Good Bye

What a lovely neighborhood!  So many wonderful friends. Such a great climate.  But it is time to say goodbye. This is my last post.

I admit I have been relatively inactive on the blog this year, but that was largely in response to my disgust at how the email list was being abused this year along with other pettiness.  There are so few people that are inconsiderate in this area, but that email exchange and the subsequent nastiness put me over the top.  I'm about community, and living by our agreements.  I can't quite hack the VERY few people who want to make it about themselves at the cost of the majority.  So I wish you well and hope the majority of folks are able to maintain a neighborhood that is as wonderful as this was while we lived here.

I do have one last request.  That request is to respect one another. When you disagree, don't resort to pettiness or name calling.  You are a neighborhood. Watch out for one another.  Even if you disagree you can be respectful and caring.  You needn't assign motives to other people.  Let them speak for themselves and listen to what they have to say. Then say your piece calmly and with patience.  Both parties need to listen to one another if there is to be communication. Don't turn off your listener by making
accusations.

Other than that, I wish you all well as I retreat to the Nevada mountains... and avoid the California taxes!

Security Issues

I recently herd of one of our neighbors getting their identity stolen. That knowledge combined with several other recent events has inspired me to post the following information:

JAVA Warning:  Just in case you missed it, there has been a security warning regarding JAVA on computers.  You can find the warning on page A9 of the 1/12/13 edition of the Santa Cruz Sentinel or see http://www.zdnet.com/homeland-security-warns-to-disable-java-amid-zero-day-flaw-7000009713/ for the article.

Solicitors:  Remember, solicitation is not permitted in the Seascape Uplands.  Recently there was a man who was going door-to-door selling a cleaning product in our neighborhood.  While I cannot confirm he was running a scam, I did check on the product he was selling and looked for complaints regarding the parent company.  It was less than encouraging, with some of the complaints approaching frightening.  In addition, the salesperson used several social engineering techniques to try to persuade me to buy his product. (e.g. claims of testimonials from neighbors, showing me the corner of a neighbor's check, inaccurate information.)  If your gut feels like something is wrong, its probably worth listening to!

Scam:  Here's a message and follow up from a neighboring neighborhood watch I received yesterday:

Hi All

I hope you are staying warm!I got a phone call today from our neighbor Gayle Jensen, at 555 Cuesta,saying that yesterday she hired someone named Sonny Costello to clean her roof and dosome other chores at her home. Today, Sonny returned to her home asking formore work and more money.Gayle just wanted to warn other neighbors - she is not sure if he is "legitimate" ornot, but she was concerned.And, remember, as Sgt. Ramos says, if it does not feel right - it probably isn't!Thank you Gayle for watching out for all of us!Jeanine~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jeanine Sande831-684-1847jeanine@jeaninesande.comHi AllEarlier today, I emailed you about our dear 95 year old neighbor,Gayle Jensen, who was concerned about a worker. This eveningI got a call from Gayle's neighbor Larry Goodman (thank you Larry!!)who is helping to watch out for her. Turns out it is much more serious than I thought! Please read this email from herdaughter. The worker's name was Sonny Costello. Of course, when Larrycalled Gayle's bank, the check had been cashed. Larry will phonethe DA on Monday.Paul - is there anything you can do to help here? Extra patrols?Any info on Sonny Costello??Let's all watch out for Gayle. Ohhhh - this just makes me so mad!(reminder Gayle lives at 555 Cuesta)Thanks, Jeanine

From: "Carolyn Monday" <cmonday@socal.rr.com>Date: January 11, 2013 1:36:14 PM PST

