10 Secrets to Success
April 28, 2008
10 Secrets to Success
1. HOW TO THINK IS EVERYTHING: Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative enviroment.
2. DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to each them.
3. TAKE ACTION: Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started now. Just do it!
4. NEVER STOP LEARNING: Go back to school or read books. Get training.
5. BE PRESISTENT AND WORK HARD: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up!
6. LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS: Get all the facts, all the imput. Learn from your mistakes.
7. FOCUS ON YOUR TIME AND MONEY: Don’t let other people or things distract you.
8. DON’T BE AFRAID TO INNOVATE: BE DIFFERENT: Following the heard is a sure way to mediocrity.
9. DEAL AND COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motiviate others.
10. BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: Otherwise, Numbers, 1-9 won’t matter.
Stop Vandalism
April 28, 2008
What You Can Do to Help Stop Vandalism
The following story highlights what can be accomplished when citizens and the police department form a partnership to help rid their community of crime and enhance their quality of life.
On June 24, 2003, a resident called the non-emergency police number to report a suspicious person. He observed two males with flashlights looking into cars had left in a described vehicle. After responding officers located the vehicle, the suspects attempted to flee and were later picked up. The follow up investigation revealed the vehicle was stolen and the youths were charged with Grand Larceny and Vehicle Tampering. They are believed to be involved in other like cases in our district.
This successful arrest was achieved due to the outstanding efforts of the alert citizen and community policing skills of the officers involved.
The Oklahoma City Police encourage residents to begin Neighborhood Watch Patrols. Remember to trust your instincts - if it doesn’t seem “right” to you, it isn’t. Call the police and “Report What You See”. Neighbors know what is “right” on their street and can take the first line of defense against vandalism by reporting anything they see or hear that is suspicious to them. The caller does not have to verify that what they are reporting is correct. That’s a job for the police. All you have to do is call the non-emergency police number and provide a description over the phone as soon as you spot something suspicious. Timing is important. Please do not wait several days afterwards to make a report - call right away. An officer may not come out immediately, but the information has been recorded and the computer keeps track of the trends.
Help stop vandalism! If you’re not sure about something … make the call. If your mailbox gets broken or your house gets egged or your car gets broken into - report it to the police by calling the non-emergency phone number Remember, the individual calls help solve the big picture problems!
If you’re interested in starting a neighborhood watch for your neighborhood, please call the Council of Neighborhoods office at 405-672-7223 and plan to attend the next Neighborhood Watch Training Session.
For additional information or questions we encourage you to call us at (405)672-7223 or fax (405)670-6623.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Meth Facts
April 28, 2008
This Thing Called Meth
It should come to no surprise to anyone that methamphetamine use and production is at an all time high, especially in Oklahoma. Methamphetamine is not only a plague to those who are addicted or those who manufacture it, but everyone. Methamphetamine is not a city or state problem, it is a nationwide problem.
Drug treatment facilities are packed with people who are seeking treatment for their addiction to meth. Police officers are responding to meth lab sites on a daily basis, with some labs taking a full work day to dismantle. There are other officers who respond to domestic abuse calls where an addict has become violent with an individual close to them. Homes and cars are being burglarized to support a drug habit or to buy chemicals to produce more methamphetamine. There are many labs where children are present or there is evidence to show children reside at that residence. More and more manufacturers are going to prison. To further the impact on the public, stores are having to increase prices to cover the amount of stolen merchandise which has been taken by an addict to support his or her habit. Meth is not a problem that has a focused impact, the impact is very widespread.
To understand the impact of methamphetamine, there must first be an understanding of the drug itself. There are a variety of names for meth; speed, crystal, or crank. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that can be snorted, smoked, injected, eaten or dissolved in a drink. The typical dosage is anywhere from .2 grams to .4 grams. Meth sells for approximately $100.00 a gram on the street.
A person addicted to meth will go on “binges” where they will continually consume methamphetamine for days at a time. Constant consumption may cause the person to stay awake for days or even weeks at a time. During this time the person does not care or think about others around them. When the “high” wears off, the person “crashes”, meaning they may sleep or stay “holed up” for days, until the next binge.
