July 4 Parade

Just wanted to send out an update on Friday’s parade:

Weather.com is calling for 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms on Friday. The parade will be cancelled if there is heavy rain/lightning at start time. Parade start location is at the Barton Hills Market. Gather starting at 8:30 for a 9 am start time.

We will have access to the school restrooms this year-which is fabulous news-so a big thank you to Barton Hills Elementary for sharing their building with us. Please keep it as clean and neat as possible, as one of the school custodians will be spending her July 4th with us and we don’t want to overburden her.

I believe we might have a wonderful singer for our National Anthem but I don’t want to announce it until I have confirmed with her. It will be terrific for us if she says yes.

I am also happy to announce that we will have special guests joining us on Friday morning: the staff of the Barton Hills Mobil will be taking part in the parade and picnic so please come and say goodbye to our good friends!

In addition to all the watermelon, cookies and brownies we will be offering, Jim-Jim’s will be back with his delicious fruit ices so bring some cash for a tasty treat! We will have Run-Tex water jugs again this year but feel free to bring your own reusable water bottle as well. Let’s try to cut down on waste as much as possible.

At the picnic, we will be welcoming local non-profits including Animal Trustees of Austin and Care Communities. And as he did last year, Travis County Constable Richard McCain will be offering Child ID packets.

Finally, please remember to bring non-perishable food to donate to the Capital Area Food Bank. What better way to honor our country’s birthday than to help the less fortunate right here in our own community? And if any of you can help take the food boxes to the food pantry, even better.

Thanks to all the volunteers who have been working hard behind the scenes. Your neighborhood appreciates you very much!!

Kimberly White Erlinger
VP, Barton Hills Neighborhood Association

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

As promised, I am back to ask/pester/beg for your help with our July 4th parade!

Even if you will be out of town that day, we can use your help. It is such a fun day and if you can’t volunteer, please make sure you decorate your bikes, your kids’ bikes, your dog, your hamster, whatever you feel like showing off!

To make it easy, I am going to list what we need specific help with-we appreciate anything you can do to make this a great parade!

Thanks so much!

1. A terrific (or at least enthusiastic) singer(s) to sing the National Anthem at the school. We’ll have an a/v system for you.

2. People who can definitely bring a watermelon and/or 1-2 dozen cookies. (Yes, they can be store-bought. )

3. 3-4 people who can be judges for the parade decorations and/or games. We have one judge already.

4. Someone to buy and fill up balloons for the water balloon toss game. (And be a judge, if you can!)

5. 2-3 people to show up to the BH park around 8 am to help tie balloons around the park. We already have some neighbors committed to this but I know they would appreciate your help!

6. Someone to buy, fill and set up pinatas and bring bats or sticks (one pinatas for little kids, one for bigger kids) and monitor the pinata-smashing.

7. As many people as possible to help clean up the playground after the picnic.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Please forward this to neighbors who might not be on the list–

Kimber

Kimberly White Erlinger
VP, Barton Hills Neighborhood Association
Group Moderator

Hello Barton Hills neighbors,

It’s time for THE Austin Parade!!!

Okay, everyone please hold strong thoughts for clear blue Texas skies!

The parade WILL GO ON, unless there is a “downpour of rain” at parade start. We’ve only been rained out once (?), and last year the rain waited until after our celebration. I’m sure there’s no way it will “rain on our parade” on this special fun day!

Here’s the plan:
EVERYONE who can HELP…PLEASE drop by the playground between 7:30 and 8:00 to help set up tables, blow up balloons and decorate the playground…it’s a fun and a brief task when everyone pitches in! You’ll be finished in time for the parade!

Art Stone is icing down the melons…if you need to contact him, dial 461-7960, and Lisa Fehrenkamp will need help cutting and setting out watermelons, she can be reached at 444-3211 and lisafehrenkamp@yahoo.com.

Cookies, brownies and watermelons…oh, my! MANY THANKS to all the individuals who have volunteered to bring cookies & brownies…and watermelons! It will be worth the parade just to enjoy all the fresh-baked goodies & tasty sweet watermelons after our march! If you’ve not already made arrangements with Lisa, please bring your sweets to the playground before the parade.

WATER
Many thanks to RunTex for providing ‘worry-free’ iced water! It’s through their contribution we’ll have plenty of water this year! And for four-legged critters too—look for several dog bowls for the pups!

PARADE MARCH
In addition to the 2 previous email blasts sent with parade updates, the parade line up will again feature the flags and color guards of our local scout troops: 11, 14 and 17. Please welcome these scouts and give them our support! ALSO, if you know scout troops and individuals who would like to participate, invite them, and please forward this email to them.

Following the scouts we’ll have the sound truck and PA system playing all things John Phillip Sousa, driven again by long-time Barton Hills resident, Art Stone.

Besides all the wonderful vintage vehicles, which have become a part of our parade, along with decorated people, pets and paraphernalia, we’re also fortunate to have talented neighbor and songwriter, Sarah Hickman, who will be singing from atop the Daemmrich float, where neighbors are invited to write their fond recollections of Barton Hills on one side of the billboard, and patriotic remembrances of the U.S.A. on the other. We anticipate sending these paper scrolls, along with BHNA parade photos, to our service men & women overseas.

Also, the firemen of Station #11 have been invited to the ceremonies, and park their fire truck along the curb at the playground for all to enjoy, if for a brief time. Please welcome them and offer some refreshments!

And just a reminder, Jim-Jim’s Water Ice is again planning to set up at the playground, so bring your wallet!

PARADE FLOATS
If anyone is planning to drive a vehicle in the parade and haven’t told me, please let me know, as I’m finalizing the line-up today! Yes, there really is an order to the march!

SPONSORS
Again, our thanks go to our sponsors for their support of Barton Hills! Without their financial support we would have to take money from our neighborhood fund to pay for this annual event, and we would not be able to provide the ‘little things’ that make our parade special. Please personally thank: RunTex, La Feria Restaurant, Wells Fargo Bank, Barton Hills Market and Rockin’ Tomato for their contributions!

Thanks, Barton Hills, for your support and enthusiasm for this fun annual event! If you’re not already involved in the PARADE ACTION…WHAT are you waiting for?!?

Questions? Please call (leave msg) or write me!

SEE YOU TOMORROW MORNING!!
Now, let’s see…what patriotic HAT to wear tomorrow!?

Kay Killen
bhnaparade2007@yahoo.com
Parade Coordinator
512-447-4287