Self-Defense for women or for the women in your life

One Saturday morning, the Boca Raton Police Department conducted a self-defense class for women led by Sgt. Lawrence and Officer Pratt. They warned if the worst happens, chances are you'll have only yourself to depend on. It was excellent and I came away with a few tips in addition to the self-defense techniques they taught us.

Don't make yourself vulnerable by not being aware - prevention is 90 percent awareness and avoiding risk.

1. Look confident and look people in the eyes so they know you are aware of them.
2. If you feel like something's wrong, it probably is. Don't ignore your 6th sense. If you are alone, try to get around others.
3. If you are suspicious about something call 911. Better to be wrong than a victim.
4. If you don't have a cell phone, get one.

At home.

1. Use unbumpable (unbumpable locks can't be picked,) dead bolts locks for your doors; don't open the door to strangers; close your blinds and shades at night so others can't see you or your belongings.

Parking lots.

1. Park under a light at night. If the parking lot is deserted, ask the security guard to escort you.
2. Be mindful. When walking back to your car, day or night, don't talk on your cell phone or be thinking about other things. Concentrate on your surroundings.
3. Look under your car as you approach it and look inside before you get in it.

Driving

1. If someone is following you,in your car don't go to your house. Keep your doors locked, drive to the nearest police station or fire department, call 911 and honk your horn. If you don't know where the police station is, find out.

ATM's

1. Avoid going at night or after dark.

Elevators & stairs

1. Stand near the control panel so if necessary you can push the panic button.
2. When getting on an elevator if someone makes you uncomfortable, don't get on it. Conversely if someone gets on and makes you uncomfortable, get off immediately.
3.Avoid isolated stairs.

Mary's suggestions

1. If you have an SUV, you cannot see in the Cargo area. Glue two mirrors on the ceiling in the cargo area and that will enable you to view the back of your car before you get into it.
2. Avoid public restrooms that are secluded.

Thanks to Delray Beach Blogger, Mary Kay for all of this timely information.

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COBWRA Meeting Notice
Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA)
will meet at 9:30 A.M. on Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Bellaggio Clubhouse, 6525 Bellaggio Lakes Blvd
located on the south side of Lantana Road just east of State Rd 7 (441)
Program:

Hurricane Preparedness

Open to the public. No tickets or reservations required.
Information provided by Jack Leicher, COBWRA Program Chair
Call 561-789-8140 for more information.

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Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA)
will meet at 9:30 A.M. on Wednesday, April 16, 2008
at the Valencia Shores Clubhouse, 7751 Valencia Shores Drive.
Located on the east side of Lyons Road between Boynton Beach Blvd and Hypoluxo.
Program: Installation of COBWRA Officers
Open to the public. No tickets or reservations required.
Call 561-789-8140 for more information.
Information provided by Jack Leicher, COBWRA Program Chair

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Tom Matthews, Special International Representative of the Laborers'
International Union of North America, and Business Manager of the
Construction and Craft Workers' Local # 1652, will speak on Tuesday,
April 8, at 1:00 PM, at the meeting
of the Citizens for Social Responsibility
at the South County Civic Center,
16700 Jog Road in Delray Beach.
His topic will be : "Organized Labor's Place in
Today's America" All are welcomed........No charge.........
Refreshments will be served.
Call # 561-496- 0233 for further information.

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The Future of Cable

(Courtesy of W. Boca BLOGGER, Alan Kellock)
Imagine every home in your HOA community connected by a fiber optic network that offers a choice of many hundreds, if not thousands, of “channels” from all over the world, with a picture quality superior to anything available now. It would provide access to the Internet with blazing speed compared to Comcast cable or AT&T’s DSL. This same infrastructure could also support provide land phone services.

Your TVs, computers and land phones wouldn’t need all that cable and wire that snakes through your attic and perhaps even along your baseboards. All you have to do is plug in your device to an electrical outlet to get connected anywhere in your home.

A fantasy? Not really. This is where the future of home media is heading. It’s commonly called bundling. The technology to support this vision already exists, and more is on the way.

Newer companies with fresh strategies are mixing it up with aging media conglomerates like Comcast, AT&T and Time Warner. The challengers lean toward the Internet model, enabling consumers to select their own content from unlimited choices a la Google or You Tube. The other side is steeped in a tradition of pre-selecting the content we can access in our homes and is struggling to redefine its mission in response to the challenge posed by these upstart enablers.

