i n s i d e w i l l o€¦ · Inside Willo newsletter This free newsletter is published monthly (excluding July & August) by a committee headed by Willo volunteers. Willo neighbors

A p r i l 2 0 1 3

Pilates in the hood

Meet new neighbors John & barsha shePherd

we're dancing in the willo

gardening tiPs

real estate news

i n s i d e w i l l o

A m o n t h l y n e w s l e t t e r p u b l i s h e d b y t h e w i l l o n e i g h b o r h o o d A s s o c i A t i o n

2 / i n s i d e w i l l o

i n s i d e w i l l o / 3 w i l l o h i s t o r i c d i s t r i c t . c o m

i n s i d e w i l l ofrom our

p r e s i d e n t

April 2013

Hello neighbors! I am very excit-ed to be serving as your presi-dent for anoth-er (and final) term through

2015. Congrats and thanks to our return-ing board members and new members. I would also like to thank our former mem-bers who unfortunately were no longer able to serve, but were instrumental in our organization for multiple terms – our outgoing Vice President, Jason Bliss, and board member and home tour co-chair 2013, Andrea Meury. Longtime resident Tony Weir also chose not to run. We thank them all for their time and service to Willo.

We are looking forward to getting start-ed, assigning committees and providing a direction for this term. While the bylaws are specific to our purpose, protecting the historic character of our neighborhood, there are many opportunities we have to accomplish that within our neighborhood and with our neighbors. As always, we are watching for new building and zoning is-sues that affect us, changes in ownership of

surrounding businesses, and working with existing business so that agreed upon stip-ulations are met. Beyond that we have our many committees that help our neighbor-hood maintain our status in Phoenix and grow in a positive direction. Concepts such as Kids Club, StreetScape, Block Watch, Inside Willo, and the website, KleanStreets and Home Tour all stem from these com-mittees. If there is something you feel is important that should be addressed by the board, feel free to attend a meeting – sec-ond Thursday of the month, at the Fairfield Inn, 2520 N. Central Avenue.

Our Spring Yard Sale will be held April 13th, beginning at 7:00 am. We will adver-tise the event in the Arizona Republic and on Craig’s List for maximum exposure. We will also have a truck to pick up all your unsold items at Walton Park (3rd Avenue and Monte Vista/Holly) between 12:00 and 2:00. This is an annual event that attracts many attendees – great chance to sell your treasures.

I am thrilled to continue working for this neighborhood and hope to share that enthusiasm with all of you over the next two years. Till next time, see you ‘round the ‘hood.

B r a d B r a u e r ( m o n t e v i s t a )Willo Neighborhood President

Spring’s New Beginnings



Willo MeMbership

Membership Opt-In Form___ Opt In (No fee to join)Yes! I want to be a member of the Willo Neighborhood Associa-tion. By checking the box above, you acknowledge that you are of voting age and live within the Willo Neighborhood Boundaries as outlined in the Willo Neighborhood Conservation Plan.

Name ___________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________

Signature _______________________________________________

Email Address __________________________________________ (not to be given out or used for any other purpose than membership)

Mail Completed Form To:Willo Neighborhood Association

PO Box 36506, Phoenix, AZ 85067


advertise in the NEXT inside willo

contact megan d. martinez602-799-4295

[email protected]

we’re just the thing your business needs!

w i l l o h i s t o r i c d i s t r i c t . c o m i n s i d e w i l l o / 7

Willo WebsiteJoin the Willo email list to receive important neighbor-hood notifications and updates. To subscribe, send an email to: [email protected]. The Willo website, www.willohistoricdistrict.com, contains infor-mation on neighborhood activities, committee and board meetings. Webmaster Eric Eggert can be contacted at [email protected].

Willo historic Neighborhood Association boardThe Willo Historic Neighborhood Association Board was established in the early 1980s. The members are volunteers and are elected every two years in March. The association does not collect dues and does not act like a Home Owners' Association (HOA). Rather, its function is to serve the collective well being of the neighborhood. Meet-ings are typically held the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Hotel. All resi-dents of Willo are invited to attend. Agendas are available online prior to the meeting at www.willohistoricdistrict.com.

Inside Willo newsletterThis free newsletter is published monthly (excluding July & August) by a committee headed by Willo volunteers. Willo neighbors are encouraged to submit neighborhood news, tid-bits, photos and articles (between 250-350 words) by the 10th of each month. We reserve the right to: edit as needed, attribute to the submitting neighbor (with the street they live on where appropriate), determine which issue the information may be printed and use content on our website and in neighborhood promotional materials. The Willo Neighborhood Association is not responsible for nor endorses the editorial content in Inside Willo. A copy of Inside Willo is also posted to the Willo website each month.

