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.

2016 Daylight Savings ends

Before retiring Saturday night you'd be well served to adjust all your clocks, watches, microwaves, ovens, VCR's and anything else with an ability to tell you what time it is or function on a schedule you have determined ... You will probably hear this twenty times on the news, radio etc ... and at the same time consider changing the batteries in all the clocks, remotes, garage door openers, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors (these last two you might consider changing to the new 10 year sealed battery model) adjust the timers for your landscape lighting and whatever else comes to mind; and while you are at it, your landscape watering doesn't need to activate numerous times per day. That is only necessary when you re-seed. A good deep watering once a day in the morning is all that's necessary and will make your lawn more drought resistant. CVWD has a lot of tips for the proper amounts of run times for your sprinklers throughout the year. Anymore than that is wasted running down the street, evaporating or just getting the sidewalks wet. As always - Keep the faith!

Nice article from City of La Quinta today ...

Nice article from City of La Quinta today ...

Flood Preparedness

Marketing & Events Supervisor Marcie Graham from City of La Quinta · 1h ago

Being Prepared For Season

The seasons are changing and we must make sure we are prepared for rain and other weather elements in La Quinta. Even though our winter is very different from other winters around the nation, it is important to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure our property is not affected by potential rainstorms. Here are a few tips to making sure you are doing what you can to keep your area safe:

Preventive Care

Clean gutters and water drains.
Fix any roof tiles or shingles that are abnormal.
Clear any over-reaching tree limbs that can fall and damage your home.
Be informed about your risk – find out if you live in a flood zone (click here). If you do, consider flood insurance.
Have a plan – discuss family meeting places and out-of-state contacts for emergencies.
Make a kit – put together enough water and food for at least three days. Include medications, a flashlight, battery-operated radio, and spare batteries.
Get involved – the City holds Community Emergency Response Team trainings. Participants learn basic disaster response skills. For more information, contact Jaime Torres, Management Assistant, at jtorres@la-quinta.org or 760-777-7014.

SANDBAG INFORMATION

Sandbags are available for La Quinta residents at the locations listed below, during business hours. Residents will be provided with ten (10) empty sandbags. Please note that sandbags are empty and must be self filled.

La Quinta City Hall: 78495 Calle Tampico. Monday - Thursday from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. City Hall is closed on weekends.

La Quinta City Yard: 78109 Avenue 52. Monday - Friday from 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Closed on Weekends.

Fire Station 32: 78111 Avenue 52. Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on Weekends.

Fire Station 70: 54001 Madison Street. Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on Weekends.

Fire Station 93: 44555 Adams Street. Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on Weekends.

SAND FILL LOCATIONS

La Quinta City's Public Works Yard: 78109 Avenue 52. Monday - Friday from 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Closed on weekends.

Fire Station 93: 44555 Adams Street. Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on weekends.

For more tips or additional information, contact Jaime Torres at jtorres@la-quinta.org or 760-777-7014.

Letter from City of La Quinta

The City of La Quinta recently sent all Property Owners/Residents a letter. Come to think of it, they may have mailed to all property addresses so a tenant may receive a letter that an Owner/Landlord is not aware of.

The letter is an advance notification of Neighborhood Survey of Code Violations. The letter intimates that they've used numerous means to gather information and it's apparent there are many Code Violations throughout the City resulting in their need to commence identifying and addressing all code violations. One would assume the information is from the violations called in, surveys received, etc. including but not limited to personal observations of employees. This mass effort would seem extraordinary if we did not know how funding and employee numbers have been reduced over the years. In better times, there were more employees to handle these issues without a massive effort, that I remember anyway.

You might think that they should be doing something else with their time however there are many problems this will address. Staying on the positive, you should expect to see and hear less and less of vermin problems, insect/bee/wasp problems, stored materials which may hold water leading to mosquito problems (Zika issues), or stored materials which may hide a burglar snooping about and it  certainly should clean up the frontage of certain homes and ultimately providing us a higher quality of life to enjoy our ownership/residency which leads to property appreciation.

The clock is ticking so if you think you may have an issue call and ask (760) 777-7000. If the city gets involved with notices, citations and corrections it can only mean a more expensive scenario for you.

Attempted Burglary

Recently one of our neighbors had their doorbell rung at 3:00 in the morning. She turned all her lights on and yelled at them through the door. Peeking out the window disclosed no one so it is apparent that someone has developed a new process ... waiting for someone to "not answer or respond" then expecting that it's a snowbird's home or maybe someone on vacation. This is a real good reminder to remain alert, take some time to consider what you would do if this happened to you and re-consider how your security is serving you.  Think about keeping your car keys next to your bed ... you can always push the button and get the alarm going. Much better to apologize to the neighbors the next morning when you and your property are safe.

