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Community Newsletter | |
| Hauntz Park Community Blockwatch |
September/October/November 1999 |
News from your Community Blockwatch!
Our next General Meeting is to be held on Thursday, November 18, 1999 at 7pm in the basement of the Hilltonia United Methodist Church located at 514 Columbian Avenue. Please plan on attending. Guest Speakers will be Detective Thomalina Jacobs from the Narcotics Bureau and Lieutenant Britt from the Vice Department. There will be doorprizes awarded including a Ty Beanie Baby donated from Top of the 9th Sports Cards located on Harrisburg Pike. Please watch your door for the flyer which should be distributed the weekend before the meeting for more details.
Web Site & E-Mail Address
For those of you who have home computers, the Blockwatch now has an official web site and e-mail address. The new URL address of the site is: http://www.geocities.com/hauntzpark so if you have a computer come and check it out. We also have an e-mail address so that if you have a concern and can't reach us by phone, you can leave an e-mail which is checked on a daily basis. The e-mail address is: hauntzpark@yahoo.com You may leave questions, concerns, suggestions, reported crimes, and any other important events or information relevant to the community at large at this address. Thank you for your support.
Name Your Newsletter
Please help in naming this Newsletter which will be published every three months. There are three ways you can submit an entry:
1. Send e-mail to hauntzpark@yahoo.com
2. Come to the next General Meeting on November 18 at 7pm
3. Call the Blockwatch Secretary. Please consult the flyers distributed to your door for the number.
Street Captains Are Needed
Additional Street Captains are needed on Townsend, Larcomb, Woodbury, Columbian, and Nashoba Avenues. We currently have one Captain for Larcomb, Nashoba and Columbian Avenues, but we are actually hoping to break the streets down a bit farther. It is easier to keep track of smaller groups rather than try to do three blocks alone. It really does not take much time to do and is a simple task. If you are interested, please contact the Secretary or Coordinator through e-mail, by phone, or at the General Meeting for an information sheet as to what the position entails.
At the present time, there is not a Captain for Townsend Avenue at all and there have been very few meeting attendees from this street. As a result, if we do not get a volunteer for this position, we will have to remove Townsend Avenue from the Blockwatch Community. The Captain for Larcomb Avenue has been pulling the weight for Townsend and Woodbury Avenues and cannot continue this task alone. Being a Captain does not entail a great deal, but for one person to do three streets is too much. Removal from the Blockwatch Community also includes the removal of the signs at the ends of the street warning criminals to stay away.
We do not want to drop any streets, but we feel that participation is the key to making this Blockwatch a success. Please participate and stay informed. An organization such as this cannot be run by only a few people. It takes everyone working together as a group to succeed.
General Crime Statistics
There have been several crimes committed in our area in the last three months. All streets in the community have been hit with some type of crime whether it be auto theft, burglary, garage break-in, or house break-in. We need to unite and fight back against these criminals and let them know that we will not tolerate their presence in this community. The easiest way to do this is to participate and let your Street Captain, Coordinator, or Secretary know what is happening on your street. These people do not know about the crime unless you report it and it is vital that crimes be reported so we may look for suspicious persons and activity in the future. For detailed crime statistics in our community, please attend the General Meetings.
Fall-to-Winter Clean-Up
Please help clean up the community this fall before winter settles in. Here are a few tips:
Place all trash in proper trash recepticles. There have been reports of rats seen in the allies. They are attracted to the trash seen laying around the trash containers that did not get properly pitched. If there are rats in the alleys, they will soon be looking for a warmer place - your house! Rats carry diseases and we are sure you do not want them in your homes. Please contribute some effort and make sure that all trash makes it INTO the trash cans!
Leaves and other yard waste is to be collected, bagged, or bundled and picked up by the city. You will need to call 645-8774 to find out when the next yard waste pickup is in the area as it varies. Yard waste will be picked up in the front of your house. Do not leave yard waste in the alleys. It becomes unsightly and is another attraction for rats and other rodents.
All wood for woodburning fireplaces should be at least one foot off of the ground. Rats and other small animals like to build their nests in this area if the wood is directly on the ground and one day you may go out for a piece of wood to throw on the fire and get a surprise that you may not wish to encounter.
New Curfew for Minors
This information is being passed on to the Blockwatch by The Greater Hilltop Resource Center.
Failure of the parents/guardian of person having legal custody and control of the minor to comply with the requirements of the first and second offences, shall result in the issuance of a summons to appear in the Court of Domestic Relations, Juvenile Division for violation of Ohio Revised Code Section 2919.24 "Contributing to the Unruliness or Delinquency of a child."
Children will be detained if:
A minor under the age of 13 years is found loitering, idling, wandering, strolling or playing in or upon the public streets, other places, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other unsupervised places during the period from one hour after sunset to 4:30a.m. of the following day.
A minor 13 years of age or older is found loitering, idling, wandering, strolling or playing in or upon the public streets, other places, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other unsupervised places between the hours of midnight and 4:30a.m. of the following day.
Except:
The person is with a parent or legal guardian. The person is a member of the United States Military or registered full time student at a business school or institution of higher learning - valid identification Card must be shown.
The person is on an emergency errand or legitimate business directed by parents or legal guardian - this will be verified.
Parents Responsibility: First Offence Pick the minor up from the Truancy/Curfew Center. Second Offence Pick the minor up from the Truancy/Curfew Center. Get a referral for counseling by social workers. Complete the counseling to which they have been referred. Third Offence Pick the minor up from the Truancy/Curfew Center. The child will be charged with 3rd misdemeanor and summoned into Juvenile Court. Hauntz Park Activities It has been good to see our park being used for football and other positive activities. With the Blockwatch in place, the park
has become a more desirable area and we hope to see improvements made to the park in the future, especially for parking
which some residents have found to be unpleasant on weekends. With increased activity the City of Columbus Recreation &
Parks Department may consider upgrades to the park in the future.
For questions, please email the Secretary/Webmaster at hauntpark@yahoo.com
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