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and welcome them to the area, tell them about our neighborhood's policies, and invite them to call me or attend meetings if they were interested. Oh, and took them gifts of wine and homemade bread.

I am no longer serving on the Association's Board, except in an advisory capacity. I still read the newsletter, we initiated and I wrote for many years. I still take calls from concerned residents about problems, and refer them to the appropriate member and follow up to make sure their issue is addressed. See, I'm the old person in the neighborhood, now. Young families see me sitting on my porch, watching the park and waving to them as they take their children for strolls and let them play on the swings. They come up and visit and I tell them stories of earlier days when I was young, and the area was rundown. They take away a sense of community pride, and I smile as I watch our future leaders play and squeal, shoot hoops and practice soccer.

Crime is now negligible in the area. Visitors from other areas come to our park to play, our neighborhood to trick-or-treat, and slumlords can't afford to buy in our area, since our property values have more than tripled in the past ten years. I would say we accomplished the titular question, but you'll have to excuse me, now; I see someone in the park I need to go greet. They've been ill recently and are now able to take walks, again.

"Hi, Jessie." this author waves as he heads across the street with a smile.

Learn more about this author, Will Kester.
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