The Desert Pride Story

To all Desert Pride residents including current members of North La Quinta Next Door Neighbor residing in Desert Pride,

So where do you live? Desert Pride ... Where's that? ...

Desert Pride is defined as the property bordered by Adams to the East, Miles to the North, the dog parks, etc. to the West and the Wash to the South. With no signage on any of the three entrances, one on Miles and two on Adams, it suffers an identity crisis. Of the 25 defined developments involving Real Estate ownership in North La Quinta, Desert Pride is one. It is also the largest un-gated development ... 

The original Builder was Spanos Development and after a bit gave way to Inco homes. Inco built approximately 1/3 of the the development. Inco was the one who brought forth the "Desert Pride' name on their Homeowners manuals and related paperwork. 'Century Homes' completed construction which constituted approximately 60% of the homes (They also built the 'Marbella' development right across Adams which they started first). Many early Desert Pride owners became accustomed to the name 'Marbella II' because that was showing on the CCR's  they all signed as potential purchasers. Since no one developer completed the entire build out, no official name was assigned to the development and no signs placed at the entrances..

Desert Pride started out being known as and is still referenced at City Hall as 'Reunion' as we saw in the Maintenance Assessment proposals that have thankfully been tabled by the City. The Police Department calls it 4OC1 or 'Four Oh Charlie One'. Owners of Century built homes call it Marbella II. Real Estate Agents picked up 'Desert Pride' as the development started to get off the ground and that is what has carried on in the community, including official designation as such in the local Multiple Listing Service; again, most City of La Quinta residents have no idea of what it is called since there is no signage ...

A number of years ago several people met to discuss and implement a Neighborhood Watch. This was productive as several meetings occurred in our park with City of La Quinta officials and Police representatives. Our identity started to come forth. New Neighborhood Watch signs were installed by the City at each of the entrances however the expense was picked up by the Neighborhood Watch. We then encountered a setback in the Real Estate market wherein there was no significant activity and growth in the Neighborhood watch effort stagnated. In the recent come back period, Neighborhood Watch was able to entice the city to place Speed Limit Legends on numerous streets (an effort commenced in 2013). Conversations with the City of La Quinta and Neighborhood Watch have ensued to get a new slurry on our streets, of course, with the speed limit legends being added back on. We've found these legends to be helpful however it is an ongoing process to educate residents of the safety benefits and other important topics ...

There have been a few attempts to publicize Next Door Neighbor. Many of our fellow residents have checked it out and signed up. We have seen a good percentage of our residents join Next Door Neighbor, in fact, 20% of the active members in North La Quinta and anticipate may more in the near future. Admittedly, this is a better response than Neighborhood Watch had ever received to date. Finally, the background is established and we are getting of the gist of this writing ... It's all about Desert Pride.

Of the 25 developments in North La Quinta only Esplanade (the largest gated development) has it's own Next Door Neighborhood set up. They can correspond solely with not only the residents of their community but also with everyone in the surrounding neighborhoods they choose to. The balance of the developments are lumped into one large Neighborhood called North La Quinta. This was at a decision of one person in the community who is known as the Founding Member. This person made the decision for us all because that's the way the website works and being based in San Mateo, CA they have no idea how our neighborhoods work as opposed to those urbans areas.   The issue with the Founding Member making that choice was and is not aware of the identity problem we here in Desert Pride are burdened with. It would be optimal to be able to disseminate Desert Pride information (such as speed limit legends, etc.) solely to our development to increase the benefit of ownership and further to advise of garage sales, warn of car break-ins, burglaries, plus take further steps to establish our identity and we can do this without losing the posted information by other local neighbors that we see each day. This won't change ...

It would seem that if we can secede from North La Quinta and establish our own "Desert Pride" Next Door Neighborhood, we can do a much better job of information sharing in the development for Neighborhood Watch issues (All of which has been and continues to be at no obligation to any individual Owners). We can take a better role in improving the quality of life in Desert Pride and increase property values. We can take a more active role in establishing our identity which can also lead to better property values. We can continue to take advantage of all the information that is currently shared; and when we choose to keep things within the confines of our development it's a snap. Residents may reply here or if you are already a member of Next Door Neighbor, please respond to the Private Message you received and share your thoughts. It would be nice to have a record of this right within Next Door Neighbor for the Website's review if they like  ...

The Federal Reserve raise their Key Interest rate ...