City preservation [email protected] 602-261-8699Walk-in hours are 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, Mondays through Fri-days at the main office, located at 200 W. Washington Street, 17th Floor. The field office is The Ellis-Shackelford House at 1242 N. Central Avenue (by appointment only)

exterior rehabilitation program http://phoenix.gov/HISTORIC/hprehab.htmlhistoric Designation http://phoenix.gov/HISTORIC/faqs.htmlCity Neighborhood services General Information 602-262-6011 Fight Back Program 602-495-3738 Graffiti Busters Hotline 602-495-7014 KEEP IT CLEAN! 602-534-4444 Landlord/Tenant Counseling 602-262-7210 Property Maintenance Violations 602-262-7844 Grants Administration 602-262-7158phoenix police (also to report speeding) Officer Ben Harris/Willo Representative [email protected] 602-361-4501Crimestop 602-262-6151City Councilmember/District 7 Hon. Michael Nowakowski 602-262-7492


w i l l o b o A r d o f d i r e c t o r s

b r a d b r a u e r ( p r e s i d e n t ) [email protected] 602-690-1400m a r i ly n r e n d o n ( vice president) [email protected] 602-430-0107d o n va l l e j o ( s e c r e t a r y ) [email protected] 602-301-1041l e s l i e s t a c k p o l e ( t r e a s u r e r ) [email protected] 623-693-1497g r e g c o r n s [email protected] 602-524-8000c h r i s t i n a c o n t r e r a s [email protected] 602--882-8591p h i l f l e m m i n g [email protected] 602-501-2492t h e r e s a l o c o c o [email protected] 602-826-4746g e n e n a n c e [email protected] 602-252-5397r e b e c c a n e v e d a l e [email protected] 602-540-8371b o b t h o m a s [email protected] 623-363-8147pa t r i c e wa p p e l [email protected] 602-248-0408j o n w h i t c o m b [email protected] 602-475-5900

C o m m i t t e e s

h i s t o r i c a l r e g i s t r at i o n a n d r e n e wa l g e n e n a n c e [email protected] 602-252-5397

t r a f f i c m i t i g at i o nt r a c y g r o m e r [email protected] 602-340-0706

n e w s l e t t e r d e l i v e r y h a y d e e s a i n z & j e f f p i u r e k [email protected]

b l o c k wat c h j o n w h i t c o m b [email protected] 602-620-3900

k l e a n s t r e e t s pa t r i c e wa p p e l [email protected] 602-248-0408

2 0 1 3 h o m e t o u r c h a i r sa n d r e a m e u r y [email protected] 602-692-0518l i s a b l i s s [email protected]

i n s i d e w i l l o n e w s l e t t e ra n d r e a m e u r y ( b o a r d l i a i s o n ) [email protected] 602-692-0518a n d r e a k a t s e n e s ( e d i t o r ) [email protected] 602-694-1275m e g a n d e s m o n d m a r t i n e z ( a d s a l e s m a n a g e r ) [email protected] 602-799-4295r a l p h g r o o m (g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r ) [email protected] 718-704-7244

c o m m u n i t y a c t i o n o f f i c e ro f f i c e r b e n h a r r i s [email protected] 602-361-4501

g A i n e v e n td o n va l l e j o ( c h a i r ) [email protected] 602-301-1041

s tat u t o r y a g e n tp h i l f l e m m i n g [email protected] 602-501-2492

i n s i d e w i l l othe

C o n t a C tl i s t



We Want to hear from you!If you are new to the neighborhood, have a new baby (human or pet), or have any news you want to share, please contact the Inside Willo staff at [email protected]

n e i g h b o r h o o d n e w s

Let's Get Physical! Free weekly Pilates is offered at CityScapes,

every Saturday from 9:30am-10:30am. Just

bring your mat and join in for a great work out in the park, then grab

brunch at Chloe’s Cor-ner, The Breakfast Club

or Blue Hound (who will be offering specials

during their punch brunch).

on the stage at the great aZ PuPPet the-ater April 10-28; "RA-PUNZEL": A beautiful version of the classic tale about the maiden with really long hair and the prince who loves her. In this unique show, pup-pets and scenery appear from an antique trunk as the story unfolds. En-chanting! Wednesdays through Fridays at 10am; Saturdays at 10am &

2pm; Sundays at 2pm, $10 for adults, $7 for children 0-12 yrs (each child under 2 free with another paid child admission)

The Great AZ Puppet Theater is located at 302 W. Latham St. in Phoenix. Please call 602-262-2050 for reservations, directions and addition-al information; also, visit the theater online at www.azpuppets.org

New at ShiNe Cafe! There is a new parking option when visiting Shine Coffee on Vernon- the large lot at 14 W Vernon is open. And starting in mid-March, Shine Vernon will have whole loaves of artisan bread from Mediterra Bakehouse for sale on Saturdays.


