Informational Insert for April 2015 Mailing

Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma • Crime Stats Insert • April 2015
THE MONTHLY UPDATE
This mailing includes your neighborhood crime reports (for OCPD neighborhoods) and information that we
think will be of interest to OKC metro area residents. Please forward this information to your neighborhood
newsletter editor and/or webmaster so that they can share it with the neighborhood.
Everything in this insert is free for you to re-use!
Upcoming Workshops with Neighborhood Alliance
Organizing & Officer Training
 Monday, May 4, 6pm (for Voluntary Neighborhood Associations)
 Tuesday, May 5, 6pm (for Homeowner Associations with Mandatory Dues)
These informal sessions are open to anyone who wants to find out how to get their
neighborhood or HOA organized and/or learn more about being a neighborhood officer. If
you’ve just been elected, you don’t want to miss it!
Please note that there are now two different sessions: on the first Monday of each month
we’ll meet with voluntary neighborhood associations and on the first Tuesday with HOAs
that have mandatory dues. A light dinner is served. The workshop is free but seats are
limited. Reserve online at nacok.org/events/ or call 528-6322.
Leadership OKC's LOYAL and
Uptown 23rd Host
The Uptown Farmers Market
Where: NW 23rd - 25th on Walker Ave
Date: Last Sundays, May - October
Time: 11am - 4pm
Out of tragedy, courage.
April 19, 1995, altered the face of Oklahoma – and the nation – forever. Despite this unspeakable tragedy, the
people of Oklahoma banded together with acts of service, honor and kindness that are among the most enduring
memories of that time. Cars became ambulances. Strangers became neighbors. People literally donated the
shoes off their feet. In the days, weeks and months that followed:




People waited for six hours to donate blood, in lines that often stretched a block long.
9,000 volunteers signed up with the Red Cross to assist with relief services, including serving
193,300 meals to rescue workers.
Through the 168 Pennies Campaign, children raised $450,000 to help build the Oklahoma City National
Memorial & Museum.
Within a year, $49 million was donated to United Way agencies to assist survivors and family members
This spirit of generosity – of giving until there’s no more to give – has been part of Oklahoma’s DNA ever since it was founded. Visiting rescue
workers and journalists called it the “Oklahoma Standard,” and it’s alive and well today.
Please join the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum in committing to the #OKStandard. Help us ensure it stays strong for future
generations. In the month of April 2015, we ask that you commit one act of service, honor, and kindness.



