The sights and sounds of spring, how lovely and peaceful they are! The sunny yellow forsythia, the pale pink magnolia and cherry trees, the tiny crocus flowers peeking out of the ground and the daffodils dancing in the wind—their delicate beauty could be the composition of a watercolor painting. The sight of blue jays, cardinals and robins with their pale red breasts are a delight to see as they return to our yards for the warmer months. Their songs are a delightful symphony that only the peace and quiet of spring can bring. We long to throw open the windows and let the serenity of the season float in on a gentle breeze. How I wish that the calm and quiet of spring could last throughout the summer!
Now that we are enjoying all that spring has to offer, we must make a conscience effort to preserve the peacefulness throughout the summer months. Our windows, as well as our neighbor’s windows are open and accepting of the sounds around us. We must be careful not to invade our neighbor’s peace and quiet. Now that we are spending time in our yards, swimming in our pools and having lawn parties and barbeques, it is so easy to get caught up in having fun and forget that the sounds of fun may offend our neighbors
We live in a wonderful and quiet community- a place where we care about and respect one another. This summer let’s make a special effort to make the sounds of summer as serene as the sounds of spring. Let’s explain to our children that their screams of excitement may disturb their neighbor who is trying to read a book and relax after a hard day at work. Let’s teach our teenagers and young adults that the loud music coming from their cars is offensive as well as illegal. Let’s teach them by example. If we make a conscience effort to respect our neighbors right to peace and quiet then our children will do the same.
If you are having a problem with a neighbor that is continually noisy, you have the right to complain. New laws protect us from noise at any hour of the day. We suggest that first you speak to your neighbor about the noise because sometimes we just don’t realize that our behavior is disturbing someone. If a discussion does not solve the problem, then you should call 311 and make a noise complaint. You do not have to give your name. The 311 call center will give you a number for your complaint which you can use to check on the status of the complaint. You should call 311 each time you are disturbed by noise and keep track of the complaints so that you create a paper trail of the situation. Noise is not something you have to put up with. Take action!
Next Meeting
Our next meeting will be on April 23 at 7:30 p.m. We meet in P.S. 14’s cafetria. There is plenty of parking on Hollywood Avenue.
Senator Jeff Klein will be our guest speaker so you can be sure that this meeting will be chock full of important information. The senator will update us on the status of Westchester Square Hospital, the group home at Waterbury Estates and bus service cuts. We will also discuss graffiti, aggressive meter maids and issues regarding the Middletown Road Senior Center. Of course, we encourage you to bring your own questions for the senator.
If you have not paid your membership dues, you can do so at this meeting. We ask that you tell friends and neighbors about our association and invite them to join us on April 23.
CPR Seminar
Our June 11 meeting will be a CPR seminar given by the NYC Fire Department. You will be instructed by certified fire department personnel on how to save a life by administering CPR. Each participant will be given a free CPR kit containing a half mannequin and a video so that you can practice this life saving procedure and also teach someone else what you have learned.
If you are interested in learning CPR at our June meeting you can register with us on April 23. Remember, there are only 20 seats and they are filling up fast!
