Fall 2009 UHCA Newsletter

UHCA Fall 2009 Newsletter

NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALE AND FALL FLING—OCTOBER 17 & 18
After the success of last year’s neighborhood yard sale, it’s time to clean out those attics and carports again for the 2nd Annual (?) University Heights Neighborhood Yard Sale! To clarify, anyone interested will hold thie OWN yard sale on this day. The UHCA will cover getting the permit, putting up signs, and advertising in the Athens Banner-Herald and Flagpole.
This year’s yard sale will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 8AM— 1PM. It’s an away game for the Georgia Bulldogs against Vanderbilt so there should be plenty of people still in town that weekend.
We will also be hosting a Fall Fling again this year. Currently, we are planning for the day after the yard sale on Sunday, October 18. This is a great opportu-nity to meet your neighbors and members of the neighborhood association. Eve-ryone in the neighborhood is invited—including renters! Location to be an-nounced

WALK AROUND THE BLOCK

Did you know that walking can burn over 100 calories in a half hour? With some of the hills in University Heights, you can burn even more! For walking routes through the neighborhood, check out our website at www.universityheightsathens.com.

CITY ORDINANCES
There are many ordinances in Athens- Clarke County that you may not be aware of. If you have any questions or to report violations, you can contact the Community Protection Division at 706-613-3790.

- Overgrown vegetation—It is unlawful for the owner, occupant, or agent of a lot to permit or maintain any growth of undesirable vegetation as determined by the building inspector.
- Parking on an unimproved surface—Parking in an unimproved surface (i.e. grass) in a front yard in a residential zone is a violation of this ordinance.
- Auto repair & sales—No vehicle shall be parked on the streets of A-CC when the parked vehicle is for the purpose of sale or repair.
- Littering—Private property should be free of litter at all times
- Accumulation of refuse—No owner or occupant of any establishment shall permit the accumulation of solid waste upon any premises for a period in excess of fifteen days.
- Party noise—It is unlawful for any person or persons in charge of a party or other social event that occurs on any private property to allow that party or social event to produce noise in such a manner that such noise is plainly audible at a distance of 300 feet or more from the building or structure from which the noise is emanating or in the case of real property, beyond the property limits, on which the party or social event is located, whichever is farthest, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 12 midnight on Friday and Saturday.

If you notice a violation of these ordinances, please talk directly to your neighbor before calling the Community Protection Division.

University Heights Food Drive
During the first Sunday of every month, University Heights resident, Nancy and Harry Duval collect food for the Athens Area Food Bank. Just hang your donation on your mailbox before 1PM for them to collect. Look for reminders at the entrance of the neighborhood and on the email list-serve at the beginning of the month. The next collection will be October 4.

LEAF & LIMB SCHEDULE
The next Leaf & Limb pickup for our neighborhood will be in October. The date will be posted on the website and neighborhood en-trance signs once it is known.
Please remember these guidelines when setting out items to be picked up:
• Leaf & limb ma-terial should be curbside at the beginning of your pickup week.
• Place leaf & limb outside NO MORE than ten (10) days before your scheduled pickup.
• Pickup times are from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
• You may put out one "load" per pick up. A "load" is: 25 PAPER lawn refuse bags; or one 3/4 ton pickup truck load of leaves/limbs; or a pile 6 ft. long by 6 ft. wide by 4 1/2 ft. deep.
• Accepted materi-als: grass, leaves, prunings, pinestraw, limbs and small branches (No more than 4 inches in diameter and 6 feet in length), weeds, brush, and twigs.
•Material must be placed not more than 15 feet from the curb.
•The ACC Solid Waste Department ONLY collects leaf and limb debris that a property owner has generated. Indi-viduals or compa-nies under contract by the property owner to collect leaves and/or trim limbs must haul and dispose of the de-bris themselves (ie: tree surgeons, utility companies, yard maintenance com-panies, etc.).
For more information, see www.acc-recycle.org/leaf.htm.
Website and listserv
Did you know that we have a website with information such as Leaf & Limb schedules, important phone numbers, and announcements? You can also find a link on our website to the University Heights Listserv. This is a great place to pose questions for the
neighborhood, ask for recommendations from your neighbors, help locate a lost animal, or find out about a neighborhood meeting or issues affecting our neighborhood. Check out www.universityheightsathens.com now!

Tips to keep your home and property safe:
1. Secure sliding glass doors with a bar or commercially available locking devices. Unsecured sliding glass doors are an invitation to a burglar.
2. Keep all windows secured, and trim hedges, shrubbery and trees away from them.
3. If you have exterior lights, be sure to use them. If you don’t have exterior lights, think about purchasing some, and if you rent, inquire if your landlord will install some for you.
4. Get to know your neighbors and become involved in a neighborhood watch group.
5. If someone or something in your neighborhood appears suspicious, alert the police.
6. Work to keep your yard neat and free of trash, and keep litter out of the streets. Areas that look as though the residents care about them are less likely to be the targets of criminals.
7. When you make electronics or other large boxed purchases, or receive these items as gifts, dispose of the packaging promptly by going to the landfill or recycling center. Leaving those boxes at the curb for pickup is alerting others to the contents of your home.
FIND THESE IDEAS AND MORE AT www.ACCPD.org

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM
Athens has recently been experiencing a crime wave (currently on pace to see a record 2000 burglaries this year as of June 2009). Although we have not experienced much crime in our neighborhood, the UHCA has an official neighborhood watch set up with the ACC Police Dept. Any and all are welcome to participate by giving us your phone # for our master list of residents and owners. Please note that your phone # will NEVER be given out to anyone other than the police dept to be used for their "Reverse 911" calls. Any time there is a reported incident in the neighborhood, you will receive a phone call with the details alerting you to the crime. Also, our list-serv is an invaluable way to share information. All residents are welcome to register their email address to share pertinent information, especially any suspicious activity. We en-courage everyone to join!

NEIGHBORHOOD DUES
University Heights Community Association dues are only $10 per household a year, and are used (frugally) for neighbor-hood activities like the yard sale ad, our newsletter, future neighborhood projects like entrance signs, and to maintain a "just in case" fund to defray any costs, such as legal fees, that might come up. Please use the enclosed envelope to send in your dues. Thanks in advance for your contribution!

Yard Sale this Saturday!

University Heights residents: don't forget, this Saturday is our neighborhood-wide yard-sale. The UH community association has placed local ads and put out signs at the neighborhood entrances, so we expect good attendance. Take advantage of this opportunity to clean out your garage/carport, attic, cabinets, or that closet you no longer open the door to, and make some money while you're at it. The yard sale starts at 8am and goes until 1pm.