PURPLE LIZARD MERCADOAPRIL 6 & 7, 10 AM- 4 PM

Expect No Increases in Water/Sewer Rates

ArizoNA WAter

Phoenix residents can expect to see no increases in water and sewer rates for the 2013-14 fiscal year, thanks to signifi-cant savings and efficiencies within the

City’s Water Services Department.This marks the first time in 20 years that there

will be no increases in either water or wastewater rates. The City will continue to provide efficient, safe and reliable water and sewer services while providing residents with the fifth lowest water and sewer bill among the nation’s 20 largest cities.

Water Services completed an innovation and efficiency study this year that led to $20.8 million in savings from such measures as reduced chemi-cal costs, eliminating additional positions, energy conservation, reduced debt service, sewer-oper-ating efficiencies and revenue increases due to the improved economy.

The proposal for no increases will go to the full City Council for review later this year.

The City Council approved implementing a combined rate adjustment for the 2012-13 fiscal year.


then e i g h b o r h o o d

n e w s

Your giveaways can help stop animal homelessness—we need

furniture & household items! Friends of Animal Care & Control

(“Friends”) charity thrift store at 12625 N. Cave Creek Road raises money to help homeless animals in the Valley. During the month of April, PLEASE clean out your

closets and home, and drop off any smaller donations at 34 W.

Vernon Avenue-take a tax dona-tion form on the bench at the

front door . Call/email for furni-ture pick up: Thrift Store/Pam – 602-923-6914 or PHoward@

AzFriendsOfAnimals.org

a neW dog Park Will be just a “bark” aWay from Willo this sPring! Hance Park is slated to get a new dog park! The Phoenix City Council unani-mously approved a new dog park for historic neighbor-hoods, which offers separate gated spaces for “active” dogs and “passive” dogs. This new dog park, located in the existing Hance Park, will be located on Culver, between 3rd & 5th Avenues bor-dering the Roosevelt Historic neighbor-hood. Along the long road to final approval, this new downtown dog park was approved by the Parks subcommit-

tee, Phoenix Parks Board, the Mayor’s (Gordon) appointed 2011 “dog park com-mittee”, and the Hance Park Rede-sign Committee. In addition, the City’s Parks staff met with Culver neigh-bors on numerous occasions to agree upon a decorative gabion wall in order to limit any possible noise from reaching nearby neighbors.

The hope in iden-tifying Hance Park is to utilize property that the City already owns, while also injecting a new use and energy to Hance Park. It is also believed that a dog park will attract local downtown dwell-ers to Hance Park,

counteracting the large population of loitering, overnight visitors.

Even if you are not a dog owner, this new dog park will be a positive commu-nity amenity which will enhance our property values and the attractiveness of living downtown. To say “thank you” to our historic Council representatives please contact Coun-cilman Nowakowski at (602) 262-7492 or [email protected] and/or Councilman Tom Simplot at (602) 262-7447 or [email protected]. City Parks staff anticipates the “opening” bark in late spring.

haPPy birthday to bailey! Recently Bailey Reynolds celebrat-

ed her birthday. But she didn’t just have a party with cake and ice

cream, Bailey asked her friends to bring gifts for the women and children at Crisis Nursery. Bailey and her guests filled a room with

donations for Crisis Nursery! What a wonderful way to do something

good on your special day.



“Wow, John, two weeks on a truck in a sealed moving crate is not my idea of fun.”

“That’s for sure, Barsha. Saving money by using a company that packs people as well as furniture did have its downside. Coming from DC/Alexandria, Virginia all folded up was really tough on the knees. I even got dropped during the unload.”

“Yes, John. But, now we are here in the beautiful Willo. Everything they said about its unique sense of community is true. Our patience in a two year search for a home like this in the Metro area has been rewarded.”

“Yes, Barsha. the couple in the boxes next to us were moving to Tucson, but they were very impressed with what they could see out their air holes. The others, in their boxes on the van, also seemed to like it but their comments were muffled by all the cardboard.”

“Yes, John. The Tucson fellow was par-ticularly pleased at the last stop when the movers finally righted his box after several days upside down,”

“Anyhow, Barsha, everybody liked Wil-lo’s charming homes, friendly people, and beautiful landscaping… even the aromas from the restaurants on McDowell. That last may be partially due to an enhanced olfactory perception heightened by the er-gonomic deprivation of being entombed in a box with no sustenance for as long as a fortnight.”

“Yes, John, but go easy with the big words. As a former school teacher I am not that impressed. What I don’t get is why,

before we were sealed in the boxes for two weeks, you ran into that store but only came out with Cheetos, a ten pound bag of Chee-tos!”

“Hey, Barsha, I’m the retired grocer so I know what’s good. Besides, our air holes matched up so I was able to pass Cheeto nourishment to the soon-to-be Tucsonans. It was mean, though, telling them that, yes, that awful orange stain on their fingers was permanent.”

