Fire in the park and Deer Sightings

Good morning all,

We just wanted to let everyone know that a brush fire had emergency response crews out here yesterday early evening around 6 p.m. Thanks to the quick and effective communication of neighbors in the area, firefighters were out to put out the flames quickly. The flames stayed low and burned slowly due to all the hard work our Park District crews and volunteers from around the neighborhood have done to keep the brush levels under control throughout the park, particularly around walkways, roadsides, and near the playground. We're so thankful for the help of our local fire crews, the Carmichael Recreation and Park District, and neighbors like you. As an added bonus, because the fire burned in such a controlled manner, look to this area next spring to see some spectacular wildflower blooms, since the native plants of the Sacramento Valley are well adapted to fire, and actually thrive best in spaces where the non-natives are removed through natural means like low temp brush fires.

As a serious reminder, please be very very careful with smoking in the park, and don't be afraid to let others know how easy it is for fires to start from a discarded cigarette. We're all responsible for the safety of our community, and fire is a serious danger we can learn more about how to prevent. For more info on fire safety, visit Calfire's website at http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_outsidehome.php

We still have beautiful large mammal wildlife visitors in the park and are being asked by our local Fish and Wildlife officials to be very careful in maintaining our distance, keeping all dogs on a leash, and appreciating our local fauna by driving slowly in the area, and being mindful of their presence. A doe and her two fawns were recently spotted around noon off of Lincoln Ave. so please be very careful when driving through the neighborhood.

Neighborhood Watch Newsletter

Good morning everyone!

Please stop and give Olivia a great round of applause the next time you see her for single handedly putting this great newsletter together once again for our benefit. It never ceases to amaze me how much hard work and dedication she and other amazing folks in this area give to sharing knowledge and keeping our neighborhood a safe and beautiful place to live! If you would like to contribute to the blog or the newsletter, please contact Carmen or Olivia, we would love your help!

I have been working on finding a way to provide materials for this blog in a pdf or word document form so that not everything is shown as a jpg (picture) file, and I think I might have finally gotten a clue. I have set up a shared online dropbox where I can drop files into so we can present them to you, our dear readers and friends, in an easier format to print out and use at home. To this end, please print your own copy of the Lincoln-Barrett Neighborhood & Park Watch newsletter for yourself by following this link to the dropbox, and feel free to share it with others. There is even a coupon from a local business owner, La Corona Carniceria & Taqueria, who has so graciously donated funds to help us print our newsletter for streets that are not yet connected with a Neighborhood Watch group, and have even helped us pass out hundreds of copies of the newsletter to doorsteps across our area. Remember, we don't have any dues for membership at this time, so we rely on donations-we feel lucky to have them as a caring local business. Stop in, say hi, and tell them you heard about their generousity and interest in a safe community from the LBNPW.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/eos50dn7dvrskxl/Neighborhood%20Safety_Issue%203.pdf

 If you know of a neighbor who isn't aware of the blog, or doesn't use email or the internet much, won't you print off a copy and give it to them as well, so they can keep up to date on our community at large? We want to make sure that everyone can have access to safety information, shared community events involving the care of your family and home, and be an active part in fighting crime in our area, so please do share. Thank you!

DATES TO REMEMBER

Don't forget, National Night Out is coming up and your street Neighborhood Watch group might be planning something fun! Take some time on August 6th, 2013 from 7 p.m to 9:00 p.m. to just get out of the house, say hi to your neighbors, meet up for iced tea or a little BBQ, or just get a good walk in around your streets and get to know someone new. National Night Out is a reminder that when we work together as a community with our local law enforcement officials, we make our neighborhoods a safe and happy place to be!

Reminder for Street Coordinators: Send me your plans so I can post them up for you soon.

Are You Interested in Starting a Neighborhood Watch Group on Your Street?

To find out more about starting a Neighborhood Watch group on your street, be sure to attend this helpful meeting and contact Sherrie Carhart for more information:

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH STARTUP MEETING [Meeting Flyer]
Monday, September 23rd, 2013 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
MARCONI STATIONHOUSE - Community Room
2500 Marconi Avenue (just West of Fulton Avenue)

PLEASE CONTACT:
Crime Prevention Specialist
Sherrie Carhart at scarhart@sacsheriff.com for details.

Last but not least, don't forget our Carmichael Community Meeting with the Sac Sheriff's Dept. is September 17th, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at the Del Campo High School Library. 




View Larger Map

National Night Out

Please Join Us For National Night Out!

