Notice

You will note that the posting have become fewer and farther between ... This is due to the excellent response to Next Door Neighbor - North La Quinta. If you would be interested in joining, just email me (Roger@RogerASullivan.com) and I'll forward an invitation.

This blog will remain in place as the early posts have a lot of helpful information. Be well !!!

Paying it forward

Today was another very pleasant "Pay it forward day" ... As we have done for quite a few years now, my office mates and I find ways to make the start of school a fun thing for 3 of the 4 Fourth grade classes out at Oasis School in Thermal. This year was a little different because not only were the students new to 4th grade, several of the teachers were new as well ... We started with an introduction and the attention and thankfullness was already apparent. We moved on to passing out pencil boxes ( loaded with goodies - pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, highlighters, scissors, pencil sharpeners, glue sticks, etc ...) dry erase boards, rulers, pads of paper ... and yes a small snack and juice ... It is a heartwarming visit each time we go. We'll be back to preparing for our Christmas visit right away and after the holidays we'll get on to the reading program where we gather as many children's books as possible to enhance their development. If you are cleaning out the garage or a closet and find any children's books, please call me and help pay it forward :)

La Quinta Easter Egg Hunt 2017

Well, Easter 2017 came in a little early on Saturday, April 15th kicked off with the La Quinta Easter Egg Hunt and Chalk Drawing Contest at La Quinta park. It was a well attended event and this year there were less tears than prior years as more Moms and Dads were able to arrive early this year allowing their kids to dash for the thousands of eggs, many hoping to find a golden ticket for prizes.

Again, Janet Zappala, the wonderful and multi-talented Anchor with KMIR, exercised her judging talents at the Chalk Drawing contest. Janet was truly the highlight of the Day.

Balloons filled the air, bouncy houses were rockin' and the faces of the kids were filled with smiles and Thank You's ... and then there was the Easter Bunny ... I can not forget the memories created by all taking photos with the Easter Bunny.

All in all, it was a wonderful day hosted by the City of La Quinta and their Business Partners ...

The next main event will be the Celebration of the City of La Quinta birthday, April 29th.

KMIR's Janet Zappala and Sandy Beakey of Bennion Deville Homes


Janet, Sandy and Bennion Deville Homes Agent volunteers

Fed raises rate ...

See the full story/video here:

https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomcpresconf20170315.htm

Easter fun ...

Set those phone calendars as a reminder of the La Quinta Easter Egg Hunt and Coloring competition.

April 15th is the date and if you arrive after 9:00 you will miss the Easter Egg hunt which is followed by the very popular Sidewalk Coloring Contest - judged by the noted TV Anchor - Janet Zappala ... Keep the kids happy and expectations in sight by being there early for a fun Family time ... There will be a visit and photo ops with the E.B. ...
click below for flyer info:

http://www.la-quinta.org/home/showdocume...

Community Outreach - LQ Police

This past Thursday evening, some of La Quinta’s finest hosted a seminar on crime prevention. In fact, we were informed that we not only have a Crime Prevention Team but they are strictly charged with this area of concern unless a special situation should arise requiring their assistance in a backup roll. This is a nice change from tougher times in the past where this manpower was not available for the specified area of concern.

This team is comprised of Officer Aceves and Munoz who head up the Team which includes Special Enforcement Officers Ramirez and Martinez (Cove) plus Officer Lindewall (No.LQ) and Officer Worden (Central LQ).

Officer Aceves opened the meeting by sharing some videos followed by the Special Enforcement Officers sharing some great tips for keeping ourselves, our property and that of our neighbors as safe as possible. The Officers also answered specific questions for some residents in attendance; in addition, a number of residents shared some good thoughts of their own

.

Besides the City’s presence on NextDoor, we learned that the Department has a Facebook Account:  https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=la%20quinta%20ca%20police%20department ; and they have a great web page to obtain information, report suspicious activity and/or crimes:  http://www.laquintapolice.org/Crime-Prevention From this page that teems with information, you can reach other pages so spend a few minutes one day and familiarize yourself. In addition, take a moment to make a note of the Non-emergency number. Obviously, you are able to determine what an emergency is for calling 911 but reporting a suspicious character or situation should be done via the non-emergency number. Office Aceves also pointed out that we can check crime reported in the recent but not immediate past by the following web page:   https://www.crimereports.com/

 

A real tangible item of importance that comes to memory is the importance of writing down facts or taking photos, when possible, prior to calling in or texting about the  suspicious activity to give the officers some help in performing their duties such as:  what you saw, how many people you saw, what were they wearing; what were they carrying; what direction did they go in; were there any cars involved, how many cars, what color/make/model  and , of course, anything else you can remember …

It is apparent that this team is working diligently to protect us and our property. We can assist them and help ourselves by being aware, especially in the absence of a true Neighborhood Watch which are difficult to start and maintain in our areas where more snowbirds and second homeowners reside. Many people are just too busy to get involved … the answer is let NextDoor be your Neighborhood Watch and contribute by: letting you neighbor know they left the garage door open, checking out what the dog is barking at (they don’t bark just to bark), checking out that strange car parked outside, checking out the stranger walking the neighborhood after being dropped off …

Take a moment and be thankful for the Special Enforcement Team that advised us to be diligent, keep our eyes open and don’t be afraid to call the non-emergency number 760-836-3215 Ext #5 or go online to report the aforementioned areas of concern along with all other oddities that may arise. Finally, remember that the Team offered to set an appointment to check your home’s safety features and discuss/recommend alterations to make you more safe. You can call Office Munoz direct at (760) 863-8990.

Be safe in the New Year !!!

RisMedia speaks on rising Mortgage rates ...

A rise in the key interest rate could come “relatively soon,” Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen reiterated on Thursday, heightening the probability the Fed will forge ahead with a hike in December, despite initial doubts in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential victory. Mortgage rates, which generally follow the key rate, shot up this week, with the 30-year fixed rate mortgage topping out at an average 3.94 percent from 3.57 percent the week prior.
“This week, the verdict is in—over the last two weeks, the 30-year mortgage rate jumped 40 basis points to 3.94 percent, almost identical to the 39 basis point increase in the 10-year Treasury yield,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “If rates stick at these levels, expect a final burst of home sales and refinances as ‘fence sitters’ try to beat further increases, then a marked slowdown in housing activity.”

Yellen’s position—which comes as the dust settles after one of the most contentious elections in history—reinforces the sentiments of Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard, who both voiced support for future hikes this week.

Yellen also echoed the Fed’s intent to only gradually raise the key rate. The Fed last raised the rate in December 2015.