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The Crestwood Chronicle

Crestwood Neighborhood Association


The Historic Home of Family and Friends
NW 16th to 23rd, Villa to May, Oklahoma City, OK 73107

February 2013

Crestwood NA Meeting
February 12, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Souls of the Light Church NW 23rd and Linn

https://smarthours.com/ - use our code NCRESTWOOD when you sign up!

Crestwood Neighborhood Association Officers: President: Vice-President Secretary: Treasurer: Carolyn Dershem Aaron Barton Doris Carder Chad True Directors: Don Burnett, 209-6504 Alan Pugh, Beverly Willhoite, 837-0752 946-7545 343-9347 693-4227 626-8433 833-2330

CAN Meeting, SmartHours and How to Save Money


OG&E representatives will be at the Crestwood Neighborhood Association meeting on February 12 to tell us about OG&E Smart Hours and using wind energy for your home electricity. You can sign up for SmartHours at the meeting so that you can save money as well as make money for Crestwood. Bring your OG&E bill. OG&E will have a table with an OG&E representative to sign you up for SmartHours. They will also do a bill comparison with one or two who are not on the program to tell you how much you will save when you sign up. If you notice, at the top of the next column, we have the Crestwood code that you use when you sign up for SmartHours at the OG&E website. Using this code ensures that Crestwood is credited so that we receive funds from OG&E for the neighborhood.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
2012 Bulky Waste (Big Trash) Pick Up Dates: Wednesday of the Second Full Week of Each Month
Check your City of OKC Water/Trash bill each month for specific date or http://www.okc.gov/trash/bulky/index.html

Feb 13, Mar 13, Apr 17, May 15, June 12 Trolley Track Coalition Meetings Third Tuesday of Every Month , 7:00 p.m. World Organization of China Painters 2641 NW 10th Street

Median Clean-up with OKC Beautiful and OUs Big Event. Call Aaron Barton to volunteer.
CNA Meetings Second Tuesday of the Month February Meeting: February 12 March Meeting: March 12 April Meeting: April 9 May Meeting: May 14

See Graffiti?
Call Graffiti Removal at 297-2535 or 297-0199
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This is a police rendering of the man who is a suspect in the home invasion and rape of a Crestwood woman on January 16. CNA contacted Sgt Michael Loruse, our OKC police liaison, about how the investigation is going. The suspect has not been caught, Sgt Loruse told us. He also said, Because its an ongoing investigation, I cannot reveal any details about the case or investigation. I can say that our WR Division Criminal Intelligence Officers told me that they havent seen another attack by the same suspect that would . . . make him a serial offender. If you remember, when Crestwood was one of the neighborhoods being targeted by burglars in the Spring, Sgt Loruse gave us some good advice about how to make our homes safer. He sent an email with the following suggestions:
Check Your Door first: Inspect your door before

adding any new locks. Make sure your door is hung properly and not missing any screws in the hinges. The hinges should be on the inside and not the outside of your house or apartment. If your door frame is hollow replace it with a solid frame. Police routinely see doors kicked in on a burglary where the whole frame was off and the lock stayed in place. Doors and Door Locks: All exterior doors should be either metal or solid core wood (1 3/4" thick) Use a dead bolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt or a heavy duty drop bolt lock.
Install a stronger metal strike plate with 3-inch screws: Dual cylinder locks (a lock that has a key

in both sides) can trap you in your house during a fire or a while making a tactical retreat from your house. Sliding Glass Doors: Locks can be installed in the sliding door track. A cut a broomstick handle or object that will fit with only an inch play can be put

in the track. Install a pin lock for the track with several holes that will allow the door to be opened slightly for outdoor air. Install patio door bars (commonly called a Charlie bar). Outdoor motion detection security lights: Outdoor motion detection security lights on the outside of your home are better than leaving lights on all the time. Leaving lights on all night can be ignored by you and neighbors as a subject approaches your house. Sudden lights that come on can startle a subject and to draw attention of you or your neighbors that someone has just approached your house. It is more likely that you and neighbors will look to see what triggered the light. You can purchase battery operated motion lights. You can put these where you want them without an electricians help. Windows: Although most windows have a window lock, two locks are better and make it more difficult for the bad guy to break in. It will also make it noisier, so that you are aware of someone trying to break in. Planting a thorny bush located outside of first floor windows will be a deterrent to a criminal. Counterintelligence: Most offenders will gather intelligence on a potential victim by watching a neighborhood, house and person. Counterintelligence is simply watching for whos watching you and others. If an offender sees you have noticed them, it then becomes risky for them to carry out the crime. If you see a person and they look suspicious call 911 and articulate why they are suspicious and out of place. It is true crime prevention when an officer can check for a suspicious person, car or act before it becomes an emergency crime. Know your neighbors: Neighborhood Alliance also recommends that you give your neighbors on each side of you, in the back, and the three immediately across the street this information: Your name, home, work and cell phone numbers, and your emergency information so they can contact someone if they cant reach you. Dont forget to put your address on the card you give your neighbor so they know which house they are calling about.

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Frances Johnson, a regular contributor to our newsletter has this to say about the rape. I'm so sorry to hear of the rape. It is such a violent crime that leaves scars on the victim, and has such a ripple effect on people connected to the person and the community as a whole. Please extend my heartfelt compassion to the individual. Thank you so much for your sympathy and your article about inexpensive, but useful changes we can make to our homes and landscapes to help ensure our safety.