The cost? I don’t know. But if you add up what you would pay on your own for cable or satellite TV, broadband Internet and land phone service come 2009, the available evidence indicates that a community-wide bundling alternative will cost less per month and the quality will be superior. Communities with a viable home media program that appeals to a growing number of prospective buyers who value such services will also enhance the property values within such communities.

It may prove necessary to invest in the startup of the new infrastructure. This is the pioneering path that Boca Isles South took a couple of years ago when their then-Adelphia contract expired. They installed their own fiber optic network. In effect, they cut out the middleman and became their own Cable TV and broadband Internet company, buying content directly from content providers or the growing number of resellers who represent them.

A number of other communities in are looking into similar alternatives to Comcast as their contracts also near expiration.
What direction do you think home media should take in your community?

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The Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA) next meeting will be
at 9:30 A.M., on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at the Valencia Lakes clubhouse,
11600 Valencia Lakes Blvd. , Boynton Beach
The entrance is located on the west side of Hagen Ranch Road between Woolbright Road and Pipers Glen Blvd.
Program:
1: ELECTION OF COBWRA OFFICERS FOR 2008-9.
2: PROPERTY INSURANCE.
Open to the public. No tickets or reservations needed.
Contact COBWRA at 789-8140 or cobwra@yahoo.com for more information.
Jack Leicher, COBWRA Program Chairman

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On Sunday, March 9th, at 2:00 P.M., the South Florida Veterans Administration
National Cemetery's new 313-acre site will be opened to the public.

South Florida VA National Cemetery will serve veterans' needs for the next 50 years.
The cemetery is located in Palm Beach County in Lake Worth on U.S. 441,
just south of Lantana Road and north of Boynton Beach Blvd.,
6501 South State Road 7, Lake Worth, FL. 33467.

All veterans and their families are invited.
There will be parking on the west side of U.S. 441 (state road 7) at the
Pro-Source Company or on the east side of U.S. 441 at the Whitworth
Farms, just north of Eternal Light Cemetery.

Shuttle buses will be provided from these parking areas to the VA Cemetery.
For more information call Barry Tutin at 865-0271 or Cemetery Staff at
(561) 649-6489

This article courtesy of Mort Mazor, Del Ray Beach Sun-Sentinel Blog.

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Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA) meeting
at 9:30 A.M., on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, at
the Palm Chase clubhouse, 10755 Palm Lake Ave.

The entrance is located on the west side of Military Trail between
Boynton Beach Blvd. and Woolbright Road.
PROGRAM:
Terry Verner, Palm Beach County Director of Code Enforcement..
Nominating Committee's slate for COBWRA Officers will be announced.
Nominations from the floor will be accepted.
Elections will be at the March meeting..

Open to the public. No tickets or reservations needed.

Contact COBWRA at 789-8140 or cobwra@yahoo.com for more information.

(This information provided by Jack Leicher, COBWRA Program Chairman)

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Does your name appear on a "sucker list?" These lists contain information about people who have
provided valuable personal information to previous telemarketing solicitations. The lists are bought, sold and traded by scam artists who want your information and your money!

Seniors are especially targeted by unscrupulous sales marketers for products and services.
They want your valuable information, especially your credit card, birth date,
social security number, and address. Older women living alone are especially
targeted by scam artists. They play upon an older person's trust and politeness.
Often, callers inform the listener that he/she has won
a foreign lottery or that Social Security needs bank account information for their files.
Social Security employees NEVER call individuals for information.

You can protect yourself:
1) Do NOT give your credit card, checking account or Social Security number
to anyone who calls you. Call 1-800-772-1213 if you need direct Social Security information.
2) Don't pay for something to receive a "free" gift or sweepstakes.
3) Do not pay anyone to recover money for you for a "fee."
4) Call the Better Business Bureau, local consumer protection agency, or the State Attorney General's Office, before you agree to send money. Another source of information is the
OIG (Office of Inspector General). Their Hotline number is 1-800-269-0271. A Public
Fraud Reporting form is available online at OIG's Web site: www.socialsecurity.lgov/oig.

PUT YOUR NAME ON THE DO NOT CALL REGISTRY, too! It is free.
www.donotcall.gov
or 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you wish you register.
Do it for your cell phone, too!

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Do you want to have a say in who the candidates are in the next Presidential Election?
The January 29th Primary election is your opportunity to make your vote count, if you
are a Republican or Democrat.