Subject: Gayle JensenI am Gayle Jensen's oldest daughter, Carolyn Monday. Yesterday Mother was victim of a scam. While the regular yard cleanup people were there some other workman came by claiming they had an appointment to do roof repair. Mother let them up on the roof. When they finished doing God only knows what they wanted$3000 cash. Mother refused and gave them a check.They gave no receipt and left no paperwork. Today they were back stating they found a bigger problem and wanted $7000 to fix it. Mother refused. They evidently said they would return Monday.My sisters and I are worried and fearful about what would happen if they return. What can Neighborhood watch do?I have called the Sheriff who told me to call the DA. I called the DA who said "Robin" handles these problems and she is out of the office until Monday.Any suggestions are welcome.Carolyn Monday
668 252-2127 

Personal Opinion:  I've been told that the Seascape Uplands doesn't want a neighborhood watch because "we don't want people paying attention to our business".  Personally, I think that is a mistake because neighborhood watches are not about being nosy, they are about protecting one another from security threats.

Sorry, I could not resist adding that personal opinion.  I've seen neighborhood watches in action.  They can be very helpful.  I've even seen a person breaking into a car caught and used to break a theft ring due to the actions of neighborhood watches.  Regardless, if the Uplands doesn't want neighborhood watches, so be it.  I'm still keeping my eyes open, and if I see anything suspicious I will follow up appropriately.

Info from the Joint Neighborhood Watch Meeting

There was a joint meeting of several Seascape Neighborhood Watch groups on the evening of Wednesday, November 28.  What a treat to see so many people who were interested and involved in helping protect their areas from becoming victims of crime.  As impressed as I was at the very large turnout, I was even more stunned by the high quality of the Power Point presentation by Sgt.  Paul Ramos.  I took a few notes that I'll provide below, although I am hoping to obtain a copy of his presentation to share with Uplanders, even though there seems to be a real reluctance to establish a neighborhood watch in any of our areas.  But before my notes I am going to provide some contact numbers from one of Sgt. Ramo's handout entitled "Keeping our Neighborhoods Safe".

Emergency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  911

Non-Emergency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831.471.1121

Abandoned Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . .  831.454.3139 (vehicles on public streets over 72 hours)

Animal Complaints. . . . . . . . . . . .  831.454.7303

Anonymous Crime Tip Line. . . . .  831.454.2847

Board of Supervisors. . . . . . . . . . . 831.454.2200

Graffiti Hotline, North County. . .  831.427-0462

Graffiti Hotline, South County. . .  831.722.7771

PG&E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  800.743.5000 (power outages, gas leaks)

Public Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831.454.2160 (transportation, street issues, flooding)

Suicide Prevention of the Central Coast: 877.663.5433

Trans Dumped or Dead Deer. . . . 831.477.3999

Woman's Crisis Support. . . . . . . . 888.900.4232

(Apologies that I could not get those numbers to line up better. This is so ANNOYING!)

Aptos Sheriff's Center
19-D Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center (near the Safeway)
Aptos, CA 95003
831.662.0690

It may be useful to you to know that a lot of information is available through the Santa Cruz Co. Sheriff's Office website at www.scsheriff.com.  This includes crime statistics, a link to identifying the location of registered sex offenders, a link so you can register your cell phone to obtain public alerts, and several other types of information.  The site also includes a link where you can request extra attention (drive-bys) when you are on vacation.

While I cannot do justice to Sgt. Ramo's presentation, I thought you might be interested in a few tidbits from my meeting notes:

