Eagle Eyes (Forest Hills Grid 18)

July 2012

True to form, the bored teenagers have been hitting the local schools and vandalizing. According to what I have been able to find out, 5 juveniles so far have been caught in the middle of the night at Forest Hills Elementary (the construction going on there may be an attraction). And the alarms continue to go off at Chamberlain on a regular basis. It’s a mystery as to how parents can allow their kids to wander at all hours of the day and night. It isn’t safe for the kids – not only for their personal safety but to keep them on the straight and narrow.

Speeding continues to be an issue throughout this area. I am disappointed to observe how many speeders are our neighbors . . . residents of this neighborhood. If you were to hit a child or someone’s beloved pet . . . well, in addition to a life having been lost and a grieving family, you have to live with what you did for the rest of your life -- and that won’t be easy. Please consider these factors and slow down to the speed limit . . . it exists for a reason.

Has anybody been having problems with their mail having been rifled through? A mailman over in Sulphur Springs was robbed of mail while delivering the mail a couple of months ago; I am constantly finding my mailbox door hanging wide open (I know it’s done on purpose because the door is magnetized) . . . the economy is bad, and anything can happen. Please keep a watch out for ANY suspicious autos or people cruising the neighborhood – and report them as such ASAP. We can’t be too careful; anybody who is here is good faith won’t mind TPD checking them out, and will probably be impressed that we have neighbors who watch out for each other. Anybody that gets upset over being questioned by TPD probably has an ulterior motive. Follow your gut instinct.

Mobile Patrol reports that the biggest suggestion they have is to keep litter picked up and clutter at bay, and to increase lighting to the outside perimeter of your houses. Parking in a well lighted area is safest, and the police recommend also utilizing a steering wheel locking device such as The Club. The litter is a problem mostly on the streets that are the entryway to our neighborhood – mainly Ola, and mainly near the stadium, although not on the stadium side of the street. Litter catches in the high grass/weeds, and tends to multiply – so please keep the weeds/grass mowed along the easement. Between Floriland and Linebaugh has gotten bad about litter recently, also. It’s OUR neighborhood, and we’re ALL responsible for keeping it clean. We recommend keeping your plants & trees trimmed so criminals can’t hide or sneak up on you so easily.

We managed to escape serious harm from a tropical storm already this first month of the 2012 hurricane season. What might happen if we get a serious storm and take a hit? Are you prepared? Do you have evacuation plans in place? Emergency survival plans? First aid kit stocked and stored for easy access, to weather the waters? Keeping your vehicles fully gassed up in case the power goes out for extended periods when the gas pumps won’t operate? Spare tarps? Spare plywood for covering windows . . . or holes where the windows used to be? Plenty of propane for the grill? (I can tell you from experience – nobody is in a good mood when the power is out and there’s no coffee to be had!! But a percolator that can be used over a campfire/grill can be a lifesaver IF you have the propane.)

There are many sites for hurricane preparedness on the web to browse thru, but to get you started here is one:  http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2012/reports/hurricane-guide/

Additionally -- we all need to be able to contact one another to help our neighbors, so please be sure to get contact info to your block leader for in case of an emergency. If you have walkie talkies that can be utilized in a disaster, let us know that as well, so that we can set up a communication line. If you have a special needs member of your household (especially someone who might be on dialysis or oxygen), be sure to register with the city through the appropriate agencies as well as let your NHW team know.  We are not part of a homeowner association, so the only way for us to contact you with assistance and information is if you VOLUNTEER your name & contact information to Neighborhood Watch. We can’t just go through the phonebook and look up your number to call you and tell you the coffee's ready.

Remember to add our Facebook page to your friends list. Sometimes that is the fastest way to get the word spread for safety.

Our next NHW meeting is July 26^th at 7pm, at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church. It will be a joint meeting with the folks from the north side of Linebaugh, in Grid 10. Bring a few friends and see how many folks you already know, but didn’t know they live so close to you!

The new principal for Forest Hills Elementary will be announced July 17^th. Mrs. Thrower is retiring after 33 years with Hillsborough County, the last 15 years as principal here at Forest Hills.

We are already working toward a partnership between the community and the schools becoming re-ignited. The schools are the bane of our communities, and we need to help each other out as much as possible.

Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July! Remember to fly our nation's flag proudly.

See you on the sidewalk . . . watching the fireworks displays . . .