The homestead exemption referendum is also on the ballot. You do NOT
have to be a registered Democrat or Republican to vote on this referendum. The homestead
exemption is now $25,000. Passage of this referendum would double the
exemption to $50,000 on everything except school taxes. An important issue in
this referendum is the Property Tax Referendum, also known as
"portability." This would allow new homeowners
to transfer Save Our Homes tax savings when they move.
60% majority vote is needed to have this become law.

Palm Beach has about 781,000 registered voters. Early voting begins January 14th
and absentee voters have until January 23rd to request mail ballots.

Need more information? Here are some sources:

www.pbcelections.org - Download a voter registration form.
Elections Office - 561 656-6200

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The Florida Highway Patrol is encouraging all drivers to use their computers to log in their
emergency contact information. More than 700,000 Floridians have done this, so far.
However, there are over 18 million licensed drivers and ID card holders in our state who have not done this, yet.

So, if you hold a valid Florida driver's license or if you have a valid Florida ID card, PLEASE
go to your computer or go to a library and use a computer to enter your emergency contact
information.

If you are ever involved in an automobile accident, or any other altercation, your information
will be on file. Please understand that the information that you supply will be kept secure and is only used by law enforcement officials in case of emergency.

The site is:

https://www6.hsmv.state.fl.us/dlcheck/findcustomer

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More water restrictions will soon be enacted and enforced for our county. Several acquaintances, who had proudly showed-off their colorful gardens, have sought drought-resistant plants for their front yards. Drought-friendly grass and smaller lawns, with more rocks and/or mulch are becoming more prevalent in large communities. Native bushes, succulents and cactus are replacing annuals
and flowers that require large and frequent waterings. These things were on my mind when I
found a magazine in the doctor's office.

I was intrigued by the article I read in SCIENCE NEWS, December 1, 2007, page 340,
entitled "So Sproutish, Anti-aging gene for plants gives drought protection."

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have been experimenting with the gene IPT,
which can delay the affects of drought on tobacco plants (by staying green after 15 days without water) .IPT gene added to a plant stimulates a surge of enzymes that fool the plant into thinking it's
still young. Aging plants drop their leaves and die. Young plants are strong and can withstand
drought conditions. So, this is like an "anti-aging" gene for plants!

Other plant varieties were treated with IPT, which achieved at least 85% of their usual yield.
Eduardo Blumwald of UC says he hopes that IPT will be tested on crops such as wheat and
tomatoes.

At the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, water-thrifty rice,
corn, and cotton are being engineered to survive drought conditions.

While this research is highly commendable and might provide future solutions to our drought,
we are the solution at the moment. So, neighbors, start looking for more cactus or succulents for your garden, rather than showy annuals, and put away your hoses. Mother Nature is in control, but we have to help by conserving what we receive.

Want to read more about IPT? Go to www.sciencenews.org.
See Sun-Sentinel, December 22, 2007, Local, "Builders May See Landscaping Rules."

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It is winter time and few people think about mosquitoes at this time of year, but planning
for their spring and summer invasions requires forethought. Being retired affords me
the luxury of reading books and magazines and Google searches that pique my interest.
Here's what I have been learning about mosquitoes:

DDT was a popular chemical widely used in the U.S., until three decades ago,
when it was banned. DDT was sprayed on lawns and shrubs in home gardens
and on farms and orchards, to eradicate harmful insects. Rachel Carson,
(Silent Spring, 1962), documented the evils of DDT and other insecticides
that were commonly used at that time, and helped influence the
U.S. government to ban its widespread use.

Recently, scientists have been revisiting the use of DDT to combat malaria in
South Africa. In Mexico, they are successfully dealing with mosquito-breeding
by spraying safer pesticides called "permethrins."

The wettest summer on record in Dallas, Texas produced a huge community
of long-jawed orb weaver spiders. The population of these spiders, together with
other varieties, produced a gigantic web that trapped millions of mosquitoes.
Perhaps introducing spiders and other helpful insects
into our environment might help balance nature in our favor.

Want to learn more?

www.mods.org is the web site for Museum of Discovery & Science
"Better Planet," Discover Magazine, November, 2007, page 34-36.

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Modified Phase 2 Water Restrictions from South Florida Water Management District now in place are limited to landscape irrigation to two days per week. Beginning January 15, 2008, Modified Phase III Water-Use Restrictions will go into effect.

