21st & Pole Ave Vacant Lot

At our last meeting we talked about the vacant lot at 21st and & Pole Ave being a great opportunity to add green space to the neighborhood. The owner of the lot owes back taxes and we discussed the possibility of asking the owner to donate the lots to the city if his taxes were forgiven. The lot is huge about 4 lots. We thought it would be a great place to have a park with basketball courts and a picnic area for our neighbors to enjoy. As many of you know the lot is overgrown and needs a lot of TLC. It's been a garbage dump for years and the grass is at least chest high. There are trees that need to be thinned out and there is plenty of poison ivy. The Carter family and I cleaned it and cut the grass last year for our pride week project. It has not been touched since.

I spoke to our Councilman today and presented the idea. He said he would talk to Sandy Prudoff and thought it was very possible to do this.

If this happens we have a commitment as a community to clean up the lots and do some fundraising to get the picnic and playground equipment. This is an election year so hopefully we can see this become a reality. I will be sending the owners name to our councilman to see what he can do.

If this becomes a reality, what a wonderful thing we can all be proud of. Our own little slice of heaven. I will keep you updated as to what I hear. Thanks to all the neighbors for having such vision.

UPDATE!
I spoke with community development and they are going to help us with this project. They have spoken to the owner of the lots. Now the owner is trying to see how much money they can make off the deal even though they have not maintained the property for over five years and we have had to look at the chest high grass and garbage. My recollection is he paid $600.00 for all 4 lots back in 1996.

What I learned is the city cannot forgive the taxes. They would have to pay the taxes and closing costs to transfer the land. Community Development said down the road we would have to create a non profit association and then the city could exempt us from taxes but this is all way down the road. We would have to maintain the land and get donations and do fundraisers to raise the money to clean it up and get the playground equipment. I was told it will not get a park designation. As more information comes in I will update.

A Really Great Lock

At our last block watch meeting, one of the neighbors told us about his break in and then proceeded to tell us about a really great lock he purchased at Lowes. The first picture shows the first great lock they thought would stop the thieves but you can see they cut through the hing itself and gained access. The lock was not cut so it did its job but the hing lost the battle.

The second picture shows the newest most effective lock. This lock is guaranteed to stop break ins and sells for about $39.99. Lets take a look at how it works.

This is the foundation of the lock. The sides of the main lock (black circle) are surrounded by these protective steel walls, the main lock slips in and cannot be harmed. A key goes in the black part and releases it. The hing is hidden below the main lock.

Each side has three large screws so its easy to install. They have no heads so there is no way to unscrew them.

a side view shows the three screws and the hing. The hole is where the black part or main lock stays on. A pin slides through which is accessed by the key.

If you have any great solutions for keeping our neighbors safe don't hesitate to share your best practices.

Block Watch Meeting

Monday July, 6, 2009
at 6:00 p.m. at 1955 Pole Ave

440-244-9449 for more information

bring a chair

We are being targeted

There have been a rash of burglaries in our neighborhood mainly the thieves are stealing from garages and sheds. One neighbor had a standard pad lock on her shed cut off and her snow blower, lawn mower, weed whacker and edger stolen. The robber then tried to sell these items to another neighbor. I was approached by a man claiming to need money for a bus ticket and he was selling a red craftsman lawn mower for $12.50. it belonged to my neighbor down the street. The thieves are targeting easy access items, lawn mowers, lawn equipment, etc. Please don't leave your garages unattended. Make sure the kids know to close the garage every single time they open it or tell you they have opened it. These are crimes of opportunity. If we present the opportunity they will take it.

Winter Brings New Challenges

Many homeowners stay indoors during the winter months and fail to walk the perimeter of their property on a regular basis to watch for vandalism or entry in to sheds and garages. It's important that we walk around the house and yard to spot anything unusual or disturbed. Snow proves to be a good indicator of unwanted visitors as their tracks are left in areas we may not walk but they did. Being aware of our surroundings is an important tool in protecting our homes. During the winter months, leaving clippings and leaves around access windows can be an easy way to hear visitors that may not be welcome. The crunching sound of the debris underfoot proves to be a inexpensive way to hear where you can't see. One of our homeowners was working late and heard two males outside her window trying to get in. She was alerted by the branches crackling under their feet. Instead of panicking, she said very loudly, lets go outside dog's and opened her front door to see the intruders running away from the house.

These trying economic times don't help. The tougher things get the more bold and blatant criminal behavior gets. Theft and robbery is a crime of opportunity. If we make sure we don't present the opportunity by closing and locking doors behind us and checking sheds and garages on a regular basis and by not leaving valuables out with the assumption, it's our property and people will respect it, we can spare ourselves the victimization.