Special Meeting on Stonebridge Purchase

Attention all residents:

The Board of Commissioners was presented with a business plan outlining the potential of the golf course. This business plan was put together at the request of Brenda Lockhart, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Lakeland. The business plan showed great promise for being an asset to the city. I was even shocked at all the potential they saw in Stonebridge's future. It would be maintained as a golf course, but then so much more. After the initial presentation (a brief intro to the plan) the BOC decided that it was too much to cover in a regular meeting. So the BOC is set to schedule a special meeting to discuss the purchase of Stonebridge Golf Course. The date for this meeting has not been set. It is expected to be very soon, hopefully before mid-February. As soon as I am able to get the date I will let you know. I will stay in touch with Bob Wherry, city manager, to get as much detail as possible.

Sincerely,
Troy Wheetley

Should the City of Lakeland purchase Stonebridge? Give us your thoughts.
http://stonebridgehoa.ning.com/forum/topics/should-lakeland-buy

Crime Alert in Woodland Park

I just got this information off of the Memphis Police Department's Cyber Watch Alert. There was a Residential Burglary at 9800 Woodland Bend (Addresses are rounded off to the nearest 100.) The report was taken on 11/11 at 12:00 A.M. The report didn't give any details as to what was taken. If any of you have any information concerning this, please let me know so I can pass the information on to residents.

I also got this report from COLA (Coalition of Lakeland Associations)

A neighbor phoned today...

While she was home around 12:45 pm 3 black men driving a teal green
ford Taurus attempted to break in. Apparently they pulled right into
her driveway and one of the gentleman went to the front door and rang
the door bell.
The owner did not answer and the man believing no one was home
signaled to two others in the car. The men proceeded to go around the
side of her house and knock and look into the windows. When they still
did not spot her and thought the house was empty they proceeded to go
to the back of the house and try and enter her second floor via the
staircase leading to the balcony. Once up there they spotted the owner
on the phone and booked. The cops were called and responded. Please
keep your eyes open. Things could of ended up much worse.

Be on the look out for a Teal Green Ford Taurus and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff's Department 379-7625.

Marilyn Piccatto

Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

Sana Meeting November 13th 5:30

To All:

We will be having a Stonebridge Area Neighborhood Association Meeting-
Announcement: The City of Lakeland Planning Dept. is inviting Lakeland residents in the south part of Lakeland to a neighborhood meeting to discuss new land development regulations that have been in progress since 2007. The south area is considered to be the area south of I-40 to Hwy 64, from Chambers Chapel Road to and including Stonebridge. The City will be inviting as many neighborhoods from this area as possible to the meeting, at the Stonebridge Clubhouse, on Nov. 13, at 5:30. The new land development regulations could be adopted in 2009. They would combine and replace several regulations which control development in the City, and also may affect existing lots. For instance, zoning, subdivisions, tree management, landscaping, architectural, fences, etc. have been regulated, and will continue to be in the future, as amended with these new regulations. Some new regulations would be introduced. Rezoning of property could be an implementation step in this project, in 2009. Information about some of the activities of this project over the last eighteen months is posted on the City website at: http://www.lakelandtn.gov/government/plan-projects.htm More will be posted as drafts of new units of the regulations become available, or other related information is developed. There will be other types of public meetings at City Hall in 2008 and 2009 before the adoption of any new regulations could occur. But, the format of this meeting is unique, so we strongly encourage your attendance. Directions to the Stonebridge Clubhouse: Take Davies Plantation North from Hwy 64 turn left into Stonebridge

Lakeland PTA Information

Lakeland Elementary School PTA would like to cordially invite you to an adults only "Enchanted Evening", October 17th to be held @ historic Hillwood on the Davies Plantation. The evening will include a delectable Italian dinner, delicious desserts, live piano music for your dining pleasure and a live auction! Follow this link to find out more and purchase your tickets: http://www.lakelandpta.com/currentnews.html

Neighborhood Watchers

Neighborhood Watchers,
Well, our Citywatch article "VSS: Shoot First, Ask Questions Later" (copied below) spurred a few other articles in media outlets in recent weeks. Click on the links below to review two TV news stories produced by Tealy Devereaux of Fox 13 and the third by David Healy of the Commercial Appeal:
"Homeowner Fights Crime with Cameras"http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=A3686928446BAA3FAD54DB09EAE5A054?contentId=7304136&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1
"Wi-Fi Helps Protect Lakeland"http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=D521503E8781935FAEFBC1C9CF9162AD?contentId=7423035&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

"Cameras Keeping an Eye on Neighborhoods"http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/aug/24/keeping-an-eye-on-02/
Also of interest in today's (9/18/08) paper:http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/18/mpd-device-will-scan-cars-plates/
From 9/16/08: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/16/cops-look-to-widen-video-eye-on-crime/
More on the Wi-Fi Access in Lakeland:http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/14/lakeland-park-goers-gain-internet-access/
A few questions for you:
1. How important is crime and safety to you as a resident of Lakeland?
2. What should the City of Lakeland be doing to protect our community from crime?
3. How much would you be willing to invest (if at all) in video surveillance of your property?
I'm interested in your answers. Please feel free to post them back to the message board (by replying to the entire group). Let's get some healthy discussion going here, shall we?
-Brian

