News for May 2023

Hey N69,

Before I get to this month’ s news, a few reminders:

1. We still need a hostess for the June Coffee Talks. This is a popular get-together for many N69 ladies, and it would be a shame if we didn’t have it every month, so if you’ve ever gone to one and enjoyed it, why not volunteer to have it at your house? Contact Dixsie Noble at [email protected]. Also, Dixsie has a few of these mugs for sale, and can get more if we make a group order. Contact her to buy one.

1. Remember, NO watering between the hours of 7am to 7pm, even on your watering day. I’ve seen a few violators in my walks around the neighborhood, so don’t incur a fine by Georgetown.

1. Please ensure that your Emergency Contact forms are updated AND on the front of your refrigerators; the EMS people know to look for those red bags. If you don’t have a red bag, you can get one from the monitors at the amenity centers.

OK, here’s the news from the NRO meeting yesterday:

There are a few Sun City Clubs that will send a rep to one of your block captain get-togethers to talk, if you’re interested. Just ask!

· Please use the pedestrian crossing lights when you’re trying to cross busy streets—that’s what they’re for. I know that we don’t have any in Northpoint yet, but hopefully soon.

· We had a brief talk from the COPS (citizens on patrol) folks that you see driving around in the white cars with their lights flashing. Here’s why they’re doing that: they report situations (things the CA needs to fix immediately) to CA monitors, and other situations to the Georgetown Police. They can provide first aid including CPR, they search for missing pets, and they repel turkeys! Here’s what they can’t do: they don’t enforce laws, look for Design Guideline violations, or chase speeders. They’re always looking for volunteers, who only need to take two shifts monthly; the shifts are 2 hours long, and you’ll receive training beforehand. They have a ride-along program if you’d like to see what they see during a shift. Right now, only 50% of their shifts are manned, due to a lack of volunteers, so think about it.

· Chief Tschida, the Georgetown Police Chief, then discussed a few topics, mostly about local scams, but didn’t ignore our own problem with turkey attacks. He let us know that although the birds are State animals and can’t be shot, there won’t be a big investigation if one gets run over….

Larceny is the highest proportion of crimes in Sun City, which includes scams, but also includes thefts from unlocked cars and open garages, both in occupied houses and in homes under construction. These thefts happen during daytime, not night as many people believe.
Police can’t help much with scams, because usually the phone numbers of the callers are spoofed and come from overseas. The police can only educate people to be suspicious of calls from unfamiliar numbers—just hang up! If it’s important, they’ll leave a message. REMEMBER, no legitimate agency or company will ever ask you to buy gift cards, cryptocurrency, or make a wire transfer.
Randalls and Walgreens have trained their staffs so that if they see someone, especially a senior, buying a large number of gift cards, they will question them to ensure they can explain who the cards are going to and why.
The chief’s other issue is the number of mentally challenged folks they deal with every day. Texas is last in the US for mental health services availability, which is why 60% of our police force has had crisis intervention training—the national average is 20% for police forces.

Then Chief Sullivan, the Georgetown Fire Chief, briefed us on a few of his concerns:

His fire stations cover a much broader area than just Georgetown, like from just north of the outlet malls in Round Rock to Weir and beyond Ronald Reagan Blvd, so they keep very busy.
Thirty-three % of the “falls” calls come from Sun City; only 7% of the heart calls come from here.
All of his station chiefs are eligible for retirement, but the younger firefighters don’t have the experience to take over yet.
Many of his firefighters suffer from various cancers due to the toxic chemicals released in fires, which causes stress for everyone. They have various programs to deal with that stress in both firefighters and paramedics, but need more volunteers.

The last Ladies Night Out on Tuesdays is May 23^rd. From then on, it moves to Monday nights.

Deb