Hi.  Whether you’re having a Thanksgiving meal today or earlier this weekend, we wish you all the best.  As I write this the sun is finally coming out so maybe we can get back to autumn for a while.

While the pumpkin pie was baking today I fiddled around with an email newsletter.  We want to reach out to everyone in the community and not everyone subscribes to the site, so I thought maybe an email newsletter might reach a few more people.

We haven’t exactly figured out when we’ll send newsletters vs. e-newsletters vs. website posts, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

You can read the newsletter as it was sent out [it’s kinda neat], or check out the text below.

Happy Thanksgiving!

…

We Need To Talk

The main reason the Lakeview Community Association exists is to get residents of Lakeview connecting with each other.

Usually we do this through our recreational programs — people visit and get to know each other while their kids skate or play soccer, or while you get a water break during adult fitness classes.

These days there are a lot more ways to connect with each other via the internet.   This preseason* newsletter covers the top ways you can stay connected with your friends and neighbours through the LCA.

In Person

There’s nothing better than looking your friends in the eye and talking about how things are going in Lakeview.  We know you agree because our fall and winter registration nights are so loud!  It’s like a twice-a-year family reunion, and we love it.

There’s also a very important meeting each year called the LCA Annual General Meeting.  It’s a Really Big Deal because that’s the meeting where we set our priorities for the year. This is the meeting where, back in 2004, we decided to upgrade Kinsmen Park South or in 2005 started a high school scholarship program.

Our next AGM is Monday October 19, 2009 at 7PM at Athabasca School, in the library.  The current LCA executive has some cool ideas for the upcoming year and we’d love to get feedback on them.  We’d also like to hear about what you think needs to happen in Lakeview.

One note:  The AGM is also where we elect the executive for the coming year.  That shouldn’t scare you.  We have a healthy, happy executive and while we’d always welcome new people, we aren’t desperate for executive members this year. So please come without fear!

Paper Newsletters

We’re back in the groove of sending two paper newsletters each year.  Jessica Tiefenbach created a rocking newsletter for fall 2009 in August and is already starting on the winter newsletter which will be out in mid-December.

Our newsletter is informative, entertaining and every household in Lakeview should receive it.  It can get out of date fairly quickly though, which is why we’re trying to do more online.

Our Website…

Our new, revamped LCA website is now a year old and boy oh boy are we getting good feedback.   “Funny”, “best ever” and that type of thing.  Sure it looks nice and it’s just quirky enough to be fun, but it’s also got a metric tonne of good information.

We’re taking the approach that everything that goes on in Lakeview is worth knowing about, whether or not we run it.  Well over half of the posts are local community news, although all the good LCA stuff like program dates and meeting dates are in there.

…Delivered to Your Inbox!

Don’t you hate when your sports league or club keeps droning on and on “You gotta check the website!”   We sure do.  Who can remember all the websites you need to check?  How exactly are you supposed to know that something changed?

We figured that it’s not fair to you to make you remember to keep checking on the website for news, so we set up a handy-dandy subscription service.   Just head over to the site, check out the E-News and Updates section on the top right of every page,  enter your email address in the box and you’ll get each new article emailed to you on the day it’s posted.

We don’t post too much — maybe 1.5 posts per week at most.  So we won’t clutter things up, we promise.

FaceTweet?  TwitBook?  We’re doing that too.

We’ve done the landgrab and set up a Facebook Page and Twitter Page.  There’s still work to do to get everything tied together, but if you use either service please fan/follow us!

And if you’re a Facebook Power user, drop us a line on our fan page.  We’d love to hear from you!

Share, Share, Share!

Here’s the deal:  What we really yearn for is for people in Lakeview to know what’s going on.

You are clearly a Wonderful Person who wants to be part of the community.  That’s why you have an LCA membership and are getting this newsletter.  But we need your help because most likely, your next door neighbour isn’t in the loop.   Think of what things must be like for them.

None of us should suffer the heartbreak of missing out on spring soccer, or Irish Dancing, or the Fall Artist’s show.

Nobody should move to Hillsdale or Lakeridge or (*gasp*) Windsor Park because everyone up their knows your name and people like you there.   We like you here.  Yes we do.

So please, please,  share this information with your friends.   Forward this email. Subscribe to website updates and forward those too.   Use these little updates as conversation starters at parties or in line at Hill Avenue Drugs.  You’ll feel great and likely keep your friends living in Lakeview.  That way we all win.

Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving — Lakeview style — from your Lakeview Community Association volunteers!

*PS –  we’re calling this the ‘preseason’ newsletter because we’re experimenting with ways to reach out to our membership. So let us know what you think! When we get the kinks worked out we’ll start the ‘regular season’.

Photo by JosiahRitchie. You were expecting turkey, perhaps?