North Four Corners News ♦ December 2022

President’s Message

By Ema Perez

Hola, Neighbors.  My name is Mario Emanuel Perez, Ema for short, and I am the new NFCCA president.  It was my pleasure to serve on the Board as an at-large member last year, and I am excited to continue the good work of our past President Linda Perlman.  The collaboration between the NFCCA’s President, Board members, and the community is a big part of why the civic engagement in our neighborhood is so strong.  On that note, I would like to recognize Linda’s many years of service on behalf of the residents of NFCCA.

Let me start out by saying that I love our neighborhood.  It reminds me of the neighborhood where I grew up, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina — not in aesthetics necessarily, but in the neighborly nature of its residents, the way that I know that our neighbors are looking out for our kids, the way we bring each other food when we are not feeling well, and how we generally support each other.

A little about me.  I moved to Northwood in 2015 after living in Virginia for many years.  My wife grew up across the street in Woodmoor and attended Forest Knolls elementary school.  We have two kids, ages 5 and 2.  I enjoy riding and fixing bikes for our neighbors, and I am a member of the Northwood Bike Club that organizes the neighborhood bike rides.  I also built a miniature holiday village that I display for our neighbors in the cherry tree on my front yard.

As a parent of young children, I appreciate how difficult it is just to get through the day, but I want to encourage other people in similar stages of life to join the neighborhood association and the Board.  Our older neighbors have sustained this civic association for many years, and it is time for us younger folk to step up and do our part.  I thank Sarah Dye (Lombardy) and Jessica Boback (Edgewood), two new at-large members of the Board, for taking on leadership roles in NFCCA.

We have a lot going for us in this neighborhood:  sidewalks, Northwest Branch, a great elementary school, a beautiful park, a community pool, and (most importantly) great neighbors!  I would like to work on growing our neighborhood identity and pride, perhaps with some signage at the entrances to our neighborhood.

I want to make a pitch to please pay your $15 NFCCA dues, which can be paid online, and directly support this newsletter.  This newsletter is a great neighborhood resource, and it would be a setback if it were to go away.  As usual, this month’s newsletter features articles written by our very own neighbors, including a new column by Carlos Del Real!

I have been working hard to get more advertisers but am just getting started.  I’m also happy to report that we have three new advertisers for this issue, check them all out.  If you know anyone who would be interested in advertising in our newsletter, please have them contact Jacquie Bokow at editor at nfcca dot org.

I am looking for ways to better reach our neighbors with updates and info in-between newsletter editions.  I am aware that most of our neighbors are not on the NFCCA listserv and, to be frank, I’m still getting used to NextDoor.  To that end, if you have a text or WhatsApp group with your neighbors and would willing to be a conduit of neighborhood news to your group, please text me at [contact details redacted online].  We can give the text tree method a try.

The NFCCA 14 December in-person meeting at Forest Knolls Elementary School will be my first meeting as president and I hope to see you there.  The December meeting will also be simulcast on Zoom.

I would like to hear from you about neighborhood issues that are important to you.  Please contact me at president at nfcca dot org.  I am looking forward to a great year working together.   ■

Northwood Bike Club Ema’s Model Train