Neighborhood Watch Programs Build Community.

     Available at the Tiburon Police Station is a 13 page pamphlet titled "How to Start (and maintain) a Healthy Neighborhood Watch Program."  In the August 4, 2010 issue of the Ark Newspaper Teri Roney reported: " A neighborhood Watch can be any size, from neighbors on a small cul de sac to a watch that covers a few blocks or, as in the case of Belvedere, a whole City.  Belvedere is an island connected by Beach Road on the south side, and San Rafael Avenue on the north. Belvedere Police Chief Steve Fracolli said, " that all of Belvedere is one big neighborhood watch."
     Sergeant Mike Mourgos of the Tiburon Police explained that a Neighborhood Watch program involves much more than watching for criminals or criminal activity. It's about anything that affects the peace and comfort of the community. Mourgos says that, " the best thing about a Neighborhood Watch program is that you get to know your neighbors, and you start communicating."
   The Neighborhood Watch motto is, "We look out for each other."  That might mean checking on elderly residents, noticing that someone needs to trim vegatation away from their windows so it doesn't screen burglars at work, or making sure that residential addresses are clearly visible from the street.  If you need help from the Fire Department or the Police, and they can't see your address, you might not get the help you want in time.  If neighbors work together to take care of those small details they'll be ready when something serious nature comes along.
    Sergeant Mougos says that the process can be time consuming, and even suggests starting a neighborhood Facebook page.

Blackie the Horse by Paige Peterson 
Blackie resided in Blackie's Pasture in Tiburon off of Tiburon Boulevard just before Trestle Glen,
where a statue of Blackie exists today.
Blackie the Horse is also a wonderful book by Christopher Cerf and Paige Peterson
For more information on their book click on the link below
Blackie, The Horse That Stood Still by Christopher Cerf and Paige Peterson  

Some Safety Tips when Social Networking on the Internet

      Think twice when using Social Networking sites. Never post information about trip details that could be viewed by possible nefarious types with bad intentions. Basic safety precautions should be considered whenever sharing information.  All kinds of people could be peering at your information online. Take control of your information. Be careful.
      Parents need to take extra care regarding their childrent, and their activities.   All sorts of bad people including pedophiles, human traffickers, kidnappers, and stalkers are surfing the internet.  To see how private your information may or may not be type your name in  www.spokeo.com . Cyberstalking is the new prank call.  www.Safecheckin.com is an online personal safety site where you plug in appointment information, and expected return time.  If you don't check back with the site, and indicated your safe return, it follows up with emergency contacts and, if necessary, law enforcement.
     Retired police officer Jewell Crosby cringes when she hears Reators mention the idea of signaling their exact location via social networking, particularly when they're at a vacant property, or a piece of remote land. Location based social networking sites such as Foursquare broadcasts your location.  And it's not just technology that offers fresh dangers, in our changed economy financially desperate, and other disgruntled individuals abound.  If you notice anything amiss within your surroundings call the police.   And, warns Moore, "Always err on the side of safety."  ( Some parts of this post were taken from the article Play it Safe in the August issue of Real Estate, the official magazine of the California Association of Realtors   www.car.org