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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-2007 NewsletterThe Village NEWSLETTER F�Boo7Ry VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM NORTH PALM BEACH VILLAGE COUNCIL David B. Norris, Mayor Edward M. Eissey, Ph.D., Vice Mayor William Manuel, President ProTem Charles R. O'Meilia, Councilman Darryl C. Aubrey, Councilman Village Council members may be contacted through the office of the Village Clerk at 841-3355 or by email at npbclerk(village-npb.org VILLAGE DEPARTMENTS Village Manager Village Clerk Finance Community Develop. Public Works Recreation Anchorage Park Community Center Osborne Park Library Public Safety: Non Emergency Emergency Country Club Administration Golf Shop Pool Tennis Restaurant 841-3380 841-3355 841-3360 841-3365 691-3440 841-3388 841-3386 841-3389 841-3387 841-3383 848-2525 911 841-3359 691-3420 691-3433 691-3427 626-6515 691-3430 Inside this issues Village Council/Village Clerk Community Development Library Country Club Events Country Club Calendar Public Works Recreation Public Safety Bulletin Board 2&3 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 BEACH, 501 US HWY #1, NORTH PALM BEACH, FL 33408 PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE Village Council 2nd & 4th Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Code Enforcement Board 1st Monday, on call, 6:30 p.m. Construction Board of Adjustment & Appeal on call Country Club Advisory Board 2nd Monday, monthly, 7:00 p.m. Library Advisory Board 4th Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Planning Commission 1st Tuesday, monthly, 7:00 p.m. Recreation Advisory Board 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Waterways Board next to last Tuesday, monthly, 4:00 p.m. Zoning Board of Adjustment on call All meetings are held at the Village Hall, 501 U. S. Highway One Village Council agendas, and minutes of Village Council meetings, are available on the Village's web site (http://www.village-npb.org). Agendas are posted the Monday prior to the Council meeting, and are also available at Village Hall or at the meeting. Vice Mayor Eissey is available to meet with residents prior to regularly scheduled Council meetings at 7:00 PM in the Village Hall Conference room. Appointments recommended. Please call the Clerk's office at 841-3355. • Holiday Closings - The following offices will be closed in observance of Presidents' Day, Monday, Febru- ary 19, 2007: Village Hall, Library, Recreation, Country Club Administration, Public Works and Public Safety_ Re- cords Office (Police, Fire, EMS, - Open) • Candidate Qualifying for Village Elections - See page 2 (La version en espafiol en la pagina 3) • Voter Absentee Ballot and Registration Information - See pages 2 (La version en espafiol en la pagina 3) • Holiday Refuse Collection - See page 6 • Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale & Author Luncheon - see page 3 • Valentine Event for you and your canine called "Puppy Love", Village Wide Garage Sale - March 3rd, Annual Heritage Festival & Parade - April 21st, - See page 6 • AARP Tax Aid - AARP Tax Aide will be returning to the North Palm Beach Village Hall between February 2, 2007 and April 16, 2007 to assist seniors and other residents to prepare their income tax returns. The service is free of charge. - See page 8 Visit us on our Web Site: http://www.village-npb.org E-mail: publicinfo(village-npb.org THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 2007 VILLAGE CLERK NEWS CANDIDATE QUALIFYING FOR MARCH 2007 VILLAGE ELECTION: The qualifying period for candidates for the Village Council will be from the last Tuesdav in January (noon, January 30, 2007) to the second Tuesdav in February (noon, February 13, 2007). Qualifying is for the Village Election, which will be held on Tuesday, March 13, 2007. There will be two seats on the Vil- lage Council up for election this year. These seats are currently held by: Group 2 — Charles O'Meilia Group 4 — David B. Norris We want to remind all interested candidates to contact the Vil- lage Clerk's office as early as possible. There are many state laws regulating campaign activities for municipal elections with which you should be familiar. Candidates must file the appoint- ment of their Campaign Treasurer and Campaign Depository with the Village Clerk before opening the campaign bank ac- count and before collecting or spending money. A candidate must pay for all election expenses, including the filing fee of $10.00 and a $60.00 election assessment (1% of the