Eagle Eyes (Forest Hills Grid 18)

January, 2011

                                                         Happy New Year!!    

2010 brought a lot of activity to our community: two TPD officers were killed in the line of duty; an election brought about a major change in the political circuit; budget cuts to city/county/state services, which resulted in things like having to pay a fee to use Del Rio Pool (previously free); a rash of burglaries around Christmass that affected our grid as well as citywide; some streets displayed luminaries on Christmass Eve, and it surely looked pretty (a lot of neighbors became re-acquainted with each other that night, too).     

If the November election taught us nothing else, it taught us that every vote matters; change can be accomplished by casting your ballot and by getting involved. And you will have another opportunity to help guide the future of our community in March, with the city-wide election for city council seats as well as for a new mayor. Our district (District 7) has been represented in recent years by councilmen who live in New Tampa, and it seems as though the Forest Hills area has not been the recipient of the attention that we need as an older neighborhood, because that attention went to New Tampa. So please evaluate each candidate carefully before casting your vote. Needless to say – please vote.

Our next NHW meeting will take place @ 7pm Thursday, January 27^th in Larrick Hall at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church. District 7 candidates for city council have been invited to attend. Please bring any items of concern or questions you may have with you to this meeting, as we will have an open forum for discussion. Please also bring a guest – all are welcome. Our neighboring  grid to the north of Linebaugh (Grid 10) has been invited to attend, as well. After all, we are all the same neighborhood with the same issues.

Please remember to help keep our neighborhood clean and free of litter, especially on Ola near the high school. A lot of folks whose yards back up to Ola have privacy fences to muffle the noise of school activities, but which also blocks their view of the activity on Ola – and they don’t always remember to check for litter. Also, often times large objects are simply dumped along  the side of Ola. Why do people just dump old mattresses in the parkway along Ola? Well, they figure if we don’t care how our neighborhood looks, we probably won’t mind – because if we cared about the appearance of our neighborhood, the parkway wouldn’t be overgrown to the point that it catches and holds litter. It’s kind of a vicious cycle, eh? Ola is the first impression folks have of our neighborhood when they drive through, or when they attend an event at Chamberlain; let’s not have it make a bad one, or invite the criminal element to pay us a visit – OR invite the politicians to throw in a poorly planned homeless shelter or drug rehab center into our midst.

S.W.E.E.P. will come through Forest Hills the week of January 17^th through 21^st. For a list of items permitted to be placed at curbside for the SWEEP pick-up, please consult the city web site @ www.TampaGov.net. You might even consider organizing a block wide yard sale the weekend before the pick-up, or a block-wide clean-up for branches, old landscape timbers, etc,  to be carried to the curb without having to be bundled (this is your once-a-year-get-out-of-bundling-free card!!).

Here’s hoping that your new year is already off to a great start.

See you on the sidewalk . . .

                                                        SAFETY TIPS

*** KNOW HOW TO CONTACT YOUR NEIGHBORS – THEN DO IT. *** 

* Keep shrubbery trimmed so that security lighting will illuminate your yard and house.

* Do not allow accumulations on your property. If you have health issues & need assistance maintaining your yard, please speak to your block leader - - he/she may be able to find someone to help you. Many neighbors would be happy to occasionally lend a hand. In addition to not looking attractive, studies have shown that a neighborhood which is not maintained neatly will attract the criminal element.

* Please help keep the common areas free of litter and overgrowth – especially along the main arteries into the neighborhood (Floriland/Patbur/Ola/Linebaugh/Tampa/Hamiller)

* Keep your house & property well lighted. Criminals work best under the cover of darkness.

* Do not leave entry ways to your house/garage unlocked while working in the yard, especially if you are unable to monitor them. Keep vehicles locked & windows up, with all valuables out of sight (including loose change).

* Walk or look outside every so often to see what may be going on. If you see anything or anyone suspicious, report it to the police. Let them check it out so that you or your neighbors don’t become the victims of a crime. Remember, if it doesn’t feel right - - - - it probably isn’t. Criminals tend to not hang around if they think they might be seen.