Citywatch Article for COLASubmitted 7/25/08 VSS: Shoot First, Ask Questions LaterBy Brian S. Haines Have you ever seen the photo of the post-Katrina ad-hoc neighborhood watch group bearing the spray-painted slogan “Drunks with guns – U Loot, We Shoot”? In it 13 men casually pose sporting derisive “Go ahead, make my day” expressions as they brandish their varied high-powered armaments. With their residences in the background, they send the message to would-be criminals that reckless (and possibly intoxicated) vigilante neighbors would take delight in framing criminals in their sites in order to protect their families. While I respect our right to bear arms (and salute the courage of the 10-year-old girl who recently attacked the armed assailant holding her mother at gunpoint in their Cordova garage) I am not advocating militant neighborhood watch efforts. No, the shooting I am talking about is with cameras.
For the past several years, I have been researching video surveillance systems (VSS’s) and ways to implement them in the context of making our neighborhoods and city more safe and secure. I have had many lively discussions with neighbors both for and against the implementation of a VSS in Woodbridge and in the city limits of Lakeland. Furthermore, I installed a VSS in my home and have subsequently solved several mysteries through collaboration with neighbors and law enforcement. In addition, we have been able to not only provide physical descriptions of criminals but actual photos of their vehicles. In one valiant day for Woodbridge neighborhood watchers, we worked together to lead to two arrests in our area while equipping the “jump drives” of Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies with the data to help them pursue a third. If you are interested in the pros and cons of making our neighborhoods more safe with VSS technology, join in on the discussion through our Online Message Board here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lakelandcola/ Alternately, sign up by searching for the “LakelandCOLA” group on Yahoo.com or by sending me an e-mail at BHaines@mac.com.Please remember that we are participating in National Night Out on Tuesday, October 7th this year in order to save the heat for the criminals. For more information on NNO, visit here: http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/Start a Neighborhood Watch Group--Together, we outnumber the criminals!

From the Commerical Appeal.... more to come.

Lakeland nixes golf course plan
Votes against forming committee, cites need for more detailed proposal
By David Healy
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Lakeland's idea to buy Stonebridge Golf Course just got shanked in the deep rough.
Lakeland commissioners voted 3-2 on Thursday against forming a committee to purchase the golf course.
Those in favor of buying the course -- part of the city's golf course committee -- were instructed to come back to the commission with a more detailed plan. Commissioners wanted to know how the city would operate the course and how the committee members knew the course would not be a financial liability to the city.
Built in 1973, Stonebridge is owned by Chicago-based LinksCorp LLC., which put the 18-hole course on the market for $3.6 million in 2007. The city first expressed interest in buying the course last year.
Commissioner Randy Nicholson was the most vocal critic of the proposal Thursday. He had a number of problems with the idea and believed the company owning the course was trying to play the city for a sucker. Linkscorp LLC took the course off the market earlier this year, but apparently the company is still willing to sell to the city.
"I think they think this city will do what most governments will do. We won't crunch the numbers and won't do what we need to do," Nicholson said. "They think we will just look at the idealistic thing of saying, 'Yes, it will be great to have a golf course.'"
Nicholson said the city has many more priorities ahead of buying a golf course.
Vice Mayor Mark Hartz and commissioner Gerrit Verschuur also voted against the resolution.
Commissioner Clark Plunk and Mayor Scott Carmichael voted in favor of forming the purchase committee.
Plunk, a member of the golf course committee, said he won't stop pushing for Lakeland to buy the course. Plunk said if the city fixes up Stonebridge, it would be a sure money-maker.
"We don't have anywhere citizens can go and be together," Plunk said.
-- David Healy: 529-5880

Watch out for Mail theives- from COLA

*They apparently hit my mailbox also Monday ( on Planters View Road) as 2 neighbors brought us mail they found on the side of the road Tuesday morning. We usually check the mail everyday also, but did not M! onday evening b ecause of the rain. -B Brown *I live on Patricia Ellen Drive and our mail was stollen as well. We had to stop payment on a couple of checks which cost us $50.00.Daina *On my regular walk at 7:30 a.m., Tuesday morning I found opened mail strewn along Planters View Drive from two Planters View Addresses. I gathered up the pieces and returned the mail to the owners and noted that a Bank of America envelope was discarded. The bank information or statement was apparently retained by the thieves. This might be an indication of what they were looking for.
This mail was wet, but I wonder if it could have been fingerprinted in order to track down the culprits, had the mail been dry?
It might be a good idea to make sure the mail is picked up each day and not left out in the mail box over night.
Sincerely,Jim More *Regarding the mail thieves in Lakeland on Monday night. I noticed my mailbox a nd my next door neighbors open too. This is unusual and I am sure the thieves hit our neighborhood too. Fortunately I check the mail everyday no matter what the weather. I had mentioned this to my wife before I got the e-mail. Stephen