer to keep your fall season lively!

Howdy Neighbors,

Get ready for a jam-packed edition of our neighborhood newsletter, filled with all the news, events, and festive cheer to keep your fall season lively! This month, we’re celebrating our Halloween House Decoration winners who took spooky to a whole new level, sharing the details for our November General Board Meeting and Election - Pizzeria Testa 11/11 @ 6PM (free pizza, anyone?), and gearing up to support local families in need with Thanksgiving bags. Plus, we've got the latest Yard of the Month, a spotlight on our November Pet of the Month (meet Moose!), and some great holiday safety tips. So, cozy up with a warm drink, dive in, and find out how you can get involved and enjoy all that Vickery Place has to offer! 🍕🌟🦃

Spooktacular Winners of the Neighborhood Halloween Decorating Contest!

Thank you to our fun-loving, spooky-spirited neighbors for making this year’s Vickery Place Halloween Decorating Contest another great success! After much deliberation (and a few ghostly giggles), the VPNA is thrilled to announce our many winners! Each of our talented decorators has snagged a well-deserved cash prize in one of four spooktacular categories. Let’s give a round of applause to our frightfully fantastic winners!

Best DIY: Egyptian Mummies at 5514 Belmont

Best Theme: Bluey at 5440 Vickery

PumpkinPalooza at 5322 Miller and 5451 Vickery (tied!)

Most Creative: Hocus Pocus - Sanderson Sisters at 5458 Bonita

Most Spooktacular (a little bit of everything!) – 5346 Miller

Congratulations to all our winners and participants! Your creativity and Halloween spirit brought our neighborhood to life all October long! We can’t wait to see what tricks and treats you come up with for next year’s contest! Until then, keep those decorations up a little longer—after all, if we have candy left, is Halloween really over? 🎃👻

November General Board Meeting and Election - Pizzeria Testa 11/11 @ 6PM

WHAT: November General Meeting and VPNA Board Election

WHEN: November 11th at 6-9PM

WHERE: Pizzeria Testa on Greenville Ave

WHY: Meet your neighbors, eat some free Pizza, vote on VPNA's 2025 Board, share ideas on what you'd like to see accomplished in 2025 for the neighborhood

Thanksgiving Bags for Geneva Heights Elementary / J.L. Long Middle Schools

The holiday season can be tough on families and we are working with the Lower Greenville Neighborhood Association and the Lakewood Heights Neighborhood Association to assist families in need at our local schools. Vickery Place Neighborhood Association will be making a financial donation but we would like to encourage our neighbors to pitch in with creating Thanksgiving bags for these families.

Interested in donating / making a bag? Reach out to us at [email protected] for information on where to drop off your completed Thanksgiving Bag. Donations are due by November 20th.

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Both schools have received their limits of bags. Thank you for your interest but they are not accepting any more.

Monthly Book Club

The Vickery Place Book Club is a once-a-month group that meets on the 2nd Thursday of every month. We read fiction (so far) and books are selected during the meetings.

We nominate books and select the next two at each meeting.

We accept new members, so if you've never been there are always new people.

The hosting rotates through the group, but no one is required to host

Check out the post above for more information.

This Month's Book is Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy

Yard of the Month - 5421 Richard Ave

We had an idea that Michael Oppedisano was a plant lover when our committee saw him carefully tending to his garden beds at 5421 Richard Ave but were unaware of how much he loved plants until we had the pleasure of meeting him, his sweet-natured kids, Camilla and Rocco and seeing the rest of his amazing yard.

Michael (with the help of his 8-year-old twins) does all of his own gardening work, taking his 2-story, Craftsman-style home from builder-grade to beautiful in the span of his 14 years of ownership. As a pediatric dentist with a passion for plants inspired by his Italian grandfather, his dedication and care for his yard is seen throughout, from the carefully-brought-back-to-life Live Oak providing much needed shade to the impressive greenhouse almost completed in his back yard. He says that most of his success comes from trial and error over the years, having to learn how to adjust to Texas’ sometimes extreme cold and hot temperatures as a New Yorker who moved here from Boston 20 years ago. His favorite plants include the vibrant red celosia protecting his Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired pots, hibiscus with its many-colored giant flowers, and the ginkgo tree, several of which you can see along his front yard.

