Holiday Tree Collection

The City's Department of Solid Waste Management will collect holiday trees for recycling for all Solid Waste customers from January 2 - 31, 2007. Trees should be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on residents' normal household collection day.

Trees taller than six feet should be cut in half. Residents should also remove all decorations, including tinsel, lights, garland, and ornaments, as well as stands, nails, and other hardware. Residents are also asked to not place trees in bags. Trees that have been completely sprayed with fake snow ("flocked") will not be recycled, but will be removed by the City for disposal.

Holiday trees may also be dropped off at the City's Waste Disposal & Recycling Center at 2115 East Club Boulevard, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., at no charge until January 31. Trees delivered after that date will be subject to the usual disposal fees.

Reporting A Crime

FYI, On Dec 19th a neighbor arrived home and ran in for a minute, leaving their car unlocked in their driveway. Someone went in the car and stole a pocketbook and a few other misc. items.

Please keep your cars locked, personal items inside and garage doors closed to be safe. Please report any suspicious activity to the Police and call 911 in case of an emergency!

From The Durham PD website:

Discovering a Crime - If you observe a crime in progress or discover one that was committed earlier, there are several basic things you can do to assist the Police Department.

If the crime is in progress, please call 911 and provide as much information as possible. Please give the location of the crime, type of crime, victim and suspect information, a suspect description if possible, and a vehicle description. Try to go to a safe place until officers arrive.

If the crime was committed earlier, do not disturb anything and call the police. Give the 911 telecommunicator as much information as possible and wait for the officer to arrive.

Reporting the Crime When the officer arrives, he or she will need certain information about the crime. The officer will ask what you observed and if there were other witnesses. The officer will need your name, address and telephone number. Try to remember as many details about the crime as possible and provide this information to the officer.

Durham Woman Catches Burglary Suspects in Act

Posted: Dec. 27 12:31 p.m. –WRAL.com

"Durham - A woman in North Durham may have helped solve at least half a dozen break-ins in her area after she confronted three strangers who broke into her house on Hallmark Road Wednesday.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she came home and found three men upstairs. One of them had her purse, so she confronted them.
“She said she was struck, struck by one of the intruders,” said Lt. Stanley Harris with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman followed the intruders outside, and one of the men fired a gun, deputies said. The woman was not injured.
The woman quickly dialed 911, which helped authorities catch the suspects.
During the 911 call, the woman can be heard telling the dispatcher that the suspects were driving a white Cadillac.
Minutes later, a deputy responding to the scene spotted the vehicle and pulled it over.

All three men now face multiple charges. Authorities arrested Carlos Jones, Jameel Ray and Michael Pullium. Although he was listed in court document as “Michael Pullium,” investigators said his name is actually Mark Travers.
Ray was previously charged with murder and was out on bond awaiting trial.
Authorities believe the men were responsible for other break-ins in the area.

Neighbors said they believe the community is still safe. Although, now they are a bit more inclined to take the neighborhood watch more seriously."

Although there have been no recent break-ins in Grande Park, to my knowledge, Hallmark Rd. is right around the corner.

Please contact your neighborhood watch block captain and be sure that your contact information is up to date! And please, keep an eye out for anything suspicious in the neighborhood --- and call 911!

AND THE WINNER IS...

The Matthews family of 5402 Carey Place is this year's winner of the 1st Annual Grande Park Holiday Decorating Contest! Check out their festive lights and animated decorations!

FIRST ANNUAL GRANDE PARK HOLIDAY DECORATING CONTEST

Please join in the festivities this year for the FIRST ANNUAL GRANDE PARK HOLIDAY DECORATING CONTEST! Show off your decorating style, in lights, garland or anything your heart desires to show your holiday enthusiasm.

Be the most festive house decorated in Grande Park and
win a $25 gift card to Lowes!

The social committee will judge decorations on Sunday December 23 and award the most festive and best decorated house in the neighborhood with a $25 Lowes gift card!

