Memorial Service for Dr. Roger Rowe-Parking Information

Saturday, March 31, at 1:00 pm, the memorial service for Dr. Roger Rowe, who served our community for over 40 years as superintendent of schools, will be held at the Village Presbyterian Church in Rancho Santa Fe.

There has been an outpouring of support from individuals and organizations in our Village and over 100 volunteers have been working together to help with this celebration.

Besides the church service, speakers  and music honoring him, there will be a full military honor guard and salute. Dr. Rowe was both active and reserve duty in the United States Navy for over thirty years, retiring as Captain. The reception following will feature tables of memorabilia from the school, community and Dr. Rowe's career beginning in the 1950's. Students from the R. Roger Rowe School will be helping with ushering.

Because of the limited parking and potential congestion around the church, it is respectfully requested that attendees car pool and use the efficient shuttle system that has been devised by the Patrol and Association. Buses and vans will be available from the Christian Science Church Parking lot (Paseo Delicias and La Flecha); Garden Club, Association Office (on Avenida De Acacias near La Granada)  and both parking lots at the R. Roger School (including the El Fuego lot- on the corner of El Fuego and La Granada). 

The Village Church will have have four parking attendants, one at each entrance.

There will be additional handicapped spaces available at the church on a first-come

first-served basis. The shuttle service will run from 11:45 to 4.

Mountain Lion Spotted

A Mountain Lion was sighted at 08:00 hours on 3/25/12 in the backyard in the area of 5000 El Acebo. The resident's son may of seen the animal (or similar) on 3/23/12 well.  Fish and Game was notified. 

  The ranch is home to many species of animals, including coyotes, bobcat and mountain lions. These animals are native to the area and can be attracted around homes by leaving pet food out, the presence of small pets, etc. State Fish and Game warn people to not leave food or pets outside and keep a close eye on small children- especially during early morning or late afternoon times. In addition, do not jog, bike or hike alone; do not approach a coyote, bobcat, or mountain lion.
Sometimes the attraction of smaller wild animals attracts the bigger animals as well.

These animals are most active at dawn, dusk and at night.
Often deer are attracted to the area because of food sources, same with opossums, raccoons, and other prey. These animals are often prey for larger animals.

In the past, neighboring communities have had sightings as well. Mountain lions usually avoid humans; they are quiet, solitary and elusive. They can have a range of 200 miles.

Please take precautions to avoid coming in contact with these animals. Below are referral numbers you can call for more information. Refer to the websites below. If you see a mountain lion or experience an attack, contact the numbers below. Fish and game would like to know of sightings to track the activity.

San Diego County Wildlife Services 1-800-486-0010
California Fish and Game- San Diego office 858-467-4201
http://www.keepmewild.org/
http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/awm/wildlife_services.html

Reporting Suspicious Activity and Crime

Reporting Suspicious Activity and Crime

Law enforcement cannot overcome crime without the support of citizens individually and as a community. When you help the Sheriff’s Department and RSF Patrol, you are also helping yourself to keep from becoming a victim of crime. It’s a community responsibility!

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

If you see a crime being committed, report it immediately and accurately. If you are a victim of crime, report it as soon as possible. Even a five minute delay in reporting can significantly reduce the likelihood of catching the criminal. Don’t hesitate to call if you think something may be wrong, and don’t worry about being embarrassed if your suspicions turn out to be unfounded. Think about what could happen if you don’t act.

STEP 1: BE ALERT FOR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, such as…

• Someone running from a car or home.

• Someone screaming. Even if you cannot determine what the screams are or exactly from where they are originating, call the Sheriff’s Department and report it.

• A person who seems to have no purpose wandering in the neighborhood.

• Any unusual or suspicious noise that you cannot explain, such as breaking glass, pounding, the sound of gunfire, or an aggressively barking dog.

• A business transaction conducted from a vehicle. This could involve the sale of drugs and/or stolen property.

• Offers of merchandise or services at ridiculously low prices. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• Strangers carrying property from residences or closed businesses.

• Strangers going into the side or backyard of neighbor’s home, especially when the neighbor isn’t home. Also report strangers entering a neighbor’s home in an unusual manner: through a window, breaking a window, kicking a door down.

• A stranger in a car stopping to beckon a child.

• A child resisting the advances of an adult.

• Abandoned vehicles that could possibly be stolen cars.

• Individuals attempting to forcibly enter a locked vehicle, especially at night or in a parking lot.

• A burglar alarm sounding.

• Excessive traffic to and from a residence, especially during unusual hours.