salary of the office sought) with a check drawn on the Campaign Depository. It would be advisable to start preparation for filing as soon as you have made your decision to become a candidate. VOTER REGISTRATION: The registration books for the March Election will close at 5:00 p.rn. on Monday, February 12, 2007. We would like to advise voters registered in the State of Florida that if they move, they must vote at their new precinct, at which time they can change their address at the polls, or prior to the election, notify the Supervisor of Elections Office, 240 S. Mili- tary Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33406, of their new address, in order to receive a new voter information card listing the new pre- cinct. ABSENTEE BALLOTS: Voters who will be away on Election Day, as well as those who are unable to go to the polls due to illness or disability, may have an absentee ballot mailed to therm. Absentee ballots are available only from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Requests for absentee ballots may be done by phone, by mail, or by completing the application online (www.nbcelections.org). Absentee Ballots must be returned to the Elections Office in West Palm Beach by 7 p.m. on Tues- day, March 13th, 2007. POLL WORKERS NEEDED: Poll Workers perform a vital service to their community as an important part of the elections process. To become a poll worker you must be a registered voter in Palm Beach County, fill out a poll worker application for the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, attend an orienta- tion class, and complete training prior to each election. For more information on this paid position, please contact the Supervisor of Elections at 656-6200, visit the website at www.pbcelections.org or call the Village Clerk's office at 841- 3355. %) Swppo4t ijttwc ,Lacae 53wsinc e SUPPORT OUR TROOPS: Military Unit Adoption Volun- teers would like to announce that we will have a space at the Spring Garage Sale on Saturday, March 3rd at the Community Center. ALL proceeds will be used to support our great sol- diers "The Hooligans" in Iraq. If you have any unwanted items that you would like to donate please call the Village Clerk's Office at 841-3355 by February 23rd. Our volunteers will be happy to pick up your donations. Please do not place items for the Garage Sale in the donation boxes around the Village, these boxes are for standard donation items as listed on our flyers. Thank you! To make a monetary contribution, make check payable to Vil- lage of North Palm Beach Support Our Troops and send it c/o the Village Clerk's Office, 501 U. S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408. Thank you to all our residents and volunteers for your generosity and support. Community Development 501 U. S. Highway One North Palm Beach, FL 33408 841-3365 Who Needs A Building Permit? Florida Building Code 2004 Section 104 Permits Required 104.1.1 When required. Any owner, authorized agent, or con- tractor who desires to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy or occupant content of a building or structure, or any outside area being used as part of the building designated occupancy (single or mixed) or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by the technical codes, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the build- ing official and obtain the required permit for the work. Exceptions: 1. Permits shall not be required for the following mechanical work: 1.1. any portable heating appliance: 1.2. any portable ventilation equipment: 1.3. any portable cooling unit: 1.4. any steam, hot or chilled water piping within any heating or cooling equipment regulated by this code: 1.5 replacement of any part which does not alter its approval or make it unsafe: 1.6 any portable evaporative cooler: 1.7 any self-contained refrigeration system containing 10 lb (4.54 kg) or less of refrigeration and actuated by motors of 1 horsepower (746 W) or less: and 1.8 The installation, replacement, removal, or metering of any load management control device. A building permit issued by the Village Building Department, along with inspections by our Certified Building Inspectors, ensure that your construction project meets the current building code requirements. The village recommends asking your contractor for proof of final inspection before making final payment on your project. PAGE 3 THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2007 LIBRARY NEWS 303 Anchorage Drive North Palm Beach, Florida 33408 841-3383 FEBRUARY IN THE LIBRARY The