LTWCA Newsletter - October/November 2004

Wipe Out West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus has arrived in the Bay Area, San Jose to be exact. It is a mosquito-borne illness and the majority of the people who contract it have mild symptoms or no symptoms. Mild symptoms include fever, headache and body aches. The severe form, 1 in 150 infections, can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, tremors, muscle weakness, and paralysis. No vaccine exits for West Nile Virus. Most people recover, but the disease can be fatal to some.

The following are steps you can take to protect your family and our community:

*Repair leaking exterior faucets.

*Change water in bird baths at least once a week.

*As standing water breeds mosquitoes, eliminate standing water from old tires, dog bowls, buckets, wagons, wheelbarrows, flower pot saucers, etc.

*Stock ponds and fountains with mosquito-eating fish, which you may obtain free of charge from our San Mateo County Mosquito Abatement District by calling them at (650) 344-8592.

*Maintain spas and swimming pools.

*Avoid over-watering flower beds and lawns.

*Secure window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.

*Wear long sleeve shirts and pants outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are active.

*When outdoors use mosquito repellents containing DEET.

Birds are carriers of West Nile Virus and may die from it. You can report dead birds, especially crows and jays, to the California Department of Health Services @ 1-877-WNV-BIRD (968-2473). Should you wish to find out more about West Nile Virus, you may visit: www.wipeoutwestnile.com or call 1-877-WNV-BIRD.

Submitted by Julie Duncan

GET ON BOARD!

At the September Picnic I spoke about how wonderful it feels driving home to the Woods--our neighborhood, our sense of safety here, our community, how meaningful the support and camaraderie of our neighbors are. I encourage new and long-time residents to join the LTWCA Board in one way or another as part of our communal effort to support our neighborhood. There are many ways to get involved. You could volunteer to assist a District Rep by distributing the newsletters, or attending Board meetings when the Rep. is unable to. You could volunteer to help out with Emergency Preparedness drills. You could become a voting member by filling the open Representative-at-Large position. If you have ideas about neighborhood projects (and some time to help launch them), the LTWCA is interested in hearing about them. We need YOU to help make this a community. Let’s fold you in and have your voice and thoughts in the mix. Please think about this and call me (Rebecca Reynolds, 851-2718) or any of the District Reps or Board members to offer some time or talent.

Submitted by Rebecca Reynolds

Cataloging Your Junk...Mail, that is

Are you being deluged by catalogs? Where do they all come from? Trees! We can save some trees and save us time and hassle. Here is how you got on some of those mailing lists. You order from a catalog and they put you on their mailing list. The catalog companies then either sell or trade their list to other catalog companies. It is easy to put a stop to this. Pile up only the catalogs that you order from. Call these companies and request that they either take your name complete-ly off their list or code your name so they do not sell, trade, or lend your name (you will only get their catalog then). Be patient, it can take about 3 months to see the difference in your mailbox. Submitted by Linda Drey-Nightingale

Neighborhood Notes

-Another Marvelous LTW Picnic thanks to Joan and Nelson Dake who once again hosted it. Over the course of the picnic we had about 70 people show up to celebrate community and celebrate the years of contributions of Marguerite Thayer. She was awarded a Lifelong Board Member Certificate, a bouquet of marguerites, and a photo collage to remember the Woods by.

-Woods Residents with Toddlers and Young Kids - Who needs a playground or a park when we have beautiful trails for the little ones to explore? Please join the Nielsens (Somerset, age 3) for a walk on Saturday, October 23 at 11:00 a.m. Meet at the trailhead near Lake Rd. and Old Spanish Trail. While we stroll we can discuss having regular outings for the group.

-New Community Bulletin Board in the Dec./Jan and June/July LTWCA Newsletters. Twice a year you can “post a notice” on any services (babysitting, pet sitting, etc.), items to sell or buy, or info. solicitations in a special section of the Newsletter. Send your postings to: dreynight@aol.com

_-Long time resident, Ann Beckwith, passed away on Oct. 5. She had moved to Southern California to be close to her children. While she lived here, she was a regular morning walker and many of us miss her cheery hello.

_-Wildland Fire Drill Saturday, Oct. 23, 8:30-11:30 up in Vista Verde. If you want to participate go to 184 Vista Verde to check in on Saturday at 8:30.

September 2004 Directory Changes

THANK YOU Gale Smith for once again putting in some long hours on our LTW and Vista Verde directory! Also, THANK YOU Michael Glenn for generously donating paper, copy machine, and space!

Next Meeting - 7:00 p.m., 10 Nov., 1074 Los Trancos Rd. Agenda includes discussion of regular battery recycling, directory distribution, and web site content. For minutes of the last Board meeting please see the LTWCA Web Site or your District Rep.

Los Trancos Woods (LTWCA) Web Site

The web site address is:                                                                         The group e-mail list is:

http://lostrancoswoods.org/                                                              ltwca@yahoogroups.com

Thanks to Jerry Jensen for maintaining this site. AND Thanks to Alex Kostrikin for copying our newsletter.