Neighborhood Directory

Back when I moved to the neighborhood, each year or so, all dues paying members of the civic association — which was basically the whole neighborhood — received a phone book directory of everyone in the neighborhood. It included names, addresses, phone numbers and possibly how long someone has been living here. This directory dates back to the founding of the neighborhood, where updates were included in The Rancher newspaper, which was distributed monthly. I’m not sure when the last paper directory was made, but it’s been a while. 

Today, the kids probably have never seen a phone book and probably never will. So for the 21st century, I’ve built a free online directory system, that is opt-in only, which will include names, phone numbers, social media accounts, and a brief bio. It’s not 100% ready to go yet, but will be in the very near future. You can pre-register now by going to roslyncountryclub.org/directory and clicking your house, fill in the form, and you will be contacted to verify, if needed. The directory will be open to anyone who is registered and verified in the neighborhood.

This is a demo image.
When active, the orange houses will be the ones with contact information.

The hope is to have this also be a portal where people can chat and organize in a more efficient manner. Nextdoor and community group chats have their place, for sure, and social media pages are good at getting some information out to the neighborhood and facilitating some engagement, but I’m sure many miss important messages in the constant stream of discussions, while the majority are not even aware of the chats or social networks. This portal will possibly help us find those who are missing out and engage with them offline.

This portal may also help facilitate a security camera network — opt in also, with probably a small monthly fee — where those who have a compatible camera installed on their property can use it to join a decentralized RCC security camera network of other cameras in the neighborhood. This is a more complicated project, but compared to the immense costs of other proposals, I think many will find this preferable.

We live in strange times, where technology has evolved rapidly, upending our society in countless ways, while providing us with new and unique opportunities…. yet we have yet to fully use its potential.

Children at Play in the Streets for Halloween Party!

On October 30, 2022, a leaderless collective of parents came together to put on an amazing free event for the neighborhood! From getting local business to sponsor food, using past profits from the Summer Block Party on Dogleg to cover some expenses, to working to coordinate, spreading the word, decorating trunks, finding power for the sound system, they were able to bring back a bit of life to the often silence of the Shepherd Lane Park!

Small groups of people can do great things when their cause is clear and all are working towards the same ends. Collectives are an amazing organizing strategy to achieve real results. Congrats to all worked to achieve such a successful event! Inspiring!

Thank you Laura, Shervin, Munesh, and Kanika for the pictures and videos!


If you have more pictures or instagram posts you’d like added, or want to add info on who is in each picture, please post in the comments!

The Ole Halloween “destroying rampage” of 1954, and a good bit of advice…

There is no greater fun-making holiday than Hallowe’en with its colorful costumes, apple ducking parties and witchcraft spoofing. Country Club residents were delighted to see the Hallowe’en spirit so widely manifested in so many homes. Dozens of lighted pumpkins dotted the area at night providing a welcome respite to people returning home from their business problems. For this short season—Hallowe’en, Thanksgiving, Christmas—we all like to escape into a holiday world reminiscent of our own childhood.

But something is taking place now that may doom the holiday dress our community puts on. Groups of older boys, seeking an outlet for their restless energy, went on a destroying rampage. It is hard to believe that they would get a lift from smashing pumpkins . . . or from breaking street lights . . . but they did both, in considerable number. One man found his car defaced by a bottle of ink which had been spilled over it. The lantern post outside of someone else’s house was destroyed.

Is this considered fun? Did it make anyone laugh?

Many of us moved here to give our children the benefit of better living than city life offered. If we want to prevent hoodlums from gaining a foothold here, then there is only one solution—We must keep in closer touch with our children. By and large the youngsters in our community are a nice bunch of kids. There isn’t a bad apple in the lot but like all adolescents there is a tendency to run wild unless they are cautioned a bit and taught to avoid excesses. No one wants to spoil their fun but there is no reason for destroying things or hurting people. We are all kind of proud of this community of ours and we don’t want anything to happen to spoil its good name.

from The Rancher – November 1954

Danny Abby, 5½, and Joanne Dembro, 5, were two of the best dressed ragamuffins at the Halloween party given by Gladys and Milton Lansky for their children, Donnie and Steve. Although 35 children were invited, the Lanskys were lucky—only 32 came.

For Our Neighborhood