Service means giving your time to someone in need. This could mean volunteering at a soup kitchen, or tutoring a student.
Honor the victims and survivors of the 1995 bombing, by visiting the Memorial Museum, cheering at the Memorial Marathon or leaving a token of appreciation on a chair in the Memorial.
Kindness involves everything from holding a door for a stranger to cleaning up your neighbor’s leaves.
Neighborhood Alliance encourages all neighbors in Oklahoma to commit and help to uphold the Oklahoma Standard. Here are some
great ways to participate:
Show your appreciation for our first responders; take homemade food, flowers or thank you notes to the nearest firehouse or police division station.
Donate your used clothing and shoes through Community Recycling to see your donation taken to any one of 50 countries.
Register for Litter Blitz and help clean-up your neighborhood or community.
For more information, ideas and to commit, visit the Oklahoma Standard website: www.okstandard.org
Working to create safe,
attractive and healthy neighborhoods
throughout Central Oklahoma
www.nacok.org
1236 NW 36th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: (405) 528-6322
[email protected]
The 9th annual Beautification Station tour will take you on a chartered bus tour of Oklahoma City to see a few hidden gems. This
year’s tour features examples of sustainable and green design.
The charter buses will leave at 9 a.m. sharp the morning of Saturday, May 16. You will disembark the bus at several locations to
explore and get an up-close view and personal accounts from the volunteers and professionals who made it happen.
After the bus tour you will be served lunch and hear about Create Great Neighborhoods, a neighborhood grant opportunity from
OG&E. Beautification Station 2015 is a partnership of OKC Beautiful, Neighborhood Alliance and the City of Oklahoma City Office of
Sustainability. Go to nacok.org to register!
Important items to remember:
 The buses will leave at 9 a.m. sharp, so be on time or be left behind!
 Seats on the bus are limited so register early!
 Children under 12 are not allowed.
 Wear comfortable walking shoes.
 You’ll hear lots of useful information on improving your own neighborhood parks and adopting parks.
 Water, snacks and lunch will be provided.
 The $5.00 registration donation is non-refundable under any circumstances.
A word from one of our Police Community Relations Officers:
MSgt. Steven Brackeen, Santa Fe Division PCR
Phone Scams
1.
The Scam—You receive a phone call and the person on the other end of the phone tells you to call a number for details of
family emergency. The number that you are given begins with *72 and then the number. When you press *72 before a number it
transfers your phone line to the number you have entered after the *72. The person can now use your phone line to call all over
the world and you will not know anything about it until you receive your phone bill.
Solution : Don’t ever dial any number that is long distance that does not begin with an area code first.
2.
The Scam—You receive a phone call from what appears to be the county courthouse and the person you are talking to tells
you that you have missed jury duty and now there is a warrant for your arrest. The person also tells you that they can remove the
warrant for your arrest from the system if you just confirm your personal information.
Solution: Never give out any personal information over the phone! Hang up the phone and call the number for the
courthouse that is listed in the phone book.
3.
The Scam—You receive a phone call from a person who states that they are an employee with your bank and this person
tells you that there is a problem with your account. The person also tells you that they can fix your account while you are on the
phone with them all they need is for you to verify your account number.
Solution: Never give any account information over the phone. Think about it if this person works for your bank they know
your account number, have them tell you the account number to verify they are who they say they are.
REMINDER: NEVER GIVE OUT ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE!
Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma • Crime Stats Insert • April 2015
Page 2
OKC Water Conservation, OSU-OKC Offer
Free Workshop
Spring workshop in the water conservation garden
May 2, 2015; 10AM to noon
OSU-OKC, 400 N Portland
Visit the OSU-OKC water conservation garden and learn
about drought-tolerant plants and proper irrigation.
To reserve your spot, call 405-297-3477 or email
[email protected].
For more information, visit SqueezeEveryDrop.com.
Come One—Come All!
To the Oklahoma City Master Gardeners
Association’s
Annual Spring Flower and Plant Sale
May 9, 2015
9:00 am until 12:00 pm
At the Urban Mission
Located at: 3737 N. Portland, Oklahoma City, OK
Talk With Us: A Community Forum on
South Oklahoma City
Thursday, April 16
6-7 p.m. at the
Capitol Hill United Methodist Church
Gymnasium
123 S.W. 25th St., Oklahoma City
Residents, business owners and the communityat-large are invited to a Q&A discussing the
challenges South Oklahoma City neighborhoods
face with Oklahoma City Councilwoman Meg
Salyer, Oklahoma City Public Schools Board
Member Gloria Torres, and Attorney Michael
Brooks-Jimenez. This free public event is
presented by Oklahoma Watch and OU’s Gaylord
College of Journalism.
RSVP to [email protected]
LEARN more:
http://oklahomawatch.org/2015/03/17/
oklahoma-watch-forum-to-focus-on-lowincome-neighborhoods/
CASA of Oklahoma County (Court Appointed Special Advocates) recently
announced two signature events: An Evening to Remember: “A Night in Neverland”,
and the “5th Annual Playhouse Parade.”
An Evening to Remember: A Night in Neverland will be celebrated at the Devon
Boathouse on Friday, May 15, 2015. This event will host over 300 guests for an
evening of food, entertainment and imagination! This lighthearted affair will reengage
your inner child and highlight the power of change a volunteer can make with a lot of
love, trust and a little pixy dust. It serves as a reminder that children in state custody are just that children.
Playhouse Parade: will once again be located in center court of Penn Square Mall from May 8
through May 17. This ten-day event hosts thousands of mall patrons. The beautifully crafted playhouses
are donated through the generosity of builders and architects. Individuals can buy raffle tickets for an
opportunity to win one of the playhouses. Symbolizing the sweetness and imagination of a child, the
children’s playhouses serve as a reminder that many children in the child welfare system cannot delight in
the simplicity of childhood play. Instead, they face a much harsher reality.
Over this past year, CASA trained 231 volunteers that advocated for 783 children. Volunteers drove over
140,482 miles and worked 17,139 hours to help ensure these children were provided the gift of
consistency and hope. It is essential that CASA of Oklahoma County expands its service to serve more of
the most vulnerable children in our community. For additional information or to make a donation,
visit www.okcountycasa.org or call (405) 713-6612.
Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma • Crime Stats Insert • April 2015
Page 3
Between now and Friday, May 8th, Neighborhood Alliance is accepting latex-based paint donations to assist with “I Heart My Neighborhood,” an OKC neighborhood beautification project.
“I Heart My Neighborhood” focuses on select neighborhoods in Oklahoma City where volunteers
from across the country donate a week through Catholic Heart Workcamp to revitalize
communities.
You can drop off donated paint at Neighborhood Alliance’s office at 1236 NW 36th between now and Friday, May 8th. If
after hours, you can leave the paint on our porch. Please be sure paint donations are only latex – no oil-based paint,
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
www.okagingconference.com
Open house set for future MAPS 3
Interstate 44 West Trail
Register now for the 40th Annual Oklahoma Conference on Aging! The
conference will be held May 5-7, 2015 at the Embassy Suites Norman –
Hotel and Conference Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Registration closes
April 24, 2015.
The public is invited to a presentation and open house to learn more
about the eight-mile MAPS 3 trail planned along the Interstate 44 corridor from Lake Hefner to the Oklahoma River.
Senior Day – May 5 Senior Day is Tuesday, May 5, 2015 and is FREE to
Oklahomans aged 60 years and older. Senior Day is for seniors only and
you must be 60 years of age or older to attend.
The open house is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at the Will
Rogers Gardens Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36. The MAPS 3 project
team will make a short presentation at 6 p.m.
Jane Jayroe, broadcaster, author and Miss America 1967 will host a
keynote panel presentation with a group of inspiring seniors, and Kathy
Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, will speak in the afternoon. The
day will also have 24 breakout sessions, a wellness expo, film festival,
awards luncheon, large exhibit hall and other great events. Registration is
limited, so register early.
The final routing took into consideration many complex factors including
safety, points of interest, accessibility, connectivity, right of way constraints and the City’s trails master plan.
Once built, the $13.8 million urban trail will open recreation and commuting opportunities for cyclists, runners, walkers and inline skaters
from northwest Oklahoma City to the Oklahoma River.
Anyone interested in learning about the trail is invited to talk with the
project team, view the route and ask questions about the trail.
View the route at www.okc.gov/maps3.
Professional Days – May 6 & 7 Features prominent keynote speakers, 35
breakout sessions, and an awards luncheon for the DHS Aging Services
Achievements in Aging awards. The days offer vital training and
networking for professionals in the field of aging.
Kerry Hannon, bestselling author and Washington, DC-based career,
retirement and personal finance expert will be the keynote speaker on
May 6.
Registration closes April 24, 2015!
Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma • Crime Stats Insert • April 2015
Page 4