Crime prevention analysis for Silver Ridge to begin shortlyBy Dorinda R. HoweFCPP, CPTED Practitioner Silver Ridge has received a neighborhood planning grant from Orange County Neighborhood Services Division to develop a plan to address current crime problems and the use of crime prevention techniques as a deterrent. I am a private consultant in the security/Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) field that has received a contract from Orange County Neighborhood Services to provide an analysis of your neighborhood and help you develop a plan to reduce crime in Silver Ridge. In the next few months I will be meeting with residents and doing site surveys throughout your neighborhood, both day and night. Enclosed with this newsletter is a neighborhood questionnaire. This questionnaire will help me pinpoint specific concerns you have and concentrations of criminal activity. Please fill out the questionnaire. Volunteers will go door-to-door on Saturday, September 14 to collect the completed surveys. Without your input, we will not have the information needed to provide the thorough analysis required to develop your neighborhood crime prevention plan. Your involvement is essential to the success of the plan. When my CPTED analysis is complete, we will hold a meeting to discuss and develop a final plan. Yard of the QuarterCongratulations to Jimmy and Linda Echols for winning Yard of the Quarter. Drive by 7620 Eldorado Place to see the winning yard. The lawn and hedges are well-manicured and maintained. Your hard work has been noticed. A $50 Home Depot gift certificate will be mailed shortly.Congratulations also go out to the residents at 2944 Silver Ridge Drive, the runner up. Thank you for your dedication to keeping a superb lawn. Quarterly, the Architectural Control Committee provides the Board of Directors with three finalists for Yard of the Quarter. The Board selects a winner from the three finalists. The resident who wins Yard of the Quarter receives a $50 Home Depot gift certificate and is announced in the next newsletter. We'd love to hear your vote for Yard of the Quarter. E-mail your suggestion to acc@silverridgehoa.org. You may also leave voicemail at 407-293-4117. All nominations received will be forwarded to the Architectural Control Committee for consideration. Nominations for the next quarter must be received by November 1. It's election season - time to exercise your rightsYou've seen the candidate signs. You know it's coming. The primary election is September 10. November 5 is the general election.If you need to register to vote or you want to make a party affiliation change, you must do so by October 7th in order to vote in the general election. You can register at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office, 119 W. Kaley Street. For more information, call 407-836-2707. The Supervisor of Elections has mailed out new voter ID cards. If you are registered to vote and have not received your new ID card, contact the Supervisor of Elections office. For more information, visit the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Web site at http://www.ocfelections.com/. A Message from HOA President Tony GreeneHello neighbors!With the fourth quarter fast approaching, I am happy to have another opportunity to address our community as your president. We changed management companies in hopes of bringing about more of a sense of community and harmony. To that end, we have provided notifications on the eight violations that the Board will be paying close attention to for the betterment of our community. At this time, I would like to thank every resident who has willingly addressed any shortcomings. Again, thank you for making Silver Ridge more appealing for both current residents as well as any future neighbors! It is evident that the level of non-compliance is still high. There may be a myth among long standing violators that the existing violations will go unnoticed and/or un-addressed. That is simply not true. Complacency and don't-give-a-hoot attitudes are evident by the number of lawns, roofs, fences, mailboxes and weathered paint that need attention throughout our neighborhood, as well as by the low level of volunteerism exhibited by the residents of this community. This is probably an issue that would fit better under the heading of "someone else will take care of it-ism." We have discussed various ways to address the level of complacency. Unfortunately, it appears that the only effective way we have to motivate residents is through litigation. Therefore, as noted in previous newsletters, we are in the process of turning over a number of violaters to our lawyers for prosecution. Please be advised that residents painting their houses various "creative" colors or making other modifications/additions (e.g., swingsets, room additions, etc) without the prior written approval from the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) only make life harder for everyone in the neighborhood. When neighbors forget they are living in a neighborhood, it has an adverse effect on the balance of harmony and peace throughout the community. We are not asking for a large commitment of your time as that is not necessary. With 442 homes in our community we should have more than enough manpower to cover our various committee memberships. We currently need volunteers to support Sarah Steinhoff in her production of this newsletter. In addition, we need to establish a Neighborhood Improvement Committee as well as revamp our Neighborhood Watch Committee. Can your community count on you? The Board and the ACC receive various calls, emails and voicemail complaints from residents that feel our community standards need to be addressed. However, very few