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Cleda Tries Her Hand @ Writing How About You?

First, this is the second typing! I pushed the wrong key and whish it disappeared. My excuse is that I'm very new at this.
After breakfast this morning, and by the way it was delicious, I rushed home to try out three new things Ron put under the heading, Entertainment. Since then I have checked out "The Oregonian", "Statesman Journal", and MSN Free Games. The two newspapers are great, and I'm sure all will enjoy them. Also; when I was reading the "Statesman Journal", I scrolled to the bottom of the page and clicked on to "USA Today". Surprise! Following my brief reading of the newspapers, I tried the MSN Free Games. I lost two games of solitaire and plan to give the poker game a try. Thanks to Ron....the LVH web page only gets better. Maybe if I hint a little, he will also add the local "News Times". Thanks for reading this....you are so brave!!

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HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME SAFE

Put up Beware of Dog signs (available at Fred Meyers for 99 cents.

Put a very large dog dish outside your back door.

If you are a woman alone put a pair of men's boots outside your door.

Put motion detector lights wherever appropriate such as your front porch, back deck, over the garage door and Breezeway door. If you have an enclosed breezeway you may wish to put a motion detector light outside your utility room door.

Put peephole hardware in your doors so that you can see who comes to your door. Available at Fred Meyer for $4.99.

Install window locks with thumbscrews. These are available at Fred Meyer for $2.49 for the vertical windows. For horizontal sliding windows you may consider cutting pieces of hardwood to put in the track to act as a stop.

If you have tall bushes outside your window cut them back as they provide a place for intruders to hide.

Put door jammer bars on all exterior doors. These are adjustable to fit any doorknob height. They are made of heavy-duty steel. Cost $24.95. An alternative is the installation of an extra dead-bolt assembly.

Use Super door alarm. They are motion sensitive. 125 decibels with and on-off switch. They use a 9volt battery. They cost $9.95

If you do have a monitored alarm system keep it on even when you are home. A monitored system has a monthly fee ranging from $21.95 to $29.95 depending on the service company. Initial hardware installation will cost up to $800. These systems cover burglary and fire. Remote portable keypads are usually included which allow you to open your garage door, turn on the lights, and turn the system on or off from your car. To offset these costs your insurance company will give you at least a 15% discount.

A non-monitored wireless system is available from Radio Shack for as little as $149.00. This includes coverage for front and back door and one motion detector within your house. Additional door contacts and motion detectors can be added.

Even if you do not have an alarm system you can get stickers that say you do. The internet site for free Ace Alarm stickers is reached by typing in Ace Alarm Window Decal and then Search.

Put lamps and radio on a timer and place these items in appropriate rooms when you are gone. Timers are available at Fred Meyer for under $10.00. They should operate both in the am and pm.

When you leave your car be sure to lock/hide your garage door opener control in the glove compartment. If your car is being serviced give only the valet key to the service department. The thief can obtain your door opening code very easily.

The striker plates for your deadbolt and doorknob lock are installed with only 1 inch long screws into a 5/8 inch thick piece of wood. This piece of wood is next to a 2 x 6 wall stud. The screws should be removed and replaced with 3 and 1/2 inch screws. These longer screws should also be used to reinforce the hinge side of the door. This upgrade is appropriate for all exterior doors.

Lock up your tools in a container in the garage so that the burglars have to bring their own.

Do not leave your ladder outside, lock it in the garage.

Do not store your valuables (cash or jewelry) in the master bedroom, bathroom or closet. These are the first places that thieves look. Thieves are generally only in the house for less than 10 minutes. Make it hard for them to find your valuables.

Take pictures of all of your significant valuables including electronic components. Keep sales receipt records. Etch your Drivers License Number on all big dollar items. Make an inventory of all valuables for insurance and recovery purposes.

Recheck your insurance policy to see that current homeowners coverage is sufficient to protect your inventory of valuables.

Charlene Shimek