Drought snuffs Durham luminarias

Unfortunately, due to the drought and dry conditions in the area, we will not have the annual Luminaries in Grandee Park. Luminarias, were banned Monday by the Durham fire chief. Something about open flames inside paper bags next to tinderbox front yards made Chief Bruce Pagan uncomfortable. He cited a state ban on candles placed more than 100 feet from a home.

Most City of Durham Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Most City of Durham offices will be closed Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, 2007, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Durham residents are asked to take note of the following changes in City services:

Recycling, Yard Waste and Solid Waste Curbside Collections
The City’s Department of Solid Waste Management will have no curbside collection on Thursday, November 22. Collection for regular Thursday customers will instead occur on Wednesday, November 21. Collection for regular Friday customers will occur as normal on Friday, November 23.

For more information regarding the City’s holiday schedule, citizens may visit the City’s Department of Solid Waste Management Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/solid or contact Durham One Call at (919) 560-1200.

Preparing Your Home for Winter

The fall Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.

Here are some tips to help you prepare your home for winter:

1) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows
*Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
*Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
*Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.

2) Service Weather-Specific Equipment
*Drain gas from lawnmowers.
*Service or tune-up snow blowers.
*Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
*Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
*Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

3) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
*Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
*Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
*Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
*Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.

4) Prevent Plumbing Freezes
*Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
*Drain all garden hoses.
*Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
*Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
*If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

5) Prepare an Emergency Kit
*Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
*Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.
*Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
*Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
*Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

Take time to vote

Tuesday Nov. 6 is Election Day!

Durham's mayor and three City Council seats are up for election, along with Durham County bond issues for school construction and the Museum of Life and Science and a city bond issue for street and sidewalk improvements.

You must vote at your registered Polling Place, which for most of us in Grande Park is

#44
Carrington Middle School
227 Milton Rd

For more information and confirmation of your registered polling place

call 560-0700 or visit www.co.durham.nc.us/elec.

November 4 - 2am

"Fall Back" - Nov 4: Time to Change your Clocks and Batteries in Smoke Detectors!

Residents are reminded that Sunday November 4 at 2:00am marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, the time when they should move clocks back one hour.

It's also the perfect time to make sure your smoke detector has a fresh battery and that it is in good working order.
"We encourage our citizens to perform a monthly check of their smoke detectors and have family fire drills to ensure that all members know what to do if the smoke detector is activated". Batten adds, "It is better to know what to do before an emergency takes place and you should have an evacuation plan and practice it monthly".
The Durham County Fire Marshal's Office has a program to provide smoke detectors to citizens of Durham County who need them. They can be installed free of charge. In addition the office stocks batteries for those who need them as well.
For more information, contact the Office of the Durham County Fire Marshal at 919 560-0660.

Monthly meeting date changed

Due to some scheduling conflicts, this month's meeting of the Grande Park HOA will be held on Tuesday October 30 at 7 pm at the President's house.

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

HALLOWEEN

The Grande Park Ghost has struck again!

From now until Halloween, keep an eye out for goodies left at your doorstep by the Grande Park Ghost. If you get BOO'D, follow the instructions and keep him moving!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Mandatory Water Restrictions in Effect

Current mandatory water restrictions require customers to decrease their overall water use, with outdoor watering and irrigation banned until further notice. To date, customers have reduced their water usage by only 16 percent, far from the City's goal of 30 percent! The City urges all water customers to take steps to reduce your water consumption as we work to extend supplies during this drought. - a message from the City of Durham.

FALL FEST GREAT SUCCESS!

THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED!

THE GRANDE PARK TRADITION CONTINUES!

JOIN IN ON THE FUN OF THE

7TH ANNUAL

GRANDE PARK FALL FESTIVAL!!!!!

WHO: ALL GRANDE PARK RESIDENTS, YOUNG AND OLD

WHEN: SATURDAY OCTOBER 13TH 4PM-?

WHERE: 100 Block of ACCURA COURT

WHAT: A GREAT WAY TO SHOW OUR COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND MEET NEW NEIGHBORS!!

WHY: BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS GREAT FUN FOR ALL AGES!!!!

