Upcoming Changes To Bylaws & Community Rules

The BLCA Board completed the first round of revisions to the Bylaws and Community Rules and presented the proposed changes to BLCA members at the Fall General Meeting on October 24, 2016. The Bylaws were outdated and require revisions and additional information for the current and future Boards of Officers to be able to operate more efficiently and in the best interests of Boulevard Lane residents and BLCA members.

We will have a formal vote of members regarding the new Bylaws at the Spring 2017 General Meeting. Proposed changes are being made available to BLCA members now, in preparation of the vote. Please review at the Boulevard Lane website.

2017 Membership Dues

With the New Year comes a new dues season. Boulevard Lane Community Association's annual year begins on April 1st every year and that is when annual membership payments are due. We will start billing for this round of membership the beginning of February.

What does my membership fee do? It provides for things like our beauty bark delivery/subsidy, dumpster day, the BLCA Crier newsletter, events such as our annual Easter Egg Hunt, community Garage Sale advertisement, and most importantly our entryway maintenance. Our entryway is the front door to our community—it being maintained is important for the resale value of our homes, as well as making our neighborhood appealing to renters and welcoming to our visitors.

Please consider making a donation above and beyond your $30 dues to help support the ongoing events in our community. We appreciate your community support and involvement. We look forward to seeing you at our next neighborhood event or general meeting!
Greta Nelson, President

We Need Your Help!

The Boulevard Lane Community Association is IN DESPERATE NEED OF VOLUNTEERS. Please do your part to help keep our association operating for the benefit of our entire neighborhood. The work handled by BLCA volunteers benefits everyone that lives in Boulevard Lane, and also those that visit. If no NEW / FORMER volunteers step up to help soon, the current Board (or what is left of the Board as Board Members step down) will need to begin some sort of process of dismantling operations. We face an unfortunate reality that many neighborhood favorites may no longer occur due to lack of volunteers—events such as the annual Easter Egg Hunt, the National Night Out BBQ, Dumpster Day (subsidized dumpster conveniently located IN our neighborhood for a day), Bark Day (subsidized bark delivery), and more. We welcome all thoughts, suggestions, creative ideas, and VOLUNTEER EFFORT. Please contact the Board for more information.



OPEN POSITIONS:

VP OF MEMBERSHIP: Organizes the annual membership drive for the BLCA. Work will begin in January 2017 for the next membership drive.

VP OF COMMUNICATIONS: This position is currently being developed (official title may change) and will be created to handle communication tasks for the BLCA such as publication of the Crier, Constant Contact, website updates, Facebook posts, etc.

TREASURER: **URGENT NEED** Must be good with numbers and have basic accounting and spreadsheet skills.

If you live in Boulevard Lane and you are willing to volunteer your time for the benefit of OUR COMMUNITY— please contact the BLCA Board for more information.

info@boulevardlane.org

Greta Nelson, BLCA President

BLCA Membership

Thank you to the many neighbors who have joined the Boulevard Lane Community Association for 2016. BLCA dues help to pay for many things, including the following:

•  BLCA Membership Drive (every year)
•  BLCA operational costs (office supplies, postage, etc.)
•  BLCA website: BoulevardLane.org
•  Inspection & maintenance of entrance & signs
•  Inspection & maintenance of plum trees (arborist)
•  Boulevard Lane Crier newsletter
•  Spring General Meeting (every year, end of March)
•  Annual Easter Egg Hunt (every year)
•  Bark Day (every other year, next will be in Spring 2018)
•  Annual Garage Sale (every year, first weekend in June)
•  Dumpster Day (every other year, next will be in 2017)
•  National Night Out (every year, in August)
•  Fall General Meeting (every year, end of October)
•  Holiday Light Walk (every year)

The benefits provided by the association benefit the entire neighborhood. Your membership each year is important and appreciated.

Why I volunteer my time for the benefit of Boulevard Lane residents…

Growing up, I spent sunny afternoons riding my bike around the block for the umpteenth time, swinging on our play set in the backyard, and I participated in a coordinated effort to pick the grumpy old neighbor’s award-winning tulips (to bring them home to mom). We walked or biked to school. Most of our neighborhood knew each other by name. When I "borrowed" some rocks from my 1st Grade Teacher’s flower beds (because they were white and sparkly), I was sent back to her house to return them & apologize by the neighbor that saw me do it. Every summer the neighborhood would block off the streets and throw a BBQ with fun music and games for the kids.
There is a lot to be gained by fostering a neighborhood where these types of examples of a community of people are commonplace. We can all stand to be a bit more neighborly, right? We all can stand to participate more in our community. I hope to live (and for our children to grow up) in a neighborhood that looks out for one another. Where folks know their neighbors enough to realize that the vehicle in "The Joneses" driveway seems suspicious because you know they are on vacation. You might think that it is weird that their large screen TV is being loaded up and taken away—because you saw it being delivered recently. We could very possibly be THE DIFFERENCE for each other in matters of home security and the welfare of our children and pets.

Consider volunteering with the BLCA Board for a year—the time flies by faster than you might think. If not for the Board, then become involved in your local school’s parent/teacher association. Learn more about the neighbors that moved in across the street—get to know their kids and watch out for them as they dart in the street to catch their ball that went flying by because they missed the catch. Help the BLCA Board and other event volunteers set up at the next Easter Egg Hunt, and pick up trash when you notice it littering the entrance. BONUS POINTS if you organize a mid-summer block party in your cul-de-sac and start an annual tradition. A sense of community can only exist where there is participation by most. "Many hands make light work."




Greta Nelson, BLCA President & Crier Editor

National Night Out - Tuesday, August 2nd!

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT—TUESDAY, AUGUST 2ND

Boulevard Lane is celebrating National Night Out (NNO) in our community; this will be the fourth year doing so. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods a safer, better place to live. Block parties, cookouts, parades, visits from emergency personnel, rallies and marches, exhibits, youth events, safety demonstrations and seminars are examples of events that are hosted across the nation in an effort to heighten awareness and enhance community relations. Turnout for this event has grown every year and demonstrates that it is a huge success in our neighborhood!

NNO is celebrated on the first Tuesday of August every year in a variety of ways. For our NNO event, we will grill hot dogs and have salads, chips, and dessert. You are welcome to bring whatever you’d like. We are in the process of booking special guests to attend our NNO such as our local FIRE DEPARTMENT, SHERIFF and even GUARDIAN ONE!



Come out, have fun, and meet your neighbors!


LOCATION: At or near the corner of SE 190th Place & 127th PL SE

Membership Report

 

Thank you to the 176 neighbors who have joined the Boulevard Lane Community Association for 2016. BLCA dues help to pay for many things, including the following:
 BLCA Membership Drive (every year)

 BLCA operational costs (office supplies, postage, etc.)

 BLCA website: BoulevardLane.org

 Inspection & maintenance of entrance & signs

 Inspection & maintenance of plum trees (arborist)

 Boulevard Lane Crier newsletter

 Spring General Meeting (every year, end of March)

 Annual Easter Egg Hunt (every year)

 Bark Day (every other year, next will be in Spring 2018)

 Annual Garage Sale (every year, first weekend in June)

 Dumpster Day (every other year, next will be in 2017)

 National Night Out (every year, in August)

 Fall General Meeting (every year, end of October)

 Holiday Light Walk (every year)


If you haven’t yet joined, please do (see latest Crier and the mini Membership Form on last page). The benefits provided by the association benefit the entire neighborhood. Your membership each year is important appreciated.