The use of methamphetamine has a variety of results. It makes a person paranoid and can also trick the person into feeling like their skin is “crawling”. The crawling sensation forces the person to scratch incessantly causing scabs and even scars. The use of meth can also make a person violent due to the paranoia. Violence combined with he paranoia causes those who are addicted to be a danger to themselves and others.
Many people are beginning to question the source of this highly addictive drug. There are numerous sources for the drug itself. In Oklahoma, there seems to be a small amount of “Mexican” produced methamphetamine. Typically, the source of methamphetamine in Oklahoma is through the production of methamphetamine in small “laboratories” found in hotels/motels, apartments, houses, trailers, etc. With the Internet being so accessible, there are recipes that can be obtained with just a few key strokes.
Methamphetamine is produced through a chemical reaction, called “cooking.” Cooking converts pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine through the use of chemicals found in virtually every household. There are some chemicals or “ingredients” which require some creativity to obtain. Each of the chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine is hazardous due to the flammability or explosive nature of the items used. Byproducts, or trash, from the lab are typically poured onto the ground or into the sewer systems. The production of methamphetamine is coupled with a very distinct odor of solvent chemicals such as paint thinner.
Education is the best way to combat the meth problem. Every person who has some idea of what to look for and smell for is an extra set of eyes and noses to aid law enforcement in the detection of meth labs. Smell is typically what gives a lab away. Smell has been described as a chemical odor similar to that of paint thinner. Because solvents are utilized at various stages of the process, there are several steps that allow such a chemical odor to be apparent. Think of an auto body paint shop, with the smell of paint and paint thinner. That is the type of chemical odor that is produced.
Other things to look for would include large quantities of “short term” traffic which indicates drug sales and large quantities of pseudoephedrine, or other cold medicines containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. Matchbooks are also an indicator. Matchbooks contain a chemical that is necessary in the production of methamphetamine. Another item to look for is gas line antifreeze. Products such as “Heet” are utilized in the process and there will typically be numerous bottles of those products around.
A meth lab in your neighborhood is extremely dangerous and can be explosive. If you believe there is a meth lab in your neighborhood call 911 and report what you see or smell. For more information about meth call (405) 713-1787.
Internet Privacy
April 28, 2008
Did you know that Google has implemented a new feature wherein you can type someone’s telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and then you will be given
a map to their house.
Think about it–if a child, single person, ANYONE gives out his/her phone number, someone
can actually now look it up to find out where he/she lives.
To test whether your phone number is mapped, go to: http://www.google.com.
Type your phone number in the search bar with or without dashes (i.e. 555-555-1212 or 5555551212) and hit enter.
If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information, simply click on the
telephone icon next to your phone number. It takes 48-hours for Google programmers to
drop the link.
If you are unlisted in the phone book, you might not be in there, but it is a good idea just to check.
You might want to forward this information on to friends and family that would like to
remove this information from google.
This is in no way related other web phone/address listings (www.whitepages.com , or
www.bigfoot.com, etc.)
On a related note: Do not include Personal or Identifying Information about you or anyone else you know in your blog. This information can fall into the wrong hands and infringe on your physical safety.
Conflict Resolution
April 28, 2008
How To Deal With Conflict
Borrowed from Communication Briefings
To How to handle conflict among your team members:
Ask those who disagree to paraphrase one another’s comments. This may help them learn if they really understand each other.
Work out a compromise. Agree on the underlying source of conflict, then engage in give-and-take and, finally, agree on a solution.
Ask each member to list what the other side should do. Exchange lists, select a compromise all are willing to accept and test the compromise to see if it meshes with team goals.
Have each side write 10 questions for their opponents, This will allow them to signal their major concerns about the other side’s position. And the answers may lead to a compromise.
Convince team members they sometimes may have to admit they’re wrong. Help them save face by convincing them that changing a position shows strength.
Respect the experts on the team. Give their opinions more weight when the conflict involves their expertise, but don’t rule out conflicting opinions.
Source: Making teams Succeed at Work, Alexander Hamilton Inst. 70 Hilltop Road, Ramsey, NJ
Free Prescription Assistance
April 28, 2008
Rx for Oklahoma with Community Action Agency
Oklahoma City and Oklahoma/Canadian Counties, January 2006- The agency has opened a Prescription Drug Assistance Program (Rx for Oklahoma) to connect income eligible individuals and families to programs offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers.