have stepped up to volunteer to make a difference in the community that we live in. So again, what are you prepared to do to make a difference in the neighborhood you call home? I would ask you to consider a more active role in your homeowners' association as well as the various committees we are trying to establish. Think of it as protecting one of your most valuable possessions. Welcome our newest volunteers – neighbors who decided to get involvedFay Lewis: I am the newest member of the Silver Ridge Home Owner's Association Board of Directors and Chair of the Architectural Control Committee. I have lived in Silver Ridge since March 2001. I have worked as a manufacturer's repre-sentative for the last 15 years, selling commercial foodservice equipment. I was transferred to Orlando from Ft. Lauderdale and rented an apartment nearby. I found the Silver Ridge subdivision snuggled in the rolling hills of Orange County and I fell in love with the place.I believe that our homes are our biggest investment and we should work hard to protect that investment. One of the best ways to do that is to keep our community up to the standards of our Covenants and to be actively involved rather than looking on and criticizing those who are trying to make a difference. My outside interests include a deaf ministry at my church that reaches out to deaf inmates in local prisons as well. I also enjoy spending time with my grandchildren, cooking, gardening and reading. Larry and Janet Renner: We have lived in Silver Ridge since September 1986, moving here from Missouri. Larry works for Lockheed Martin and Janet works for Hampton Claire, LLC. We have one daughter. We got involved because we wanted to know the thought process behind some of the decisions that were made in the community. We are not joiners, so this was a big decision for us. We volunteered for the Architectural Control Committee because we do not want to see our community decline. Lost and FoundA set of keys was found a few weeks ago in the middle of Danforth Drive. They were near house number 2834. If you are missing a set of keys, please e-mail hoa@silverridgehoa.org or leave voicemail at 407-293-4117.Tips to help your child succeed during the new school yearSummer break is over. Kids have gone back to school. Students in Silver Ridge are part of the 14th largest school district in the nation – and the fourth largest in Florida. The public schools that serve Silver Ridge are Pinewood Elementary, Robinswood Middle and Evans High.The following tips are excerpted from "A Parent's Guide to Orange County Schools" available online at http://www.ocps.k12.fl.us/. Showing an interest in school Support your child's education by showing interest in school. Ask about school activities and encourage your child to talk about school successes and problems. Praise extra effort as well as achievement. Ask your child to bring home tests, papers and project grades to show you. You will be able to spot and correct problems early when you keep a close watch over your child's schoolwork. Making home a school zone Many everyday activities at home can help a child succeed at school. Children learn to read and understand things better when their parents:
Helping with homework Homework reinforces skills practiced in the classroom. You can encourage good homework habits by setting aside a regular homework time, providing materials and a well-lighted place to do homework and by helping plan ahead for project deadlines. Your willingness to help shows your child that education is important to you. Most children need help with homework from time to time. There are many ways you can help. For example, quiz your child on spelling words, help organize a science project or work on math problems together. Your child's teacher can give you ideas and advice on how you can assist with homework. Staying in touch with school Your involvement - especially at the beginning of the school year - will help your child get off to a good start. Be sure to read carefully all of the material that your child brings home from school. Some important information will be needed from you, including your current address, emergency phone numbers and emergency medical authorization. If your address or phone number changes, please remember to keep your child's school informed. Parent/teacher nights and school open houses are good times to meet your child's teachers and see the classrooms. Your attendance at school activities, such as plays, concerts and athletic events, also is very important. Children appreciate the interest and pride that their families show in their school life. More information is available online. The Orange County Public Schools' Web site is located at www.ocps.net. The Florida Department of Education Web site is found at www.firn.edu/doe. Upcoming Holidays and Local Community EventsThe following is a list of upcoming holidays and a selection of local community events.
Source for local event information: http://www.orangecountyfl.net/ http://orlandosentinel.com/ http://icflorida.com/ http://cityoforlando.net/
Silver Ridge In Actionis a publication of the Silver Ridge Homeowner's Association, Orlando, Florida.Sarah Steinhoff, Editor Silver Ridge In Action is intended to promote awareness and community spirit within Silver Ridge. If you would like to submit an article for publication, please e-mail it to newsletter@silverridgehoa.org or send it by mail to: Silver Ridge In Action c/o Gary House, Property Manager Penn First Management Inc. 1813 N. Dean Road, Suite 103 Orlando, FL 32817-4584 Submitted articles may be edited. Articles must be received by November 1, 2002 to be considered for the next issue of SRIA. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||