Friends of the Library annual author luncheon will be Mon- day, Febmary 19, 2007 at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 4350 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens at 11:30 a.m. Featured speaker for the luncheon will be Lee Irby, author of two novels 7,000 Clams and The Up & Up. Irby's latest humorous crime novel, The Up and Up, is set in Miami and Palm Beach in the Roaring `20s with characters such as Joe Kennedy, Gloria Swanson, Harvey Firestone in addition to flappers, gangsters and bootleggers. Tickets for this event are $30.00 each and will be on sale at the North Palm Beach Library. THE GREAT PRETENDERS: VINTAGE JEWELRY PROGRAM On Wednesday, February 7th at 2:00 p.m., Lucille Nicholson, collector of vintage jewelry, will present a program on "The Great Pretenders" and answer any questions on your vintage jewelry that you would like to bring to the program. Stop by the library to see a display of her jewelry before the program. FLORIDA'S BEST FRUITING PLANTS AUTHOR PROGRAM On Wednesday, February 28th at 2:00 p.m., Charles Boning, naturalist, illustrator, author and attorney, will speak on his lat- est book, Florida's Best Fruiting Plants, which contains 80 native and non-native plants beautifully illustrated. Mr. Boning will have copies of his book for purchase at the program. BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP Tuesday, February 20th at 10:00 a.m. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood Discussion led by Bea Isenstein TREESEARCHERS GENEALOGY CLUB Tuesday, Febmary 20th at 7:00 p.m. Children's Library Winter Story Hours This month, ages 4 & 5 are on Mondays, ages 6-8 on Tuesdays, both are drop-offs at 3:30 p.m. Ages 2 & 3 will meet with a parent for story time on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. Please call us at 841-3374. Nighty Night Story Hour Ages 4-8 are invited to join us on Thursday, February 8th, at 6 p.m. for bedtime stories, puppets, music and a movie. Kid's Express Friday, February 9th, at 4 p.m. ages 9-12 will meet to enjoy a specially designed, fun -filled, fast -paced program. Light re- freshments will be served. Game Day Ages 6-10 will meet Thursday, February 15th at 3 p.m. You may bring one of your own games to play or use one of ours. Toddler Time On Saturday, February 17th, at 10:15 a.m. parents with children from birth to 23 months are invited to attend an interactive pro- gram with music and movement, books, colors and shapes and lots more. Movie Time Ages 6-10 are invited to enjoy one of your favorite movies on Saturday, February 17th, at 11:30 a.m. You may wish to bring a snack or your lunch. VILLAGE CLERK NEWS (continued from page 2) CANDIDATOS QUE CALIFICAN PARA LAS ELECCIO- NES DE MARZO DEL 2007 DEL PUEBLO: El periodo de calificacion para candidatos para el Consejo del Pueblo sera desde el ultimo martes de enero (medio dia del 33 de enero de 2007) hasta el segundo martes de febrero (medio dia del 13 de febrero de 2007). La calificacion es para las Elecciones del Pueblo, que se llevaran a cabo el martes, 13 de marzo de 2007. Habra tres esca- nos en el Consejo del Pueblo para las elecciones de este alio. Ac- tuahnente, en estos escanos estan: Grupo 2 — Charles O'Meilia Grupo 4 — David B. Norris Quisieramos recordar a todos los candidatos interesados que se comuniquen con la oficina de la Secretaria del Pueblo to mas pron- to posible. Existen muchas leyes estatales que regulan las activi- dades de campanas para elecciones municipales que usted debe conocer. Los candidatos deben presentar el nombramiento de su Tesorero de Campana y su Depositario de Campana ante la Se- cretaria del Pueblo antes de abrir la cuenta bancaria para la campa- fia y antes de recolectar o gastar dinero. El candidato tendra que pagar todos los gastos de las elecciones, incluyendo la cuota de presentacion de $10.00 y una tarifa de eleccion de $60.00 (1% del sueldo del puesto deseado) con un cheque girado del Depositario de Campana. Se le aconseja que empiece los preparativos para la presentacion tan pronto tome la decision de ser candidato. INSCRIPCION DE VOTANTES: Los libros de inscripcion para las Elecciones de marzo se cerraran a las 5:00 p.m. el lunes 12 de febrero de 2007. Quisieramos infonnar a los votantes inscritos en el Condado de Palm Beach que si se mudan, deberan votar en su distrito electoral nuevo y podran cambiar su direccion en las urnas, o si tienen suficiente tiempo antes de las elecciones, deben escribir y notificarle su nueva direccion a la Oficina de la Supervi- sor de Elecciones en 