 The Federal Reserve raised the key interest rate (Fed Funds) from 0.25% to 0.50%. It's been a long time since this has occurred however they feel You will see that this sill start to cost you more for nearly everything you do ... Read the full story from the Associated Press ...



http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FEDERAL_RESERVE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-16-14-01-26

CVWD increases conservation programs, drought penalties

If you are like me at all, I have not been following the printed materials in my water bills recently because I switched to Desertscape. This was obviously a bad move because of several things. Check out this article from CVWD of November 10th ...

The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) Board of Directors today committed additional money for rebate programs, adopted a ban on irrigation on certain days of the week, and increased drought penalties.
The new measures were adopted to help CVWD meet its state water conservation mandate. The state is requiring CVWD customers to reduce overall domestic water use by 36% when compared to the same month in 2013 or face penalties of up to $10,000 per day.

The board approved $2 million in additional conservation funding with most of it going to CVWD’s conservation rebate programs. In addition, a consultant will be hired to perform comprehensive water audits for some of the district’s largest water users, and academic consultants would be hired to perform targeted research and public education messaging to promote reduced water use.
The board approved new day-of-use restrictions for irrigation. Starting Dec. 1 and through March 31, outdoor irrigation for CVWD domestic customers will be prohibited on Mondays and Thursdays.
Drought penalties were increased for water use in tiers 3-5. The increased drought penalties will go into effect with December water use for bills produced in January. 

Under the increased drought penalties, residents who do not limit their outdoor water use to 36% below their monthly budget are subject to drought penalties structured as follows:

Water use in Tier 1:                             No Penalty
Water use in Tier 2, up to 64%            No Penalty
Water use in Tier 2, above 64%          Regular rate + $2.51/unit
Water use in Tier 3                              Regular rate + $5/unit
Water use in Tier 4                              Regular rate + $10/unit
Water use in Tier 5:                             Regular rate + $20/unit

About 76% of CVWD customers currently are meeting the drought budgets. As a result, about 5 billion gallons of water have been saved by CVWD domestic customers compared to water use in 2013.
Statewide mandatory water-use restrictions remain in effect, including prohibiting water runoff and irrigation during and 48 hours following rain. In addition, CVWD requires sprinklers to be fixed within 24 hours and leaks to be fixed as soon as possible.

CVWD continues to strongly discourage overseeding during the drought.

The state considers a month-to-month rolling average when considering a district’s conservation efforts. CVWD customers saved 21.3% in June, 40.6% in July, 26.5% in August, 16.4% less water in September, and 27.7%  less water in October. The average over the five-month period is 27%.

For conservation rebate programs, tips and additional information, visit  www.cvwd.org
The Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district provides domestic and irrigation water, agricultural drainage, wastewater treatment and reclamation services, regional storm water protection, groundwater management and water conservation.

El Nino follow up ...

While you are thinking about the possibilities, check out this Red Cross site of checklists for numerous situations, in particular:  Winter Storms, Thunderstorms, Power Outage, Earthquake and when you think you are done, check again for your littlest members of the family - Pet Safety ...

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster-safety-library

Everyone is warning us that this is an El Nino year ... Are you ready?

Don't say that nobody warned you ... We've been hearing it for weeks and a great article appeared in the LA Times about a month ago which I include for your review ...

http://www.latimes.com//home/la-hm-el-nino-20151017-story.html

5 Pros and 5 Cons of Homeowners’ Associations

Obviously, we homeowners in Desert Pride are not involved with a Homeowner's Association. Check out this article and chime in with your thoughts - POSITIVE or NEGATIVE ???

Across the U.S., homeowners’ associations are on the ascent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 59 percent of newly constructed homes in 2014 were part of a homeowners’ association. That’s up from 46 percent in 2009.

