El Dorado Park West Neighborhood Association

MAY NEWSETTER

Apr 20, 2000

El Dorado Realty, Inc.
NEIGHBORHOOD VOICE
Vol. VIII, Issue V Prepared by Ron Beeler
May 2000

Well, we made it through another big storm, and I am not talking about the Stock Market. I?’m referring to the Tornado, or Micro Burst, we experienced in April out in the North Long Beach/Paramount neighborhoods. It sure seems like our weather styles are changing. It is no wonder so few people buy Earthquake insurance, a recent article in the Press Telegram indicated that 80% of Californians don?’t have earthquake coverage. I guess I?’m a throwback, I still equate California as earthquake country and pay my yearly premium of $399 to cover our building replacement and limited personal property loss. By the way, one of the important details in any home sale, in California, is the need to verify that the water heater has been strapped to the structure to prevent dislodgment in the event of earthquake. We aren?’t mandated to have earthquake insurance, but we must strap our water heaters, go figure? In the meantime, I am required to have Flood Insurance, at least till next year, to protect us from a threat I find impossible to believe will ever happen, cost $281. this policy cost is higher if you didn?’t get into the program when it was first mandated.

The earthquake coverage is getting harder and harder to swallow, with all the disclaimers attached. By the time you get through the deductibles and then the transfer of responsibility from your Insurer to the California Earthquake Authority, one wonders if it is worth having?

You might have guessed, I have had calls lately asking for advice on purchasing earthquake coverage, all I can say is it is strictly a personal choice, you roll the dice or you don?’t. It seems like it ought to be an easier decision, but I guess the need for insurance of any kind, when not mandated, will always be a personal matter.

We, the El Dorado Park West Neighborhood Association, now have a web site. The City has sanctioned involvement with a nationwide service called Neighborhood Link, and as part of this link we have been provided a web site displaying the description of our loose organization, its background and location, links to the City and our schools, upcoming events calendar and a place for this newsletter to be published. I hope you will visit the site and call me if you can suggest other features that would improve the site.

www.neighborhoodlink.com/longbeach/edpwna

Again, try to visit the site before the next meeting, I would greatly appreciate your inputs in person. We will be having a guest speaker from the City of Long Beach at our next meeting. Lisa Harris, Recycling Specialist with Internal Resources, will speak on the advantages of composting and help available through the city. Please come and bring your questions, I also hope to have some of our Landscaping friends address related issues.


El Dorado Park West Neighborhood Association
Meeting
May 3, 2000
7:00 PM
Helen Keller School Auditorium
Karen Ave. at Brittain St.


With the development of the Internet we are seeing many new ways of doing business, in the not to distant future I plan to change the way I distribute this newsletter. I currently have Carl Powell, my loyal associate, hand delivery it to 1,700 homes in the neighborhood, plus I mail it to another 100 friends and clients outside the neighborhood as well as publishing it on my web site (ronbeeler.com) and now the Neighborhood Link site.

I know that some out there may never use the Internet, so I am going to put together a mailing list of those folks wanting to receive a hard copy of the newsletter, either by hand delivery or postage. Please drop me a note;

Ron Beeler
7109 Rosebay St.
Long Beach, CA 90808,

or give me a call at 429-0686.

This changeover is not eminent, I am still struggling to get my web site functioning properly and until I feel really good about it, I will continue the current mode of operation.

By the way, I am looking for some assistance in this regard, if you know of someone, be it a student, amateur Web-master, or professional, that would be willing to suffer my ignorance, please have them give me a call. I am not looking for free service I just need some hands on help, simpleminded direction and device for creation and maintenance of my web site. I don?’t think I am dumb, its just that there's is so much out there to take advantage of these days and I don?’t want to be left out just because it?’s all so strange and fast changing. I have more than enough to do just helping my clients with the buying and selling of homes in this fast paced market.

FREE PROPERTY EVALUATION
NO STRINGS ATTACHED!
 Current comparable sales
 Evaluation compares the features of your home to recent homes sold.
 Realistic Market Value
 Realistic Sales Cost Analysis
Ron Beeler
429-0686


FROM OUR COUNCILWOMAN

?“Not too many years ago, the majority of the seniors living in Long Beach lived near downtown. How times have changed! Our seniors (those over 60) are now scattered all over our city and those living downtown represent only a very small portion of all the seniors in Long Beach. One of the areas that have seen a large increase in the growth of seniors in the past two decades is our own 5th District. Many of those who are now seniors have lived in the 5th District since the 1950?’s when they purchased their homes. Now when they want senior Services they want them in their own backyard, and so do I.?”