• Crime comes in waves.  An area may be targeted and worked for a while, then the perpetrators will move on to another area. The most prevalent crimes in our are are property crimes (thefts & burglaries) as well as fights.
• The best ways to protect yourself from burglary include locking doors, using your alarms, installing lighting with motion detectors (a hot issue for our area, since some motion detectors are triggering lights that are bothering neighbors), and letting your trusted neighbors know if you will be out of town. Have someone collect your mail and newspaper so that it doesn't appear the home is unoccupied. Pets can be a great alarm.  (I've actually been involved in the capture of a burglar because of my checking on a barking dog.) Remove valuables from plain view.  Trim bushes and hedges from around windows and doors so that people can't easily hide as they try to break into your home.  Always lock your car and roll up windows.  Park in lighted areas.
• It is important to report suspicious activity, including people and vehicles.  Use "gut" sense.  If something seems wrong it probably is wrong.  Some examples of what is suspicious include unusual vehicles, unknown people in the area, unknown people looking in windows, or an excessively barking dog. Gather as much information as possible. Try to get a head to toe description of the suspicious people. Be prepared to describe what behavior you are finding suspicious.  If it is safe to do so, get the license plate number of any vehicles involved.  Do NOT confront suspicious behavior or jeopardize your safety: let the officers investigate the situation.  You can ask for a call back on the status of the evaluation of the situation, but be patient.  They only have so many officers and they must prioritize their efforts based on their available resources.
• Keep serial numbers of your valuables in a safe location. One easy way to do so is to use your phone or other camera to take a photo of the item showing the serial numbers.
• There are lots of things you can do to protect your identity from being stolen.  However, identity theft is a very fast growing crime.  My recommendation, based on personal experience, is to check out the FTC website for suggestions on how you can protect your information as well as to find their step-by-step process of what to do should  you become a victim of identity theft. See http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft2012/ for more this information.
• The Sheriff's Department has one of those radar trailers that they can place in a neighborhood upon request if you are having problems with speeders.
• Drug houses can pop up in any neighborhood.  If you suspect there is a drug house, be sure to report it to the Sheriff's Department.  Be patient as their investigations can be complex and time consuming.
• We do have some gang issues in this area, as evidenced by the recent shooting down at the Seascape Beach.  The Gang Task Force is working in our area, and there are approximately 1000 documented gang members in Santa Cruz County. Keep in mind that documenting that someone is in a gang is a tedious process, so these numbers are expected to be lower than the actual gang member population.
• If you discover graffiti, it should be removed promptly.  If it is on public property notify the Graffiti Hotline.  Document the graffiti with a photograph if possible.
• Vehicles that are abandoned on the street can be removed after 72 hours. There was a humorous discussion regarding the boat that has been left periodically on Sumner.
• Consider registering your cell phone with dispatch. That way you can be notified if there are public alerts that may affect you.  You can register through the Sheriff's website listed above or go directly to www.sccecc.org/ to get notified.
• The Sheriff's Dept. can enforce dog leash and dog waste laws. 

I hope you find this information useful. 

Some Answers about the Resurfacing Project

Here are some answers to questions you may have regarding the upcoming paving project:

DeCamara will notify the following regarding services:

• Mail delivery
• Garbage pickup
• FedEx/USPS/UPS deliveries

If you have any of the following interests, you will need to notify the appropriate individuals

• Newspaper delivery
• Purified water deliveries
• Renters (although Earthworks will post notices and barricades)
• Any other services specific to your home

Additional clarification regarding the specific schedule for Zanzibar and Uplands should be forthcoming via letter from DeCamara.  However, as soon as I learn any details I will post them on this blog spot.

Also, you may have noticed in the 10/30 letter from DeCamara that we are allowing street parking (EXCEPT IN RED ZONE AREAS) from when the project starts to November 26.  This is to allow the roads time to "dry" so that the chance of tracking tar onto driveways will be reduced.

Questions should continue to be directed to DeCamara Management, Maegan Vidal. Their phone number is 688-0500.  They also have contact feature on their web site:  http://www.decamarahoa.com/web/index.php.

IMPORTANT Paving Information from DeCamara

Here's advance information that I just sent out via email and that will be going out via snail mail.  We only have about 66 residences in our Uplands Directory, so feel free to mention the issue to your neighbors just in case they didn't get the email or monitor this blog.

------------------------

The following is the updated letter you should have received via regular mail on 10/31/12.
------------------------

RE: Asphalt repairs

Dear Homeowner,

Your Board of Directors has approved Earthworks for asphalt repairs, overlay and slurry.

The project will begin Monday, November 5, 2012, weather permitting.  The vehicle entrance will be clearly marked and barricaded.  Below is the schedule that Earthworks has provided for your information.  Please mark your calendars!