So, what’s the draw of homeowners’ associations? By the same token, what are the drawbacks?
“A well-run and managed HOA can be a blessing, and a poorly managed HOA can be a curse,” says Bruce Ailion, a broker at RE/MAX Town and Country in Woodstock, Ga.
Here, real estate agents and homeowners weigh in on the blessings and the curses of homeowners’ associations (HOAs).
Pro No. 1: Your neighborhood will look good.
Generally, an HOA establishes rules to ensure the neighborhood looks sharp, says Brad Pauly, owner and broker at Pauly Presley Realty in Austin, Texas. These include strict guidelines about keeping lawns manicured, restrictions on parking boats and other large vehicles on the street, and limitations on exterior paint colors.
“This type of oversight eliminates issues with one or two properties weighing down all property values due to an unpleasant exterior,” says John Lyons, a broker with Baird & Warner in Chicago.
Pro No. 2: You’ll enjoy access to amenities.
An HOA usually offers community amenities such as a pool, a fitness center, parks, children’s play areas and security gates, Pauly says.
Pro No. 3: Your maintenance costs will be shared.
HOA dues are earmarked for maintenance of shared spaces, according to Lyons. This includes community lawn care (but not for your own yard), community snow removal (but not for your own property) and upkeep of common areas like the pool or the fitness center.
Pro No. 4: You’ve got a built-in mediator.
Involved in a tiff with your neighbor over that big oak tree that’s losing limbs? You can settle some confrontations with your neighbors by taking your grievances to the HOA’s board or management company, Lyons says.
Pro No. 5: You can get to know your neighbors.
Gina Estrada, who lives in a gated HOA community in Clovis, Calif., says that if you’re elected to serve on the HOA board or are otherwise active in the association, you’ll become better acquainted with your neighbors. Heck, you might even make some new friends. “I believe we should know our surroundings, including the people in them,” Estrada says.
Con No. 1: You’ll fork over HOA dues.
When buying a home in a community with an HOA, you’ve got to add HOA dues to your budget. The dues vary, but typically run in the hundreds of dollars per month.
Con No. 2: Your hands will be (somewhat) tied.
If someone buys a home in an HOA community and wants to make changes to the property, such as the addition of an enclosed patio, it normally must be approved by the HOA’s board. “It’s possible that an HOA could prevent certain updates on a home,” Pauly says.
Con No. 3: You might be hampered by an HOA’s financial woes.
If an HOA is facing financial problems or is ensnared in a lawsuit, it could harm your ability to obtain a loan for a home and could hurt sale prices of homes in the community, Pauly says.
Con No. 4: You’ll lose some of your freedom.
When you live in a community governed by a HOA, you’ll have to follow its rules, even if you think they’re ridiculous, Lyons says.
“You do, however, have the option of petitioning the homeowners’ association to change any rule you don’t agree with. But if you lose, you will have to live with it,” Lyons says.
Con No. 5: You might be the victim of a “rogue” board member.
Estrada says her HOA elected a “rogue” homeowner to the board who decided to flaunt the rules and do whatever he wanted. For instance, Estrada says, the rogue board member thought the community needed speed bumps to slow down speeding drivers, so he had them installed. That move caused a neighborhood uproar. The process to take out the speed bumps and remove the rogue homeowner from the board cost several thousand dollars, including legal fees, she says.
“When there is one rogue homeowner, it can really mess things up,” Estrada says.
Problems also arise when homeowners stop attending HOA meetings, Estrada says, and it’s left to a small group of people to make decisions.
“The board of directors is made up of your neighbors. If you want to have a say in how things go, you have to serve on the board,” says Ailion.
Original posting on October 15, 2015 by John Egan

Concerts coming to old Sam's Club - LQ

I've been contacted by a number of people who were either excited by or a bit concerned about the possibility of 3 concerts to be held at the old Sam's Club site in La Quinta in April, 2016. Two of the three are scheduled for the Thursday before each CoachellaFest weekend and the third is the Thursday before Stagecoach starts ... The news first hit a few weeks ago on the news:

http://www.kesq.com/news/la-quinta-waiting-for-more-information-from-coachella-valley-windup/35829096

Can the City and Businesses use the money?
Is the City's profit going to exceed the manpower to oversee the event?
The concert would appear to be inside ... any concerns over noise?
Do the hours of the concerts concern you? (9:30 pm - 4:30 am)
What about parking, probably not a problem considering the hours or ?
Where are 10,300 people plus crew/staff going to go at 4:30 in the morning?
Will the streets be clear by regular business hours Friday morning?
It's not a big deal because they're piggybacked onto Coachella and Stagecoach?

These are just a sampling of questions/comments from these folks. Do you have any thoughts to share???

AYSO Event and Parking in Desert Pride

I just saw this posting in Next Door Neighbor and wanted to share with everyone in Desert Pride who has not yet signed up for Next Door Neighbor (BTW, if interested - email me Roger@RogerASullivan.com) Here's the article ...


La Quinta has issued a special use permit to the AYSO for use of La Quinta Park (Blackhawk Way) for a Halloween Carnival on October 23, 24, and 25. There was an ad in the LQ Gem. For those who live just north of the park, as I do, I was concerned about people parking in our neighborhood and walking through the water basin to the event. There are already over 3,000 likes on their facebook page so it might be a big event.

I contacted the event manager through their facebook page @facebook/halloweencarnivalandpumpkinpatch. His name is Robert and he assured me that they would not permit those in attendance to park in the neighborhoods just north of the park if they do not live in those neighborhoods. If anyone else is concerned about this, I would encourage you to contact him via private message on the facebook event page.

Desert Pride Speeders ...

After a long time working with the City and Desert Pride homeowners, the City has placed Street Legends throughout the development. In the absence of speed bumps, which they do not install, it is hopeful that our streets will be safer ...