?“ One of the wonderful opportunities our seniors now have is to let the Department of Parks, recreation and Marine, who oversees all City senior programs, know what kinds of services and activities they would like in the District and at the El Dorado Community Center in particular. This department is currently formulating a ?‘Strategic Plan?’ which will set its objectives and goals for the next decade. Don?’t be shy. Let them know what you want. Send your thoughts to Phil Hester, Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine, 2760 Studebaker Road, Long Beach, CA 90808. He will submit your comments and thoughts to the planning committee for their review and possible inclusion in the strategic plan.?”

?“One of the services by the City of Long Beach is the Senior Services Mobile Unit. This mobile unit visits the El Dorado Community Center once a month. For instance, this month it will be at the Center on Tuesday May 23, from 9;00 a.m. to 11;30 a.m. This free service provides comprehensive assessments for seniors 60 years and older who are in need of Social Services to improve or maintain their quality of life. The mobile van is equipped to assist with the following:
1. Case management and job referral
2. Medicare/Medi-Cal Assistance
3. Mediation/Legal Aid
4. Friendly telephone reassurance
5. Homemaker-Linkages
6. Nutrition referral & Respite registry
7. Renters Credit Assistance
8. Health Care Screenings featuring preventive health counseling, nutrition counseling, blood pressure, hemoccult, and diabetic screening.?”

?“This is just one of the many services that seniors can use at our local community center. For information on other services and programs, please call Crissy Marshall at the El Dorado Community Center at 570-3228 and she will happily assist you.?”

City Councilwoman, 5th District
Jackie Kell

At the last Police Advisory Committee Meeting I listened with interest as we were told that if we experienced any harassment on the part of people painting curbside address numbers in front of our homes, to not hesitate to dial 911 and ask complain to our Police Department. Several incidents have occurred where neighbors were coerced into paying for this service even though it wasn?’t necessary. the city does provide licenses to organizations wanting to do this type work, they do not sanction or oversee the work. The curbside numbers are valuable in identifying our home in time of emergency, but you are under no obligation to have someone paint our address on the curb. I particularly like to see these numbers, they are a convenient way of locating a specific address, but I take great offense when someone performs the work without first asking for my permission and then has the gall to demand payment. The best way to stop this practice is to report offenders, and don?’t succumb to their tactics.

I have been asked, occasionally, for ?“Crime Stats?” for our neighborhood. My response is usually, ?“we don?’t have no stinking crime?”, but I realize this is a bona fide question and one that deserves a proper answer. This information is available at the Library and is updated on a monthly basis. I won?’t take up the space here to report on the non existence of crime in our neighborhood, suffice it to say you can verify my statement by stopping by the Main Library, downtown, and viewing the reports for yourself.

I had a request recently to join forces in sponsoring/advertising a Rummage Sale for charitable purpose in our neighborhood, unfortunately I lost track of the parties name that called and the contact point I was supposed to touch base with. If its not too late, please give me a second chance, I will be glad to help.

I also received the following solicitation from one of our neighbors, who I supported in her efforts last year, and I thought others might like to hear about her goal for this year.

?“I am walking in the Avon Breast Cancer 3 Day again this year. It was such a wonderful and moving experience (last year) that I just had to return and walk again. My first goal is to at least double my pledge total from last year. with your help I can do that and more...?”

?“The weekend of October 27th will be the walk from Santa Barbara to Malibu with more than 2,000 other courageous people to raise money for breast cancer and other diseases that affect women. The net proceeds from the event will support non profit breast cancer health programs in every region of the country, and cutting edge medical research on breast cancer.?”

?“I?’ve agreed to raise $1,800 in pledges before August 2000! I raised $2,500 last year last year and as I stated earlier...I am aiming higher this year and with the help of everyone I know will be successful...This is a great challenge...to you and to me! I need your help... Would you please consider making a fully tax deductible pledge to help me meet my goal by August 2000. Please keep in mind how far I will be walking and how hard I?’ll have to train for the Avon 3-Day between now and October. Breast Cancer is the leading cause in death in women between the ages of 40 and 55. That's why I am walking so far. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Melanie Dingle
3903 Lees Avenue

I will be happy to provide Pledge forms, call me.
Ron at 429-0686
No information currently available.