240 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33406. La Supervisora de Elecciones le enviara por correo una tarjeta electoral nueva con su distrito electoral nuevo. BALOTAS DE AUSENTE: A aquellos votantes que estaran fue- ra el Dia de las Elecciones, al igual que a aquellos que no puedan asistir a las urnas debido a enfennedad o discapacidad, se les podra mandar por correo una balota de ausente. Las balotas de ausente estaran disponibles solo por medio de la Supervisora de Elecciones del Condado de Palm Beach. Las balotas de ausente se pueden solicitar por telefono, por correo, o al llenar la solicitud en linea (www.nbcelections.org). Las Balotas de Ausente se tienen que devolver a la Oficina de Elecciones en West Palm Beach a mas tardar para las 7 p.m. el martes, 14 de marzo de 2006. PAGE 4 THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2007 Country Club 951 US Highway #1 North Palm Beach, Florida 33408 (Administration Office 561-691-3420) The North Palm Beach Country Club is open to the public. We welcome and encourage everyone to stop by and check out all of our amenities. We are a complete recreation facility offering daily fees, so feel free to enjoy a magnificent day of golf, a vigorous match of tennis, a refreshing dip in our Olympic size pool or an exquisite dining experience. We offer discounts to our Village residents with a valid resident card. To purchase your resident card, stop by the Administration office. Proof of residency (deed, tax bill, or 12 month lease agreement and photo identification) is required at time of issuance. GOLF 691-3433 "A Tip From The Top" Being avid golfers we are always searching for ways to improve our technique. One of the most '� important fundamentals and most violated piece of the average golfers swing is hand and ann ten- sion. This just might be the "secret' to the golf swing. Understanding the relationship between your grip pressure and your ann tension might _Iincrease your ability to make solid club ball con- tact. The club should be held in your fingers with your fingers having a secure hold on the grip, not overly tight, just enough pressure to not let the club twist in your hands. The anus should be "soft', they hang freely from your shoulder sockets. The wrists, elbow and shoulder joints need to be flexible and pliable throughout the swing. To make this a little more simple think "fingers secure anus soft'. A simple exercise to find ann softness and freedom would be to hold your anus out to your side at shoul- der height, from there let your anus fall to your sides, slapping against your legs. If your anus do not fall freely then your shoul- ders and anus are to tight. Keep practicing this until you can find freedom in your shoulders and anus. TENSION is the main cul- prit in destroying a good golf swing. If you have any questions give a call I just might be able to help. Mike Gray DRIVING RANGE HOURS OF OPERATION Monday - 9:00 a.rn. to 8:30 p.rn. Tuesday - Sunday - 7:00 a.rn. to 8:30 p.rn. LIGHTS OUT AT 9:00 p.m. Interested in learning the game of golf or improving the one that you have? Call our golf professional at 691-3433. GIFT CERTIFICATES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE GOLF PRO SHOP POOL 691-3427 FEBRUARY POOL HOURS CLOSED MONDAYS Tuesday - Friday Saturday Sunday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM WATER AEROBICS Water aerobics are ongoing and open to all. Classes are held Wednesday and Friday at 12:15 - 1:15 PM at the Country Club Pool. Certified instructor is Jean Burge. Cost is $5/class. TENNIS 626-6515 Happy Valentines Day! Check out our Sweet Heart Mixer JUNIOR TENNIS Tiny Tots (4-6) Tuesday/Thursday 3:30 PM-4:00 PM Future Stars (7-9) Tuesday/Thursday 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Grand Slam/Challengers (10-18) Monday/Wednesday 3:30 PM-5:00 PM Junior Tennis Tournaments 1st Saturday of each month 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Pizza Mixers (Friday's 6-8 PM) ADULT TENNIS Monthly Themed Mixer (Check Pro -Shop for Times and Dates) Beginner's/Intermediate Weekend Drill 9-10:30 AM Ladies Night Tuesday 6:30 - 8:00 PM Men's Drill Night - Every Wednesday 6:30-8:00 PM NEW! Cardio Tennis (Heart Pumping Tennis Fitness) Friday 9:00 - 10:30 AM Monthly Themed Tennis Mixers Check Pro Shop for your teams day and time. FEBRUARY 2007 North Palm Beach Country Club OF EVENTS COUNTRY CLUB AND VILLAGE GREEN RESTAURANT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Restaurant Hours Prime Rib 8 oz - 12 oz R - Dinner Breakfast 7 ADZ - 10:30 AM $12.95 R $18.95 Fish R Chips - $13.95 All Dav Menu 11 ADZ - 10PD1 Entertainment 7:00-10:00 PM Entertainment 7:00 - 10:00 PM Braised Short Ribs - $15.95 T - Junior Tennis Tournaments O 8 COUNCIL MEETING 7:30 PM e R - Dinner Fish R Chips - $13.95 kn al 00 Italian Buffet - $15.95 Grilled Salmon Teriyaki -$15.95 Liver R Onions -$10.95 Entertainment 7:00 - 10:00 PM Entertainment 7:00-10:00 PM to rl Happy Valentine's Dav 12 CCAB MEETING 7:OOPM 0 ai R - Dinner Prime Rib 8 oz - 12 oz Fish R Chips - $13.95 P a = 01 0 O 4 o P. 