August 6th, 2013

5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Check with your street coordinator about plans for your street group or join up with a group nearby! West loop of Jan Drive will be hosting a potluck from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Rampart street group will be hosting a BBQ from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m, Marble will be hosting a BBQ, and we will keep you updated on other groups and their plans for this fun night to meet your neighbors. We also have asked our local POP officer, Dennis Peyton, and other deputies to visit our street groups so we can thank them for all their hard work.

Attention Street Coordinators:

Please let us know what activities your street group has planned and we can add it to this post as well as add it to your street page on the right sidebar. Don't have your own page? We'll make you one!

Pease check out their website at http://www.natw.org and contact Olivia or Carmen and let us know what you plan to do join in the fun :)

Can't wait to see you all there!

Crime Report Map -7/10/13

• Breaking & Entering
  07/07/2013
  6100 Block RAMPART DR
  Send To Friend
• Breaking & Entering
  06/29/2013
  4400 Block MANZANITA AVE

Neighborhood Alerts-Theft

We are passing two incidents along today from the Perrin Way area and Barrett Road area, respectively. Both have been reported to the Sheriff's Dept.:

"Some time last Sunday Evening (June 30) the back of my tundra was broken into and a box of items removed.  They opened the shell and grabbed a box near the back.  It only had bungees and ratchet straps in it but there was a lot of them.  I did not notice that the back end was open until I got to work and did not think much of it, until I looked in the back of my truck today and finally realized something was missing.  It was backed up to the side of our house near the bedroom.  I have multiple outside lights that are on but seemed to have no affect.  

A street coordinator fr  Barrett Rd. received a call from a neighbor saying someone came in through her side gate and got into her garage last night (July 7) sometime between 11 pm and 4 am.  They took belongings (CD's, wallet, keys..) but did not take the vehicles.  The family was inside the home so things could have been worse.  She thinks they may have been disturbed by someone/something.  Please everyone be aware, especially if you hear dogs barking, etc.  Investigate abnormal noises.

Heat safety-Dehydration is a killer!

Greetings all,

I hope you are all staying safe and cool indoors during this incredible heat wave. Please consider checking in on your neighbors and make sure everyone is finding ways to stay out of the sun and avoiding the health risks associated with heat exhaustion and dehydration. With temperatures ranging well above one hundred for the rest of the week, it's important that we all drink plenty of water, and protect ourselves from the heat. Please look over this symptom list from the Mayo Clinic to help fight accidental dehydration, and know what to do in case of an emergency.

Remember, if you are thirsty, you are already mildly dehydrated!

Dehydration

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Mild to moderate dehydration is likely to cause:

• Dry, sticky mouth
• Sleepiness or tiredness — children are likely to be less active than usual
• Thirst
• Decreased urine output — no wet diapers for three hours for infants and eight hours or more without urination for older children and teens
• Few or no tears when crying
• Dry skin
• Headache
• Constipation
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

Severe dehydration, a medical emergency, can cause:

• Extreme thirst
• Extreme fussiness or sleepiness in infants and children; irritability and confusion in adults
• Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
• Lack of sweating
• Little or no urination — any urine that is produced will be dark yellow or amber
• Sunken eyes
• Shriveled and dry skin that lacks elasticity and doesn't "bounce back" when pinched into a fold
• In infants, sunken fontanels — the soft spots on the top of a baby's head
• Low blood pressure
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• No tears when crying
• Fever
• In the most serious cases, delirium or unconsciousness

Unfortunately, thirst isn't always a reliable gauge of the body's need for water, especially in children and older adults. A better indicator is the color of your urine: Clear or light-colored urine means you're well hydrated, whereas a dark yellow or amber color usually signals dehydration.

When to see a doctor
If you're a healthy adult, you can usually treat mild to moderate dehydration by drinking more fluids, such as water or a sports drink (Gatorade, Powerade, others).

Get immediate medical care if you develop severe signs and symptoms such as extreme thirst, a lack of urination, shriveled skin, dizziness and confusion.

