Eagle Eyes (Forest Hills Grid 18)

July, 2009

Jun 28, 2009

HAVE AN ENJOYABLE AND SAFE FOURTH OF JULY !

If you are leaving town for a couple of weeks -- or even just a few days -- consider filling out a "TPD Vacation Watch Form" & dropping it off at District 2 headquarters (30th Street at Annie) before you leave. That lets the officers in our grid know to perhaps do an extra drive-by during their shift on your street, and in case there is a problem they know who to contact to resolve an issue, as well as who belongs in/at your house, etc. The "Vacation Watch" form is linked to this web site, for your convenience, to download and print.It isn't required, of course, but it certainly is good idea. Also be sure to either have a friend collect your newspapers & mail, or have the delivery of such held until your return.

Also consider setting timers on interior lamps to give the appearance that someone is home. If you're going to be gone more than a few days, ask a neighbor to run the lawn mower around (at least) your front yard to keep that occupied look going on, and OF COURSE let them know to keep an extra eye on your home. Maybe leave a radio on inside to sound like conversation. (Talk radio is good for SOMETHING!)

There have been a few break-ins & grand thefts in our grid this past week. It's going to get worse before it gets better, so please keep your observation skills sharp, and don't hesitate to call 231-6130 (TPD Non-Emergency #) for any suspicious persons or vehicles. Try to peek out the window from time to time to make sure there is no abnormal activity going on. Maybe spend 20 minutes or so outside puling weeds or sweeping the driveway, so that you are seen by potential bad guys, encouraging them to keep moving on.

There are more suspicious vehicle/persons calls being made within our grid to TPD recently. That's good - it lets everyone know that we are watching out for our neighbors. If there is plenty of room for a visitor to park in your driveway, but they park a few houses away and walk to your house, expect to get a knock on your door from TPD investigating a suspicious vehicle -- people are taking this stuff seriously these days. And that's a good thing.

To keep cool, check out the hours for public swim at Del Rio Pool, or Sulphur Springs Pool. The more we use the pool, the better staffed it is kept, and the better hours it is open to the public. City pool hours are linked into the "Community Links" section of this web site, as are the public library hours.

If you're holding a yard sale, put it on the community calendar. A little advance advertising never hurts, and usually helps.

Please help keep up the appearance of our neighborhood. High grass/weeds, especially along the main street right-of-way, is un-sightly and collects litter, and it has been proven that an un-kempt neighborhood attracts crime -- including more littering. Of particular concern is the right-of-way along Ola between Busch Blvd. and Linebaugh Ave. Please don't place trash out in this area unless it is scheduled for pick up within the week, except for the yearly CLEAN SWEEP campaign. Old mattresses, tree limbs and piles of old bricks won't be picked up on regular trash days; you have to arrange a special pick-up for those types of items. When these areas are behind a privacy fence -- as is the case with most of the houses that back up to Ola -- it's easy to forget to keep them in check -- "out of sight, out of mind" -- but it is important to keep tabs on them.

Last of all : only 5 more months until Christmas!!
(Seriously -- Fourth of July week the collectors ornaments are placed out for sale in the card shops; we're not as early with this warning as it seems.)