THE GRANDE PARK HOA WILL PROVIDE PIZZA THIS YEAR. WE ASK THAT YOU PROVIDE A SIDE SALAD, FRESH FRUIT OR VEGGIES, OR DESSERT TO SHARE. AS IN THE PAST, PLAN TO BRING CHAIRS AND A COOLER STOCKED WITH YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGES.

DON'T MISS OUT ON MUSIC BY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DJ ROBIN LOCKHART AS WELL AS A VISIT FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT! GAMES AND ACTIVITIES WILL BE PLANNED FOR THE KIDS BUT THEY ARE ALSO WELCOME TO BRING BIKES, SCOOTERS ETC.

PLEASE RSVP ASAP SO THAT WE CAN ORDER ENOUGH PIZZA!!!! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP WITH ORGANIZING THIS EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT AMY KUJAWA AT

479-4612 OR AKUJAWA@NETZERO.NET.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!!!

What are the responsiblities of the Owner v. HOA board

We found this summary from an NC hoa website:

Once you have purchased a home in a community with an incorporated homeowner association, it is important that you understand both your responsibilities as well as those of the association. These responsibilities are sometimes guaranteed by federal and state laws in addition to the association’s governing documents. Some of the most important are:

Homeowner Responsibilities

• Understand and comply with the restrictive covenants, by-laws, and other rules and regulations.
• Pay your assessments on time.
• Stay informed and participate in the business of your homeowner association by reading the meeting minutes, attending the annual meeting, understanding the budget, and volunteering to serve on a committee or the board.
• Maintain a current address with your homeowner association. This is critical if you are a member of a homeowner association but do not live in the community. Examples include rental property, second homes, homes used by children in college or retired parents, or investment property intended for future construction.
• If your home is rental property or occupied by others, ensure that tenants/occupants understand that they must also comply with certain restrictive covenants such as parking, pets, architectural changes, and other requirements. This may also include association rules regarding use of playgrounds, pools, tennis courts, and other common areas.
• Maintain contact information for an association representative. This may be an on-site employee, a management company, a board member, or the builder/developer.

Association Responsibilities

• Maintain, protect, and enhance the value of the community.
• Govern the association in accordance with federal and state laws.
• Provide an information package to new homebuyers.
• Publish the names and addresses of all association officers and directors within 30 days of their election.
• Hold regular board meetings and an annual meeting.
• Provide an opportunity for resident participation in a ‘homeowner’s forum’ at each board meeting.
• Inform residents of annual assessments and special assessments.
• Provide an annual income statement and balance sheet to all owners within 75 days of the end of each fiscal year.
• Provide a statement upon request by a resident within 10 days of the request.
• Enforce the restrictive covenants and other governing documents in a fair and consistent manner.

Crime Prevention Alert – Shed Break-Ins and Larcenies

CITY OF DURHAM
Office of Public Affairs
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701

News Release
For Immediate Release: August 29, 2007

The Durham Police Department is issuing a crime prevention alert about a recent wave of break-ins to sheds. This has been coupled with an increase in the number of thefts of bicycles, lawn mowers and other items from yards throughout the city. The majority of shed break-ins have occurred during daylight hours when people are at work.
The Police Department is providing the following crime prevention tips:

· Check the latching device on your shed. Most sheds have small screws holding the latching device onto the shed frame. These small screws should be replaced with longer, approximately one-inch screws or bolts. Latches secured with the smaller screws are easily broken off enabling burglars to defeat any type lock

· Always lock the shed with a heavy-duty lock

· Run a heavy-duty chain through items in the shed, especially bikes, lawn equipment and other large tools. This allows you to lock the items together making it tougher for burglars to quickly remove items

· Engrave all valuable property that is stored in your shed with your driver's license number. The Police Department has engraving equipment at its substations for use by the public

· Record all model and serial numbers of property stored in the shed. This helps officers identify the property if it is recovered after a theft

· Install a motion detector floodlight on your house or shed

Never leave tools or ladders lying around as the thief can easily use them.