The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board declared an extreme District-wide water shortage and adopted a Modified Phase III water shortage order, instituting a one-day-a-week watering schedule for residential landscape irrigation.
Additional restrictions regarding multi-family complexes and new landscaping can be
found by visiting: www.sfwmd.gov, or call SFWMD at (561) 686-8800 or (800) 432-2045.
City of Boynton Beach Utilities, (561) 742-6400, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
For additional information: Sun-Sentinel.com/waterrestrictions
(Watch how the levels of Lake Okeechobee change in an interactive graphic.


Information furnished by the South Water Florida Water Management District.

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West Boynton Library has many interesting free programs for
residents of our community:

On the Second Tuesday of every month, from 2:00 to 3:30 P.M.,
there is an adult book discussion group called "Sense of Place,"
led by Nora Natke. Sign up at the reference desk to receive a copy of the book
to check out.
Don't forget to pre-register. This group began in October and will continue
each Tuesday afternoon through March 11, 2008.

The Hearing Loss Association of America (Boynton/DelRay branch)
President, Oscar Segal, will hold a seminar for hearing loss people at the
Boynton Beach Public Library, Friday January 18th at 1:30.

Beginning February 4th and continuing through March 21st, Winter Story times
is accepting registrations. Call 561 734-5556 for information about the hours
and programs.

Chess classes are offered by volunteers on Tuesday afternoons at 3:30 P.M.
Registration must be done in person. Class is limited to the number of chess
sets available. Free to ages 8-12. Call 561 734-5556 for more information.l

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Rita Schreff is a resident in Coral Lakes who formed an organization called "Friends Assisting Friends." She had the misfortune to fall and break her leg, while at a graveside funeral. Suddenly finding herself in a wheelchair for several months, she discovered that there were no ramps at any of the entrances to our clubhouse. In addition, there were no doors that opened automatically, nor were there cuts in the curbs to afford easy access onto the sidewalks.

With the assistance of our Civic Association, Rita contacted other residents who required these amenities all the time, and they formed FAF. New Clubhouse automatic doors and ramps have been installed now that allow access to everyone in our community.

Today, this group also provides wheelchairs, walkers, shower benches, crutches, commodes, condolence services and visits, as well as phone calls to cheer people up. They provide a special service to our community that is generous and free to everyone. Monthly meetings feature learned speakers who represent many medical fields, including mental health. Recently, Bethesda Hospital received a donation of our surplus walkers, crutches, benches and other equipment which they give to needy indigent patients.

If your community does not now have such an organization, why not start one?

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Every community has a busybody - a nuisance - a "gadfly" whose only desire is to get
noticed and to hear his/her voice be heard. This person will look for ways to upset the
status quo, try to overturn a passed resolution, and/or to make unnecessary waves!
Is there someone like this where you live?
Does he/she find the time to write to the White House, to Congress, to your representative in Tallahassee? Does this person berate your Board or the residents because what he/she feels is improper ( by his/her standards) should be aired in the public forum instead of the community, where it belongs?
Don't these people have a life? Couldn't good deeds for the community be accomplished
instead of "clearing the pool" when his/her foot touches the water?
I think I've made my point.
If you know of such a person. Tell them about this blog. Perhaps he/she will recognize
themself and find something positive to do.
Gee, it feels soooo good to have finally said this. Anybody agree?

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Recently, Officer Gordon Star from District Four Sheriff's Office spoke to over 400 residents
in our community. He advised us to be "Nosy Neighbors." Due to the recent rash of break-ins in the West Boynton area, the police department has had a 400% increase of notifications of burglaries in August. There were 114 residential invasions, where the norm would only be 30 -40. In September, our area had 94 burglaries. These are not the usual "smash and grab" incidents. We are being invaded by organized gangs of thieves. At other communities,
Capt. Martin Bechtel spoke to large groups of residents.. Here's a summary of their message:

1) Turn your lights ON and keep them on in the front and the rear of your home.
2) If you have an alarm system, USE IT!!! Turn it on when you are home at night and when
you are away - even if it is to go to the clubhouse or the tennis court.
3) Call your police department to notify them if you see suspicious vehicles or persons
trespassing. 561 688-3400.
4) If your alarm is set off by accident, call to report a false alarm - 561 688-3695
5) Call your alarm service to check and update your system to see if it is functioning.
6) Be a nosy neighbor and keep an eye on your neighbor's front and
backyard.
7) Lock your car and take your garage opener out of your car, if you park it in your driveway.
8) Don't let other cars or vans "piggy-back" through your security gates.

How Do You Know When You Are Old?

First, you tell your friend that you are having an affair.

Then your friend asks you.... "Are you having it catered?"

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