As I write this article the King William Fair is looming large, but by the time you read this, it will have come and gone. For most of us the Fair is a really big, but short-lived event: Thursday parking restrictions followed by Friday closing of the Fair Zone and set up, and then the Saturday main event. When we wake up Sunday, it has mostly disappeared, save for some confetti, temporary street markings, and equipment waiting to be picked up.
I feel slightly entitled to use the subtitle above as I have actually lived in Kansas. Of course I don’t remember much about it since I was a toddler at the time. We moved to Topeka, Kansas for just 11 months in 1968 prior to an overseas assignment for my dad to Germany. I’m sure at that point, with a 2, 4 and 5 year old, moving around the world was an incredible, yet probably difficult, change for my family.
Change continues to occur in the King William Association, which is nothing new, but as mentioned in my last column I want to keep you informed about what goes on behind the scenes. While everyone may know our organization is a nonprofit, not everyone may understand all that the designation implies. Besides using our revenue to further our purposes as stated in the KWA charter, there are other operational and organizational requirements for nonprofits. Starting with our immediate Past President Michael Guarino, and thanks to increased revenue from the Fair, we have begun the process of ensuring the KWA meets all the requirements necessary to maintain our nonprofit status while continuing our everyday work. These efforts include the following:
There are many things I enjoy about our neighborhood, but one of my favorites is the abundance of nature and wildlife that surround us in this urban environment. "A river runs through it" is not only a famous novella and movie, but a simple fact of life in King William. The river is the habitat necessary to maintain the diversity of birds and wildlife around us, and SARA is doing a fabulous job at ecosystem restoration along the Mission Reach.
2013 is here! I’ve always been mystified by the notion of an unlucky “13.” Even Wikipedia doesn’t have a solid answer as to its origins. But indeed it’s pervasive in our culture, and even the hospital where I perform surgery has over 20 operating rooms but none labeled 13. Interestingly, in other countries like Italy and China, 13 is considered a lucky number. Numerous successful sports figures have worn the number 13 and had good seasons while doing so. In the end, I’m not a big believer in luck anyway, but rather in the concept of making your own luck through hard work and effort.
In this first edition of the 2013 newsletter, I’d like to share a list of some of the things the King William Association Board of Directors and staff have been addressing. I chose 7 to highlight just because it’s lucky!
In my initial column I introduced myself and described why I got involved in the King William Association and encouraged you to join us. In this column, I am asking you to consider doing even more than just joining the KWA. We need active, engaged and energetic members to do the work of this organization. We’re looking for you!