Planting shrubs, especially the prickly kind, in suitable positions around a shed can also be a good deterrent to the thief

Don’t leave toys, tools and equipment in the yard

Call 911 to report any suspicious persons or activity

Neigborhood News

Here are as few neighborhood news items that I was interested in and thought you may want an update on:

Street Maintenance...That old pothole at Grande Park entrance at Umstead. As I am sure you have noticed, that disturbing 'pothole' at the entrance of Grande Park at Umstead has been repaved by the City. After much prodding by the Board and the Management Company, the City determined that there was a problem with the underground sewer line. The necessary repairs were made by the City and the street was repaved… finally! We will keep a close eye on the patch work… just in case.

Welcome new residents! There was a flurry of houses on the Market this spring, and as a result we have 9 new residents that have moved into our community since April! Welcome new neighbors! If you haven’t already received one, your new resident welcome packet will be delivered soon to you!

Landscapers. As of this spring, we have a new landscaping company, Newton Landscaping
. They have been able to make the repairs to the sprinkler system at the entrance and keep the common areas mowed. Recently, new annuals were planted at the entrance sign and the playground area was mulched with certified playground mulch!
Please go check it out!

National Night Out .... a Success

Thanks to all the residents that braved the heat and came out to participate in Grande Park's National Night Out! We had about 30 neighbors stop by for refreshmnets and to meet other neighbors. The playground was heavily used by the many kids that came too! We were able to get the word out about our neighborhood watch program and the Telephone Tree!

If you still haven't been contacted by your Block Captain, please feel free to contact them. I have listed all the block captains names and phone numbers at the bottom right of this web site. If you don't know who your block captain is, please call any one of the Board members and they can tell you your Captain is!

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT TUESDAY AUGUST 7

GRANDE PARK will be participating in NATIONAL NIGHT OUT. National Night Out is an annual event designed to strengthen our neighborhoods though police-community partnerships. The goal is to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs and, most importantly, send a message to criminals that our neighborhood is organized and fighting back. It's also the perfect opportunity to get to know your neighbors even better!

GRANDE PARK's NATIONAL NIGHT OUT event will be held AUGUST 7
from 7-9 pm at the GRANDE PARK PLAYGROUND!!!

Refreshments for the kids and adults will be provided. Please plan to stop by, meet some neighbors and get information about GRANDE PARK's CRIME WATCH PROGRAM. Learn who your block captain is and provide your contact information so that your block captain can contact you in the event of a crime event in the area.

I look forward to seeing you and your family at GRANDE PARK's NATIONAL NIGHT OUT EVENT

TUESDAY AUGUST 7 FROM 7-9PM AT THE GRANDE PARK PLAYGROUND!

WELCOME TO THE GRANDE PARK BLOG

This blog will hopefully be a resource to the residents of Grande Park, for information, news, events and more importantly communication among neighbors.

I've lived in Grande Park for 1 year and have just recently joined the HOA Board. I had a lot of questions that probably most residents do about the community, such as WHO ARE THE HOA BOARD MEMBERS? WHAT ARE MY HOA DUES PAYING FOR? IS THERE A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM? and WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE ON UMSTEAD??

I've come to find out that there are answers to all of these questions! YEAH!

So, I thought it would be helpful to all of the residents of Grande Park to have easy access to all of the information that I have received from being on the HOA board, as well as create a portal of communication for the neighborhood.

I encourage you all to BOOKMARK this blog, and check back often. I plan on posting EXCITING information about THE ROAD, THE PLAYGROUND, THE LANDSCAPING, PACE CARS, and NATIONAL NIGHT OUT! Exciting stuff I must admit!

I also encourage all of you to provide comments! Your participation is greatly appreciated, otherwise, I am pretty much talking to myself, which isn't as much fun!

Thanks!!! See you around.

Don't Give the Burglar a Helping Hand

Most home burglars are amateurs looking for easy targets. They're looking for homes which present the least risk of detection; the greatest opportunity for easy access; and the maximum potential for escape. They're looking for homes which appear unoccupied and unprotected; without adequate locks and light; open or unlocked doors and windows; and home sites which provide easy concealment form neighbors and passing motorist which would be the natural users of the neighborhood. To make your home less inviting to a burglar, and to increase the natural surveillance of your home, consider employing some of these effective and inexpensive crime prevention measures. By following these suggestions you can decrease your chances of becoming a victim.