“Well, John, Beth Lewallen of Inside Willo did ask so we should tell her some-thing about us. Like we enjoy music and the theatre, and hike, bike, and travel, blah, blah, blah. Also, we spend time in Sedona where we have another place.”

“And, Barsha, I’ll add the part about no service, no major honors, no money, no kids, and no police record. We did spend some time in a vortex though.”

“Yes John, and we lucked out with that vortex transporting us to a wonderful par-allel universe called the Willo. We can be thankful also for the great place that Wink and Cate Pearson left for us when they moved on to a larger residence.”

“Yes, Barsha, though I have to say I am going to miss my cardboard “Man Box.” With the space so tight, our email at [email protected] was hard to use but it sure was cozy in there.”

“That reminds me, John, I wonder what they did with the crate marked “THREE CATS?”

“Good question, Barsha, I imagine Homer, Sara, and Mrs. Jones might be up for some Cheetos by now.”

P.S. Willoians (Willoites?, Willoers?) – For further experiences in our “Other World” stop by anytime for a beverage vis-it…maybe even some Cheetos!

Meet our NeW Neighbors


M e e t Y o u r n e i g h b o r A Moving

Story about J & B

A "moving" conversation involv-ing Willo newcomers

John and barsha shepherd who were recently "delivered"

to 321 W. Monte Vista road



featured a n c i n ' i n t h e h o o d

shAke thAt grooVe thANg

It’s not often that you get to see a city councilman and a police officer doing their best Fred Astaire moves, but Willo was well represented at the National Kidney Foun-dation of Arizona’s annual

Dancing with the Stars event last month. Local leaders, after months of practice with dancing pros, twisted and spun in order to raise money for a very worthy cause.

Willo resident Don Vallejo, who works as a Phoenix police officer, says he joined the Dancing with the Stars competition be-

cause he has had family members person-ally impacted by kidney disease and appre-ciates the work of the Kidney Foundation. He’d attended the event in 2012 and, as he put it, knew he could do even better than the contestants! The audience agreed with him: Don won the Gold Standard award as decided by the audience and panel of judg-es. Perhaps even more impressive than his dancing skills was his ability to turn his introductory video into a tour of his Willo home, which was included in this year’s Home Tour.

Phoenix City Councilman Tom Simplot

has proven his skills as a talented com-munity leader, but he can now expand his resume to include award-winning dancer. Tom’s hard work and training earned him the Silver Star award for his dance perfor-mance, and his good-natured jokes added a lot of fun to the competition. Tom said he hopes his efforts not only raised money for a good cause, but helped raise awareness of the need for kidney health among his friends and family.

Check out the videos from these and other candidates on the Dancing with the Stars link at azkidney.org.

Willo Represented on the Dance Floor?by Beth Lewallen (Cambridge)

People's Choice: Nicole Bidwill & Mayor Scott SmithJudges' Choice: Stephanie Sandor & Jim Nortonfirst Runner Up: Kelly Dalton & Brian MarshallGold Standard: Jennifer Leibowitz & Don VallejoSilver Star: Jennifer Kaplan & Councilman Tom SimplotBronze Star: Senator Michele Reagan & Jason Funk

Showmanship award: Lauren RautbordMusicality award: Sandra Tenutoexcellence in execution: (Tie) Sheila Ingram & Mayor Sharon WolcottPeople's Choice for Couples: Mary Alexander & Chris McNicholJudges' Choice for Couples: Georgianna Marie & Robert Young

A complete list of the 2013 winners:


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willo annual spring

yard

saleapril 13 • 7:00 am

Yard sale leftovers can be dropped off at Walton park

(monte Vista and 3rd avenue) on the same day between

12:00 pm and 2:00 pm


i n s i d e w i l l ofeature

new store in willoNew Boutique

Opens at the My Florist Plaza

shoppiNg

In mid-November, Aubrie and Shawn West opened the doors of their one of a kind olive iil and balsamic store at the corner of 7th Avenue and McDowell. The store "Oliv-astro" came together out of

a labor of love, travel abroad and a deep rooted desire to bring healthy, high quality products to their neighborhood.

After a trip to Spain over 3 years ago, Au-brie and Shawn returned home determined to find olive oil and balsamic vinegar that tasted as fresh and delicious as what they had experienced overseas. After years of searching they were able to find a family-owned distributor based out of Oakland, CA that has been in business for almost 90 years. The family has one thing in mind when it comes to their products: QUAL-ITY. Over the years they have obtained exclusive rights with many small farms throughout the world and are therefore able to monitor the processes and tech-niques used at each harvest. They receive their oils from more than 9 continents (location dependent on the time of year) and their vinegars are all geographically protected to come from Modena, Italy. The store owners they supply to are expected to be educated in the intriguing world of olive oil and pass on that knowledge to the aver-age consumer. (The more you know about high quality oil and the process it takes to make it, the more you realize most people are not consuming what they think they

are). The best part about this distributor is that their stores are not chains or fran-chises. They are all locally owned and oper-ated, something that was very important to Shawn and Aubrie.