Treat children and older adults with greater caution. Call your family doctor right away if your loved one:

• Develops severe diarrhea, with or without vomiting or fever
• Has bloody stool
• Has had moderate diarrhea for three days or more
• Can't keep down fluids
• Is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual
• Has any of the signs or symptoms of mild or moderate dehydration

Go to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911 or your emergency medical number if you think a child or older adult is severely dehydrated. You can help prevent dehydration from becoming severe by carefully monitoring someone who is sick and giving fluids, such as an oral rehydration solution (Pedialyte, others) at the first sign of diarrhea, vomiting or fever and by encouraging children to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

Heat Exhaustion

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion may develop suddenly, or over time, especially with prolonged periods of exercise. Possible heat exhaustion symptoms include:

• Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat
• Heavy sweating
• Faintness
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Weak, rapid pulse
• Low blood pressure upon standing
• Muscle cramps
• Nausea
• Headache

When to see a doctor
If you think you're experiencing heat exhaustion:

• Stop all activity and rest
• Move to a cooler place
• Drink cool water or sports drinks

Contact your doctor if your signs or symptoms worsen or if they don't improve within one hour. Seek immediate medical attention if your body temperature reaches 104 F (40 C) or higher.

Gleaned Safety Info from Susan Peters News Bulletin

Just a few reminders from Susan Peters News Bulletin about safety on the water, the Sheriff's Vaction Watch program, alcohol bans on the American River, and keeping your animals safe for the 4th. Stay safe and stay cool!

PROTECT YOUR PETS

Remember fireworks can be very stressful for your pet possibly causing fear and anxiety.  The volume of missing pets significantly increases during the Fourth of July holiday.

Leaving a pet outside unattended even in a fenced yard or on a chain can lead to disastrous consequences. With fireworks occurring, in their fear, pets who normally would not leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.  Also please make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so if they become lost, they can be returned home promptly. 

And to help reunite lost pets and their owners, the Department of Animal Care and Regulation is posting every 30 minutes on its twitter feed, SacLostPet, a link to a photo of all stray animals that come into the shelter.   Additionally, the department now updates its websiteevery 30 minutes where you can see all of the stray and available pets for adoption. 

---

SHERIFF’S VACATION WATCH PROGRAM

Summer is a time when many of us leave town and travel on vacation which means our homes are unoccupied and vulnerable.  For residents of the unincorporated area, you can arrange to have your home be subject to regular security checks while you are gone through a special program operated by the Sheriff’s Department. 

Volunteers In Partnership with the Sheriff – VIPS -- are trained, dedicated and trusted volunteers who perform vacation watch assignments for the Sheriff’s Department.  In addition to having completed the required orientation and training, each VIP possess a clear criminal history and has passed a required background investigation as well as demonstrated good moral character and reputation.

Since 1993, the Sheriff’s Department has relied on these volunteers to assist with many various needs.  The Vacation Watch Program is just one and you can utilize that service by letting VIPS perform regular security checks on your home while you are away.

To participate, please contact Neighborhood Community Service Center, at 2500 Marconi Ave Suite 100, which is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or call 876-5700.

---

KIDS DON’T FLOAT

Please practice water safety when around our area’s rivers this summer.  Local ordinances require all children under the age of 13 to wear a life jacket. 

Through a donation by The American River Parkway Foundation, the free life jacket loaner program will continue this summer. If you need a life jacket for a child during a visit to the river, there are several stations along the Parkway where you can borrow one and return it afterwards: Howe Avenue, Watt Avenue, Ancil Hoffman Park, River Bend Park, two sites within Discovery Park, Negro Bar, Folsom Point, Nimbus and Sunrise.

PARKWAY ALCOHOL BAN

This Fourth of July through July 7 there will be a complete ban on alcohol consumption and possession both on land and in the water within the American River Parkway between Hazel and Watt avenues.  An exception exists for Ancil Hoffman Golf Course. 

In past years summer holiday weekends had become major problems along the American River making the parkway less of a family friendly outing because of fights, public nudity, profanity and littering.  The problem was very apparent Fourth of July in 2006 when hundreds of rafters and partygoers consuming excessive amounts of alcohol created what one observer called a “chaotic scene” along a portion of the parkway -- one person filmed the goings-on and posted a video on myspace.com depicting half naked women and men wrestling in the mud.

The Board of Supervisors restored decorum beginning with the 2006 Labor Day weekend and the ban is also applicable for Independence Day as well as Memorial Day.  In addition, the Board last year delegated authority to the Director of Regional Parks in consultation with the County Executive the ability to prohibit alcohol in the Parkway on any additional days between Memorial Day and Labor Day when such a ban is needed to maintain order to address excessive alcohol consumption encouraged by social media.

Since the restriction has taken effect, families I have talked to have expressed appreciation for making these holiday weekends once again a time for everyone to enjoy the American River Parkway.