He offers the following tips for his fellow neighborhood gardeners:

• Do your research when picking out plants. Learn about their water and sun requirements and where they would grow best in your garden.

• Don’t forget to cover tender plants such as Whale’s Tongue Agave when there is predicted ice.

• Make gardening a family affair: he loves having his kids join him in the garden and they feel a sense of accomplishment as well.

We are excited to award Michael and his family the honor of winning November 2024’s Vickery Place Yard of the Month. We are grateful to Northaven Gardens for their sponsorship and providing our winner with a $50 gift card. Congratulations to Michael, Camilla, and Rocco!

Pet of the Month - Moose

Congratulations to our November Pet of the Month, Moose!

Moose is One of a Kind; he’s a Handsome Husky Mix with a heart of Gold. He’s adopted by his family Olivia, Camron and Blakely. As of today he is one and a half years old, but he’s still very much a puppy at heart.

Moose is incredibly smart and knows many tricks in exchange for a sweet reward. He loves people and other dogs too; you’ll catch his brightest hello as you pass by our fenced yard.

His favorite past times include, greeting all the kids on their way to school, going on a walk through the neighborhood, chasing balls, bully sticks and car rides. Pup cups are a must for this lover boy, especially on a trip to White Rock Dog Park where he gets to play with all his furry pals. Next time you see Moose, please take a sec and greet him, it will make his day!

Submit your Pet for December!

Forward Dallas Update

Forward Dallas 2.0 passed this month and Paul Ridley has shared some words about it and what it means for District 14. Check it out!

Porch Pirates on the Prowl

Don't be a Victim" of Porch Pirates with help from Harris Co. Precinct 4 Office

With the approaching Holiday season, beware of porch pirates and thieves that are on the prowl! Do you part to help keep the whole neighborhood safe by removing packages in a timely fashion, keeping your property illuminated, and keep an eye out for each other. Meet your neighbors and have their contact information in-case you need to ask for their help with picking up a package while you are away. If you are ordering from Amazon, you can leave a note asking them to hide packages behind your pillars or porch furniture.

Dallas Sanitation Services Notification

Did you know the Dallas Sanitation Services has many options available for notification about Trash Days and Bulk Pickup? Sign up for text or email reminders at https://dallascityhall.com/departments/sanitation/to stay on top of your cardboard pile this holiday season!

Vickery Place Facebook Group

Have you wanted a way to communicate privately with just our neighborhood? We have a Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/vickeryplace . This is a great place to post about a lost pet, ask a question to your neighbors, seek recommendations, plan a get together, or report suspicious activity!

Support the Neighborhood

Did you know you can support future parties, get-togethers, and special events by donating to the Vickery Place Neighborhood Association? You can edit your account to commit to a $1 or $5 recurring donation or you can make a one-time donation amount of your choice at https://www.vickeryplace.com/shop-donate/. We are a registered 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization.

Upgrade your Membership Today!

Traveling for the Holidays?

If you're planning to be on the road for the holidays, here are a few safety tips to
remember:

Double check that all doors and windows are locked before leaving. Most
remember to check the doors, but windows are important too.
Consider leaving on a few lights or setting a lamp on a timer. Having a radio/TV on a timer is also helpful.
Make sure to reroute any packages that might arrive while you are gone. Porch
pirates abound during the holidays! Have them sent to your office or a neighbor’s house.
Let a trusted neighbor know you're leaving and when you will return. Have them watch for any packages or anything that might appear out of place.
There tends to be a lot of drinking around the holidays. Whether you are driving or on foot, beware of other drivers who may not be as responsible as you.

