Brothers in arms...

Here are a few kind words of encouragement from a reader of our blog:

Hello-

As a Law Enforcement official here in the Midwest, I’m very impressed with the efforts of your organization. I just-so happened to come across your website, and I really like the design. Good luck on your efforts to thwart crime, and continue to motivate others to stay involved.

Lieutenant Troy R. Doyle DSN 2583
St. Louis County Police Department
7900 Forsyth Clayton, Mo. 63105
Office: 314.438.4604

Thanks, Lieutenant Doyle. Keep up the good work!

We're looking up

Have you seen them?

Our Neighborhood Watch signs quietly went up this week, affirming for anyone who walks, peddles, or drives through our community that we're on the lookout for suspicious activity.

Thanks to your generous donations to-date, we were able to purchase five of these signs.

Want one closer to your own home? A donation of $25 will get you one. Make checks payable to "V.I.P.S." -- the Volunteers In Police Service program of Tracy, and mail them to: Alden Park Neighborhood Watch, P.O. Box 380, Tracy, CA 95378.

Be sure to indicate which electrical pole you'd like to see it on (use the PG&E number, posted high on the pole) and which direction (North, South, East, or West) it should face.

Rain, rain, go away...

An open letter to the City of Tracy:

This weekend's series of rainstorms have been a true test of the repaving job done last Spring on the alleyways behind Sequoia Blvd. and Palm Circle. The City Planners, construction company, and everyone else involved are to be congratulated on the great job done in regrading and reconstructing the drains, curbs, and pavement around our homes.

The few weeks of construction in March through May 2007 were but a small inconvenience for the payoff we're now enjoying. Instead of the usual complaint that our tax dollars are going down the drain, one need only step outside their garage to see that it's not their money but the devastating rainwater heading into the sewers. Previous issues of flooding and cracked, worn asphalt are a thing of the past. The drainage system works perfectly.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Geoffrey Gamble on behalf of

The Alden Park Neighborhood Watch community

We've got a mailing address!

The Alden Park Neighborhood Watch now has an active Post Office box for you to send traditional mail to. To correspond with us the old-fashioned way, write to:

Alden Park Neighborhood Watch

P.O. Box 380

Tracy, California 95378

For those in the neighborhood who you know don't have email or Internet access, pass it on! Let's stay connected.

Winter rains got you all wet?

Just a few of the benefits of an older neighborhood like ours include all the tall, mature trees that stand throughout the landscape, and the sturdy, settled homes on the streets of our community. With age comes wear, however, and many of us are dealing with the results of the storms that ripped through the Alden Park area and drenched our houses this weekend.

Some merely have a few leaves, broken branches, and tree limbs to clean up, following the hurricane-force winds that whipped through here. Others may face having to remove a severely damaged tree before it weakens further and possibly falls down. One or two may even have a broken window to replace, while others simply have to locate a trashcan that blew down the street.

A final few, including yours truly, are having to contend with a larger issue such as roof repair, from replacing a few missing shingles or tiles, to patching, resealing, or replacing a larger section of their structure overhead. Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home: it keeps you dry; it keeps you warm; it keeps you safe. When it comes to fixing something that important, you may want to seek the help of a professional. I know I am.

My roof began to leak last year, letting rainwater in through the ceiling of my living room when the occasional storm came through. A quick-fix tar patch seemed to hold it for a while, but the last rain in December showed me that it wouldn't be permanent. That's when I called around to get an expert assessment on what to do before the big rains hit.

I searched the Yellow Pages for someone local because I want to support Tracy businesses whenever I can. I'm a sucker for something that catches my attention, so I called a company with a cute name: Kanga Roof. (If "cute" didn't work out, I could always resort to the one with the big ad.)

I'm typing this in between the series of storms that are making news across the country, and the sun is shining for a moment. The good news is that I'm dry, and the leak has been contained by the professionals at Kanga Roof. They came out just hours before the first rainfall to do an inspection, make repair recommendations, and expertly wrap my roof in plastic to keep the water out this weekend before a more enduring solution could be put in place. They even checked up on me and came out once to re-tack the plastic that had loosened under the high winds yesterday.

Chris, Dann, and Shelley have been great. If you need any repair work on your roof, give them a call.

Kanga Roof, also formerly known as BetterBuilt Roofing, can be reached at 1-800-NEW-ROOF, or (209) 832-1500. They're here in Tracy at 320 W. Larch Rd., #7. Check out their website by clicking here: http://getbb.com/.

Signs of the times...

Happy New Year!

To kick off 2008, I placed a call to the Tracy Police Department to order our first set of official neighborhood watch signs. With the contributions raised to-date, we've been able to purchase three of them, and I've donated enough to get two more.

On New Year's Eve, Officer Rose and I made the rounds to determine the best locations to hang the signs. Be on the lookout for our first five signs to go up along the periphery of Alden Park, on the following streetlight poles:

• at the Alden Park entrance on Sequoia Blvd.


• at the Alden Park entrance on Palm Circle


• at the intersection of Sequoia Blvd./Palm Circle/Centre Court Drive/Cypress Drive


• at the intersection of Chestnut Avenue and Willow Way, and


• at the intersection of Sequoia Blvd. and Beechnut Avenue.

The signs cost $25 each, so as we raise more money, we can add more signs throughout the neighborhood. We'll need some at Birch/Hickory, Hickory/Cottonwood, and Locust/Hickory. Other signs can go up closer to your own home if you want to make donation to cover the cost. And remember, we also have Neighborhood Watch Stickers available for your front windows at $2.00 each.