'C v o ra 3 o M � `O r.r.PP L �" u ?. p O. ca 60 F. ?. a s x a o 1 Tt ; A,w G -r raised Short Ribs - $15.95 R 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM $12.95 R $18.95 Entertainment 7:00 - 10:00 PM 600 Entertainment 7:00-10:00 PM Chef's Choice Dinner T-Cardio Tennis 9:00-10:3 AM T - Men's Night - 6:30 - 8 PM T - Ladies Night - 6:30 - 8 PM 11AM-7PM R - Dinner 22 COUNCIL MEETING 7:30 PM 23 President's Day a $12.95 R $18.95 Fish R Chips - $13.95 Braised Short Ribs - $15.95 Entertainment 7:00-10:00 PM Valentine Dinner Reservations Call 691-3430 to o 01 © = 'n 0, ; s g 0', , . O �1 Pam. C O (V r p ,.' (V _ _ .= L 0 ., 00 ar'J // o E Chef's Choice Dinner 11AM-7PM PAGE 6 THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2007 Recreation Department 603 Anchorage Drive North Palm Beach, FL 33408 841-3388 Puppy Love - The Recreation Department is hosting a Valentine event for you and your canine best friends called "Puppy Love" on Saturday, February loth at 1:00 p.m. You and your pals can enjoy an afternoon of contests and fun at the Bark Park at Anchorage Park, 603 Anchorage Drive. Contests include: Best Holiday Attire, Best Tail Wag- ger, Best Trick, Best Singing Dog, Smallest Dog, Largest Dog, and Best Kisser. Win great prizes! Vendors of dog -related services and supplies will be on hand dispensing information and freebies. You will be able to watch various obedience training demon- strations. A fun -filled afternoon for all! Spend some quality holiday time with your "Canine Sweetheart". For more infor- mation, please call 841-3386. Village Wide Garage Sale We will accept registrations for the March 3rd Village -Wide Garage Sale which will be held at the Community Center from 7:00 a.m. - noon. The cost for a single space is $15. Spaces are assigned on a first come — first serve basis. This is a great chance for those of you who live in condos or in communities that do not allow garage sales. Start cleaning those closets! Register early. Annual Heritage Festival & Parade - Mark your calen- dars now! The annual Heritage Festival is corning! This year's event will be held on Saturday, April21st ! The parade will be Saturday morning. We're looking for parade entries: clubs, organized groups, antique cars, floats, bands, etc. For more details, please call the Recreation Department at 841-3386. 5 Wishes - Living Will with a Heart — There are many things in life that are out of our hands. When facing end -of -life decisions, having a living will puts you in control when you can't speak for yourself. The Five Wishes goes beyond most state forms to deal with your emotional, personal and spiritual wishes. Five Wishes kits will be provided. This workshop will be held on February 13th at 11:00 a.m. Please call 841-3386 to RSVP your seat. There is no charge. Your Life and Your Leaacv - Create your own legacy! Legacies are rare and special gifts from one person to another: from one generation to the next. Learn how to capture, cherish, and share life's most precious memories! Because your life matters! ! ! This workshop will be held on February 13th at 11:00 a.m. Please call 841-3386 to RSVP your seat. There is no charge. EPCOT Center - Gather with family_ and friends and fellow North Palm residents to celebrate the fascinating cultures and numerous wonders of the world through dazzling shows, inter- active experiences and amazing attractions at EPCOT Center's Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow. Fee includes ad- mission and transportation. Fee: $95-February l lth A Day in the Everglades — It's airboats and alligators on this day of exploring the beauty of the Florida Everglades. A guided airboat ride, a delicious lunch, and a park ranger guided boat ride of the 10,000 Islands of the Everglades will highlight the day. Dinner stop on our return trip is on your own at the Dolphin Mall. Fee: $75 - February 22nd Strawberry Festival Don't miss out on this year's Strawberry Festival in Plant City. Our bus trip on Thursday, March 8th will take us to the festival for a