STEP 2: WRITE IT DOWN

As soon as possible, write down everything you can remember. Don’t rely on your memory. It’s very easy to get things mixed up or forget details – especially if you were the victim. Be as exact as you can and try to avoid guessing. Keep the following description of persons and vehicles handy where you can find it when needed.

Traffic Info- San Dieguito Half Marathon Feb 12

The Association has been notified that the 44^th Annual San Dieguito Half-Marathon and 5K Walk will be taking place on Sunday, February 12, 2012. Our apologies for the late notice, but we were just informed. This event has an annual attendance of nearly 1,500 participants, volunteers and spectators.

 Local traffic will have access throughout the route, although there may be some traffic delays. Please drive carefully throughout the route. The California Highway Patrol will provide personnel along with course marshals to assist in providing a safe event for participants and allowing residents access on the roads. The road closures will be from 7:45 to 10:30 a.m. (depending on the area). 

If you have any questions on the event, please contact Kathy Loper, event director at 619-298-7400.

www.kathyloperevents.com/sandieguitohalf

See map below:

Lock UP and Use your Alarm

We have seen an increase in burglaries over the past year.  In most of our cases, the suspects have easy access to the houses-  through unlocked doors.  To make it worse, the alarms are not being turned on. 

Don't be a victim-  Lock up the house- even if you leave for 5 minutes.  Turn on your alarm system.  Don't leave valuables out- lock them up!!  Put the jewelry in the safe.  We have found that it takes just seconds for these crooks to accomplish the burglary.  Make sure your door locks work- test them.   Open windows are not a good idea, just a push with your hand and the screen pops out.  

It is a good idea to have serial numbers and descriptions of your electronics, cameras and other items kept in a safe place.   The Sheriff offers a free home crime prevention inspection.  Call them if you are interested  (760) 966-3500.   If you have any questions, please give us a call. 

Door to Door Solicitors

Every year, we receive a lot of calls about door to door solicitors.  These are usually young adults that go door to door selling cleaners or magazines.  They begin their pitch by telling you that they are your neighbor and they are trying to win a trip to London (or name the place) and you can help them out.  Then they tell you if they sell so much of a product they earn the points to get to that fantastic place.
So- why not?   Well, they are not legitimate.  the product they sell is inferior or the magazines are over priced and you may not even get them.  Are they your neighbor?  NO!  they are pretty smart- they learn an neighbors name by reading the sign in front of their house or they may of just talked to your neighbor and asked their name.  They look in the local paper for names of local sports teams or organizations and tell you they are raising money for them.  Its all bogus.  Don't fall for it. 
These sales people are from out of state and are bussed around to sell this stuff.  Sometimes these people commit crimes too (surprise).
Our advice is not to buy anything other than Girl Scout Cookies from people at your door.  If you are interested in the product ask for some literature and mail order it.
Door to door sellers have to be licensed by the Sheriff and show a valid Sheriff sales ID.  They also have to have a legitimate form of ID to back this up.  Non profit (charity) sellers should have a Federal Tax ID as well.
If they are fishy- call us, we will check them out.

TRAVELING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON? BEWARE OF IDENTITY THEFT

As the holiday season approaches, the Department of Homeland Security’s Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaign reminds travelers getting ready to head to crowded airports, train, and bus stations to be vigilant with their electronic devices. While many rely on these devices for travel arrangements, identity thieves may try to take advantage of unsuspecting victims on the go. The holidays are a peak time for traveling and hacking alike - in fact, you are 15 times more likely to have your identity stolen than to have your car broken into. [1]

Two key challenges for travelers are the use of unsecured wireless networks at hotels, airports, and other public venues and the infiltration of smartphones through Bluetooth technology, as cited in USA Today. The hospitality industry is the second highest targeted industry for data breaches, behind financial services.[2] 

Follow these simple steps to protect yourself and your personal information while traveling – and remember: Stop and think before you connect.

•             Avoid announcing travel on social networks.  Limit your chances of being targeted while traveling and protect your home from potential intruders.

•             Password protect your devices. This year, travelers lost 11,000 mobile devices at the busiest U.S. airports, 37.5% laptops and 37.2% tablets or smartphones.[3] 

•             Use a credit card to book travel arrangements and for purchases while traveling. There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, and you may not have the same level of protection when using your debit card.

•             Turn Bluetooth off if you’re not using it. Cyber criminals have the know-how to pair their Bluetooth device with yours to steal personal information.

•             Be wary of Wi-Fi networks. Only connect over secure networks; checking email, financial accounts, or online shopping over unsecure networks provides an easy gateway for hackers to access your information.

[1] Lifelock

[2] Verizon’s 2010 Data Breach Investigations Report

[3] Credant Technologies