The Beacon
Volume 3, Issue 7
July 2012
Board Continues Park Improvements Your Board of Directors continually looks for ways to improve the Rivermist community. A sidewalk was recently installed at the Rivermist park to make all of the activities accessible to Rivermist residents who may have physical disabilities. The sidewalk will also allow Rivermist moms and dads stroller access as well as allowing children cto ride their bikes into the park on a safer surface. We hope to make many more improvements in the future. Your Board of Directors
Sign up for email alerts by registering at www.Spectrumam.com Our management website is a treasure trove of information regarding neighborhood policies, community events, community safety and other helpful items. You can pay your assessment fee online and can also sign up to receive email updates/ alerts that are sent out by the Board of Directors and site managers. If you need help registering or need to have your password reset, call our site manager, Jason Green at (210) 483-8127. Your Board of Directors Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc.
The Beacon - July 2012
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The Beacon CASA seeking volunteers to be child advocates By Jason P. Olivarri Published 05:30 p.m., Monday, April 25, 2011 Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is seeking more volunteer advocates, specifically Hispanic and African American males, to make a difference in any child's life. Yolanda Valenzuela, vicepresident of programs at CASA, said they work with children that have been removed from their homes by Child Protective Services (CPS) due parental abuse and neglect. CASA essentially operates as extra hands for overworked CPS caseworkers by recruiting, training, and supporting community volunteers who act as the voice of these children. “It's a commitment,” Valenzuela said. “They (volunteers) make some pretty heavy decisions.” During this time, volunteer mentors commit up to 15 hours a month doing everything from visiting a child's school to daycare, doctor, foster homes and relatives to ensure they are safe and their needs are being met. Children range in age from a few months old to age 18. In the end, a volunteer will also make a recommendation to a judge on whether a child or children should go home to their parents or be placed elsewhere. Right now, CASA is focusing its recruitment towards more African American and Hispanic males. With only 30 male CASA volunteers out of 300, and with Bexar County leading the state
City Connect The City of San Antonio is introducing City Connect, Online Services. Make a service request online - it's fast and easy. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and gives citizens an alternative way to make a request for certain city services. Service requests can also be made by calling 3-1-1 or at Customer Service Center Locations. http://www. sanantonio.gov/customer/
in child deaths, the need for more positive father figures is greater than ever. “Right now we're serving about 35, 40 percent of the kids that are in care,” she said. CASA Recruitment and Training Director Aleigha Barrera said no special training or background is needed to be a volunteer. All that is really required, she added, is a big heart and a desire to make a difference. Emlyn Jeffrey, an eight-year CASA volunteer, said its very satisfying knowing he played a part in putting a child in the best situation possible. “Really it's what's most important for the child, and getting them set up so that they can live their lives in a happy and a safe manner,” he said. For more information about Child Advocates San Antonio, visit www.casa-satx.org or call CASA at 225-7070.
Volunteer to be a powerful voice for abused and neglected children! Next new volunteer training class : Starts August 21st Tuesday and Thursday Evenings from 6 - 9 pm for Three Weeks and includes one Saturday. August 25th from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Sign up for our next information sessions: Friday June 29th from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Thursday August 2nd from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Call 225-7070 or email
[email protected] for more
Check us out on the web at www.rivermistsa.com Our community website is a treasure trove of information regarding community events, community safety and other helpful items. You can sign up to receive email updates/alerts that are sent out by our talented webmaster. Sincerely, Your Board of Directors 2
The Beacon - July 2012
Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc
The Beacon Dear Homeowner,
Arbor
Pro Tree Care
Ross Hosea, Owner
Regards,
ISA Certified Arborist #TX-3811A Texas Oak Wilt Certified San Antonio native with more than 20 years experience Trimming ● Removal ● Planting Free Estimates
Here at Spectrum we strive to make the transition to our company as seamless and problem free as possible. This article is just a reminder on the different ways you can pay your homeowner association dues. The most traditional method of coming to our office to pay is available. Our address is 17319 San Pedro, Suite 318, San Antonio, TX 78232. You can also register at www.spectrumam. com and login to pay your dues by e-check or credit card. We accept payment from Mastercard, Discover and American Express. On this site you can also setup recurring payments, view current reports of any ACC requests, Violations, governing documents, upcoming events and other information. For your security, we do not take credit card payments over the phone. If you ever have questions on how to register or how to review something on the website, please feel free to contact us. Our policy is to return all calls and emails the same day. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Jason M. Green Community Manager Office: 210.494.0659 www.spectrumam.com
(210) 912-4869 or
[email protected]
1 FREE Nail Trim* Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc.
The Beacon - July 2012
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The Beacon
Neighborhood Safety
Dear Neighbors, Here are a few safety tips that we hope will help keep you safe and our neighborhood crime free. Personal Safety Tips for Home and Neighborhood - Don’t allow strangers into your home, even if they are hurt or say they need help. Keep the door locked and call the police for them. - Don’t advertise that you live alone. - Don’t be afraid to call law enforcement to investigate suspicious circumstances, unusual people, or strange noises. It’s better to be safe than sorry. - Keep outdoor lights on at night. - If you arrive home and your door is open or things appear to be out of place, don’t go in. Leave and call 911. - Be a visibly nosy neighbor. Let anyone walking the neighborhood or sitting in a parked car see you watching them. - Make a note of car license plates and if anyone behaves suspiciously or stays in their car for an unusually lengthy period, call the police. - Tell close neighbors that you trust if you plan to be away or expect any deliveries. - If you are going away, cancel newspapers and put a hold on your mail deliveries or have a neighbor collect any mail or packages from the doorstep. - Having a dog is a HUGE deterrent. Ironically burglars are far more likely to avoid a house with a small dog than a big one – small dogs tend to be nervous and less easy to trick into calming down. They’re less trustful and bark louder and longer. - Take a walk around your home to figure out where the weakest link in your security might be – like leaving a window open in a secluded spot. - Be wary of who you allow into your home and how much information you give about your belongings and schedule (If an HOA board member comes by they will have identification and you can call Spectrum Management to find out if there is a scheduled community outreach going on). - Avoid creating temptation. Don’t leave things like lawn mowers and bikes unattended outside; lock them up. - Don’t leave valuable items in your vehicles overnight - Don’t hide a key outside. Home burglary crooks know all those “secret” places. San Antonio Police Dept. Contact Information: For emergencies CALL 911! For Non-Emergency, call (210) 207-7273 Please report anything suspicious to the police.