When you walk into the store you will quickly notice rows of stainless steel "fus-tis" which contain all of the individual fla-vors. Each fusti wears a flavor tag which describes the flavor profile of the oil or vinegar and also gives a few ideas for prac-tical use. Tasting cups and fresh bread are available for sampling and a list of pairing suggestions (for dress-ings and marinades) is available. While Aubrie finds all of the flavors amazing, she is most excited to have people sample one of their single varietal extra vir-gin olive oils. Once you have tasted an extremely fresh olive oil, you won't be able to use anything else. Each of the flavor tags on these oils also tell you the crush date of the harvest and some of the chemistry readings at the time of crush (polyphenols, oleic acid, peroxide value etc). Although most people don't realize it, there is a true art to properly tasting an extra virgin olive oil. Warm the oil, smell the oil, drink the oil while aerating etc. If you've been to a wine tasting before, you will be right at home.

When you find a flavor of oil or vinegar you like, it is bottled fresh on the spot and a flavor label is adhered to the bottle. From Thai Lemongrass-Mint white balsamic and Cinnamon-Pear dark balsamic to Harissa infused olive oil, there is bound to be some-thing your tastebuds will like.

In addition to the oils and vinegars, there are also a variety of other gourmet products available. Black truffle sea salt, strawberry balsamic jam, pesto and hand-made pastas to name a few. And coming soon…..homemade high polyphenol dog

biscuits! This store is not only for the "gour-met cook". There are so many varieties and fla-vors to choose from that even the most amateur chef can find inspiration.

Aubrie and Shawn have lived in the neigh-borhood for almost 7 years. They have a lot of pride for this area and have been excited to watch it grow. They are honored to now be pas-

sionate small business owners in that same neighborhood and contributing to it's char-acter and growth. Even if your shelves are already stocked with oil and vinegar, stop in and say hello. They'd love to meet you.

www.OlivastroOils.com; Tues-Friday: 11am - 7pm; Sat & Sun: 10am - 5pm

by Mara Reynolds (Palm Lane)



Home Questions? We Have Answers!

Vicki Vanderhoff (Monte Vista)

Dear Musty,I feel your pain. Spring clean-ing can be harrowing. Like most endeavors, breaking it up into manageable tasks is the first key to success. The second? Just get-ting started.

Let’s talk Junk, Gunk, Dirt and Debris. We’ll start with Junk- this includes your junk drawer, closets, garage or basement. Give yourself a day to do each one. Again, make it manageable. In our historic homes, closets are small and storage is at a pre-mium. If it can’t be organized or donated, it needs to be tossed. It must be tossed. Toss it already!!

Gunk time. Find your rub-ber gloves, get on your hands and knees and just do it. Scrub the baseboards and walls. Clean your bathroom tile and grout. Re-caulk where it is deteriorating. Remove lime build up from our hard Phoenix water around your faucets. It’s a dirty job, but you gotta do it.

After Gunk, Dirt doesn’t sound so bad. Pay attention to your windows. Wash the glass and the sills- inside and out. Dust every surface in your home. Get on a lad-der and wipe down the ceiling fan blades.

Vacuum not only the rugs, but the upholstery too by removing cush-ions and getting underneath.

Now we’re left with Debris. Start with your refrigerator and pantry. Clean the drawers and shelves with soapy water and throw out expired foods. Check dates on your cans and boxes too. Now head outside and carefully clean out those gutters. While you’re out there, trim your trees and plants from this year’s frost to allow them to grow back beautifully.

Finally, enjoy the fruits of your labor. Invite a Willo neigh-bor over to celebrate your newly freshened abode and relish in the fact that spring cleaning time doesn’t come again for an-other 11 months!

Thanks to Vicki Vanderhoff for helping us share home information with our readers. To submit your question, please contact Vicki at [email protected]

“I know my home needs it, but spring cleaning is intimidating! Can you guide me on where to focus my energy to freshen up my home for the new season?”—Musty on Monte Vista

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A light oN our ADVertisers

Purple Lizard Boutique

i n s i d e w i l l othe

a d v e r t i s e r s p o t l i g h t

purple lizard boutique has

advertised with Inside WIllo since its

establishment in 1998.

Purple Lizard Boutique is hosting a Mercado April 6-7. The Mercado will be showcasing local artists such as; Kathy Cano-Murillo, Emily Costello, Mary Ann Rodriquez-Ve-atch, Shonda, Gina, Ilana, Julie, Lana, Jobi, and many more including Marguerite’s Treasures. Great music will be provided by

“Close Enough String Band” and Maya playing her ukulele with fun for all. Purple Lizard Boutique is filled with artist designed clothing from the U.S., Mexico and Europe. The store is also em-bellished with handcrafted jewelry, accessories, and lots of art-work including metalwork, ceramics, and paintings. There is also a diverse selection of Dia de los Muertos around the room. Come and enjoy the Mercado and the store!

