Although its fun to eat some snacks and meet police officers, NNO has a serious purpose: stopping crime with neighborhood Block Watch! The goal is for neighbors to band together so that criminals know they will be caught!

Benefits of A Local Block Watch

• Neighbors looking out for each other. Familiar with daily schedule, cars, child safety.
• Neighbors being observant and visible. Getting to know each other personally.
• Encourage calling Police at 251-4004 about suspicious activity.
• Share information! Receive free Police training and handouts
• Reminders to always lock front doors and close garage doors and gates.
• Reminders to lock your parked car, take your keys, and hide your belongings.
• Get a Block Watch street sign to warn criminals to stay away.

In the beginning 9 houses along that part of Pigeon Forge were in danger from the flames and evacuated by Police. The 911 alarm was sounded by neighbors across the street because the homeowners at 613 and 611 and 703 were ALL not home. The wind-whipped fire went across the fields to the east and burned more homes at Boulder Ridge. If the wind had been blowing differently more Gatlinburg homes might have burned.  Awesome fire crews saved the day. There, but for fortune, go us all.

What can we learn from today?

Pack and keep in your car an emergency gym bag of clothes, water, personal hygiene items, first aid, and basic medical and home insurance policy info. You should save your insurance agent’s number on your cell phone too. WHY? Both families were gone when the fire started and had nothing with them except their cell phones. They could only watch their homes burn in shock and disbelief. All their possessions were consumed or water damaged. One family had a fire safe that perhaps saved some valuables. Fortunately, both families have relatives in Austin who will provide aid and comfort.

Police may order you to evacuate your home with just minutes to collect items and pets. You may immediately have to walk out the door or leave in your car. Its for your own safety that they do this.

REGISTER all your family cell phones NOW for Pflugerville Police’s emergency alert text service at http://local.nixle.com/zipcode/78660/. Click the sign up button in that page’s upper right corner.

BE ON THE ALERT! The danger from new fires is high and the winds will be blowing again Monday.

Your Thoughts?

As a Neighborhood Association, friends, and neighbors, what do you think we could do to help these families? How could we be better prepared in the future for fires?

Dramatic video on YNN and K-EYE news.
http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/280306/pigeon-forge-lane-fire-continues–threatens-homes
http://weareaustin.com/fulltext?nxd_id=176307

2011 toilet voucher application

From February 15 – April 1, Pflugerville utility customers with homes built prior to 1996 may apply for two new, free, high-performance toilets. Through the voucher program, utility customers may receive vouchers for up to two new generation EPA WaterSense ® 1.28 gallon per flush toilets.

Vouchers are distributed by the City of Pflugerville on a first come, first served basis at the utility office at City Hall .  This program is paid for by the LCRA. Vouchers expire May 1, 2011. For full details regarding eligibility, call 512-990-6100.

The voucher program is limited to all utility customers and residents in the Pflugerville city limits that are also water users from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).

Just a couple of months ago I bought a new, high-efficiency American Standard toilet with a two-stage flush. One button is a quick flush for liquids while the second button flushes the entire 1.6 gallon tank. Its much quieter and fills quicker than my old standard toilet. For under $30, I also retrofitted my other original 5-gallon toilet with a dual-flush HydroRight converter and fill valve invented by MJSI Inc. that I think Home Depot sells. It took me under 30 minutes to make the switch.

Now, with the City’s just announced new-toilet voucher program we have no more excuses for not getting rid of our circa-1980-1984, water-guzzling standard flush toilets in our Gatlinburg neighborhood homes!

What do you think? Have you already changed out your original toilets for a better, high efficiencty toilet.

AARP Magazine (Jan/Feb 2011, p.24) suggests the BBB’s rating system isn’t a fair way to find reliable contractors.

The AARP article advises homeowners follow these six tips  before  hiring a contractor:

• Get bid estimates from more than one contractor (at least 3 would be a start)
• Do a search on Google for business name and “complaints” and read consumer reviews,
• Consult licensing boards, especially electricians, AC, and plumbers. Consult the City’s homeowner’s guide to building permits and inspection requirements.
• Ask for past customer references,
• Negotiate the maximum hourly rate beyond what you agree to as the expected project cost. This might protect you from higher estimates if the work changes.
• Read the “small print” on any contract you are asked to sign. Demand removal of any wording that puts a “contractor lien” on your property in case of a dispute.

In addition, AARP Magazine recommends these Seven Steps to Hiring a Contractor.

Do you have any home owner stories when this advice helped avoid problems? Maybe you’re a contractor; how do you see it from your side?

I declare that I and all of us did our best in 2010, its complete, and we got what we got.

Hippie Optimism

Hello 2011!

What can Gatlinburg Friends create in the empty space of this new year? Just imagine that we could do ANYTHING we choose to do individually AND together.  Just think of the possibilities of making a difference right here in our neighborhood of 495 families living on 17 streets right here where we live.

Onward Thru The Fog!

So how will 2011 be for you? What are you going to create? Please share your thoughts with all of us below as a comment.

Let There be Light!

As I walked and jogged in the cool night air along the dark streets, I started appreciating Gatlinburg’s many street lights. But, we do have some dark areas because our trees block the street lights. Then I noticed garage security lights popping on because many home owners have installed motion detection lights. I think this is really neat and hope that all home owners would install such security lights. These lights save electricity too because they detect motion and come on for five minutes then go off. Many models also have a sensor so they come on automatically at night time and turn off in the morning.

My Street Lights Out. Why isn’t it fixed?

The short answer is: no one has reported it yet to Oncor, Pflugerville area electric utility manager. According to their  web page https://www.oncorstreetlight.com/ they will replace bulbs in 5 to 15 days or less after reported to them. So be a responsible GNA friend and call 1-888-313-4747 to report it.

Or, you can fill in a web form and mark the broken street light on their website street map showing all Gatlinburg neighborhood street lights. If you fill in your email address, they promise to alert you when the light is fixed. This is what I did when I saw the street light at Sylvia and Pigeon Forge was dark.

What could be simpler? What are your home improvement ideas for making your home safer with lighting?

6 PM, October 5, Lynn Cove (807 Pigeon Forge)

You are invited to come!