November 5^th and November 6^th, Earthworks will be onsite making repairs throughout various sections of the roads. Please be mindful of barricaded areas and workers.

On November 7^th, November 8^th and November 9^th, Earthworks will begin an overlay on Lower Ventana Way. This will close Lower Ventana Way only during the day from 7:30AM to 6:00PM or until barricades are removed. There will be no ingress and egress of the driveway during this work. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed to enter if required. They will open up the roads each night.

Earthworks will slurry seal Ventana Way area on November 12^th and on November 13^th they will slurry seal Zanzibar Drive area. All roads will be closed and barricaded at 7:00AM and not open until 6:00PM, or until barricades are removed.  With the fire road gates open you may park in the opposite cul-de-sac on the date your side is sealed, and drive in and out of the other gate (walking through the fire road to get home).   Any vehicles that are left in the driveways or garages during this time will not be able to leave. Additionally, please do not use any water on street areas for at least 24 hours before and after the slurry seal. We ask that any irrigation turned off during this time. 

Vehicles may return to garages or driveways after barricades are removed by Earthworks. Any damage caused by disobeying and entering barricaded areas will be the full responsibility of the homeowner.

Please be cautious when walking on the pavement for up to 48 hours after this work.  Please be mindful of heavy equipment and where you are walking.  Do not enter any areas that are blocked off.  Additionally, please pay close attention to children and pets in the construction area.  Also,

please note that you may want to remove your shoes before walking into your home, to prevent any seal coat or other debris from being tracked inside.  You may need to do this for a short

period of time until the repairs have completely cured.  The Association, Earthworks and De Camara Management will not be responsible for any damage caused by this substance on your personal property.

Additionally, street parking will be permitted until November 26^th, 2012, except in red zone areas.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. Thank you in advance for your cooperation during this project.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.

At the direction of the Board,

Maegan Vidal

Maegan Vidal

Seascape Uplands HOA Assistant Manager

De Camara Management, Inc. 

Oops - Safety and Security Meeting

My apologies, I misunderstood the meeting announcement from Jeanine on the previous post.  See new information below.  RSVPs still go to Jeanine.
------------
Hi All

Thank you so much for your quick replies about a meeting date. It was exactly

even between the 2 dates, so I left it to Caroline to choose a date. For those of 

you who cannot make the November date, I am sorry! This meeting is open to

our Cuesta, Cresta Vista, Vista del Mar and Uplands folks.. everyone on my list

and the expanded lists.

Here is the info:

We will meet at Seascape Resort Wed., Nov. 28, 6:30 - 8:00pm, with Sgt.

Paul Ramos and 3 - 5 other local NW groups.

THIS MEETING IS NOT ABOUT FIRE ISSUES - IT IS ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT &

SAFETY ISSUES!!

** I need you to RSVP by NOVEMBER 15. We only have room for 60 - 70 people, so

we need a head-count.

** If you have questions for Sgt. Ramos, please email them to me by November 15,

so I can forward them to Sgt. Ramos and he can prepare. This meeting will NOT be

an open complaint or Q & A time other than what you submit ahead of time.

Thanks for caring.

Jeanine

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeanine Sande

831-684-1847

jeanine@jeaninesande.com

Latest on Fire Meeting

The following message is from Jeanine Sande.  Please reply to her if you are interested in attending.  This is the same message that went out via email, but since not every one has provided their email message I am reproducing the information below.
----------------------

Hi Neighbors.

We are planning a large NW meeting (5 groups, I think) with Sgt. Paul Ramos.

He will have a PowerPoint presentation, and be available for Q & A - but please

submit your questions ahead of time, so this does not turn into a complaint

session!

Question for those of you planning on attending - which date is better??

Wed. Nov. 28, or Wed. Dec. 12??

Please let me know and I will let Caroline know.

Take care & Happy Halloween. Jeanine

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeanine Sande

831-684-1847

jeanine@jeaninesande.com