PurPlE lIzArd BOuTIquE

MErCAdOApril 6 - 7

10:00 am – 4:00 pm2827 N 15th Avenue

SE Corner of 15th Ave and Thomas602-728-0980



gArDeNiNg

This time of year holds great prom-ise. The last of the frost is most likely behind us, so it’s time to get out there and

amend the soil, prune off frost damage and get some great seeds and plants into the ground for a pretty spring and summer.

Here's a list of some initial chores you should plan on and then seeds and transplants you can safely plant in the next few weeks. Have fun!

Bed Prep: No mat-ter where you live in the Valley, our soils have one thing in common: They need organic material. Be sure to add 4 to 6 inches of compost or Happy Frog soil conditioner to your beds before planting any-thing. Soil should be light-weight, not heavy like clay or sandy like the beach. We also suggest adding worm castings to your gar-den to ensure seeds and transplants thrive. Worm castings provide a natural, slow release boost of ni-trogen. They are also great for greening up your summer Bermuda grass as it comes out of dormancy.

Established landscape plants (roses, natal plum, etc) will benefit from a good mulching around the roots. Leaving a 4 inch layer of mulch on top of beds will help

control weeds and conserve moisture as temperatures rise.

Container Tips: Spring is a great time to plant containers, plus it’s hard to resist those pretty six-packs you see at the nursery. This year, in addition to the usual geraniums, petunias and vinca, try plant-ing a summer salad garden using a cherry tomato plant, basil seeds, baby carrot and

radish seeds. Just watch your watering because pots have a tendency to dry out quickly but plants don’t like wet “feet” or roots. So stick your finger down in the soil before watering to make sure the water is necessary. Plants in containers also need more regular fertilizing because it flushes

through the soil and out of the pot quickly. Add a gentle fertilizer to your watering schedule every other week.

sow summer Blooming Wildflowers: There are a number of wildflowers that will do well and bloom during the searing summer months. Sow wildflowers now for summer blooms. We recommend desert marigold, sacred da-

tura, desert senna and Ari-zona poppy. Remember to keep these seeds moist for at least 10 days after plant-ing. They will need regular watering to thrive.

Here are seeds and plants you can start right now: Veggies: carrots, beans, corn, cucumber, melon, okra, onions, radishes, summer and winter squash. herbs: basil, catnip cham-omile, fennel, lavender, lemon grass, mint, oregano, and thyme.floWers: bee balm, but-terfly weed, black-eyed Susan, celosia, coleus (an excellent plant for shade), cosmos, desert marigold, four o'clock, gallardia, globe amaranth, gloriosa daisy, lisianthus, mari-

golds, mexican sunflower, portulaca, sun-flowers, sweet alyssum.

Southwest Gardener is located at 2809 N. 15th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007, the southeast corner of Thomas Rd. and 15th Ave. We are open 7 days a week.


gardening in willo

April Showers Do Bring Flowers


p

we have just what

your business needs!

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Lofts on Thomas Manager Provides Update

Steve Sible, manager of Lofts On Thomas, visited at the March Willo Board Meet-ing. He also happens to be the president of the Pasa-dena Neighborhood Asso-ciation. We were very glad

that he came as he was able to clear up a few items and gave us quite a bit of information.

You may remember that this building, located at 531 W. Thomas Road, was a nurs-ing home and then was approved as an as-sisted living facility. Mr. Sible tells us that the new luxury loft style condos they are putting in are comparable to the 44 Monroe Skyline project. Some of the amenities are as follows: fitness center, pool, yoga studio,

w/d, media lounge, concierge, and pet park.Prices for these lofts range from $951.00

for a 665 - 934 sq. ft. studio and $1127.00 for an 841 -1028 Sq. ft. 1 bedroom, to $1683.00 for a 1356 -1441 sq. ft. 2 bedroom.

There was a complaint made that Edge-mont Avenue was being used as a loading zone. We suggested that they add space for a loading zone to their property. We were also told that the pet park would possibly be located outside the south wall on Edge-mont Avenue. We expressed that we would not be in favor of this and told Mr. Sible about the new pet parks to be constructed on the deck park south of McDowell and between 3rd and 5th Avenue. It was re-quired that 81 spaces be created to support

this project. Mr. Sible tells us they have 83, so perhaps the extra parking spaces can be used as a loading zone. There is also con-cern about where the guests to this project will be parking. We don't want Edgemont to become a spillover parking area so we will have to rely on our Edgemont neigh-bors to keep us updated on this.

Lastly, Mr. Sible let us know that there is no intention from the owners to make any entrance/exit onto Edgemont Avenue. We are glad to hear this as we let him know that this would be completely unacceptable to our neighborhood.