Double Duty Landscaping


by Francis Johnson
Useful gadgets that discourage criminals have been favorite topics in the quest to deter criminals. There are inexpensive sensors that turn lamps on at dusk and off at dawn and alarms that sound if a breach through windows or doors is made are two. A product that simulates a ferociously barking dog when outside movement activates it might deter a burglar. This product is high-tech enough to even increase the frequency of the dog barking if the intruder continues to lurk on your property. Those products work well at deterring criminals, but one of the best ways to prevent a break-in is to make a criminal bypass your house just by the looks of it. You may be interested to know landscaping can do double duty. Landscaping can make your house presentable on the outside so it looks nice and can also deter an intruder. Something as simple as pea gravel or loose stones can be a great start. Gravel works well as an alternative to mulch. Did you know that gravel can also deter would-be criminals from choosing your house to break into? Next time you walk on pea gravel or loose stones, pay attention to how much noise each of your steps makes. Intruders want to be stealthy when attempting to break into your premises. Making a crunching sound as they move around your house definitely won't provide the kind of anonymity they seek. To prevent a criminal from prowling silently around your house lay the gravel or stones around the perimeter of your home. Thorny bushes are also a simple landscaping trick to deter criminals. Nobody likes to get scratched and pricked by spiky plants. You can plant prickly bushes like roses, blackberry, decorative grasses, and bougainvillea underneath windows.

The thorns or razor sharp blades on these bushes are enough to make an intruder think twice about whether they'd like to enter your house that way. These plants won't keep your house from being approached initially, but as soon as a thief starts lurking near a window or fence, he'll realize pretty quickly that maneuvering around your property isn't as easy as he first thought it would be. Remember to trim when using bushes. High hedges that keep nosy neighbors or headlights from passing cars off your house look great, but they also provide great hiding spots for thieves looking to break into your home. Also trim back trees that could be climbed to gain entry to the second story of your house. Lighting used to illuminate your beautiful landscaping can also be good for deterring a break-in. Intruders hate light. Intruders want to remain in the shadows while figuring out how to gain entry into your house, so the more light you have around your property the fewer hiding spots you provide for criminals. Use up lighting for landscaping around the perimeter of your property, as well as walkways, garbage and recycling storage areas, and any dark areas of your property. Most break-ins are crimes of opportunity. Thieves look for residences that are easy targets. Leaving lawn equipment out or a shed unlocked provides intruders with tools to help them break into your house. Even leaving a ladder out can draw a criminal to your house. They can quietly set it up to climb up to the second story of your house or your attic. Always keep sheds, detached garages and other outbuildings locked so as not to help criminals break into your residence. Tidiness counts, too. If you have toys, boxes that show you just bought a new TV or computer, or keep your big blue in the front yard where thieves can see what you are throwing away, you invite them into your house. It shows you are easy pickins because you dont care who knows what goodies you have inside your home. The next time you want to redo your yard, keep in mind how your choice of plants and shrubs can deter criminals. Choose gravel or stones to make noise, thorny bushes or up-lighting and keep it all well maintained to prevent thieves from choosing your house to break into.

Go to the State Website and Downtown OKC for lists of upcoming events!

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Crestwood Neighborhood Association Membership Application


Renewal Name: Address: Phone #: E-Mail: Ill help with:
Median Flower Beds Membership Median Mowing Meeting Speakers Yard of the Month Fund Raisers Spring Clean-Up Newsletter Writing OUs Big Event Newsletter Distribution Website/Facebook Newsletter Advertising Block Parties Newsletter Editing Block Captain City Liaison Grants Trolley Track Rep Events: All Historical Preservation Neighborhood Night Taft Before School Out Program Halloween Party Home Tour Holiday Party Event Photographer Other ___________________________________ Please send application and $15.00 dues to: Crestwood Membership P.O. Box 12634 Oklahoma City, OK 73157

New Member

our VP. Curts job now has him traveling more. Thank you so much for giving your time and effort to Crestwood. We appreciate it. Aaron Barton is our new VP and we have a new board member and treasurer. Chad True, who with his wife, Carrie, moved to 19th Street, is going to be our treasurer. Thank you so much for helping make Crestwood the best neighborhood in the city. Two upcoming events in April: April 13 we will do our annual neighborhood clean-up and median revitalization. Aaron Barton is going to head this. Give him a call at 343-9346 if you have suggestions or would like to help. We will be getting supplies from OKC Beautiful and, as always, volunteers from OU Big Event will be here to help. April 27 this is the date for the Crestwood Garage Sale. Again, please get your garage sale permit at the city website. Allen Waggoner is heading this one up. If you have questions, please contact Allen at akwaggoner@hotmail.com. Yard of the Month starts in April, too. Wont it be great to see those signs again? Dont forget our Facebook page. Its the best place to get the latest information about Crestwood and to keep up to date with your neighbors.

From the President As you can see from the articles in this newsletter, safety is important to us. Please take time to read these articles and implement anything you can to ensure the safety of your children and yourselves. We have to say good-bye to Curt Stamp, a board member for two years and
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