Survey Your Home

Look at your home through a burglar's eyes. Does it look like an easy target? Are there obvious security weaknesses?

1. Shrubbery should not obscure doors and windows. Trim the growth so that a burglar cannot work undetected.

2. At night leave a few lights burning outside your home. Lights over doorways and garages and strategically placed area lights will make your home less inviting to burglar. Use photo sensors to turn the lights off during the day time hours.

3. Windows and doors should be securely locked. Inadequate locks should be replaced or supplemented.

4. Make your home look occupied at all times. Use timer switches on inside lights and appliances (TV & Radio) to give the illusion that your home is occupied.

5. Security weaknesses around the your home can be identified by a free home inspection by the Durham Police Department.

When the house is occupied, a key should be left in the keyhole or a convenient location as a means of fast exit in case of a fire. Always remove the key when leaving home. The striker plate should be secured to the door jamb with three inch long screws. For maximum security, consider installing a heavy duty striker plate which has four mounting screws. If a burglar breaks in another way, such as a window, don't provide an easy point of exit through the door. The more trouble they have getting out, the less they will be able to carry away with him. Sticks, bars (Charlie Bars) and broom handles in the tracks of sliding glass doors provide some protection, but they can be removed. Burglars can still pry sliding glass doors open and lift it out of its frame. Sliding glass doors can be pinned for extra security. Remember to secure your locks at all times to reduce chances of you becoming a victim. Do not hide a key under a mat, beneath a flowerpot or on a near by window sill. These places are well known by the burglars. The best place to secure a key outside the home, is with a trusted neighbor.

If a burglar can't easily get through a door, they may well try a window. Proper home security should take this fact into account. While most burglars avoid breaking glass due to the fear of attracting attention, they usually try to pry open windows. There are many inexpensive products on the market for prevention of this type of entry:

1. Double-hung windows latches may be jimmied or pried open. Drill a downward hole into the top of the bottom window and into the bottom of the top window. Insert a pin or nail that can be removed in case of fire.

2. With sliding windows, the primary objective is to keep the window from sliding or being lifted up and out of the track. Pins, anti-slide blocks and slide bolts are effective methods of deterrence. Check with a hardware dealer for advice.

3. Louvered windows can be better secured by removing the crank. Again keep the crank in a convenient location for fire safety.

If you would like to schedule a home security survey, please contact Durham District 2 substation.

Crime Prevention Officer District 2 Substation
560-4582 ext. 235

Neighborhood Watch

The Neighborhood Watch program is a collaboration between residents of a neighborhood and law enforcement agencies to increase information flow and reduce crime. One of the intentions of the program is to facilitate neighbors getting to know each other. The program offers a structure, through phone trees and email lists, for disseminating crime and safety information.

The key persons in any Neighborhood Watch program are the Block Captains. These people are an integral component to keeping the neighborhood actively involved in crime prevention efforts as well as the important process of information exchange between neighbors. How successful our Neighborhood Watch program depends on the Block Captains and the support they receive from neighbors.

Grande Park has 9 volunteer Block Captains! The ‘blocks’ are made up of 9-12 adjacent homes. Each Block Captain is responsible for obtaining and maintaining telephone and/or e-mail contact information for each house in their block. When an incident occurs in Grande Park, the victim should (in addition to calling 911) notify their Block Captain. A list of the Block Captains is on the lower right side of this Blog and will be updated as necessary. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO YOUR BLOCK CAPTAIN IS, PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF THE HOA BOARD MEMBERS AND THEY WILL TELL YOU. I will have a print out of all Block Captains and their respective Blocks at Grande Park’s NATIONAL NIGHT OUT EVENT on August 7th (more to come on that).

Your Block Captain should have all of your contact information. If there is an incident in Grande Park, the Block Captains, utilizing the Telephone Tree, contact their blocks to notify residents of a particular incident. If done properly, this is a very efficient and effective way to help stop and prevent crime in our neighborhood! Please consider participating in this very important program. Contact your Block Captains to be sure they have your most current contact information.