San Antonio Still Following Stage Two Watering Rules The Edwards Aquifer has dropped four feet since Sunday, prompting San Antonio Water System officials to remind everyone that the community is still in Stage Two drought restrictions. "San Antonio has managed well through watering restrictions this spring with once per week watering," said Anne Hayden, SAWS Communications Manager. “We are asking people to continue to be diligent and follow the Stage Two drought rules to help us avoid further restrictions." Due to dry spring weather and heavy water use across the Edwards region, San Antonio entered Stage Two drought restrictions on May 1. While the Edwards Aquifer Authority briefly returned to Stage One restrictions earlier this month, the City of San Antonio has continued to follow Stage Two restrictions throughout the summer. Off-duty police officers continue to write citations for watering on the wrong day and water waste. Since Stage Two restrictions were put in place on May 1, more than 500 citations have been issued. LAST DIGIT OF ADDRESS
WATERING DAY
0 or 1 2 or 3 3 or 5 6 or 7 8 or 1
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
*No watering on weekends* 4
The Beacon - July 2012
Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc
The Beacon
Improving Your Credit Report Under the FCRA, both the credit reporting company and the information provider (the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a credit reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. To take advantage of all your rights under the FCRA, contact the credit reporting company and the information provider if you see inaccurate or incomplete information. 1. Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. Include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. In addition to providing your complete name and address, your letter should clearly identify each item in your report that you dispute, state the facts and explain why you dispute the information, and request that the information be deleted or corrected. You may want to enclose a copy of your report with the items in question circled. Your letter may look something like the one on page 8. Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the credit reporting company received. Keep copies of your dispute letter and enclosures. Credit reporting companies must investigate the items in question — usually within 30 days — unless they consider your dispute frivolous. They also must forward all the relevant data you provide about the inaccuracy to the organization that provided the information. After the information provider receives notice of a dispute from the credit reporting company, it must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results back to the credit reporting company. If the information provider finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide credit reporting companies so they can correct the information in your file. When the investigation is complete, the credit reporting company must give you the written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. (This free report does not count as your annual free report under the FACT Act.) If an item is changed or deleted, the credit reporting company cannot put the disputed
Copyright © 2012 Peel, Inc.
information back in your file unless the information provider verifies that the information is, indeed, accurate and complete. The credit reporting company also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider. If you request, the credit reporting company must send notices of any correction to anyone who received your report in the past six months. A corrected copy of your report can be sent to anyone who received a copy during the past two years for employment purposes. If an investigation doesn't resolve your dispute with the credit reporting company, you can ask that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and in future reports. You also can ask the credit reporting company to provide your statement to anyone who received a copy of your report in the recent past. Expect to pay a fee for this service. 2. Tell the creditor or other information provider, in writing, that you dispute an item. Be sure to include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider reports the item to a credit reporting company, it must include a notice of your dispute. And if you are correct — that is, if the information is found to be inaccurate — the information provider may not report it again. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre03.shtm
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The Beacon Free Annual Credit Reports Available WHAT IS ANNUALCREDITREPORT.COM?
HOW DO I REQUEST MY FREE CREDIT REPORT?
AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized source for the free annual credit report that's yours by law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you access to your credit report for free from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report, and yet couldn't get it without paying fees or buying other services. TV ads, email offers, or online search results may tout "free" credit reports, but there is only one authorized source for a truly free credit report. I’ve seen a box at the top of some websites saying: "You have the right to a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com or 877322-8228, the ONLY authorized source under federal law."
You can request your free report online, by phone or by mail. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or fill out the Annual Credit Report Request form and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 303485281. No matter how you request your report, you have the option to request all three reports at once or to order one report at a time. By requesting the reports separately, you can monitor your credit more frequently throughout the year.
WHAT’S THIS ABOUT? A new law requires commercial websites that say they offer free credit reports to include a box letting you know you can get a free credit report at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Click on the link to www.AnnualCreditReport.com, the only place to get the free report that's yours by law. Many companies claim to offer free credit reports – and some do. But others give you a report only if you buy other products or services. Still others say they’re giving you a “free” report and then bill you for services you have to cancel. If you go to www. AnnualCreditReport.com and follow the prompts for your free credit report, you can be sure the reports you get really are free.
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The Beacon - July 2012
WHY SHOULD I REQUEST MY CREDIT REPORT? Because the information in your credit report is used to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, and renting a home, you should be sure the information is accurate and up-todate. In addition, monitoring your credit is one of the best ways to spot identity theft. Check your credit report at least once a year to correct errors and detect unauthorized activity. WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR WHEN I REVIEW MY CREDIT REPORT?
If you see accounts you don’t recognize or information that is inaccurate, contact the credit reporting agency and the information provider. For more information, read the FTC’s tips on how to dispute credit errors. If you suspect identity theft, you may need to place a fraud alert on your credit report, close compromised accounts, file a complaint with the FTC, or file a police report. Start by visiting the FTC’s identity theft website.
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