I look forward to the open house when Lofts On Thomas becomes ready for leasing in April or May.

NeWs upDAte

All the sAfety We tAke for grANteD

W i l l o U p d a t e s

& s a f e t y

Recall Dr. Abra-ham Maslow's hierarchy of basic human needs. Physi-ological needs (health, food,

sleep) are at the bottom of his pyramid. Safety (freedom from danger) is next up. Then Es-teem, Self-Belonging and at the top, Self-Acualization. My first article “Bike Lanes Painted” gave us a story of improving safety on 3rd & 5th within Willo. I believe safety to be the major concern of all government. And if we appreciate all the safety we enjoy, I believe we will work more effectively together to accomplish the safety we con-tinue to need.

We have friends in Germany, Donald and Irmgard, who talk

about the high taxes they pay, but they don't complain. They brag about how well their gov-ernment provides for every-one. We complain about our water bills. We begrudge our taxes. Political party conten-tion has become the modus operandi instead of working together to accomplish safety and good in every way for ev-eryone.

Eating out front of Majerle's one evening last month, I no-ticed the hosts sanitizing a stack of menus in between wel-coming and seating custom-ers. I didn't know they cleaned menus. Of course, I gave them my apprecia-tion as we left for home. Do we express our gratitude to

police officers? Give a thumbs-up to city street repair crews? Thank the the sewer clean-out workers in the alley? Acknowl-edge building inspectors for doing their job thoroughly? It's realizing what we have and learning to be grateful.

Safety is all the government regulations that provide the quality of food we purchase in our grocery stores. Safety is everything air traffic control-lers do all day and all night. It's our airport running months of testing with hundreds of sand-bags on board the new Sky Train. Safety is child-proof lids on product containers and

labels in our cloth-ing. It's all the ra i l ings

at Chase Field. It's the Zoo sign that says, “Please do not feed the animals.” Safety is the 5-4-3-2-1 countdown at traffic signals before a light change. It's dental and medical instru-ments packaged until needed. It's being asked to provide our driver's license with our credit card and our PIN with our debit card. I could go on and make this article a book.

One morning I browsed the national and local news of the Arizona Republic to determine how many articles have to do with safety. Try it for yourself. Now I wonder how many mov-ies and cartoons have to do with safety. If we didn't take our safety for granted and expressed appreciation for all the safety we enjoy, what dif-ference would it make?

by Dick Staats (Coronado)

by Marilyn Esteves Rendon (Cypress)



the w i l l o

w o n d e r a w a r d

Willo WoNDer

David Young began his home search in 1986. After several months of searching for that “perfect house,” he came across a

Tudor Revival at 39 W. Windsor that was, as David puts it, “covered with cats-claw vines so thick that I couldn’t see the win-dows,” but the house definitely spoke to him. In fact, David was so taken by the old Tudor Revival that he purchased it on sight after walking through it on his first visit.

Fast forward 27 years; the home now re-flects all of the love and care that David has put into it. The vines have been removed as were two decorative citrus trees that had been planted too close to the house and threatened the foundation. David installed en-ergy efficient windows that were made to replicate the original leaded glass crank outs that had been glued shut by many layers of paint.

In 2009, David married his longtime friend, Debbie, and to-gether they worked toward mak-ing the front yard of the home a more welcoming environment. The front yard now includes a tumbled stone walkway that that leads to an entertainment area complete with comfortable seat-ing and a fire pit. Lush green grass

and pots filled with colorful flowers add a cozy feel to the home. The barn red paint of the exterior of the house was replaced with a buttercream yellow which makes it look bright and happy. “The house just feels cheerful. It’s a wonderful place to come home to each night,” says Debbie.

Since the house has no garage (the garage was converted to what is now the owner’s bedroom), David designed a for-mal parking area by having a wall built to make the backyard private and added dou-ble iron gates to create a designated park-ing area. “To date, my biggest challenge has been trying to find plants that will sus-tain the heat of the summer months as well as the freezing temps of the some winter

nights” says David. With the recent “four night freeze” that we experienced here in Phoenix, David has lost over half of his plants in both his backyard and front land-scape planters.

David’s wife Debbie says that she ap-preciates David’s attention to detail. After all, it is David that ensures that the front pots are replenished with fresh annuals each spring and has no problem with re-placing a shrub or vine if it doesn’t “feel right.” David simply moves plants until he finds the right spot for them; sometimes two or three times.

“It is not unusual for me to find David pulling weeds each and every morning, sometimes just as the sun is coming up!

He just thoroughly enjoys working out in the yard. In fact, he has been quite suc-cessful in making a complete hobby out of something that most people would consider work…..until summer that is and we all know that that is a whole different story!”

Thank you Debbie and David for making Willo more beautiful with your hard work and TLC. Many thanks to our generous sponsor Southwest Gardener, the Youngs will re-ceive a $25 gift certificate in their fun store at 2809 W. 19th Avenue (Southwest corner at Thomas Avenue).