day of fun, strawberries, music and more. The trip price includes the festival, performance by the Oakridge Boys, buffet dinner, and trans- portation! We plan on having a berry good day! March 8th Fee: $70 — South Beach South Beach, widely known as a nighttime spot of fun and excitement, offers beautiful art deco, a gorgeous beach, the Jackie Gleason Theater and much more that you won't want to miss. Wear your walking shoes as you will be able to explore, shop, and dine at your own pace and pleasure. This trip is slated for Friday, March 23rd. Fee: $30 Seminole Hard Rock & Casino It's a Las Vegas style casino in Hollywood, FL. Run by the Seminole Indians you won't know if you're in the real Las Vegas or South Florida! Stay cool all day long too. Minimum need for this trip is 25. This trip is slated for Wednesday, March 28th. Fee: $25 Contact Bill Egan at 841-3389 for information on any bus trip Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday PRESIDENTS' DAY REFUSE COLLECTION February 19th No Collection February 20th Garbage Only February 21 st Trash & Vegetation February 22nd Trash, Vegetation & Recycle February 23rd Garbage Only PAGE 7 THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2007 Public Safety 560 U. S. Highway One North Palm Beach, FL 33408 848-2525 The most common threat to your home is burglary. According to the FBI, a burglary occurs every 15 seconds in this country. There are three components to the crime. Desire -Ability - Opportunity Remember, if a burglar really wants into your home, there's probably no way to prevent it, but there are ways to minimize your chances of being a victim. We can not take the Desire or the Ability away from the criminal but we can elimi- nate the Opportunity. Most crime occurs because the opportunity to commit the crime existed. Opportunity can be divided into two categories. • The opportunity created by the victim through carelessness, and lack of attention to security. • The opportunity created by the criminal through skill and ruthlessness. The person is a "professional criminal" who is unafraid to be caught. It is believed in the Law Enforcement community that the "professional criminal's" represent a very small percentage of the crimes that are committed. The majority of crime is committed by unskilled amateurs and is made possible by the opportunities created by the victims them- selves! The following tips will help prevent residents of becom- ing victims of residential burglary. DOOR & LOCKS Burglars will bypass your home if it takes too much effort or requires more skill and tools than they possess. Burglars fre- quently enter through the front, back or garage doors. Always use quality materials on all exterior entrances, including the ga- rage door. • Use a solid core or metal door for all entrance points • Use a quality, heavy-duty deadbolt lock with at least a one - inch throw bolt • Use a quality, heavy-duty knob -in -lock set with a dead -latch mechanism • Use a heavy-duty, 4-screw striker plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate into the door frame • Use a wide-angle 160-degree peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches. SLIDING GLASS PATIO DOORS Sliding glass doors are secured by latches, not locks. They are easy to force open from the outside because the latching mecha- nism is almost always weak. A wooden stick or broom handle inserted into the lower track can keep the door from opening from the outside. Commercial products that bolt on the track are also available. Some older sliding glass doors can be lifted up and off the lower track thus defeating the latch mechanism. Check your door. If it's easily lifted, there are products available at your hardware store to help prevent this. Once you've secured the sliding door, the burglar will have to break the glass to get in. That's noisy and might attract attention and a burglar doesn't want that. WINDOWS Windows are left unlocked and open much more often than doors. An open window that is seen by a burglar may be the only reason your home was picked: easy entry. Most win- dows have latches and not locks. The latches can be supple- mented by using blocking devices that keep the window from opening even if the glass is broken and the latch unlocked. Inexpensive wooden dowels and sticks work well for horizon- tal sliding windows and through -the -frame pins work well for vertical sliding windows. • Secure all accessible windows with secondary blocking devices • Block accessible windows open no more than 6 inches for ventilation • Be