Ways to Save

As we approach Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other Holiday Shopping Discounts, it is easy to be caught up with the excitement of large red discounted prices and banners advertising extremely limited discounts. However, many of these deals are intended to separate you from your cash quickly with a false sense of urgency to prevent you from shopping elsewhere. Many of these discounts are not actually discounts at all, with some Black Friday prices actually being higher than other times of the year.

When shopping online, there are several tools available to help you quickly compare price history, alternative sellers, and coupon codes.

If you shop on Amazon, consider the browser extension Keepa or CamelCamelCamel. Both track price histories and can alert you when a specific item drops below you target price. The Price History Graph is a great way to quickly see if the deal is as good as they advertise, showing all-time-lows, recent discounts, and normal prices for the item.

Additionally, there are many ways to earn cash back or unlock coupons for online shopping. Some internet browsers like Microsoft's Edge will have built in coupons, price comparisons, price history, cashback, and more. I personally use the free Rakuten extension which offers cash back for shopping on certain websites such as Walmart, eBay, Lowe's, Macy's, and more. Rakuten pays out the cashback via Paypal. Honey is a tool that automatically tries coupon codes for retailers but since their acquisition by Paypal, I feel like the codes aren't as effective.

If you shop in-person, check BrickSeek before you go to see if a specific location is cheaper or has more stock. Brickseek checks specific store inventory to help you find store specific discounts or hard to find items. For instance, the same drill might be $100 at the Lemmon Home Depot but only $50 at the Skillman Home Depot.

Shop Safely

No matter how you shop, be wary of thieves looking to exploit shoppers this Holiday season.

Never shop or log into your bank from Public Wi-Fi. If you are traveling, use a VPN or your cellular signal to prevent your information from being stolen.
Be Wary of Credit Card Skimmers - opt to use "Tap to Pay" or cash when making a purchase in person. Especially at Gas Station Pumps while traveling.
Keep an eye on your accounts for suspicious activity.
Use complex passwords that are unique between accounts. A password manager such as Bitwarden is highly recommended!
Enable Two-Factor Authentication for important accounts- this will require a second authentication such as a texted code or pop-up notification on your phone.
Be Wary of Phishing Attempts - Watch out for phishing emails and messages that may try to trick you into revealing personal information. Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails, and verify the legitimacy of emails by contacting the company directly using official contact information.
Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Communications:
Whether it's an email, text, or phone call, be cautious of unsolicited messages. Legitimate organizations won't ask for sensitive information out of the blue.
Verify Caller Identities:
If someone claims to be from a reputable organization, verify their identity before sharing any information. Use official contact details, not those provided in the communication.
Shop from Secure Websites: Stick to well-known and reputable websites. Ensure that the website has "https://" in the URL, indicating a secure connection. Avoid making purchases from unfamiliar or suspicious sites.
Use a Credit Card - Many Credit Cards offer Fraud Protection, Dispute Resolution, Zero Liability Policies, Additional Warranties, Price Matching, and Additional Customer Protections. Be aware of which credit card offers what additional protections such as extended warranties for large purchases.

Looking for something to do this Holiday Season?

Brace yourself, the holidays are here, and we're all about to juggle more tasks than Santa on Christmas Eve! Whether you're herding reindeer—uh, relatives—or trying to find that one string of lights that's hiding, we've got a list of holiday to-dos that'll make you feel like a festive wizard. Because let's face it, we all need a bit of magic to survive the holiday hustle and bustle!

Need a last second side-dish?

Turkey-induced panic or a side dish mix-up? Welcome to the Thanksgiving rodeo! For those hilarious 'Oops, I forgot the sides!' moments, here's a last-second recipe that'll save the day faster than you can say 'gravy emergency.'

Thank you all again for making National Night Out 2024 a success!

We're still re-living National Night Out 2024! VPNA is so grateful to all of the neighbors, vendors, and local businesses who came out to support our neighborhood. Enjoy some of our favorite photos from the event!