“Rx for Oklahoma is a prescription assistance service to help increase the awareness to the community of these programs and serve families resulting in free or low cost maintenance medications,” explained Angie Dotson, Prescription Drug Program Coordinator.
“Most of the population we are serving are working class families of all ages, and different backgrounds, who do not have insurance or prescription coverage and can not afford their medications,” Dotson added.
Last year, The Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $1 million for the program through House Bill 1853, a statewide program that has progressed into 2006. The program is a partnership with all 20 Oklahoma Community Action Agencies.
Dotson said, Rx for Oklahoma is to serve each individual, who seeks our assistance and to improve their quality of life”.
For more information on the program call 232-0199 from 8an to 5pm, Monday through Friday, or go by their office located at 319 SW 25th St. in the Capitol Hill Business District.
Important Sites
April 28, 2008
These are websites that we feel you should be aware of. We have put links to our city, police and even offender registry lookups. Please email us links that you feel we should all be made aware of.
USA On Watch (neighborhood watch)
Oklahoma Sex and Violent Crime Offender Registry
National Sex Offender Registry
Citywide Sign Sweep
April 28, 2008
The City of
Oklahoma City
City recruits neighborhood associations for
Sign Sweep
(March 9, 2009) - Residents fed up with illegally placed signs in and around their neighborhood are invited to participate in a sign sweep program tailored specifically for neighborhood associations.
“Our neighborhood sign sweep program gives residents the authority to remove signs quickly after they are placed on the street, reducing the sign’s effectiveness and eliminating unsightly clutter,” Planning Director Russell Claus said. “The program trains neighborhood association members how to identify illegally placed signs and empowers them to remove and dispose of them.”
Sign Sweep volunteers must be over 18 years old, an Oklahoma City resident and a member of a participating neighborhood association. Sign Sweep volunteers are required to get training and sign an agreement with the City prior to participation.
Illegally placed signs are a problem in Oklahoma City. Each year, City crews pick up more than 30,000 illegally placed placards from City rights of ways, medians and poles.
Neighborhood association leaders can get more information by calling Melvin Loveless at 297-2982 by April 30.
Parking Ordinances
April 27, 2008
Hey Mister:
You Can’t Park That Thing Here! By Niles Jackson
**Oklahoma City Metro Area only**
Oklahoma City has a plethora of parking ordinances.
For instance, did you know:
You cannot park a vehicle in an alley. (OKC Ord. 32-316)
If you parallel park, your vehicle must be heading in the direction of the lawful traffic and the right-hand wheels must be within 18 inches of the curb. (OKC Ord 32-314)
You can never park a “derelict” vehicle on a street. “Derelict” means not in operating condition, or one without a license plate, or with its tires removed or deflated, or one that has been abandoned. (OKC Ord. 32-296 and 32-318)
You cannot park a vehicle (over 7 feet wide or 24 feet long) on any residential street between 8pm and 4am except in an emergency or to load and unload. (OKC Ord. 32-322)
You cannot park a vehicle on any street or city-owned property to display it for sale or to wash or repair it except in an emergency. (OKC Ord. 32-324)
You cannot park a vehicle so as to block access to a water meter or within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. (OKC Ord. 32-325 and 32-304)
You cannot park a vehicle that block a sidewalk, a crosswalk, a private driveway or an intersection, except in an emergency. (OKC Ord. 32-304)
You cannot park any vehicle on a roadway so as to leave less than 10 feet of the street for free movement of traffic. (OKC Ord. 32-305) If you illegally park a vehicle in a fire lane, the fine is increased to $200.00. If you park illegally in a designated handicap space the fine is increased to $100.00. (OKC Ord.32-311)
All parking limit regulations are in force and effect from 8am to 6pm, except Sundays and holidays, unless otherwise marked. (OKC Ord. 32-300)
If you legally park a vehicle you must also stop the engine, lock the ignition and remove the key. (OKC Ord 32-326)
If you legally park a vehicle at night and leave on the lights, the headlights must be dimmed. (OKC Ord 32-327)
All vehicles in a residential areas must park on a permanently hard surfaced driveway or parking area, or (if there is no access to the other side or rear of the house) on a gravel pad (with borders). (OKC Ord 59-6910)
Niles Jackson is President of the Quail Creek Home Owners, Inc. Board of Directors