sure someone cannot reach through an open window and unlock a door • Be sure someone cannot reach through the window and remove the blocking device LIGHTING Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of activity inside a residence at night. Timers are inexpensive and can be used to simulate activity. The timers should control lights that are near windows so they can be seen from the outside. They can also be used to control radios or TVs. Outside lighting is also important. It becomes critical if you do not have a garage and must walk to the entry door. The purpose of lighting is two -fold: Others can see activity around your house and you can see if a suspicious person is lurking nearby. Outdoor lights can also be activated by a motion sen- sor. They will turn on when there is movement by anyone outside. They are usually designed to work only at night. They are very inexpensive and are available at most hardware stores. • Use interior light timers to establish a pattern of occup- ancy • Exterior lighting should allow at least 100-foot visibility • Use light timers or motion sensors to turn lights on/off automatically LANDSCAPE Keep shrubs and hedges trimmed, especially those near win- dows. Shrubs and bushes that hide windows will also hide burglars while they work. If practical, also use those shrubs that have prickly leaves. This makes it tougher for anyone trying to hide behind them. Just in case ....Think like a burglar. Look at your home as if you were a thief and look for easy ways to enter. Be sure valu- ables are not visible from the street. Be sure to secure ladders that could be used to access second -floor windows. Be sure your mail and newspapers are picked up if you're away for an extended period. Display your house number and be sure it's visible at night. This will help police, fire and medical person- nel in finding your home in an emergency. The North Palm Beach Department of Public Safety offers free residential security survey for village residents. If you are interested in a security survey or have any questions about preventing residential burglary contact Officer Williams at 841-3300. PAGE 8 THE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2007 BULLETIN BOARD Traffic Oriented Policing (TOP) The North Palm Beach Department of Public Safety is com- mitted to the safety of its citizens. A Safe Community is a community that promotes traffic safety and injury prevention. TOP is a program which requires members of the community and law enforcement to work together to reduce traffic prob- lems in North Palm Beach. It uses an approach to involve resi- dents in addressing traffic problems and safety concerns in the village. We would like your help to determine specific areas of concern. Please contact Officer Williams at 841-3300 or email us at traffic(�i,village-nnb.ore. You can remain anony- mous. Village Wide Garage Sale We will accept registrations for the March 3rd Village -Wide Garage Sale which will be held at the Community Center from 7:00 a.m. - noon. The cost for a single space is $15. Spaces are assigned on a first come — first serve basis. This is a great chance for those of you who live in condos or in communities that do not allow garage sales. Start cleaning those closets! Register early. VILLAGE NEWSLETTER 501 U.S. HIGHWAY 1 NORTH PALM BEACH, FL 33408 BULLETIN BOARD VILLAGE BOARDS: Village Boards were created to advise the Council on present and future activities of the Village. Cur- rently, an HVAC Contractor is needed for the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals. Annual appointments to all Village Boards and Committees for positions with teens expiring 4/30/07 will be made in April. Applications are available online or through the Clerk's office at 841-3355. Boards and Committees include: Audit Committee, Code Enforcement Board, Construc- tion Board, Country Club Advisory Board, Library Advisory Board, Planning Commission, Recreation Advisory Board, Water- ways Board, and Zoning Board of Adjustment. AARP TAX AID: Free tax preparation service will be available in the North Palm Beach Village Hall Council Chambers 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday beginning Feb- ruary 2, 2007 through April 16, 2007. Tax payers should bring 2006 tax forms, W-2's, 1099's and other tax information along with their 2005 tax return. Tax payers are also asked to bring proper ID. ************** ECRWSS POSTAL PATRON NORTH PALM BEACH, FL 33408 PRSRT STD U S POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BCH, FL PERMIT NO. 18