Poring Love into a Tudor

Windsorby Mara Reynolds (Palm Lane)


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All figures as of 03/15/2013. Information provided by Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service and is listed by individual

brokers. For more information, please contact the listing agent, one of our advertising realtors or your real estate professional.

sold or pending status price

318 W. Vernon SOLD $240,000 509 W. Palm SOLD $317,000329 W. Holly SOLD $382,00076 W. Virginia SOLD $460,00038 W. Edgemont PENDING $180,000114 W. Windsor PENDING $240,000345 W. Lewis PENDING $259,000313 W. Lewis PENDING $287,500127 W. Granada PENDING $295,000325 W. Coronado PENDING $299,90025 W. Wilshire PENDING $299,900321 W. Encanto PENDING $359,000136 W. Coronado PENDING $359,900317 W. Vernon PENDING $399,000533 W. Palm PENDING $399,90045 W. Vernon PENDING $499,50038 W. Vernon PENDING $549,000

for sale in Willo status price

541 W. Edgemont ACTIVE $199,90048 W. Lewis ACTIVE $250,000337 W. Wilshire ACTIVE $292,000330 W. Monte Vista ACTIVE $325,000505 W. Lewis ACTIVE $345,000529 W. Monte Vista ACTIVE $364,900542 W. Encanto ACTIVE $370,000511 W. Edgemont ACTIVE $379,000515 W. Coronado ACTIVE $465,000522 W. Monte Vista ACTIVE $510,000108 W. Granada ACTIVE $539,90038 W. Vernon ACTIVE $549,000

Real estate information provided by Brad Brauer, HomeSmart Elite Group.

i n s i d e w i l l oneighborhood

h o M e l i s t i n g s

hoMe sAles

sold!

sold!



r o o f r at p r e v e n t i o n

roof rAt preVeNtioN

Living in a historic neighborhood has it charms. Willo homes possess years of wonderful history, but also can come with years of un-

wanted residents-rats.Here are some tips to help Willo com-

bat the issue of roof rat infestation, be-cause if your neighbors have them, chanc-es are good that you will get them too. It takes a neighborhood team effort to ad-dress this growing problem.

Get rid of the roof rats’ food supply by harvesting citrus and other fruit● Promptly and completely pick all fruit (ripe or not) on citrus and other fruit trees, and pick up fallen fruit. We have found that fruit trees having the most roof rat activity are those that are touching other trees, houses, fences or power lines. You don’t need to remove fruit trees from your yards, just stay on top of picking and dis-posing of the fruit. We suggest that you consider donating excess fruit to a local food bank.

Manicure your landscape● A clean yard is a deterrent.● Rake under your trees and shrubbery. Prune fruit trees so the ground beneath

is open and visible. Thick ground covers should be thinned. ● Keep your palm trees trimmed. Roof rats nest in the skirts of old fronds, as well as in piles of debris and hollow trees.● Thin out bushes until you can see day-light through them. Oleanders are par-ticularly prone to harbor roof rats in the summer. Thin bougainvilleas, too.

don’t unknowingly feed the roof rats● Roof rats will eat ANYTHING to survive -- this includes pet food and garbage. Don’t leave pet food out, especially overnight. Pick up dog feces.● Store bulk foods in sealed, rat-proof con-tainers.● Keep garbage containers tightly covered.Strategically place snap traps and bait sta-tions.● To prevent rats from entering your prop-erty, or to eliminate rats that have already

entered your property, set snap traps in your laundry room and garden shed – bait with creamy peanut butter. Bait lightly so the rat will have to work hard to get it off which will ensure that the trap will trip. Place traps well away from pets and small children. Ensure your home is properly sealed so the poisoned rat doesn’t enter the house and die, creating a bad odor which may be hard to remove.● Screen all roof air vents and pipes. Even small vents —rats and mice can access those areas.

What doesn't work● Rats quickly learn safe travel routes through yards to avoid dogs. Cats will kill dispersing juvenile rats, but are rarely able to handle an adult roof rat.● There is no evidence that ultrasonic and electromagnetic devices drive rodents away. However, there is evidence that they can cause hearing loss in pets, especially dogs.

For many years David Ramos, the owner of House Doctor Exterminating, has been serv-ing Willo for termites and pest control. In addi-tion his company has a "Preventative Rodent Control Program” and offers Willo residents a free termite inspection and/or rodent inspec-tion, and services at a discount rate. They are a family business and guarantee services. Please contact them with any questions (602) 993-1800 or [email protected].

Prevent Rats in Your

House & Our Neighborhood

Documents

i n s i d e w i l l o€¦ · Inside Willo newsletter This free newsletter is published monthly (excluding July & August) by a committee headed by Willo volunteers. Willo neighbors